Suzuki Customer Service - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

black&blue · 10-31-2006, 05:46 AM

You'd better hope that you never have to work with Suzuki America customer service. I'm the guy whose frame broke on my 2005 C50T. I started working with a consumer remediation manager named Brian Malasak back at the end of July to get my bike fixed. It took them a month to get back to me and to start working on it. When I picked the bike up from the dealer it was a mess. I dropped it off in showroom condition except for the broken frame of course. When I picked it up: the cabling on the handle bars was dangling because they forgot the cable ties, it wouldnt shift into neutral, they scratched the front and rear fenders, the gas tank, and scuffed one of my saddle bags. It looked like they washed it with dish soap and just let it dry on it. It was covered with a layer of dust to boot. I called Mr. Malasak that same day to voice my displeasure. Didn't hear from him for another month and half. After calling everday during that time and leaving times and phone numbers where to reach me, I finally reached him and he promised he would arrange with the dealer to have everything sorted out. He also promised to call me in a couple of days to let me know what to do next. That was two weeks ago. Keep in mind this has been going on since July. I finally blew a gasket last night and called the customer service line and told them I wanted to speak to his boss. They offered to transfer me to Mr. Malasak's voice mail since magically he was not in again and according to the agent he has no boss. I finally got the help line manager on the line and explained the whole ordeal. He again promised he would arrange things with the dealer and have them fix everything that was not to my satisfaction. He promised he would call me tonight to give me an update. I wont hold my breath. Bottom line. I loved owning my C50T up until this episode. I still think it is a great bike. It's the service behind it that is the worst I have ever experienced. It is now for sale. It has become more of a headache than its worth. This was my first Suzuki and it will be my last.

**Clint** · 10-31-2006, 07:37 AM

That's unfortunate. That's also one huge paragraph.

Ext1jdh · 10-31-2006, 09:13 AM

Man that sucks big time. However poor you feel the Suzuki customer service is, it seems like the real problem is with the dealership that did the "repairs." I hope you got some photos of the bike after the dealer was done with it, at least for records...

Apertureguy · 10-31-2006, 09:24 AM

Yeah, a bad dealership can really ruin your whole experience. It's why I no longer own Honda cars. The dealership around here gave me the run around a few times...I had a CR-V (loaded) and got rid of it after 2 1/2 years. Shortest time I ever owned a new car.

I had 62k miles on it (yeah I drive a lot) and I kept having problems, and recalls...finally after finding several parts bouncing around loose in the engine compartment (after the last recall work) I asked them what they would give me on a trade in.

They courted me for my business pretty well...said they would go as high as 10k on the trade in. Offered lots of stuff on the new ride. I took about 4 different models out for private road tests...and basically beat the snot out of each vehicle. No, I mean really beat them hard. OK, so I'm a big baby and I took out my frustrations on their vehicles.

Then I went to Toyota, got 12,500 for the trade in & never looked back.

TaterDog · 10-31-2006, 07:29 PM

Black&blue, who was the dealer?

ChicsterMG · 10-31-2006, 07:37 PM

That sucks, man. Keep us informed as to whether he actually calls you back. I should have my wife find the president of Suzuki America for you. She has an uncanny way of getting what she wants that way.
First, Royal Caribbean, second, Cingular, And Dish network, among a few others.
I will have her look into it.

ChicsterMG · 10-31-2006, 09:00 PM

Okie, she came through...

The President of Suzuki America is Rick Suzuki (probably not his real first name).
Vice President is Mel Harris

Corporate office Address
3251 E. Imperial Hwy
Brea, CA 92821-6795

ph: 714-996-7040

It appears their e-mail is @suzuki.com, but we are not sure of how they are with their names. for example rick.suzuki@suzuki.com or rsuzuki@suzuki.com

Give it a shot and let them know how you feel. You may get lucky.

bloomfieldrich · 10-31-2006, 10:15 PM

That stinks. I am actually suprised because when I told the service guy at the dealer where i got mine that I was doing some of the maintenance myself (oil changes, gear oil changes, spark plugs, etc.) He said great but please keep a log of this and all receipts so if we ever have to call suzuki they will want to know what was done to the bike.

black&blue · 11-01-2006, 04:12 PM

My dealer's slogan is repeated quite often on local radio and when you call them: "Remember, Always take it to the Max!". Pretty clever since it is Max Pitts Yam/Suz/Hon of Peru, In. Insert joke using Pitts. But, whatever you do, stay away from these characters. The only reason they sell anything is they're just about the only choice around. The next closest dealers are over and hour and half away from here (Kokomo, In). Its not just the dealers fault though. It took 3 months to have 2 conversations with Mr. Malasak from Suzuki America. He would return my phone calls during the day when he knew I was at work to avoid talking to me but he could then say he tried to contact me. Yes, I did leave my phone number and eastern stadard times and converted california times when he could reach me. It was a joke, very unprofessional.

