Market reports – Suzuki La Defense interview: we want new products to sell! – Used SUZUKI

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Suzuki La Defense interview: we want new products to sell !

Market reports - Suzuki La Defense interview: we want new products to sell! - Used SUZUKI

What is the height for a successful manufacturer in MotoGP and Endurance? Not having new motorcycles to sell … This is the case with Suzuki, crowned in 2020 but whose renewal of the motorcycle and scooter ranges is still pending. Site takes stock of the Suzuki La Defense dealership…

In 2020, Suzuki clinched its first rider and team titles in MotoGP (new era, 4-stroke) with Joan Mir, Alex Rins and the GSX-RR. The Hamamatsu firm has also won a sixteenth time (!) In the endurance world championship with the SERT and the GSX-R1000R. And after ?

  • SERT interview :
  • Joan Mir in MotoGP :

What is the point of winning prestigious sports competitions when you are losing your business? This is the legitimate question that dealers can ask themselves wear out of the Hamamatsu firm in France, whose sales have been divided by four in a decade (32,096 immates in 2007 Vs 7,643 in 2019).

Admittedly, the motorcycle Grand Prix are popular all over the world, and to impose its racing machine (prototype) there should allow many more (production) motorcycles to be sold everywhere on the planet, especially in the most promising markets such as ‘Far East now.

  • MNC special file :
  • MNC special file :

But what is the point of succeeding and uniting in Endurance (as a reminder, the SERT and the Yoshimura team have just merged)? This much more confidential championship mainly interests Europe and particularly France, but the 2019-2020 champion no longer offers sports in its catalog … If sorry, 70 copies of GSX-R1000R will be marketed in 2021 in a superb livery. MotoGP, "collector" therefore !

Market reports - Suzuki La Defense interview: we want new products to sell! - Used SUZUKI

After asking him to analyze the motorcycle market, Site questioned the Suzuki La Defense dealership about the brand it has exclusively represented since 1974. With his boss Henri Farcigny, MNC spoke of international competition as well as in France, commercial successes and flops, upcoming or expected news…

Aware that the management of a company like Suzuki requires making decisions that are often difficult and sometimes misunderstood, our interlocutor explains to us why, for his part, he decided to market a second brand since this summer: Super Soco, including motorcycles and Electric scooters do not compete – directly – with Suzuki products. Interview…

MNC: The coronations of Joan Mir and the factory team in MotoGP, it’s good for the Suzuki brand, the network and your dealership ?
H. F .: It was first of all amazing! Is it good for us? For trade no, it is useless. It’s like competition in general…

For commerce, MotoGP titles are useless

MNC: You are indeed well placed to know it: the victorious season of your pilot Thibaut Nagorski in Promosport 600 two years ago, did not bring you the least sale of sports ?
H. F .:Thibault won on the only GSX-R600 on the grid, a bike that disappeared from the Suzuki catalog in 2016, already … Every season, we find a recent occasion with low mileage. We always find it, because sports cars no longer drive! He supplies us with parts, tires, equipment … When he wins, his fans are delighted, some of our customers follow him and congratulate us, but it stops there! However, he pissed off everyone, in the latest generation R6s: over the 8 races, he signed 8 poles. Each round had two races which resulted in 15 podiums including 14 victories! At the end of the season, we had the right to completely dismantle the engine to check that we had not cheated.

Market reports - Suzuki La Defense interview: we want new products to sell! - Used SUZUKI

MNC: Opponents imagined he was riding a "seven-and-a-half" ?!
H. F .: There you have it, but everything was in order, of course: we do not openly aim for the title by cheating, there is nothing worse to be had! In 2019, we switched to Supersport 600 and despite three failed weekends, Thibault finished 7th in the French championship, with two podiums and two 4th places. The FSBK is more followed than the Promosport, we were still the only Suzuki, but that did not bring us anything. Except of course a great pride because we posted it everywhere, on our site, social networks, in the store of course, etc..

MNC: You have no more sports cars to sell. Without products, how to capitalize on success in competition, mainly in MotoGP? ?
H. F .: The question is valid. It’s a shame because Mir is champion … but Rins is third in the world championship too, proof that it is not just a stroke of luck from a driver, but the success of the entire team. Besides, the Suzuki Ecstar team won the team title. It turned out to be nothing for the constructor championship, while we only have two motorcycles, against six for Ducati, by the way..

The day after the SERT title I had a client, but no Gex

MNC: Endurance and its production models bring more ?
H. F .: I have an anecdote on this subject. The day after SERT’s 2019-2020 world title, a customer walked in: “Hello, I would like a GSX-R1000R!”. I had to tell him that there was none.

