What do you want from a modern LBS?

[Jubas]

Yes, you are crazy. It is insulting to have some A-hole walk into your shop with a brand new part they bought elsewhere and ask you to fit it. Most shops will but will charge you more for the service than they would've had you bought it there. The shop I worked at in BC would fit any part for free if you bought it from us, we'd charge like hell if it was from the Internet and politely let the customer know that we fit stuff for free. If you expect to waste someone's time by asking for info and then shopping elsewhere, you should also be expecting to be treated badly.

That pretty much sums up the attitude of typical LBS's for me. Negative.

 

[Fifteen.Hundred]

Yes, you are crazy. It is insulting to have some A-hole walk into your shop with a brand new part they bought elsewhere and ask you to fit it. Most shops will but will charge you more for the service than they would've had you bought it there. The shop I worked at in BC would fit any part for free if you bought it from us, we'd charge like hell if it was from the Internet and politely let the customer know that we fit stuff for free. .

So someone with a limited disposable income who wants to stretch their money as far as they can and has the foresight to use the internet is labelled an A*hole by the bike store you worked in simply because they dared approach you to install something on their bike which your workshop – I am assuming – is equipped to cater for. To add insult, you then give them a hard time and make them pay a higher price. It would seem sir, you are mistaken as to who the A*hole in this scenario actually is!

If you expect to waste someone's time by asking for info and then shopping elsewhere, you should also be expecting to be treated badly

I'm not suggesting that you waste the LBS's time. I'm suggesting that the customer chats to them, makes the purchase online within the LBS (from the computers i mentioned set up in the shop), has the package delivered to that same LBS and then has the parts fitted for a predetermined fee by the mechanic in that LBS.

This LBS could make some $$$ from the online sale which they wouldn't normally see. Secondly it might just keep customers who don't have the skills or the tools at home to fit parts coming back.

 

[retroenduro]

Yes, you are crazy. It is insulting to have some A-hole walk into your shop with a brand new part they bought elsewhere and ask you to fit it. Most shops will but will charge you more for the service than they would've had you bought it there. The shop I worked at in BC would fit any part for free if you bought it from us, we'd charge like hell if it was from the Internet and politely let the customer know that we fit stuff for free. .
That pretty much sums up the attitude of typical LBS's for me. Negative.

+1!

the bike shop that forgets the arrogance and says...'yes we fit parts no matter where you bought them from' without attitude will be the winner. I mean there is still good money to be made in labour charges is there not? Do they give the same attitude to someone who bought second hand? or someone who got a part as a gift, or someone who wants to swap parts between bikes?

 

[piggy pie]

Yes, you are crazy. It is insulting to have some A-hole walk into your shop with a brand new part they bought elsewhere and ask you to fit it. Most shops will but will charge you more for the service than they would've had you bought it there. The shop I worked at in BC would fit any part for free if you bought it from us, we'd charge like hell if it was from the Internet and politely let the customer know that we fit stuff for free. If you expect to waste someone's time by asking for info and then shopping elsewhere, you should also be expecting to be treated badly.

I don't think the franchise thing is a real concern, I know of both good and bad stores of the same franchise purely based in the staff un the store.

thus the local bike shops answer to customer service "pay more for the product off us or we will rip you off" strange way to get customers.

 

[Bermshot]

Yeah, you are requiring service. Ultimately it's none of lbs's business where you got parts from you just require their service and are willing to pay the going rate not extra because you didn't buy it from them! If it was my shop I would consider it turnover and in the little business experience I have isn't that what it's all about? Of course you could be a tool about it and loose that turnover next time. "Shrug"

 

[DeBloot]

Yes, you are crazy. It is insulting to have some A-hole walk into your shop with a brand new part they bought elsewhere and ask you to fit it. Most shops will but will charge you more for the service than they would've had you bought it there. The shop I worked at in BC would fit any part for free if you bought it from us, we'd charge like hell if it was from the Internet and politely let the customer know that we fit stuff for free. If you expect to waste someone's time by asking for info and then shopping elsewhere, you should also be expecting to be treated badly.

What a great way to run a business and a great reason why people who ride bikes shouldn't necessarily own shops

A-hole walks into a shop with a front and rear derailleur he bought at CRC

A-hole bike shop: Fuck off mate (politely of course!) we only fit what we sell
Profit = $0

Progressive bike shop: Rings customer
mate, your cables and housing are cactus and will need to be replaced
Also notice that your chain is beyond 3/4 worn, so when you order again you will need to get a new cassette and chain or we can supply and fit brand X for $xx

Customer: Mate just go ahead and fit the cassette and chain and change the cables

Profit: Well, a business never went broke making a profit

 

[StanTheMan]

this is going to go around in circles.