TaterDog · 11-01-2006, 06:59 PM

Well, a little "advertisement" certainly never hurts. Especially since this forum gets good readership nationwide.

Sorry to hear you're selling your bike, but certainly understand. Question is, what will you buy now??? Sounds like Kawi 900 might be a good choice for a similar bike.

black&blue · 11-01-2006, 07:46 PM

Thought about the Kaw 900 but it looks like crap compared to the c50t. I like the belt drive and disk brakes but I looked at one over the summer and it was too cheaply made on close inspection. Will probably take my money to Victory or BMW. Both are over 2 hours away but have awesome customer service according to the research I've done. At this point I'm willing to pay more to get a little more engine, fewer headaches, and real service after the sale.

hammersfan · 11-01-2006, 09:51 PM

How about the new Yamaha V-Star 1300 ?

TaterDog · 11-01-2006, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hammersfan

How about the new Yamaha V-Star 1300 ?

I agree. One of my sons rides a Vstar 1100 classic. Very nice bike.

black&blue · 11-04-2006, 07:04 AM

Sold the bike earlier this week. Had very mixed feelings about it. Still loved the bike but couldnt get over the scratches and broken bits on it. Who knows how long it would have taken to get it all fixed to my satisfaction, if ever. On a happier note, I bought a couple four wheelers. I was planning on buying these anyway wether I sold my bike or not. I was going to buy a couple Suzuki Quadsports, z90 and z250. But due to Suzuki's total disregard for me as a consumer, they lost that sale. Bought two Can Am DS's, ds90 and ds250. Will replace the bike later this winter. Again, I was going to trade my c50 for an m109r but not now. Will never buy another Suz product again. I've got my eye on a 2007 Victory Kingpin. Way to go Mr. Malasak and the rest of the crew at Suzuki America (absolutely no) Customer Service. You missed out on over 20 grand in sales because you wouldnt follow up on promises you made to an already loyal and happy customer. If anyone wants to reach Brian Malasak, Customer Remediation Manager, his phone number is 714-996-7040 ext. 2395. In case anyone is interested, sold the bike for $6,500.

TaterDog · 11-04-2006, 06:26 PM

I've got a friend who rides a Victory and he loves it. Nice looking bike, too. Sounds like our friends at Suzuki missed the boat; unfortunately, they still sell lots of C50's, so it will probably be a while before they ever even feel the need to improve their customer service.

On a brighter note, sounds like you got a pretty good price for your '05 C50T. Best of luck to you, black&blue. Keep us updated on what you finally buy. We may run into CS problems too!

Boston · 11-14-2006, 12:32 AM

shame on Suzuki and the dealership. I would write to the president and tell him how shameful he is bahaving. His rep is representing the president. If I were the president I would fire mr. malasak, and take care of it myself. That kind of thing is one reason I like to work on the bike myself, (although a frame break forces you to deal with them) That way if I mess up it is my fault. I had a goldwing and put it in for a new radiator and when I got it home it didn't have any coolant in it. Just sloppy work, and an "I hate my job and don't care" attitude. Sorry to here the circumstances. Very frustrating. I hope whatever bike you go with treat you better.

10-31-2006, 05:46 AM	#1 (permalink)
black&blue Newbie Joined: May 2005 Bike: '05 C50T Posts: 21	Suzuki Customer Service You'd better hope that you never have to work with Suzuki America customer service. I'm the guy whose frame broke on my 2005 C50T. I started working with a consumer remediation manager named Brian Malasak back at the end of July to get my bike fixed. It took them a month to get back to me and to start working on it. When I picked the bike up from the dealer it was a mess. I dropped it off in showroom condition except for the broken frame of course. When I picked it up: the cabling on the handle bars was dangling because they forgot the cable ties, it wouldnt shift into neutral, they scratched the front and rear fenders, the gas tank, and scuffed one of my saddle bags. It looked like they washed it with dish soap and just let it dry on it. It was covered with a layer of dust to boot. I called Mr. Malasak that same day to voice my displeasure. Didn't hear from him for another month and half. After calling everday during that time and leaving times and phone numbers where to reach me, I finally reached him and he promised he would arrange with the dealer to have everything sorted out. He also promised to call me in a couple of days to let me know what to do next. That was two weeks ago. Keep in mind this has been going on since July. I finally blew a gasket last night and called the customer service line and told them I wanted to speak to his boss. They offered to transfer me to Mr. Malasak's voice mail since magically he was not in again and according to the agent he has no boss. I finally got the help line manager on the line and explained the whole ordeal. He again promised he would arrange things with the dealer and have them fix everything that was not to my satisfaction. He promised he would call me tonight to give me an update. I wont hold my breath. Bottom line. I loved owning my C50T up until this episode. I still think it is a great bike. It's the service behind it that is the worst I have ever experienced. It is now for sale. It has become more of a headache than its worth. This was my first Suzuki and it will be my last.

