P.S - and what's with the "set up" fees for assembling the bicycles in their LBS shop? The Specialized stuff were $150 MORE at the store than on the retail price listed on the websites. Thank goodness for smart phones with internet, I show the sales guy/owner and he says it's for the set up, assembly, and tune ups plus sales tax above all of that .

Such shenanigans

Burn LBS, Burn

 

Are you really sure it is the best idea to put 5'2" person on 29r?

But, yes, learning how to wrench on your bike is the best thing for saving time and moneys. Installing all the parts yourself is faster then driving to the store.

Enjoy your new bikes.

 

Are you really sure it is the best idea to put 5'2" person on 29r?

But, yes, learning how to wrench on your bike is the best thing for saving time and moneys. Installing all the parts yourself is faster then driving to the store.

Enjoy your new bikes.

:thumbsup:

I purchased the bicycle tools at sport chalet. The kid who sold us the bikes and installed everything showed me all the tools I needed, plus stands. Too bad this guy doesn't work on commission.

 

Ahhhhh, Grashopper. When you can snatch this pebble from my hand it will be time for you to leave.

Seriously, there are good and bad lbs's. IME most run of mill shops are poor to bad. The dedicated mtb type shops with high end frames are usually good. I have some very very good lbs's around me. I realize you were not in the market for a $1500 frame so I sympathize with your experiences with "regular Joe's". Still...fitting a 15'' bike for someone your size is just plain ignorance, no matter the cost of the bike you are looking at. More likely they just don't care.

 

I feel your pain mate.
I think it comes down to the difference between a genuine enthusiast bike shop owner/staff and a businessman owner/staff trying to screw every last dollar out of the customer with no genuine interest in the sport or lifestyle they are selling other than making a buck.
Its usually pretty clear which is which when you walk in and start talking.
Some owners/staff need to realise that they are selling a luxury/lifestyle product and that customers often have a depth of knowledge exceeding their own and/or have saved and been looking forward to shopping for their purchase for some considerable time.

Nothing S**ts me more than sales staff that know less about the product they are selling than me.
How hard can it be to read an industry mag once a month to keep abreast of tech and products?

Case study 1)
Looking for a new bike late last year I checked out the local Felt dealer.
When I asked the sales guy what he thought of the new Dyna sys shifting and chain set on the bike in question he said, and I quote " Oh I dunno, I dont really know much about bikes and dont know what that is" WTF he's trying to sell me a bike worth $3500.00 that I was seriously interested in up to that point.
I walked out - after all what sort of after sales service could you expect?

Case study 2)
I was/am a huge m/cycle fan and have had around 30 since I was 15
A couple of years ago I had been looking at a new Motorcycle, I had read that the new Yamaha FZ1 was basically a sport bike without the full fairing so I went in to have a look with cash in my pocket
As I stood and looked at the bike it became obvious that this was not the case, the bike was significantly lower specced than what I wanted [Brakes, Susp, no fuel injection etc].
When the young [20 something] salesman came up to me I politely explained this dissapointment.
I am a 47 year old man with more experience on bikes than he could possibly imagine but he turns around to me and pretends to pull a note book from his pocket and mimes writing a note while stating that "I am sure sure Mr Yamaha will be pleased to hear your comments and he will get right on it" all done with a huge exaggerated flourish.
The little F**king W***ker !!
How dare he dis me like that, I know my stuff when it come to 'bikes.
He was lucky that it only ended in me shouting abuse before the shop owner stepped in [Who I knew well, and later rang me to say he had fired the guy as it ws not the first time he had dissed a customer]

Vote with your feet mate - but not before you let them know how you really feel about their service

 

I am so very sorry and disappointed to hear that you had this kind of experience at a dedicated bike store. I work for a bike store, and would like to think that I work for one of the best bike stores in my city. It makes me feel ashamed that there are folk in the industry who just don't give enough of a damn to serve a customer properly. A local bike store should be the ULTIMATE source of knowledge and quality bikes of all price ranges. Most employees should be active within the cycling community, and have at least a modicum of knowledge about the product that he is selling. The objective of a dedicated bike salesmen is to transfer knowledge to the lesser prepared. This includes different usages of different bikes and all the CORRECT features selling points of specific bikes.

