[zebrahum]

Amazing how the bike shop stories thread turns into bitch about your LBS.

Maybe a funny/bizzare story will help you guys out. A coworker of mine at our shop was helping an attractive lady get fit to her new road bike. The bike was on a trainer and my buddy asked if she could stand up so he could adjust the seat hight. She obliged, and my buddy put his hand on the saddle while he was loosening the binder bolt. At that instant, she sat back down, on his hand, and remarked "Oh, that feels much better that way".

Still laughing about that one.

 

[-dustin]

I know a shop which charges for computer installs and every other labor intensive task which many shops give away for free.

Guess what, they sell only road bikes!

we charge for computer installs. if it's at the time of purchase of the bike, it's free. if it's after purchase of the bike, prices are $10 (computer from us), $12 (not from us), $15 (cadence, from us), and $20 (cadence not from us). Flightdecks and Ergo brains go up to $30 and $35, including a re-wrap.

we sell road bikes and mountain bikes.

 

[-dustin]

At that instant, she sat back down, on his hand, and remarked "Oh, that feels much better that way".

how did he respond? that's funny.

 

[JRB]

I just realized that Binary Visions puts kick stands on his bikes.

 

[binary visions]

I just realized that Binary Visions puts kick stands on his bikes.

No, but the person who the bike was purchased for wanted one

 

[JRB]

No, but the person who the bike was purchased for wanted one

Good job. I was hoping you had a way out. As always, I am impressed.

 

[Bicyclist]

we charge for computer installs. if it's at the time of purchase of the bike, it's free. if it's after purchase of the bike, prices are $10 (computer from us), $12 (not from us), $15 (cadence, from us), and $20 (cadence not from us). Flightdecks and Ergo brains go up to $30 and $35, including a re-wrap.

Holy crap dude. Are your tune ups like $70?

 

[-dustin]

$37 - basic tune-up. sort of a waste of money, in my opinion.

$62 - deluxe tune-up. basic tune up, plus a thorough cleaning of the bike, truing the wheels in a truing stand.

$87 - pro tune-up. deluxe + we remove the drivetrain and put it in the parts cleaner. comes out looking brand new.

we have just started up a dirty bike fee. if we have to spend an hour cleaning 'your' bike, there's a $10 - $15 surcharge. a Klein Mantra came in the other day. i spent 90mins just cleaning the bike (including some interuptions). ridiculous.

 

[Bearmntpicnic]

well I work in an inner city shop and last week we had a kid who ran out of the shop with a bike come back and try and get us to fix it.

 

[Hailight]

my personal experience is just look for the small shops. The smaller the better. Back home in Germany we have a big chain of bikeshops. Me and my dad were about to buy a 700 Euro Roadbike each (2000 Dollar + clipless and shoes and stuff)
The fat lazy owner didn't even bother coming out of his office, instead he sent some kind of part time working student (hat appearently had never been interested in biking) out to us that had to go to the office for five minutes everytime we asked a question that went further than "what colour is the frame".

We ended up going to another, small store a little further away after wasting half an hour in the big one. It did cost us another 200 bucks but we got a free tune up and som other stuff + advice without even asking for it.

 

[mud'n'sweat]

well I work in an inner city shop and last week we had a kid who ran out of the shop with a bike come back and try and get us to fix it.

"The corner" at UVA is not "inner city" Charlie

But yeah, there are some idiotic thug kids in this town. One kid stole my friend Jedd's bike right from his office lobby at Blue Ridge Outdoors which is on the downtown mall. A couple weeks later said kid was riding his bike literally 100 feet away from the office on the mall and Jedd's boss caught his ass and took the bike back.

 

[TheMontashu]

No, it means you need to know what the F you're doing

I would like to see any one do 5 or 6 tune ups in a day, plus fixing flats, plus helping costomers and selling bikes.

 

[zebrahum]

how did he respond? that's funny.

He just kinda played it off so he didn't get fired or something.

 

[myke]

Thank you. All the mechanics who posted. You made my night...week....month. I have been laughing for almost an hour reading this thread.