MNC: We had to offer him one of the 70 "2021" copies in its MotoGP anniversary livery, which risks becoming a collector for once !
H. F .: They will have a good rating indeed. But the day after the coronation, we had no Gex to sell. Anyway, when you look at the market figures (on Site, of course, Editor’s note!), What is selling? Forza 125, Xmax, Tmax, MT-07 … Scooters and motorcycles that are not doped by the aura of Valentino Rossi or the successes of Marc Marquez. Last year, Honda sold nearly 7,000 Forza 125s (6,751 to be exact), not much less than the entire Suzuki range (7,643 immats). It’s not thanks to Marquez, whom I adore though – he rides a Shoei, a brand that I adore! – but tomorrow Mir is not going to sell us Burgman. However, sport counts in the motorcycle.

Market reports - Suzuki La Defense interview: we want new products to sell! - Used SUZUKI

MNC: Motorcycles are not just a means of transport, they are also a passion !
H. F .: Absolutely, we are proof of that. For example, we were among the first to support a woman in World Endurance and French Superbike, it was Veronique Parisot, in 1988. We have always been sensitive to that (read the page on her official website).

MNC: The GSX-Rs are disappearing … but it seems that a new Hayabusa is coming soon! It would be interesting to have it on display ?
H. F .: Again, yes and no. In principle, everyone expects this new Hayabusa…

The new Hayabusa arrives in 2021, for sunny days

MNC: Note that the term "Hayabusa" no longer designates the peregrine falcon in Japan, but a sea serpent … Since the time that we talk about it without ever seeing anything.
H. F .: No, no, no, it is coming in 2021, but its release may be a little delayed. After that, releasing this machine in January would be a bit ridiculous. Better to wait for sunny days. But there is a concern with the Hayabusa: between those who talk about it, dream about it or like it, and those who will actually buy the motorcycle, there is a chasm.

MNC: The GSX-R1000R had the same problem ?
H. F .: Completely. Let’s take the previous generations of GSX-R1000: in 2009 with its pair of exhausts (4 in 2) and no electronics, in 2012 the same with its simple silencer and Brembo brakes, in 2015 the same with ABS … This bike won everything, even in 2016 against the all new R1M, or against the S1000RR which never won anything despite its performance and because of its unreliability. La Gex had it all, including the price: 14,000 euros. But nobody wanted it! The majority of our customers were waiting for us to have a cheap demonstration model, a recent used one, or a copy on sale or on sale … Our favorites "Oh I love it, I’ll take it from you!" very rarely happened. Other customers expected better from Suzuki: power, weight, electronics, look, etc..

Market reports - Suzuki La Defense interview: we want new products to sell! - Used SUZUKI

MNC: Suzuki executed in 2017 with the all-new GSX-R1000 standard and R !
H. F .: Yes, with 202 horsepower, 202 kilograms, ABS traction-control, ride-by-wire: the total! So, I called my customers to tell them that she was there … "Ah, but I bought a used GSX-R750 K7", one told me. So certainly, this K6-K7 is one of the best "seven-and-a-half" ever designed, recognizable by its small pots. We don’t blame this customer, he stayed with Suzuki. But he didn’t wait. And others weren’t really interested! The prices were however well placed: the standard was at 16,000 euros, the R at 19,000 euros, ie the price of competition standards. In convention, moreover, Suzuki dealers were delighted with these rates, me the first.

MNC: But customers didn’t see it like that ?
H. F .: No, they thought that the old one was not that expensive! But it had nothing to do in terms of sophistication. Customers were asking for a MotoGP road, but at the price of the old one. Impossible, even for Suzuki, which nevertheless knows how to compress costs: some parts have not changed since the 70s and 2-stroke. Not the engines, eh !

Customers wanted a MotoGP at the price of the old GSX-R

MNC: Your customers are particularly demanding ?
H. F .: They always have been. I will always remember my beginnings at the dealership: in March 2011, a test of GSR750 systematically ended with a sale. I spent my days stopping bikers at red lights in front of the store, whatever their motorcycle, to offer them a test. And almost all signed. Then everyone asked us when the "GSR1000" would be released. The GSX-S1000 arrived in 2015, it rained just as much during testing, but customers found it too expensive. It was, however, better placed than the Z1000, while being more powerful, lighter and equipped with traction control. In fact, I think the GSX-S1000 was over-budget, rather than overpriced. Tomorrow you offer me a Ferrari Enzo at 20,000 euros, I don’t take it: I don’t have them !

