Let’s Get This Season Started – 2019 Letter to My Customers
Dear Motorbike Peeps,
The season officially kicked off last weekend with 7 appointments and 10+ bikes to fix.
Every year I do this, it gets bigger. The season starts earlier. More people call. They book more appointments. I fix more bikes. I leave a trail of delighted customers in my wake. That’s what I do.
There are precious few bikes that need work during the winter months, so I find something else to do when it’s cold and crappy outside. Last year I worked at a dirt bike shop and picked up a very lucrative copywriting gig.
Working at Amazon
This year I chose to work at an Amazon warehouse.
It was fun! I got a lot of exercise, got to be around people, and put a little money in my pockets. It was a great experience, and I would recommend it to anyone with even a halfway decent work ethic.
Amazon’s a terrific company to work for. I say that unequivocally, without reservation. Great benefits, awesome managers, and a very generous “minimum” wage. I’ve been impressed with managers before, but Amazon takes it to a whole other level. I’m talking these people are seriously impressive, folks. As much as they would like me to stay and “climb the ladder,” I’m still young, and I have my sights set on something higher, something that means more to me than building something great for Jeff Bezos. The fact they even had me “on the fence” says a lot about how Amazon does business. If I had to choose a company to “climb the ladder” with, it would be Amazon all day long. Amazon’s a “killer app” unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
I learned some things at Amazon, and I intend to bring everything I learned there to my efforts with MOTO2N.
I’m building something great for me, my people, and my customers with MOTO2N. It’s still a very small business, but it grows every year. I have so much fun fixing my customers’ bikes. This is exactly what I would be doing if I was already wealthy, and that’s saying something. Not everyone can say that about what they do to make a living.
Availability and More on Amazon
I should be available 7-days-a-week starting mid to late April. I’m not sure of an exact date yet, but I will keep this site updated as the situation develops.
To my Amazon peeps… y’all are amazing people. My eyes were already wide open when I met you, but you put a different kind of lens in front of them. You know who you are. I love y’all.
To my past customers… you are my favorite people on the planet, period. Thank you so much for trusting me with your bikes. I understand that you’re putting your lives in my hands in big ways when you have me work on your bikes, and my intention is to do right by the faith and trust you have in me. This will be my third year doing this, but every day is DAY ONE for me. I am committed to treating my 100th, 1000th, and 1,000,000th customers exactly the same as I treated my FIRST customer.
If you have a sec, ask me about my first customer. I can remember her bike, her face, what she was wearing, where she lived, and more like it happened just yesterday.
And to the customers I haven’t met yet… If you have a broken bike, call me. I’ll call you back. Even if I can’t help you (rare), I’ll take the time to point you in the right direction or give you a very real idea about what it’s going to take to get you and your ride back on the road, trail, or track again.
What Does It Mean?
Sometimes people ask me what “MOTO2N” means, or how to pronounce it.
You’ll catch me pronouncing it in two different ways. There’s no “right” way to say it. You can call it “moto-tune” or “moto-too-en;” either way is correct as far as I’m concerned.
As for what it means, “moto-tune” is pretty self explanatory. I tune motorbikes. Moto is short for motorbike or motorcycle. “2N” could be pronounced “tune” or “toon.” If you’re ever lucky enough to meet me, I have a boyish, high-energy, cartoonish air about me that people tend to find entertaining, off-putting, or attractive depending on how their brains are wired. I realize I’m not everyone’s “cup of tea,” and I’m OK with that. Even if you don’t like me as a person, I can still spin a wrench and swing a hammer with the best of ’em. I’m more than capable of fixing your bike regardless of what you really think of me.
That said, “moto-too-en” is a tougher nut to crack. It means “MOTO to the Nth Power or Degree.” Everything I do, I do at an extremely high level. I can talk your ear off about motorcycles all day long and then some. I know stuff. Not only do I know stuff, I do stuff. I have the right stuff to do this job, and I do it extremely well. I do it to the Nth degree. Everything I do, I do it to the Nth degree.
You can see evidence of this in everything I do. I won’t spill a single drop of oil on your perfect driveway in front of your $MM home. You can absolutely trust me with your garage codes if you can’t be home for your appointment. I’m more than capable of working on your bikes and explaining everything I’m doing as I’m doing it. You just can’t get that kind of service at the average shop. I’m more than capable of teaching you how to do what I do, if you’re mechanically inclined and want to turn your appointment into a learning experience. I’m extremely patient, and I’m relentless. I know what anti-seize is, and I know how to use it. If one of your electrical connections comes apart during disassembly, I have the tools and supplies to replace it to factory-like (or better) specifications. In a nutshell, I solve motorbike problems. That’s what I do.
When I started doing this, “MOTO2N” didn’t mean anything. I hope as I keep doing it, it means more to more people. It’s like the word “Miata,” which was a nonsense word before Mazda started building a little, Lotus Elan-like, 2-seater, drop-top sports car. I aim to be the “Miata” of motorbike repair, which is to say the best in the business, the best of the breed, efficiently priced, lots of fun, with élan for days.
Racing Improves The Breed
I like to race my motorcycles. I’m not just a mechanic. I’m a customer service professional. I’m a motorcycle racer. I’m a shit-hot mechanic. When I worked at shops, I smoked flat-rate times like a 90s college kid smoked Marlboro Lights. I’m an obsessive compulsive nutter, and I’m 100% one-of-a-kind. You’re unlikely to ever meet anyone like me. If you have a broken scooter, motorcycle, ATV, or UTV, I’m your best bet for getting it back on the road, track, or trail as conveniently and cost effectively as possible. My aim is to impress my customers, all day every day.
To my customers, THANK YOU SO MUCH for having me work on your bikes. 2017 was good, 2018 was better, and I think 2019 is going to be the best year ever for all of us. LET’S GOOOOO!!!
All the love in the world,
Aston//MOTO2N