29ers are nothing but a fad anyway.
A LBS rant
- Thread starter X3pilot
- Start date
"Labia"
Oh, do I have an LBS horror story.
This was maybe 6 years ago when I was still in Rochester. I needed something simple like cables, or brake pads. I forget, doesn't really matter.
So anyway I get my bits and pieces, and pay. It was my first time at the shop in a while, so I figured I'd wander around a bit and see what's new. Checked out some new bikes I couldn't afford, some technicolor unitards you couldn't pay me to wear, and then what do I see in the service area?
Jonkranked.
This was maybe 6 years ago when I was still in Rochester. I needed something simple like cables, or brake pads. I forget, doesn't really matter.
So anyway I get my bits and pieces, and pay. It was my first time at the shop in a while, so I figured I'd wander around a bit and see what's new. Checked out some new bikes I couldn't afford, some technicolor unitards you couldn't pay me to wear, and then what do I see in the service area?
Jonkranked.
You know that the regular riders have issues that most shops are not familiar with, and I don't even trouble them with my requests. I know what I want, and I order it myself.
But if your shop doesn't know their way with a wrench, forget them.
ftfy...
And thank you for proving my point, Disgruntled Former or Present Retail Worker!
whats wrong with you people?
people working at lbs are people; just like you, not humanoid slaves bred to inflate your ego and stroke your self-esteem for the $200 markup they have on an entry level singlespeed...
go to a store, ask for information and prices. easy as that.
if they dont give you any information or arent helpful, then walk away, there are many other stores; but dont walk out butthurt because nobody came to polish your knob as soon as the door chimed in....
jeeeezus! this customer service expectations are becoming borderline mendicity on the seller´s labor.... let the workers retain some dignity, and do not inflate your chest at begging calls for your business...
so having worked at a shop for the last 5 years and holding nearly every position from sales associate to various management spots. (currently lead mechanic) i dont see whats so hard about just delivering good customer service. people come in looking for advice, Give it to them in a friendly manner with a smile. someone comes in who thinks theyre gods gift to cycling, then speak to them as a peer and not as a holier than thou bike shop employee. good customer service is not hard, treat people with respect and be an authority on your particular expertise. that is why people come in the shop.
i dont understand why so many shops have such a huge issue hiring motivated people who love bicycles. sure every now and then you have a crappy customer, but as soon as they leave youre done. do what you can to help and 99% of people will show more than enough gratification. basically it just comes down to: DO YOUR FVCKING JOB!!!
i dont understand why so many shops have such a huge issue hiring motivated people who love bicycles. sure every now and then you have a crappy customer, but as soon as they leave youre done. do what you can to help and 99% of people will show more than enough gratification. basically it just comes down to: DO YOUR FVCKING JOB!!!
A couple of years ago I went into a big box bike shop because they were the only one open on Sunday. I asked the mechanic for a piece of shifter housing. He paused long enough to look down his nose at me and asked If I knew the difference between a brake and a shifter housing. I just said, "never mind" and walked out. I've been riding and wrenching longer than he'd been alive.
Maybe it's just ego, but I tend not to deal with shops that treat me like I've never ridden a bike before.
Maybe it's just ego, but I tend not to deal with shops that treat me like I've never ridden a bike before.
I have this semi-crazy theory that was partially confirmed by a professor yesterday. This same problem (lack of good CS ) applies to my work as well in the human service field. Using psychographics or VALS (the study of people values, attitudes and beliefs), most people in these jobs could be considered "Makers" under the VALs profile:
http://www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/vals/ustypes/makers.shtml
The trick, then, to get good CS from this type of person is to understand that they want to produce something tangible. Therefore you either stick them as a mechanic and keep them away form customers, or you find a way to break down CS to them in a way that makes it tangible for them as if they have "made something". Me, I'd rather stick them as a mechanic, fire the rest and get someone who knows the service economy.
Check yourself if you want - here's the VALS test -
http://www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/vals/presurvey.shtml
http://www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/vals/ustypes/makers.shtml
Most people who are makers (think bike mechanics) have generally not adapted well to the shift away towards a service economy. I have this problem at work, too - I have a lot of single moms who in fact come from long family lines of makers. The town that I work in was one of the major birth places of the industrial revolution.
The trick, then, to get good CS from this type of person is to understand that they want to produce something tangible. Therefore you either stick them as a mechanic and keep them away form customers, or you find a way to break down CS to them in a way that makes it tangible for them as if they have "made something". Me, I'd rather stick them as a mechanic, fire the rest and get someone who knows the service economy.
Check yourself if you want - here's the VALS test -
http://www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/vals/presurvey.shtml
i have not worked retail in my life.
i do not need to burn my tongue, to know hot pizza burns.
what time do you go on stage? i'd pay a wooden nickel to see that
rad! congrats! im glad the shop came through and was able to fix your problems
Just wow.