MNC: The name, "Geessixesse", was less selling than GSR ?
H. F .: For the record, the name GSR1000 was not free, reserved in a completely different area that I do not know, I admit. But Suzuki had come out with a lot of common sense, distinguishing its sports cars with the traditional GSX- "R" for Racing, from its roadsters with an "S" for Street (whose engines from GSX-R are modified for use. in town and on the road). It was consistent. But customers have been slow to integrate it.

Market reports - Suzuki La Defense interview: we want new products to sell! - Used SUZUKI

MNC: The GSX-S750 is the best selling Suzuki in France. Which model do you sell the most ?
H. F .: The V-Strom 650 XT, because it is the bike that replaced a lot of motorcycles in the range. It has the engine of an SV, the comfort of a trail, the flexibility and pleasure of a Bandit, all at a great price. It appeals to everyone, even the little ones because it is ultimately very thin thanks to its V-engine. The 2016 makeover helped a lot, people liked the slightly more DR look, its magnificent motocross yellow. And then it’s a real flying carpet. It is typically a motorcycle that we do not sell: we buy it! Regardless of the color, moreover: "you only have white left? I preferred black or yellow, but I take it anyway"! A similar success to the Van-Van 125, the Bandit, the GSR750 … It is also a little because of the success of the GSR that we sold much less GSX-S750. Our customers keep them, and do not replace their "seven-fifty" with another. They prefer to go to 1000, or to the competition unfortunately.

MNC: You sold more GSR750s than your little comrades ?
H. F .: Our colleague and family friend, Luc Motos, had shot a promotional video with stunter Matt Mekatrix. She was great … so much so that we wondered if he was going to steal too many sales from us! In the end, we don’t really know how people came to us. We must admit that we are very, very well placed, at the foot of the La Defense towers. This is what saves us, especially in times of crisis. But this type of videos are also useful! We miss it. We need more at the national level, fun, catchy videos in which we can clearly see the bike. Not taken from afar, in the back of a garage or a smoky and dark parking lot.

We don’t sell the V-Strom 650 XT: we buy it !

MNC: How welcome was the V-Strom 1050 ?
H. F .: Same "punishment" as with the GSR750 … Our customers delighted with the latest V-Strom 650 weren’t ready to reinvest in bigger ones, or saw no interest in it. We were talking about the reliability of our products, but we can also talk about the very attractive Suzuki credits, limit too much! Customers are loyal to us but don’t buy motorcycles every year !

MNC: 1980s neo-retro with the Katana, it’s still too early ?
H. F .: No, I would say that as usual, Suzuki arrived after the war, with the SV650 Scrambler for example, or the Cafe Racer. The Katana is a motorcycle that has been rather well received in terms of look, image in general. But its first flaw is that it is only available in 1000 cc, so at a substantial price. In the 80s, it was available in several displacements, and we miss that. Then, we must remember that it is a "remake" of a flop.

Market reports - Suzuki La Defense interview: we want new products to sell! - Used SUZUKI

MNC: It has become cult for some, later…
H. F .: Completely like the Delorean in the automobile. Before Back to the Future, this car was a complete flop.

MNC: Marty McFly would have had to travel back in time in a Katana !
H. F .: Perhaps. In the meantime, this model had been a flop, like the first Suzuki 4-strokes elsewhere. And the flop remake … flopped. Partly because people did not prioritize this at Suzuki.

Remake of a flop, the Katana flop…

MNC: Precisely, which model do you lack the most at the moment? ?
H. F .: What we are sorely lacking in my opinion is electric. Not much is known here, but Suzuki sells a lot of e-bikes in Japan. We must be able to drive despite the new legislation, especially in Paris and the inner suburbs. Hydrogen why not ?! Suzuki also worked on the fuel cell, as early as 2007. Two years later, the brand presented the first Burgman Fuel Cell, tested by the London City Police. But it was never approved in France: "too dangerous", supposedly … Suzuki was at the forefront of these engines, but it never materialized. They did something new with old. Unfortunately it shows, in terms of sales volumes. And fortunately, in a certain sense, because it proves that customers are demanding and know what they want: it’s nice somewhere !

MNC: And in thermal, what do you need? ?
H. F .: We lack the 50cc, but Suzuki stopped them in 2001-2002. Before, we had the RMX and SMX motorcycles, the Zillion scooters and … Katana! I have demand almost every week. I am asked when Suzuki will offer 50s again: never !