Shame on your LBS's for not adhering to these standards.

The salesperson should at the very least have know that 700c is NOT 29'r

 

Like anything else not all shops are equal. I got treated like crap at Bike Doctor in Gambrills MD. 4 minutes down the road Family Bike has treated me like gold from my first visit. Three years and 3 bikes later I still say they are awesome.

I tell my guys "if we don't take care of the customer someone else will".

 

There are good businesses and bad ones in any industry

 

Ding Ding!!

I guess I'm lucky, the 3 I work with currently are great. It boils down to the fact that all people are different and so with 'people' working the shop, you get different experiences.

Years ago I was looking for a bike for my wife- this was before WSD bikes became the rage.
There are 2 shops in the area about 1-1.5 hours apart, at the time I didn't know they were owned by the same person.

To make a long story short, I got better service at the one a hour away by a manager, then I did at the one 20 minutes away, run by the owner of both- go figure.

 

Similar story here. I was just getting back in to MTBs after 10 years away. I worked in shops for six years in the 90s, but so much has changed I was looking for a good shop to help me wade through the BS and figure out what would actually be a good bike for my wife. We were looking to spend a couple of grand on a bike for her. I about had a fit when the "sales-kid" sent her out for a test-ride on a 15" frame when she's 5'8". We went to a few different shops and had that kind of response at more than one. I couldn't believe the apathetic lack of assistance we received from some reputable shops. I understand the first rule is sell what you have in stock, but still...

 

I would tell a shop to kiss my ass if they wanted a dime over retail plus tax for a bike.

 

Nothing S**ts me more than sales staff that know less about the product they are selling than me.
How hard can it be to read an industry mag once a month to keep abreast of tech and products?

Case study 1)
Looking for a new bike late last year I checked out the local Felt dealer.
When I asked the sales guy what he thought of the new Dyna sys shifting and chain set on the bike in question he said, and I quote " Oh I dunno, I dont really know much about bikes and dont know what that is" WTF he's trying to sell me a bike worth $3500.00 that I was seriously interested in up to that point.
I walked out - after all what sort of after sales service could you expect?

I work in a Performance (hardly a small owner-operated LBS) and I don't know **** about road bikes or derailleurs/drivetrains. I will tell a customer up front that I don't know anything about them other than how to fix them and will gladly go ask the Cat 2 road racer I work with to take over.

That said, just because he doesn't know about bikes doesn't mean no one else in the store does. I know BMX, DJ, and singlespeed mountain bikes; that's it. HOWEVER, we have nearly two dozen employees who are all fairly avid cyclists of one kind or another -from downhillers to keirin racers- one of them will probably know about what you're asking.

 

I also had bad experiences at 3 LBS while searching for bikes for me and my wife. Two of them the people didnt seem to know much. I said upfront they were our first "real" mountain bikes but i have riden bmx for years. One of them tried to sell my wife a 19" frame when she's only 5'6", pretty sure it was because they didnt have any small frames instock. He told us frame sizes were pretty standard and the larger frame would hold up better over the long run. The 3rd place i went to had 2 employees in it and what must of been a friend halfway behind the counter shooting the crap with them about a baseball game. No other customers but me, i walked around inside this tiny shop for 20 minutes starring at the same couple bikes, but neither of them ever asked if i needed help. I take it they didnt like how i was dressed or my tattoo's, there loss since i had $1500 cash in my pocket. So, i too ended up at Sports Chalet where a guy younger than me came right up, asked how i was and what i was looking for, hour later he helped me roll two Marin 2010 closeouts to my truck.

I come from retail, i worked in a small gun shop for almost 10 years. It was like the bike business where we couldnt compete 1 bit with internet prices so to make up for it you had to have good customer service and a little bit of knowledge. Half of it is greeting someone when they walk in the store, acting like you care, which i didnt get at any of the 3 shops i went to. It just seemed like none of the local shop needed my business really, kind of weird if you ask me. Since buying our bikes i've spent another $700 on parts and accessories that i would have shopped for locally if my experiences werent so bad. So its all about Jenson, Blue Sky, and Pricepoint for me.

