Love’em or hate’em the Harley-Davidson Motor Company is the indisputable King of building lasting relationships
with its customers. As a Harley owner, I’m
impressed with the Motor Company’s efforts to create a bond between the company
and those of us who buy their motorcycles.
I’ll be the first to admit their primary motivation for creating this
bond is to sell more product…but I don’t care.
It’s great that Harley-Davidson values our business enough to create and
promote an environment where people from all walks of life can come together to
share the freedom and passion of riding.
I don’t know of any other motorcycle company that even tries to do that.
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| Shade Tree Saloon |
This past weekend I attended a customer appreciation event
sponsored by my local dealer, Gruene Harley-Davidson. The dealership organized a ride to the Shade Tree Saloon & Grill,
a local watering hole, in Spring Branch, Texas and bought everyone’s lunch.
There were 200+ people and 150+ bikes that participated. As I moved through the crowd, I was amazed
at how easily the conversation flowed.
No one cared whether you were blue-collar, white-collar, or no-collar. What was important was that you enjoyed
riding. There was an unspoken sense of
family. It was a great event!
Besides giving away free food and drink, which can be found
on almost any weekend at many Harley dealerships around the country, the Motor
Company also promotes the Harley Owners Group (HOG) as a way to bring like-minded individuals together. Whether you’re a new rider or one that’s
ridden your entire life, HOG is a great way to meet folks who just want to ride
and have fun. HOG has been around for 31
years and boasts over 1,400 chapters with more than one-million members
worldwide. Now, that’s a lot of motorcycle love. If you
own a Harley-Davidson, you should check out your local HOG Chapter (most Harley
dealerships sponsor a chapter). As a member of the Gruene HOG Chapter, I’ve
participated in countless group rides, eaten some great food, seen some
terrific places, helped raise money for charity, and met some really cool
people.
My involvement with HOG has been very positive. While I enjoy riding by myself, riding with
other Chapter members adds a new dynamic to the whole experience. There’s something almost magical about riding
in a crisp staggered formation with people you’ve grown to trust…and it’s nice
knowing you’re not alone when you have trouble along the road. Had
the Harley-Davidson Motor Company not pushed and promoted HOG, I certainly would
have missed some great times and may have never fully understood the
camaraderie shared by those who ride.
That’s worth something.
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| Just a few of the many Bikes at Shade Tree |
I know there are other motorcycle manufacturers out there
and I’m not such a Harley disciple that I would never consider another brand.
But…wait for it…I’ll always look at Harleys first because
the Motor Company has earned a little loyalty.
As I stated in the beginning, I know of no other motorcycle manufacturer
that invests as much in their customers as Harley-Davidson. Maybe that’s what makes them an American
icon.
I’d like to know if my experience is unique, so please share
your experiences with me. And if I’ve
missed something in terms of other motorcycle manufacturers and how they treat
their customers, by all means, please share your story because at the end of
the day, it doesn't matter what you ride.
It only matters that you ride.