Market reports - Suzuki La Defense interview: we want new products to sell! - Used SUZUKI

MNC: The 50 cc market is picking up again ?
H. F .: Thoroughly. Young people are getting back to it, in particular because the 125 permit no longer interests them. And the older ones come back to it, when they lose their license or as a preventive measure so as not to lose points. That’s why we immediately accepted Super Soco’s proposal: their 50 cc (the electrical equivalent, Editor’s note) is a hit, we sell 2 to 3 per week. !

MNC: 125 cc scooters are also very popular with motorists. Forza, Xmax, PCX, Nmax…
H. F .: Yes, and we can see that this is not a question of budget: the first two are very expensive, around 5000 euros! Our Burgman 125 was $ 4,300 with a bigger trunk, lower seat and a look that doesn’t attract thieves (MNC laughs). It is true ! Admittedly, it did not have an aggressive or seductive design, but it was precisely a strong argument for a customer tired of having his Forza stung three times. Well, in the meantime he had bought three Honda’s. But it is true that it would be good to redesign the Burgman range !

The GSX-S750 A2? A PS4 Pro for playing PS2 games…

MNC: The GSX-S750 is doing well commercially in A2. But a machine originally intended for A2 licenses would be nice, no ?
H. F .: The GSX-S750 is a very good motorcycle. But it is expensive for an A2, at our customers in any case. And then a big 4-cylinder flanged to 47.5 horsepower, it does not advance. You have to climb high in the towers, except that you reach the breaker after 7000. You might as well take an SV! This is what I try to tell young bikers, using a comparison of "gamer" – I am one -: buying a GSX-S750 A2 is like buying a PlayStation 4 Pro and just playing games. to PS2 games. And when the PS5 comes out, we sell the 4 Pro without ever having benefited from it in the end … "Oh yeah, that’s not stupid". I explain to them that it’s almost the same price as the "GSX-S750 Full", the same cost in insurance and maintenance, for lower performance than an SV.

MNC: The "Seven-and-a-half" is rewarding. And at Suzuki, it’s a benchmark displacement.
H. F .: Yes, but it is at a standstill compared to the competition and its 900s. And in "700", the MT-07 is devastating. Well, I understand that it likes the look, maintaining its image of a rear wheel machine … This is not proof that it works harder than an SV. After all, I also "lift" with a Super Soco 50 !

Market reports - Suzuki La Defense interview: we want new products to sell! - Used SUZUKI

MNC: We should rebuild the SV…
H. F .: It was extremely successful in 1999, confirmed with the injection in 2002-2003. Unfortunately, she is aging. Its round lighthouse is old-fashioned … Or perhaps not enough to fit into the neo-retro movement. Young people want a bike that is tough, cheap and efficient.

MNC: And the big engines that have completely disappeared from the Suzuki catalog ?
H. F .: Here again, I agree with the opinion of the parent company, with the example of the GSX-R1000: we do not offer it because it does not sell! People want it, but on occasion. We sold more Gex 1000 than 600 and 750 combined. Customers said: "Ah, it’s a shame, the Supersport and the" Seven-and-a-half ", they were good". But if they were so fun, you had to buy them! When Suzuki announced the end of the GSX-R1000 in Europe, I spent my time on social media bitching, not criticizing but questioning the comments of people sad or angry about the decision. I gave them a little questionnaire: when was your last purchase of a new Suzuki? The latest GSX-R? New or used? I never had an answer. Or I was told "a GSX-R600 K6, a GSX-R1000 K5" … I quote the most popular models, because none had recent Gex. I would be the first to be delighted to see the return of the Gex 600 or the 750, which we were the only ones to keep. But they wouldn’t sell…

The GSX-R600 and 750 were fun? You had to buy them !

MNC: Honda will not import its new CBR600RR, Yamaha will only sell a track R6…
H. F .: And some bikers are outraged! But when you ask how many send a check to reserve one, there, right away: no one. This is the problem. Or reality. This is where I defend Suzuki, despite the difficulties we may have at the moment: the market is sometimes difficult to define in France, and in Europe..

MNC: And the big Bandit 1200 or GSX-F1250, simple, efficient, comfortable and inexpensive. There are no more customers for that ?
H. F .: Here too, we can cite the V-Strom 1050 which has just been released. The ones we see rolling are demos. We have seen it on the Tour de France … even those who do not follow the bike closely have seen the cyclist fall! But we, in the Parisian suburbs, we don’t see any. My father, the founder and director of Suzuki La Defense, travels back and forth every week between here and his house in the Loiret. He saw his first V-Strom XT only yesterday. We have a customer who drives a Burgman 650 every day, who bought a V-Strom 1050 for leisure. That’s all. He didn’t buy it from us, but we maintain it. As for the 1200, it is no longer sold. There are no more CB1300s either, or XJR1200s, etc. These big engines at the bottom, that only pleases journalists !