 

[DHS]

I would like to see any one do 5 or 6 tune ups in a day, plus fixing flats, plus helping costomers and selling bikes.

hell, i've been able to do that. and the shop i worked at was right on the canal path. 20 flats a day if not more. and i had atleast 10 tune ups a day. and i would of course test ride each bike.

 

[TheMontashu]

hell, i've been able to do that. and the shop i worked at was right on the canal path. 20 flats a day if not more. and i had atleast 10 tune ups a day. and i would of course test ride each bike.

So you would true 2 wheels in a stand, trim the shift housing, adjust the derailers, and brakes as well as test riding them in 1/2 hour?

 

[blue]

So you would true 2 wheels in a stand, trim the shift housing, adjust the derailers, and brakes as well as test riding them in 1/2 hour?

Your shop needs to hire more people. And fire you.

 

[TheMontashu]

Your shop needs to hire more people. And fire you.

the shop does need more help, but they shouldn't fire me. I can sell bikes, I sold 6 bikes in a 6 hour day and 4 santa cruzs the first month we had a dealership

 

[TheInedibleHulk]

Most people that come in The Fix are pretty reasonable, it's nice.

The shop I worked at in baltimore was a different story. As a mechanic I once or twice had to remove fairly large amounts of human hair tangled in hubs and cassettes. That was gross, but not as gross as the time I had to pull a used condom out of the mouth of my bosses puppy. Needless to say, we werent in the best neighborhood.

One time a dad came in with his son who was at least 5'9" and wanted a tune up on a clapped out 20" little kids mountian bike he had bought when the kid was about 6. One of the mechanics quite politely told him that the bike wasnt really worth repairing and was way too small anyway. The dude completely kirked out and accused us of trying to steal his money and insulting him. No one in the shop had any idea what was going on. We were all just dumbfounded.

The shop rat antics were probably the best part at that shop. Most of them included me getting my ass kicked by the much larger, stronger manager. I was about 15 and he would always try to get me to fight him. That ended when we knocked over a 400 dollar display case and it shattered. Once he was doing wheelie laps around the shop on a 12 inch specialized kids bike and the frame snapped clean in half and he went down hard. The bikes were later recalled. We also found out that those big rubber bands they use to package bikes can shoot some wicked stingers if you makes them out of cardboard from tube boxes, ect. We had a good battle going until we realized that some of the misses were either denting or putting holes in the drywall. God I feel sorry for my old boss.

 

[PatBranch]

^ That sounds like it was a fun shop to work in. I want to get a job at a shop.

 

[Jim Mac]

OK, it's not the best line I've gotten but I took a call on Saturday that went like this:

customer: How much are your patch kits?
me: $2.50.
customer: Is that before tax?
me: Yes, that's correct.
customer: so, you don't charge tax for that?
me: No, we do.
customer: so, how much is that all together?
me: ummm, (calculator shuffle, fend off customers waiting in line who are losing patience) about $2.70?
customer: Are you sure? I'm trying to compare shop prices here!
me: Yes, that's the approximate total...

 

[BurlyShirley]

Oh man,

One time this guy came into my shop and he was all like "Excuse me sir, can you help me swap out this cassette?"

And I was all like "FVCK NO, you retard!!" and then the whole crew laughed at him.

LOL

 

[DHS]

So you would true 2 wheels in a stand, trim the shift housing, adjust the derailers, and brakes as well as test riding them in 1/2 hour?

is your shop not open for atleast 8 hours?

 

[SkaredShtles]

OK, it's not the best line I've gotten but I took a call on Saturday that went like this:

customer: How much are your patch kits?
me: $2.50.
customer: Is that before tax?
me: Yes, that's correct.
customer: so, you don't charge tax for that?
me: No, we do.
customer: so, how much is that all together?
me: ummm, (calculator shuffle, fend off customers waiting in line who are losing patience) about $2.70?
customer: Are you sure? I'm trying to compare shop prices here!
me: Yes, that's the approximate total...

