bike shop improvements

kurto

kurto

Likes Bikes
Reading through alot of threads about Bike shops
and the majority are negative
i thought it might be an idea to open a thread about Bike shop improvement
i.e what can a bike shop do that will improve their service and make us go there.

my first suggestion would be
Pricing
unrealistic prices keep me away from stores

please add your comments

Cheers
Kurto
 
S

syko

Likes Dirt
Good luck with changing all the bike shops in Australia to suit what you and other want. That is all.
 
kurto

kurto

Likes Bikes
i never said i wanted to change them
what if i wanted to open a bike shop where it was all about the riders and less about the money.

how will bike shops ever change if we dont let them know what we want
very negative attitude man
 
eyes

eyes

Likes Bikes and Dirt
kurto said:
Reading through alot of threads about Bike shops
and the majority are negative...
Click to expand...
Sort of a good idea, but not based on solid rock. It is the human condition to complain rather than applaud (in the public forum I mean)...

But pricing - well, LBS hands are basically tied when it comes to that... for RRP's anyway. Discounts are at their discretion - and you'll generally find they discount where possible for good customers.
 
R

Refreshinglygood

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Bloody hell. At the end of the day, it's about making a quid. What idiot would go into a business venture without looking to make a quid??? Can't pay your bills on warm fluffies
 
Jonny26

Jonny26

Likes Dirt
Perhaps rename the thread to "What bikes shops do well" or "Suggestions on what you would like to see happen in bike shops?".

I must admit when I go to some bike shops the attitude of the sales assistant can stink if your only looking around and asking questions, or if your only spending a small amount. I do realise that it could be annoying for some shop workers to have a shed load "tyre kickers" in everyday and this isn't the only industry it happens in. But we love our bike toys and personally I like to get opinions on different products, its just a shame sometimes you get groans and grunts instead of useful information.
 
Last edited:
kurto

kurto

Likes Bikes
chuckrockswell said:
aww thats a sweet idea! don't know why that hasn't been thought of before. got any more gems?
Click to expand...
yeah snooty bike shop owners or their staff

wow didnt see some one trying to give bike shops a bit of a hand in opening a thread which maybe could contain some good ideas for them to put into their business as being a problem to them

but apparently it is

i know pricing cant be helped in some areas but there surely is other things that can be helped
 
top_oz_bloke

top_oz_bloke

Likes Dirt
A great initiative by one of the local shops here is that they work 10-6. Which means I can easily drop in on my way home from work.

On the flipside they are only open on Sat morning and not at all Sunday which means they aren't open when I have the most time to do bike stuff.

In fact in the whole city we only have one or two places that open Sundays.
 
Last edited:
HookWorm

HookWorm

Squid
Id just like it if the staff aren't rude.

also I get the "sorry mate your not gonna find that cheaper anywhere else"

which is generally a lie...
 
P

peanut

Likes Dirt
Id like it if a shop would have at least 1 staff member that had some mechanical knowledge working on a Saturday morning,
Or at least the management could show the staff who are working on a Saturday where things like spokes and nipples or a chain ring bolt actually resided in the store, the difference between brake outer and gear outer.

Maybe i've been unlucky but I'm getting tired of the "you'll have to come back monday to ask the mechanic" line, it's happened too many times from different shops for many simple items.
 
Sutek

Sutek

Likes Bikes and Dirt
top_oz_bloke said:
A great initiative by one of the local shops here is that they work 10-6. Which means I can easily drop in on my way home from work.

On the flipside they are only open on Sat morning and not at all Sunday which means they aren't open when I have the most time to do bike stuff.

In fact in the whole city we only have one or two places that open Sundays.
Click to expand...
Woooaahh there mate! Sunday is for riding!:D
 
unitec

unitec

Likes Dirt
Come on guys. This is a chance to help out your struggling LBS with some suggestions on how to improve their business.
There seems to be a lot of guys on this site that speak up in support of their LBS (not me though I have already given up for on line stores)
One thing I have noticed though with TBSM is that their free shipping deal seems to favour/encourage small purchases.
It doesn't matter if I spend a few dollars on a single item or $1000 on a long list of items it cost TBSM one shipping cost however the shipping cost is built into each item sold.
Whereas CRC costs a bucket to ship from the UK however if you spend more than $500 it is free.
It's not very constructive however one other thing I have noticed with bike shops generally these days is a bit of over servicing my young under qualified bike mechanics.
 
lockieoc

lockieoc

Likes Dirt
Sure you could name plenty of things for a bike shop to do but most aren’t going to realistic from a business perspective:

More stock- A common suggestion by many but a bike shop has to front the money for these products either right there and then or at the end of the month unless the have some sort of consignment finance agreement which i doubt exists.

Open on Sundays- Another suggestions that is common, but allot of the time a bike shop cant justify being open on a Sunday when a majority of customers are out on their bikes and running cost can out weigh cash earned.

Lowering Prices- Why would you when the market is willing to pay that price, i really do believe that us Rotorburners are the only people that are truly aware of a price competitive market, your every day punter will walk into a bike shop and except that price not knowing that a shop down in Mortdale has cheaper prices with free shipping or a company in the UK has wicked prices.

Not saying no to these ideas, just my thoughts.
 
kurto

kurto

Likes Bikes
lockieoc said:
Not saying no to these ideas, just my thoughts.
Click to expand...
thats all im asking for
i have no magic wand
i cant make any of this happen
all im saying is
if we all put down some ideas maybe some one who works in or owns a shop may think hey why dont i try that

easy stuff
if it sh*ts you off write it down

thanks for the guys who can see what im trying to get at
 
C

chops007

Likes Dirt
yea i reckon this thread is about useful or constructive critisim....

to the writer who wants a shop more about the rider and less about biz..

he/she is the person who has put up there hand to work in a shop on a sunday...

bike shop owners most prob got into owning a shop because they love bikes... ive gone into biz doing two things i like to do... and it can take the fun out of doing wat u loved because u gotta get all serious because your running a service to the public... and in dealing with the public takes the fun out of wat ever your doing.

imagine being a guy who gets to play with bikes all day.... nearly sounds like a dream it would suck to be stuck in a shop everyday putting up with pain in the arse ppl.... there providing a service in fixing your bike not pissing you off, if that tends to happen i bet its not intentially,, some ppl can never be happy when asking for service so if your one of those ppls/ pull your head in..

we all need our stuff fixed properly-pref the 1st time round
we all need a shop that comes with wat we need- or can order it in..

if they dont give you want you... then go online..

no support=no service..

any biz atm is happy to be paying the bills...

your lbs owner is doing wat he is doing to feed his family... hes not on an hourly rate.. so just give him a break..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top