Market reports - Suzuki La Defense interview: we want new products to sell! - Used SUZUKI

MNC: Touched.
H. F .: I say that but I understand. I myself have driven a lot on TL1000S, a 97 model bought from a customer. It was wonderful as a machine, it was torquey, powerful, it went all at once, "Broaaaar!" Some people regret this TL1000S or TL1000R. But Suzuki would relaunch them today, they wouldn’t sell better than they did then. In the Paris region, we can no longer use it, or on the Carole circuit.

MNC: Except that the French prefer the fat ones, it’s well known. Just see the success of the Z750.
H. F .: Yes, but Kawasaki offered this bike at a price close to 600. Today, the increase in displacement has led to a rise in prices. A Gladius was worth 5,600 euros, today an SV is worth more than 1,000 euros more. A GSR750 was worth 7000 euros, the GSX-S is worth 2000 more … A GS500F, therefore streamlined, was worth 4500-4600 euros, which is not even the price of a 250 at Suzuki.

A huge success with the Inazuma 250 !

MNC: 250-400 cc do not work in France.
H. F .: False! We had huge success with the Inazuma. Already because I have bet a lot on it, personally. It was then CEO of Suzuki France, Haruo Ito, who made the decision to import these first “Made in China” motorcycles. They looked like mini GS500s. It took 140-145 km / h at full speed, its 250 cc twin-cylinder was unbreakable, and its price was only 3,500 euros! I sold this motorbike to all those who came to look for a used SV, Bandit or V-Strom … Those who were looking above all, give me the expression, a "train-ass" to go to work or to go shopping. In the end, they preferred the new Inazuma 250, well-run by their care, under a 2-year parts and labor guarantee, in compliance with the latest anti-pollution standards..

MNC: This is what made Dacia so successful in the automotive industry: selling a new Sandero at the price of a used Clio.
H. F .: Absolutely. I made my foreman laugh because as soon as a customer crossed the threshold of the dealership, I offered him an Inazuma 250! Just like in the Sandero ad. It was a bit like "Do you want to do the city? Take an Inazuma. From the road? Take an Inazuma, etc". Then came the V-Strom and GSX-R 250 and there, big drama … The look was there on the sports car, the suspensions were great on the trail. But that did not stick because of the performances, identical to those of the Inazuma without more, and because of the exorbitant price. It must be said that Yamaha did very badly with its MT-07.

Market reports - Suzuki La Defense interview: we want new products to sell! - Used SUZUKI

MNC: In contrast, Porsche is achieving sales records. And in motorcycles, BMW is in the Top5 of French sales with its standard and Adventure R1250GS.
H. F .: Yes, but GS are often company motorcycles so users don’t pay for them directly. If they break it doesn’t matter, if the small overhaul / oil change is 3000 euros (I "troll" of course) it’s not a problem either: it’s the box that pays. They do not notice the real and total blow of the machine because it is staggered in time or supported by their box. However, we do not have this type of clientele at Suzuki. Yes, we had it a bit with the Burgman 650, but it’s stopped !

MNC: You talk about monthly payments … Leasing (with option to purchase or long term) are more and more in vogue in motorcycles, not to mention cars. This is the case with you ?
H. F .: We do very little because I have the "fault" or the quality to inform my clients. The problem is, it makes me miss sales. But I prefer that: when I see the monstrous contribution sometimes required and the ridiculous redemption price, in order to limit the monthly payments as much as possible, I do not want my client to pay 1.5 times for his vehicle. And if he does not want to take a novelty at any cost (that’s the case to say, Editor’s note) or that his brand does not offer one – like Suzuki! -, the customer is massacred at the slightest scratch, as in car rental companies.

Not want the customer to pay 1.5 times for his motorcycle

MNC: Some of your colleagues and their customers seem however delighted with this new way of consuming motorcycles….
H. F .: Yes, I know that our colleague at Le Mans, Moto Parc 72, has bet a lot on it. He is very strong on this and well done to him for that matter. But it is a large store which has a large catchment area. And the products he sells are not the same as us. Suzuki France sent us many documents about the LOA, offered online training. But our customers are not very receptive. Or maybe I am being too objective about this financing solution. In general, moreover, I prefer to offer the right motorcycle at the right price, rather than offering a discount on a machine that does not meet my client’s needs. I manage to convince some who are super happy with my kindness and my expertise.