It sure would be easier if everyone would simply post the total cost of an item (tax included) on the sticker.

Although it's pretty retarded to worry about tax on a patch kit.

 

[Jim Mac]

It sure would be easier if everyone would simply post the total cost of an item (tax included) on the sticker.

Although it's pretty retarded to worry about tax on a patch kit.

To me, that was the point. I would understand getting the taxable total if it was a major component, but c'mon it's a patch kit for cryin' out loud...

 

[JRogers]

I worked in a big shop a while back. On one wall, there was this big (for lack of a better description) wooden column. It went floor to ceiling and was painted to look like the walls but wasn't actually attached to them. A dude was up on a ladder putting a bike on a wall display and knocked this thing over. It almost took out some kid. Ended up hitting a metal clothing rack, breaking it in half and throwing womens' shorts in a 40 foot blast radius. Chaos ensued.

one other one: There was a 7-11 type place accross from us for a few years. When the owner would see the dude go outside for a smoke break, he would call him and watch the dude run back in...and would immediately hang up when he got to the phone. This would be repeated about 5 or 6 times in a row.

Bike shop work was fun. Indoor kids bike races. Crazy customers. Good times.

 

[JRogers]

Oh, and just to add another voice on the matter: I think it's very bad policy for a shop not to have a set repair schedule. If nothing else, just make a sched. but overestimate the time and call people when it's done.

In the place I worked at, if people asked at all we usually tossed in a kickstand for free on a new bike (and stressed to them they got free lifetime tuneups, which means basic adustments). If the customer was being tough or spent more money, we'd often toss in a bottle cage and bottle. Next after that was 15% off any accessories bought with the bike. For higher end stuff it was 15% off for all accessories bought in the next year.

Working as a salesman, the thing I may have hated the most was dealing with a customer that just wanted everything for nothing. This is a business, buddy, I'm not taking $100 off a $250 bike just beacause you asked me. People would be such bastards over tiny amounts of money. I can understand being frugal, but being unreasonable is different.

 

[sanjuro]

one other one: There was a 7-11 type place accross from us for a few years. When the owner would see the dude go outside for a smoke break, he would call him and watch the dude run back in...and would immediately hang up when he got to the phone. This would be repeated about 5 or 6 times in a row.

Bike shop work was fun. Indoor kids bike races. Crazy customers. Good times.

The owner told me about when the shop was next to a hot tub-by-the-hour place. He called it the soak-and-poke.

 

[TheMontashu]

is your shop not open for atleast 8 hours?

No, but in an 8 hour day about 3 hours are devoted to helping costomers and selling bikes.

 

[fluff]

Oh man,

One time this guy came into my shop and he was all like "Excuse me sir, can you help me swap out this cassette?"

And I was all like "FVCK NO, you retard!!" and then the whole crew laughed at him.

LOL

Good one.

One time a customer came into my shop and said "I'd like to buy that Turner DHR", we all chorused "You look like a paedophile we don't want people like you riding bikes, piss off." And then we kicked the **** out of him for good measure.

Oh how we laugh when we think back on those days.

 

[mud'n'sweat]

Man, some people take the internet WAY too seriously. Someone got all worked up over my quoted post below and gave me negative feedback with the following comment.

This is VERY true. I'm fortunate enough to have a few really cool LBS's but many shops have a bad reputation of being complete elitist snobs. They wonder why so many people are buying their own tools and shopping online. The addage "You can't get the same service buying online" is true. Many times you can get BETTER service online. I think that really sucks personally and it hurts all of the shops out there that are kick ass with really friendly helpful employees and techs. Some of these stories are funny, but a few of them were just plain sad and exhibited very poor business practices.

Make sure to mention how online service is better next time you step into a shop

Dude, did you read the part where I said several of my LBS's are really cool? Guess what, I buy parts from them all the time because of it and have a great relationship with them. Why get so worked up about what was said, unless you feel your an elitist shop ass and are getting overly defensive about it?

 

[mud'n'sweat]

Good one.