I guess the LBS has no choice anymore. Fit the parts bought online......I don't know but I find that insulting as well, and I don't work in a bikeshop. Youre good enough to buy on line.....but youre too useless to fit it?

I'm old school, make business honorable. Customer service goes a long way. But then people expect you to replace a part if it gets damaged. Sorry It doesnt wash.

If you purchase online. be man enough to be able to fit it.

 

[DeBloot]

this is going to go around in circles.

I guess the LBS has no choice anymore. Fit the parts bought online......I don't know but I find that insulting as well, and I don't work in a bikeshop. Youre good enough to buy on line.....but youre too useless to fit it?

I'm old school, make business honorable. Customer service goes a long way. But then people expect you to replace a part if it gets damaged. Sorry It doesnt wash.

If you purchase online. be man enough to be able to fit it.

It goes around in circles because old school doesn't want to accept that things change and they need to adapt or become extinct
They look for excuses beyond themselves that result in them doing the same thing they've always done and getting pissed off that it doesn't give the same results it used to

 

[Bermshot]

this is going to go around in circles.

I guess the LBS has no choice anymore. Fit the parts bought online......I don't know but I find that insulting as well, and I don't work in a bikeshop. Youre good enough to buy on line.....but youre too useless to fit it?

I'm old school, make business honorable. Customer service goes a long way. But then people expect you to replace a part if it gets damaged. Sorry It doesnt wash.

If you purchase online. be man enough to be able to fit it.

Fair enough which is why I like the idea of a work shop you can "rent" for use of tools you may only need once, this would also stop the 'can i borrow a shifter? Walk ins' The alternative is I buy all the tools and become a backyard mechanic (business) and take more from the lbs. 'shrug'. I bet a lot of you blokes could service your own bikes better than some lbs's could anyway.

 

[floody]

What influences the person who wants to get fit, ride trails etc and has $1-5k in their pocket to spend. Everytime Anaconda has a sale down here you pretty much see their floor stock get wiped out. Why to they buy there and not from an LBS.

I personally think entry level and first bike purchases should be the main stay for any store they are the best way to fill the till and if you treat the person right you've got servicing and upgrades from that customer for life..

Good marketing is what Anaconda do, borderline false advertising, and cheap prices on superseded/2nd tier product. Typically Anaconda will advertise a basic alloy mountain bike with no name mechanical discs and Altus as "$499 reduced from $1199!!!!!!" when it was never, ever intended to be sold at the "RRP". Or advertise previous year Fox apparel at 50% the previous year's RRP.

There is little transparency and Anaconda bike shoppers generally aren't comparative shoppers. If anything they will compare RRP and markdown, rather than spec and quality.

 

[John U]

Good marketing is what Anaconda do, borderline false advertising, and cheap prices on superseded/2nd tier product. Typically Anaconda will advertise a basic alloy mountain bike with no name mechanical discs and Altus as "$499 reduced from $1199!!!!!!" when it was never, ever intended to be sold at the "RRP". Or advertise previous year Fox apparel at 50% the previous year's RRP.

There is little transparency and Anaconda bike shoppers generally aren't comparative shoppers. If anything they will compare RRP and markdown, rather than spec and quality.

Slightly off topic, but very similar to what Kathmandu do. People just love to think they're getting a bargain.

 

[Big JD]

Respect / good advice / the best price and warm of service

Most bike shops are great - I frequent them all. Obviously you get better service from those you actually buy stuff from.

It is tough to be pleasent all day every day in retail - it takes a special type of person. Few people have that skill in general - so why would they all be in your local bike store.

I very rarely buy stuff online new. I buy heaps of secondhand stuff off ebay and RB classified and have brought secondhand bikes/frames from the USA in the past - when postage was doable. I perfer to go into my LBS and discuss my options with them - they source me the best product/price they can do otherwise suggest buying it on line if there are stinking deals.Most times they can source me something in the ball park and I can pay it off over a few weeks. Honesty gets you alot of loyalty. Loyalty is king for me. My LBS will ring me about something I might be interested in - take interest in my grand bike schemes - offers me a beer on a Friday evening - closing time and are generally interested in my biking experience - regardless how much money I spend.