 

3 of the 4 bike shops in my immediate area are great. They don't carry a large selection of mtb's (not much single track here). But they treat you great and all have a few racers on staff in just about every discipline you can practice within a couple hours drive. They treat you like they want you there, not like you're interrupting their break.
The other shop is staffed by hippies that probably haven't sold a bike in a decade, but I bet they've sold a ton more weed than any other shop does road bikes.

 

Just like you, some LBS deserves to go belly up. These days with the economy so bad, you find the sales guy trying to make a sale just for the commission.

You can read up on how bad my service was when I bought my Giant Trance X4.
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=704445 and scroll towards the bottom.

 

If I can interject.. I work on the other side of the counter at a motorcycle shop.. ya wanna know why we can be rude.. I'll break it down for you (note: I have been in this industry for 10+ plus and not a 16yo kid behind the counter..)

1. know your ****.. don't come into the store and I ask you want you have and you say you don't know.. we are not here to spoon feed you.. I ask for year make and model every time.. parts and part numbers are not all the same or "universal". Learn what you have.. I'm not asking you what kind of toaster you have.. you should know what kind of car you have.. what kind of bike you have.. what kind of "toy"; you have (ie rc cars, airsoft replica, paintball marker, etc) especially when you walk into the store..

2. Don't call.. honestly.. really do you call the grocery store to see if they have milk.. get your fat ass off the couch and come down to the store.. if we don't have it.. we can special order it.. if you don't want to come down.. don't call and waste my time, I usually have a line of customers, a ton of inventory to put away and a store to run.. order it off the internet..

3. Treat me nice and with respect.. I've been doing this a long time and have spent a lot of seat time and money and probably will smoke ya 9 times out of 10.. You don't have to take my advice but don't waste my effort if I'm really trying to help you avoid a costly mistake.

4. I'm not a know it all.. It takes time for me to research the part, the price and if I have it.. don't ask me if I have it or the price right off the bat.. have some patience while I look up the stuff you want.. Additionally if you know more then me about a particular product, I do appreciate you sharing your knowledge.. Don't be a ****in dick and be all tech and think you know more then me.. cuz we can go ridin' anytime and I'll make sure you puke in your helmet..

5. don't walk in and say I just call for this or that.. honestly I just got 10 calls from 10 other people asking for that exact same thing and I don't know who the **** you are.. additionally don't say you just call when in fact you call 3 hours ago.. or that you just called and in fact it was actually 2 weeks ago.. I'm pretty good at remembering idiots and you just put a big bullseye on you..

6. I don't want to hear your life story.. I'll be more then happy to tell you mine.. mine is way more interesting then yours.. and usually I have done it, seen it, broke it.. and have the scars and empty bank account to prove it..

7. Don't be an idiot.. I appreciate it's YOUR weekend but that doesn't mean you turn off your brain when you walk into the store. I also would appreciate if you were not drunk.. Additionally it's not my weekend.. if its a saturday.. that means it's my friday.. let me come to your work on a friday and be a dick see how you feel.. Additionally be respectful to my store.. I put a lot of effort in everyday to make sure it's clean, stocked etc.. Don't put your dirty chain on my paperwork filled desk, don't lean on my boxes full of expensive inventory that I'm trying to put away.. I'll be more then happy to come over to your house and put my dirty feet on your clean couch and take a big **** in your living room.. essentially that is what your doing to me right then and there..

8. Plan ahead.. seriously.. don't come into my store 5 minutes before we close saying you gotta get ready for a race tomorrow.. you're an idiot.. you should have been in the store 3-5 days ago getting ready.. that way I can help you prepare, make sure you are ready.. offer advice.. and enjoy helping your get ready.. (additionally come by after the race.. tell me the story.. I wanna see the pics, the scars.. I do value you as a customer and if I helped I wanna know how you did)

9. Understand this.. If you break your bike.. you come see me.. if you break yourself.. it's 6 to 8 weeks or I don't see you.. I care.. I want you as a returning customer.. not paying my respects.. Just in the past 3 years, I've lost 5 customers.. granted they died doing what they loved but it does affect me and I remember.. So be safe and have fun

I think I cover most of it.. I'm sure there is more I can add but this is the major stuff..