(A client, next door: "I can testify. I am a super happy client thanks to Henri!")

H. F .: Ah, there you go (laughs). Others remain stuck on their decision and in this case, I do not refuse the sale: it is not legal, in addition to being suicidal. But sometimes people turn around and get my message wrong: they prefer to look elsewhere, and I understand that. But sometimes I would rather miss a sale than provide a customer with a product that doesn’t suit them. I’m not going to sell a Burgman 650 to someone who goes to Courbevoie-Bastille every day. Our maxiscooter is made for larger spaces.

Market reports - Suzuki La Defense interview: we want new products to sell! - Used SUZUKI

MNC: These people will get their machine from a colleague !
H. F .: At a competitor in fact. Because my competitor is not my neighbor Honda National Motos: we do not have the same ranges, the same products. My competitors are the other Suzuki dealers. However, some do not hesitate to sell a motorbike or a scooter without worrying about the interests of the customer. And to make the sale, they make a big discount. Except that for maintenance, people come back to us for convenience or for confidence. Because when it comes to service, we try to be irreproachable. Personally I can even be drunk … No one is perfect but again a happy customer is a returning customer !

MNC: How come you don’t sell more motorcycles, if you’re so cool and pro ?!
H. F .: Honestly? I did not understand. I only sold 5 Suzuki motorcycles / scooters this year, 49 last year. It is much less than the other years, and especially much less than the majority of our "colleagues-competitors" … Ten years ago, we fought to be first in Ile-de-France for sales of new vehicles . Today we are at the back of the pack. So I called Suzuki France to find out. "Listen (yes, I am one of the few to talk to everyone over there because we are one of the oldest stores), I don’t understand: we are highly rated on Google, Facebook, etc., every quote results in a sale. It has been the case for two years: 100% success, I am very proud of myself. Except that I do not quote enough "…

An old-fashioned policy: traders, not traders

MNC: And the answer, in the end ?
H. F .:I’ve learned – and seen invoices – that some Burgman 650s or 125s were sold at berserk discounts. But we are not going to sell without earning anything ?! I’m upfront with customers claiming impossible discounts: if it’s cheaper there go for it, I can’t match. So they go … But come back for the interview. We prefer that than the other way around, it earns us more. At Suzuki La Defense, we keep an old-fashioned policy of traders and no salespeople. Today, the concept of service tends to disappear: people order their McDonald’s on terminals. Tomorrow, they will buy Suzuki on terminals too, with automatic discount calculation. But it’s sad! And that doesn’t fit the bike in my opinion. We sometimes read comments on social networks: I was looking for a motorcycle, I found a family.

MNC: Some have found the Farcigny family !
H. F .: Exactly, the father, mother and son! My brother also used to be, but he got into the car, always Suzuki of course.

Market reports - Suzuki La Defense interview: we want new products to sell! - Used SUZUKI

MNC: + 14% in 2019 for Suzuki in Auto … 31,500 immates, i.e. a return to 2007 level, before the crisis (financial, not health). It works well for your brother ?
H. F .: Ah for him, it works thoroughly! So much so that he cannot deliver. Too much demand, not enough inflow! In the motorbike it’s much more tense and customers are chasing discounts. I missed the sale of a vehicle at 7000 euros for 15 euros. The guy made three round trips in the south of the department.

MNC: It cost him more in gasoline…
H. F .: Here. We have to find the right balance: to provoke sales without forcing them, to make the customer feel well surrounded. This is what my mother had introduced in 2001 when she arrived. The former salesperson was more "aggressive" commercially, which was very careful, it was successful. With my mother, we moved on to something else: caring, committed to service, even devoted. And I wanted to keep this course of action.

Induce sales without forcing them…

MNC: The concession is still there, 20 years later. It’s a good formula !
H. F .: Yes, but it’s hard, on two levels. In terms of real estate, my mother, who is now retired, still closely monitors the concession because with the town hall and the future Grand Paris, we are constantly in demand. From a business standpoint, this recipe works as long as you have something to sell. The proof with the Super Soco "125" and "50"! I want new Suzuki for sale !!!

MNC: That will be the last word … and the title of the interview, no doubt! Thank you for all his answers without language of wood.
H. F .: Thank you. And sorry for the length of the interview, I’m talkative !

Interview by Matthieu BRETILLE

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