Was that picture before the free fitting? Bike looks a size too big if your seats that low and bars are that high.
Maybe he is a midget.
I always find it funny people complain about working in retail. Let them deal with corporate clients where low level straight out of college are redefining stupid and then they will complain. Ever had a Junior brand manager tell you to get something done by noon monday when it was 5pm frieday? If no stop complaining and drop the attitude.
That's why I hate unpleasant people working in retail. I know it's not the most motivating job in the world but it's also not the hardest one. Especially if you work in a bike shop with your mates.
That's why I hate unpleasant people working in retail. I know it's not the most motivating job in the world but it's also not the hardest one. Especially if you work in a bike shop with your mates.
Nope, that's after the fitting. The frame is a 21", but the way my body is (long torso, shorter legs) that's the way it came out. And it's very comfortable, rode it today 8 miles on trails, felt like a dream.
hrug:
Flip the stem?
I went to mine and they just gave me things to leave. I found a perfectly good XT rear shifter in the old parts bin. Seems like they got 3 or 4 more, I didn't want to be greedy....
Even a good bike shop can run into problems - there's a great local shop around work, I called recently to find out how long to replace a broken nipple on a wheel, thinking I could grab a couple of rest days anyways and not have to bother my buddy to fix it for me.
"You're not going to like this, we won't be able to even look at it for seven days."
He was right, I didn't like it. I'm not expecting same-day turnaround, but if your service backlog is a week +, I dunno, hire more mechanics, or raise your prices?
"You're not going to like this, we won't be able to even look at it for seven days."
He was right, I didn't like it. I'm not expecting same-day turnaround, but if your service backlog is a week +, I dunno, hire more mechanics, or raise your prices?
At first sight?
Poor service doesn't just have to be the local bike shop, sometimes it's also the internet bike shop you already spent $1500+ at a few months ago.
Example. I was considering a couple of different new DH bikes. Neither of which had a local distributor for in my area. So I emailed the manufacturer directly to get some guidance. One manufacturer responded to my email immediately, suggested 3 of their online distributors, and all 3 distributors responded to my email within 24 hours (I chose the one that responded first).
The other manufacturer, did not respond for a couple days, suggested a few places, I emailed those places, and didn't get a response at all from one of the places (the one that had a complete listed on their website that I had already purchased over $1500 worth of parts from just a few months earlier)
Needless to say I chose to buy a bike from company "A" even if the bike from company "B" may have suited my riding style a little better.
It's not that hard. You read your customer and provide the service he or she is going to need. There should be no loss of dignity, nor any loss of self respect. You're simply doing your job, and you should do it with dignity and respect, and you should do it with pride, and having a nice attitude and a smile is part of that.
Example. I was considering a couple of different new DH bikes. Neither of which had a local distributor for in my area. So I emailed the manufacturer directly to get some guidance. One manufacturer responded to my email immediately, suggested 3 of their online distributors, and all 3 distributors responded to my email within 24 hours (I chose the one that responded first).
The other manufacturer, did not respond for a couple days, suggested a few places, I emailed those places, and didn't get a response at all from one of the places (the one that had a complete listed on their website that I had already purchased over $1500 worth of parts from just a few months earlier)
Needless to say I chose to buy a bike from company "A" even if the bike from company "B" may have suited my riding style a little better.
I am a very demanding customer, but I do not inflate my chest, or expect someone to be at my beckon call....it's rather simple, I walk in the door, smile and say hello. Ask if I am looking for something in particular, then you can go back to your baseball game, or other customer, or whatever. Give me 5-10 minutes to browse, ask if I am still doing ok or if i have any questions. Typically that is when I will either ask questions or say, I'll come grab you in a few minutes after I have decided which products I have questions on.
whats wrong with you people?
people working at lbs are people; just like you, not humanoid slaves bred to inflate your ego and stroke your self-esteem for the $200 markup they have on an entry level singlespeed...
go to a store, ask for information and prices. easy as that.
if they dont give you any information or arent helpful, then walk away, there are many other stores; but dont walk out butthurt because nobody came to polish your knob as soon as the door chimed in....
jeeeezus! this customer service expectations are becoming borderline mendicity on the seller´s labor.... let the workers retain some dignity, and do not inflate your chest at begging calls for your business...
It's not that hard. You read your customer and provide the service he or she is going to need. There should be no loss of dignity, nor any loss of self respect. You're simply doing your job, and you should do it with dignity and respect, and you should do it with pride, and having a nice attitude and a smile is part of that.
At least he was honest. Better then accepting your wheel and just not telling you he couldn't do anything about it for over a week.
Giving customers realistic expectations is a good part of CS.
Yeah, definitely. I appreciate the mechanic was honest on the timeframe. At the same time, management is dropping the ball somewhere.