ScooterworksUSA and Scooterworks Chicago

There’s been some confusion and angst lately on the Chicago lists about changes at Scooterworks and parts availability. Until recently, both the local dealership (and its service department) AND the catalog internet/mail-order business were located on Damen Avenue and called “Scooterworks USA.” Starting last month, the parts business, Scooterworks USA has moved to a new location on the West Side, and the dealership, still on Damen, has been separated from the parts business and christened Scooterworks Chicago (note the separate websites, as well).

Scooterworks Chicago will stock the general supply of parts, gear, and accessories typical to any good scooter shop, but will no longer sell the full lineup of items available from Scooterworks USA.

Sadly, Scooterworks USA is not accessible to retail customers, so local scooterists will not be able to order in person, or pick up orders placed by phone or online. This was very disappointing news to Chicago scooterists spoiled with 6-day-a-week access to just about any imaginable scooter part. To lessen the blow, ScooterworksUSA is temporarily offering free shipping for all Chicago orders over $35 until September 31, 2009:

Attention: Chicagoland Scooterworks customers
As many of you know, we have moved our warehouse across town from our dealership, Scooterworks Chicago. We are in the process of making Scooterworks Chicago one of the greatest scooter shops in the country.
We are unfortunately not able to stock all of our parts at our dealership. We know this is an inconvenience to our local customers, and for that we apologize. So to help everyone get through the 2009 riding season we are offering all Chicagoland customers FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $35 through September 31, 2009.
Thanks,
Scooterworks Staff

As always, orders placed before 2pm ship same day, and Scooterworks generally offers free shipping on orders over $100.

2 thoughts on “ScooterworksUSA and Scooterworks Chicago”

  1. I just ordered less than $20 of parts (cables, a fuel tap gasket) with no shipping fee. I’d rather be able to walk in, and I have a feeling that I’ll be ordering from elsewhere once I have to pay for shipping, but it’s as convenient as can be right now.

  2. I have to say I have been nothing but disappointed in Scooterworks past year or two. Try calling their phone today, it’s giving a busy signal all day, and the simple mistakes keep on coming. It just took 3 days short of a full month to get about $200 worth of Buddy parts to me for latest repair. Called 3 seperate times and each one a week apart, was patient, and lied to each time that it went out to avoid going and checking on it. I’m a super understanding guy and this is probably first time in years I posted anything about a company, but anyone on a schedule working with todays Scooterworks give it a little second thought. There is little to no system, good luck getting a tracking number (it’s a pretty manual process they have and only if you ask for it, even after they realize they screwed-up 3 times on same order). Now the phones don’t work, just have to laugh in frustration. I’m giving second thought on working on anything Genuine in the future. Northern OC dealer is bit of a joke, not once I stopped by were the doors open in SA, and it’s right up the street from one of SoCal’s top 5 Motorcycle dealer chains (OTD), how do these guys get qualified?

    I run a small unrelated business and I worked in the parts business before and as former product manager was actually a vendor at shows like Dealer Expo, dealt with all the major moto distributors and there’s a reason outfits like Tucker Rocky, VanLeuuwen, Parts Unlimited, etc exist…they’re better than manufacturers at what they do. Never have I waited anywhere close to this long, and it’s not last summers crunch, so what’s the excuse now? …Great idea of moving a warehouse in prime May scooter season just in time so customers can miss first rallies of the season? This isn’t the first either, order a fuel tap wrench and see if you get the same malformed piece of junk I couldn’t believe I was sent, got a replacement, same thing and only forming in a vice grip made it work, seems few there know much about scoots compared to just a few years ago and visually checking what goes out the door in a niche business may be a good idea.
    I had nothing but good experience with a Honda Metro recent getting parts, and from a company that suppossedly doesn’t support scooters well, I can say my parts were here in 3 days from a DC through an online dealer. This seperation of business I understand, but don’t think it necessary, know the legal and liability reasons for doing this as my father managed a similar setup 40 years. You have more simple things to fix. And now you risk your local Chicago business? Every major business has at least a quiet unadvertised will-call for those that seek it out. Do you really think dealers increase in pushing your parts locally will be worth this risk? I dunno, it’s your business.

    Motorsport seems to be going way of outsource everything, split everything up, make it complicated, maybe if we seem like we’re not taking dealer business direct we’ll signup more. News for you, price your direct business like it seems you are already doing based on my last order higher than through a dealer and funnel things to local dealers, dealer is on frontline and won’t screwup order as readily and chase it down for customer and your in-house guys will pay more attention it seems. How in the world can you run out of parts so readily also, don’t you sell 5000+ scooters a year? Higher on-par pricing and generating leads is worth a lot to dealers, the ones who whine will never focus on parts anyhow, most of your dealers are already pricing your parts lower. I really want Scooterworks to keep growing, but I’m just at wits end right now. Even an unprompted offer for overnight ship on last call looked good, got the tracking, then found it to be regular ground. My shipment was missing major part I needed when it did come, partial ship I wasn’t made aware of, and my part was suppossedly out of stock due to their own delay. Got a very careful message today it is coming, sure it’s regular ground, zero concessions have been made while I need to explain this and make concessions of my own to owner. This is customer service 101.

    I’m tired of hearing about the warehouse move and all each time I speak to someone. I don’t need details of your internal operations/problems and to hear about who is blaming who, we all have challenges in business, I would find a spare cell and immediately post that number on website if my phone system was down and I ran a mailorder shop, that means missed orders that whole span of time. The customer doesn’t care. Especially one guy there starts with a G and deep voice just doesn’t seem to get how to prioritize and elevate problems, I’ll call AT&T if I want to hear insincere platitudes, I really don’t care and get over it, I am, and let’s solve my problem. Seems can’t get past how a customer can possibly be upset, work past it, solve problem, I can only imagine how firey spirited people get handled. Hire less order takers, more salespeople, I felt like I was speaking to some Indian call center populated with Americans in last few treatments. I’ll get off my soapbox now, hope this doesn’t get moderated as positive only comments on this blogsite.

    I dunno. Your business is being hurt. The guys are frustrated Mr. McC, it comes through on the phone, and something needs to be offered at least after strings of screwup like this. I don’t know what you pay these guys, but it’s not enough apparently. You’ve grown beyond the old days, get some professionals there managing overall operations for improvement. It can’t be that busy, maybe you just don’t hire enough guys, for a $10+ mil business not even managing their own logistics/warehousing on complete scooter side, there should be many more employees, the margins are there. That’s all I’ve got to say. I’ve been inconvenienced and that has cost me money, while Genuine/Scooterworks takes zero hit or even offers a remedy/credit of any sort. Month for parts, then box is missing items. Seems these guys are little more than an importer anymore. Maybe it’s a scooter customer demanding less, a month and the same problems/excuses still, gets old. Hope it all gets ironed out, but watch if placing any current orders right now. I don’t normally write like this, but don’t want anyone to go through ordeal I did past month. My excitement working on first Genuine product has definately waned.

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