10-31-2006, 09:13 AM	#3 (permalink)
Ext1jdh Top Gear ! Full Throttle! Joined: Apr 2005 Bike: Sold Location: Elgin, IL, US Posts: 5,257	Man that sucks big time. However poor you feel the Suzuki customer service is, it seems like the real problem is with the dealership that did the "repairs." I hope you got some photos of the bike after the dealer was done with it, at least for records... __________________ I am lurking. I am likely to be eaten by a grue.

10-31-2006, 07:29 PM	#5 (permalink)
TaterDog Clunked into first gear Joined: Sep 2005 Bike: '06 C50, '00 FLHTCI Location: Lenexa, KS Posts: 239	Black&blue, who was the dealer? __________________ Who says little dogs don't have attitude? ______________________________ Jim

10-31-2006, 07:37 PM	#6 (permalink)
ChicsterMG Refrigerator Magnet Test Engineer Joined: May 2005 Bike: Boulevard C50 Location: Afghanistan Posts: 3,508	That sucks, man. Keep us informed as to whether he actually calls you back. I should have my wife find the president of Suzuki America for you. She has an uncanny way of getting what she wants that way. First, Royal Caribbean, second, Cingular, And Dish network, among a few others. I will have her look into it. __________________ Sometimes you need to ask yourself, "WWGD?"...Just be awesome, that's all! GUT-CUT 2007: 177 LBS. 160 LBS.

10-31-2006, 09:00 PM	#7 (permalink)
ChicsterMG Refrigerator Magnet Test Engineer Joined: May 2005 Bike: Boulevard C50 Location: Afghanistan Posts: 3,508	Okie, she came through... The President of Suzuki America is Rick Suzuki (probably not his real first name). Vice President is Mel Harris Corporate office Address 3251 E. Imperial Hwy Brea, CA 92821-6795 ph: 714-996-7040 It appears their e-mail is @suzuki.com, but we are not sure of how they are with their names. for example rick.suzuki@suzuki.com or rsuzuki@suzuki.com Give it a shot and let them know how you feel. You may get lucky. __________________ Sometimes you need to ask yourself, "WWGD?"...Just be awesome, that's all! GUT-CUT 2007: 177 LBS. 160 LBS.

10-31-2006, 09:24 AM	#4 (permalink)
Apertureguy Throttle Jockey Joined: Jun 2006 Bike: 2006 Blue M50 Location: New York Posts: 3,267	Yeah, a bad dealership can really ruin your whole experience. It's why I no longer own Honda cars. The dealership around here gave me the run around a few times...I had a CR-V (loaded) and got rid of it after 2 1/2 years. Shortest time I ever owned a new car. I had 62k miles on it (yeah I drive a lot) and I kept having problems, and recalls...finally after finding several parts bouncing around loose in the engine compartment (after the last recall work) I asked them what they would give me on a trade in. They courted me for my business pretty well...said they would go as high as 10k on the trade in. Offered lots of stuff on the new ride. I took about 4 different models out for private road tests...and basically beat the snot out of each vehicle. No, I mean really beat them hard. OK, so I'm a big baby and I took out my frustrations on their vehicles. Then I went to Toyota, got 12,500 for the trade in & never looked back.

10-31-2006, 10:15 PM	#8 (permalink)
bloomfieldrich Seat Tester Joined: May 2006 Posts: 68	That stinks. I am actually suprised because when I told the service guy at the dealer where i got mine that I was doing some of the maintenance myself (oil changes, gear oil changes, spark plugs, etc.) He said great but please keep a log of this and all receipts so if we ever have to call suzuki they will want to know what was done to the bike. __________________ 2005 C50 K&N Air Filter, K&N Oil Filter, Kuryakyn Levers, Vance and Hines, Memphis Fats 19 Inch With Lowers, Kuryakyn ISO Grips, Vista Cruise Control, Highway Hawk Speedometer Visor, Clear Alternatives Clear Signal Light Covers, Silverstar Bulbs, and Cobra Highway Bar.