It is kind of like prostitution without the complications or happy endings.................. I get great servicing, they listen and care, they are always happy to see me and give me bling bits in exchange for money

 

[NSR]

Yes, you are crazy. It is insulting to have some A-hole walk into your shop with a brand new part they bought elsewhere and ask you to fit it. Most shops will but will charge you more for the service than they would've had you bought it there. The shop I worked at in BC would fit any part for free if you bought it from us, we'd charge like hell if it was from the Internet and politely let the customer know that we fit stuff for free. If you expect to waste someone's time by asking for info and then shopping elsewhere, you should also be expecting to be treated badly.

I don't think the franchise thing is a real concern, I know of both good and bad stores of the same franchise purely based in the staff un the store.

I'm sorry if this has already been covered, but this point really got me.

A bike shop is a business, is it not? Whose job is it to keep said business running? The owner of the store.
It is not up to the consumer to do EXACTLY what the business owner wants. It is up to the business owner to meet the CUSTOMER'S needs. Yes, this is rude, yes this is morally wrong, but it is business and it is how the world works.
Sure, say you don't want to fit the part 'cause the customer obviously bought the product online. You are not going to get any money out of this. As a business, your sole, and most important purpose is to make money so that the owner and its employees can live. If you want to make money, and if you want to keep your customers, you HAVE TO fit that part. That's how business works.

 

[StanTheMan]

It goes around in circles because old school doesn't want to accept that things change and they need to adapt or become extinct
They look for excuses beyond themselves that result in them doing the same thing they've always done and getting pissed off that it doesn't give the same results it used to

I'm the first to admit the current retail model doesn't work anymore. It's finished. Check my post a few pages back.
In retail it has to work both ways. Fair pricing ( we all agree its not currently) as well as a good experience for the consumer. (That's you & me)
Ok retail is up against the wall the way it is currently. But purchasing the goods elsewhere & having it fitted at a LBS who will then have to charge extra to cover potential damage. Things get damaged occasionally. As well as all the other costs involved in running a business.
It is not the solution for long term.


Stan's bus rant's since 2011. Now on 4S

 

[floody]

Anyway.. What I would expect from a modern LBS is polite and helpful service, knowledge and professionalism from the staff, and an ordering system which is not a lottery. Servicing should be carried out by technicians not enthusiasts.

 

[MARKL]

Servicing should be carried out by technicians not 15 year old work experience kids.

Fixed it for you...

 

[jrewing]

Tbsm always impress me...

They need to start one on the nth beaches.

 

[Big Chuck]

What a great way to run a business and a great reason why people who ride bikes shouldn't necessarily own shops

A-hole walks into a shop with a front and rear derailleur he bought at CRC

A-hole bike shop: Fuck off mate (politely of course!) we only fit what we sell
Profit = $0

Progressive bike shop: Rings customer
mate, your cables and housing are cactus and will need to be replaced
Also notice that your chain is beyond 3/4 worn, so when you order again you will need to get a new cassette and chain or we can supply and fit brand X for $xx

Customer: Mate just go ahead and fit the cassette and chain and change the cables

Profit: Well, a business never went broke making a profit

Bloot, maybe because you and I work in sales makes us look at the world in a different way.

Any LBS that doesn't encourage or even promotes this now days is doing themselves out of a customer. Every time that customer walks into your shop to pay for a service, you have an opportunity to sell them something. It might just be a pair of gloves this time, but it's still a sale and by building that relationship you might end up selling him/her, their friend or relative a new bike or two. Treat them poorly and you'll get nothing.

 

[MARKL]

Bloot, maybe because you and I work in sales makes us look at the world in a different way.

Any LBS that doesn't encourage or even promotes this now days is doing themselves out of a customer. Every time that customer walks into your shop to pay for a service, you have an opportunity to sell them something. It might just be a pair of gloves this time, but it's still a sale and by building that relationship you might end up selling him/her, their friend or relative a new bike or two. Treat them poorly and you'll get nothing.

I agree with this, LBSs have three forms of income:

1 - New bike sales
2 - Parts and kit
3 - Servicing

Now if you have already missed out on selling the parts and kit why would you knock back the servicing and any incidental sale? Once you have missed the sale you have missed the sale.

It is insulting to have some A-hole walk into your shop with a brand new part they bought elsewhere and ask you to fit it. Most shops will but will charge you more for the service than they would've had you bought it there.

But I keep reading how LBSs don't make any money on items they are selling at double the price of CRC:blabla::blabla: by this logic LBSs should love the customer that bought parts elsewhere...save the LBS carrying stock on items they don't make money on anyhow...

 

[dcrofty]

Ring me when you say you are going to ring me!