ABOUT BOB'S CYCLE
Bob's Cycle Cornwall Ltd. was established in March 1989 after I(Bob) and my wife(Diane) found ourselves out of work when the Yamaha dealership we worked at closed in 1988.
I had always dreamed of opening a motorcycle dealership since starting in this business as an apprentice mechanic in 1972. I felt now was the right time. This is the old shoestring story: I had no money and no job.
Even worse, although I was well known around the area as a top motorcycle mechanic, I had absolutely no business training or experience. What I did have was a good understanding of what people wanted when they walked into a dealership. I'm not a genius; all I had to do was listen to them.
Diane and I re-mortgaged our house and used the money to secure a letter of credit needed to get the wholesale financing necessary for the Suzuki Franchise. The rest was spent on renovating an old building and purchasing parts, accessories and equipment needed. We were now broke and very worried. March came and before we were ready to open for business the bikes started rolling in looking for service. We were swamped in no time and looking for mechanics. With myself and a few apprentices in the service department and Diane working in the parts counter and office, we barely kept up with the demand. We concentrated on giving the customer the best service possible at a fair price. Soon word of mouth brought more business than we could handle. People liked the service so much they started to buy their new bikes from us as well, so the bike sales started growing and business flourished.
In 1993, our son David joined the business as an apprentice mechanic. He was extremely successful and is the only one here to have an inter-provincial license. He is now service manager and helps out with sales. In 1995, I bought out a Kawasaki dealer and added the full line Kawasaki franchise to the Suzuki motorcycle & ATV line-up. We invested everything that came in back into parts & accessories, and we were beginning to outgrow our space. In 1999, our daughter Elise also joined the business after seven years working in various other fields. She completely took over the parts & accessory department, including purchasing and displaying. She's the best we've ever seen and if she wasn't family, all our competitors would try to steal her away. In 2001, we purchased a newer and larger building in a high traffic area and our sales promptly increased by 51%. We made our business with great service and we intend to keep doing it for a long time.
At Bob's our business philosophy is simple:
⦁ Smile & be friendly, but have a professional attitude.
⦁ There are no stupid questions
⦁ Don't lie. People will see right through that in time.
⦁ If you don't know, say so and then go find out, Customers will respect that more than lies.
⦁ Treat every customer like you would like to be treated.
We also believe that every day is test ride day at Bob's Cycle, not only for ATV's, demos or used motorcycles, but before you purchase a new helmet or clothing you can also try it out on the road and find out if it's quiet and comfy. We try our best to provide a friendly, inviting, warm atmosphere for the whole family. With the growing number of female riders, we are trying to accommodate them with a good selection of riding gear and fashion clothing, as well as sport and cruiser models more suited to woman.
We learned early on that giving everything away will not make the customer happy or pay the bills. Motorcycle enthusiasts are very passionate about their bikes and are looking for great service and a friendly attitude that will enhance the whole experience.
We look forward to helping you with all your Motorcycle and ATV needs. Enjoy our website and virtual tour of our inventory and of course feel free to stop by - we would love to meet you face to face.
Bob & Diane Caron
I had always dreamed of opening a motorcycle dealership since starting in this business as an apprentice mechanic in 1972. I felt now was the right time. This is the old shoestring story: I had no money and no job.
Even worse, although I was well known around the area as a top motorcycle mechanic, I had absolutely no business training or experience. What I did have was a good understanding of what people wanted when they walked into a dealership. I'm not a genius; all I had to do was listen to them.
Diane and I re-mortgaged our house and used the money to secure a letter of credit needed to get the wholesale financing necessary for the Suzuki Franchise. The rest was spent on renovating an old building and purchasing parts, accessories and equipment needed. We were now broke and very worried. March came and before we were ready to open for business the bikes started rolling in looking for service. We were swamped in no time and looking for mechanics. With myself and a few apprentices in the service department and Diane working in the parts counter and office, we barely kept up with the demand. We concentrated on giving the customer the best service possible at a fair price. Soon word of mouth brought more business than we could handle. People liked the service so much they started to buy their new bikes from us as well, so the bike sales started growing and business flourished.
In 1993, our son David joined the business as an apprentice mechanic. He was extremely successful and is the only one here to have an inter-provincial license. He is now service manager and helps out with sales. In 1995, I bought out a Kawasaki dealer and added the full line Kawasaki franchise to the Suzuki motorcycle & ATV line-up. We invested everything that came in back into parts & accessories, and we were beginning to outgrow our space. In 1999, our daughter Elise also joined the business after seven years working in various other fields. She completely took over the parts & accessory department, including purchasing and displaying. She's the best we've ever seen and if she wasn't family, all our competitors would try to steal her away. In 2001, we purchased a newer and larger building in a high traffic area and our sales promptly increased by 51%. We made our business with great service and we intend to keep doing it for a long time.
At Bob's our business philosophy is simple:
⦁ Smile & be friendly, but have a professional attitude.
⦁ There are no stupid questions
⦁ Don't lie. People will see right through that in time.
⦁ If you don't know, say so and then go find out, Customers will respect that more than lies.
⦁ Treat every customer like you would like to be treated.
We also believe that every day is test ride day at Bob's Cycle, not only for ATV's, demos or used motorcycles, but before you purchase a new helmet or clothing you can also try it out on the road and find out if it's quiet and comfy. We try our best to provide a friendly, inviting, warm atmosphere for the whole family. With the growing number of female riders, we are trying to accommodate them with a good selection of riding gear and fashion clothing, as well as sport and cruiser models more suited to woman.
We learned early on that giving everything away will not make the customer happy or pay the bills. Motorcycle enthusiasts are very passionate about their bikes and are looking for great service and a friendly attitude that will enhance the whole experience.
We look forward to helping you with all your Motorcycle and ATV needs. Enjoy our website and virtual tour of our inventory and of course feel free to stop by - we would love to meet you face to face.
Bob & Diane Caron