One time a customer came into my shop and said "I'd like to buy that Turner DHR", we all chorused "You look like a paedophile we don't want people like you riding bikes, piss off." And then we kicked the **** out of him for good measure.

Oh how we laugh when we think back on those days.

Dude, you put me in the hospital with two broken ribs! :looney:

 

[-dustin]

lady came into the shop yesterday. found a crack on her frame...she still wanted us to do $200 in repairs...including welding the frame.

yeah, well i found it amusing.

 

[TheMontashu]

We had some lady yesterday want us to replace her tube for free because it went flat in less than a month and we had a 30 garuntee on all repairs

 

[binary visions]

We had some lady yesterday want us to replace her tube for free because it went flat in less than a month and we had a 30 garuntee on all repairs

It probably makes perfect sense to her. She got a flat tire in less than a month? Must be a defective product. If you got a flat tire in less than a month on your car and there were no obvious punctures, wouldn't you assume it was defective?

 

[Da Peach]

Yep, and I'm all for laughing at idiots. But a couple of these examples aren't idiots and they're being treated poorly. They simply don't have broad knowledge of the bike industry.

The guy who wanted to fix up the bike for his son probably doesn't have the slightest clue how much parts cost - he figures, if he can get a bike for $100 at Wal-mart, why can't he fix this one up for $50? Another guy was flat turned away because he didn't say, "Yes, I need a Torx T-25 bolt for my Hayes disc brakes".

Of course, the guys who laugh at people for wanting to buy a bolt will happily sell an expensive component or bike to someone who has no idea what he's actually shopping for.

But I don't want to generalise. I'm with Burly. It's bad bizz to laugh at the uninitiated. Not as bad as the rockclimbing crowd though...

 

[TheMontashu]

It probably makes perfect sense to her. She got a flat tire in less than a month? Must be a defective product. If you got a flat tire in less than a month on your car and there were no obvious punctures, wouldn't you assume it was defective?

When there is a 1/4 inch tear in the tire and you can feel the air coming out when you put air in it plus being ridden every day...

 

[richcreek]

<snip>

-Someone came in yelling at us that we had brought his bike in for repairs and that we had stolen the reflectors off his wheels. I told him that was absurd and that we would never doing anything like that. Eventually we find out that this is his first time at the shop I worked at. He then proceeded to try and sell us a kickstand that he found on the side of the trail.

at the bike shop i go to they call taking the reflectors off "de-fagging" they are prety good though, prices fair, good service, knowldgeable staff, ext.

 

[TheMontashu]

Me- cyclery
Caller- Hellos, is my suff in
Me- What stuff are you looking for
Caller- The stuff I ordered
Me- May I ask who you are?
Caller- You remember me I talked to you yesterday about the stuff I ordered
Me- I need your name to go check
caller- he gives me his name
me- There is no tag with you name on it, what exactly did you order
caller- I DONT REMEMBER WHAT I ORDERED IT WAS 3 MONTHS AGO I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED IT IN!!! then i get a long yelling at about how we are a bad shop ending with Mikes Wife promised me it here in a week (Mike is the owner of the shop down the street)
Me- Did you order your stuff from Mikes bikes, cause mike is the owner there and his wife works with him
Caller- NO I ORDERED MY STUFF FROM PLEASANT HILL CYCLERS AND NOT MIKES BIKE, I WILL NOT BE CALLED A LIAR!!!(click)

 

[jodysbike]

I can accept that. I had roommates who were foodservice workers and they bitched about their jobs nonstop. Ive bitched about jobs Ive had in the past too, its only natural. But to LAUGH AT CUSTOMERS is something completely differnt. To OFFER NO HELP and laugh about it later is bad business, and something I find all too common in the bike world.

...call me crazy tho.

Do you live anyplace near Clarksville. If you have never been to Hopkinsville KY just on the other side of the state line see David Diamond and Time Moore at Bike and Moore. You will never get sh***y sevice from that shop. If you do I would loose all hope for the bike business myself since they trained me.