11-01-2006, 04:12 PM	#9 (permalink)
black&blue Newbie Joined: May 2005 Bike: '05 C50T Posts: 21	Don"t Take It To the Max! My dealer's slogan is repeated quite often on local radio and when you call them: "Remember, Always take it to the Max!". Pretty clever since it is Max Pitts Yam/Suz/Hon of Peru, In. Insert joke using Pitts. But, whatever you do, stay away from these characters. The only reason they sell anything is they're just about the only choice around. The next closest dealers are over and hour and half away from here (Kokomo, In). Its not just the dealers fault though. It took 3 months to have 2 conversations with Mr. Malasak from Suzuki America. He would return my phone calls during the day when he knew I was at work to avoid talking to me but he could then say he tried to contact me. Yes, I did leave my phone number and eastern stadard times and converted california times when he could reach me. It was a joke, very unprofessional.

11-01-2006, 06:59 PM	#10 (permalink)
TaterDog Clunked into first gear Joined: Sep 2005 Bike: '06 C50, '00 FLHTCI Location: Lenexa, KS Posts: 239	Well, a little "advertisement" certainly never hurts. Especially since this forum gets good readership nationwide. Sorry to hear you're selling your bike, but certainly understand. Question is, what will you buy now??? Sounds like Kawi 900 might be a good choice for a similar bike. __________________ Who says little dogs don't have attitude? ______________________________ Jim

11-01-2006, 07:46 PM	#11 (permalink)
black&blue Newbie Joined: May 2005 Bike: '05 C50T Posts: 21	Next Thought about the Kaw 900 but it looks like crap compared to the c50t. I like the belt drive and disk brakes but I looked at one over the summer and it was too cheaply made on close inspection. Will probably take my money to Victory or BMW. Both are over 2 hours away but have awesome customer service according to the research I've done. At this point I'm willing to pay more to get a little more engine, fewer headaches, and real service after the sale.

11-01-2006, 09:51 PM	#12 (permalink)
hammersfan U.B's LoveChild Joined: Jan 2006 Bike: 2008 C90 SE Location: Ajax ,Ontario ,Canada Posts: 1,233	How about the new Yamaha V-Star 1300 ? __________________ Ride Safe Hammersfan

11-04-2006, 07:04 AM	#14 (permalink)
black&blue Newbie Joined: May 2005 Bike: '05 C50T Posts: 21	Sold Sold the bike earlier this week. Had very mixed feelings about it. Still loved the bike but couldnt get over the scratches and broken bits on it. Who knows how long it would have taken to get it all fixed to my satisfaction, if ever. On a happier note, I bought a couple four wheelers. I was planning on buying these anyway wether I sold my bike or not. I was going to buy a couple Suzuki Quadsports, z90 and z250. But due to Suzuki's total disregard for me as a consumer, they lost that sale. Bought two Can Am DS's, ds90 and ds250. Will replace the bike later this winter. Again, I was going to trade my c50 for an m109r but not now. Will never buy another Suz product again. I've got my eye on a 2007 Victory Kingpin. Way to go Mr. Malasak and the rest of the crew at Suzuki America (absolutely no) Customer Service. You missed out on over 20 grand in sales because you wouldnt follow up on promises you made to an already loyal and happy customer. If anyone wants to reach Brian Malasak, Customer Remediation Manager, his phone number is 714-996-7040 ext. 2395. In case anyone is interested, sold the bike for $6,500.

11-04-2006, 06:26 PM	#15 (permalink)
TaterDog Clunked into first gear Joined: Sep 2005 Bike: '06 C50, '00 FLHTCI Location: Lenexa, KS Posts: 239	I've got a friend who rides a Victory and he loves it. Nice looking bike, too. Sounds like our friends at Suzuki missed the boat; unfortunately, they still sell lots of C50's, so it will probably be a while before they ever even feel the need to improve their customer service. On a brighter note, sounds like you got a pretty good price for your '05 C50T. Best of luck to you, black&blue. Keep us updated on what you finally buy. We may run into CS problems too! __________________ Who says little dogs don't have attitude? ______________________________ Jim

11-14-2006, 12:32 AM	#16 (permalink)
Boston Seat Tester Joined: Sep 2006 Bike: boulevard c50 Location: Vancouver Island Canada Posts: 64	shame on Suzuki and the dealership. I would write to the president and tell him how shameful he is bahaving. His rep is representing the president. If I were the president I would fire mr. malasak, and take care of it myself. That kind of thing is one reason I like to work on the bike myself, (although a frame break forces you to deal with them) That way if I mess up it is my fault. I had a goldwing and put it in for a new radiator and when I got it home it didn't have any coolant in it. Just sloppy work, and an "I hate my job and don't care" attitude. Sorry to here the circumstances. Very frustrating. I hope whatever bike you go with treat you better.

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