 

If I can interject.. I work on the other side of the counter at a motorcycle shop.. ya wanna know why we can be rude.. I'll break it down for you (note: I have been in this industry for 10+ plus and not a 16yo kid behind the counter..)

1. know your ****.. don't come into the store and I ask you want you have and you say you don't know.. we are not here to spoon feed you.. I ask for year make and model every time.. parts and part numbers are not all the same or "universal". Learn what you have.. I'm not asking you what kind of toaster you have.. you should know what kind of car you have.. what kind of bike you have.. what kind of "toy"; you have (ie rc cars, airsoft replica, paintball marker, etc) especially when you walk into the store..

2. Don't call.. honestly.. really do you call the grocery store to see if they have milk.. get your fat ass off the couch and come down to the store.. if we don't have it.. we can special order it.. if you don't want to come down.. don't call and waste my time, I usually have a line of customers, a ton of inventory to put away and a store to run.. order it off the internet..

3. Treat me nice and with respect.. I've been doing this a long time and have spent a lot of seat time and money and probably will smoke ya 9 times out of 10.. You don't have to take my advice but don't waste my effort if I'm really trying to help you avoid a costly mistake.

4. I'm not a know it all.. It takes time for me to research the part, the price and if I have it.. don't ask me if I have it or the price right off the bat.. have some patience while I look up the stuff you want.. Additionally if you know more then me about a particular product, I do appreciate you sharing your knowledge.. Don't be a ****in dick and be all tech and think you know more then me.. cuz we can go ridin' anytime and I'll make sure you puke in your helmet..

5. don't walk in and say I just call for this or that.. honestly I just got 10 calls from 10 other people asking for that exact same thing and I don't know who the **** you are.. additionally don't say you just call when in fact you call 3 hours ago.. or that you just called and in fact it was actually 2 weeks ago.. I'm pretty good at remembering idiots and you just put a big bullseye on you..

6. I don't want to hear your life story.. I'll be more then happy to tell you mine.. mine is way more interesting then yours.. and usually I have done it, seen it, broke it.. and have the scars and empty bank account to prove it..

7. Don't be an idiot.. I appreciate it's YOUR weekend but that doesn't mean you turn off your brain when you walk into the store. I also would appreciate if you were not drunk.. Additionally it's not my weekend.. if its a saturday.. that means it's my friday.. let me come to your work on a friday and be a dick see how you feel.. Additionally be respectful to my store.. I put a lot of effort in everyday to make sure it's clean, stocked etc.. Don't put your dirty chain on my paperwork filled desk, don't lean on my boxes full of expensive inventory that I'm trying to put away.. I'll be more then happy to come over to your house and put my dirty feet on your clean couch and take a big **** in your living room.. essentially that is what your doing to me right then and there..

8. Plan ahead.. seriously.. don't come into my store 5 minutes before we close saying you gotta get ready for a race tomorrow.. you're an idiot.. you should have been in the store 3-5 days ago getting ready.. that way I can help you prepare, make sure you are ready.. offer advice.. and enjoy helping your get ready.. (additionally come by after the race.. tell me the story.. I wanna see the pics, the scars.. I do value you as a customer and if I helped I wanna know how you did)

9. Understand this.. If you break your bike.. you come see me.. if you break yourself.. it's 6 to 8 weeks or I don't see you.. I care.. I want you as a returning customer.. not paying my respects.. Just in the past 3 years, I've lost 5 customers.. granted they died doing what they loved but it does affect me and I remember.. So be safe and have fun

I think I cover most of it.. I'm sure there is more I can add but this is the major stuff..

Xenracer ive been in the service industry a very long time; I know you, your that guy who should have got out of the business a long long time ago. Everyone has a customer service tank, and even the best service industry people burn out, eventually, their tank simply runs dry and they have ZERO patience or empahty left for any guest, no matter how small their plight.

You are at that point. Actually judging by your self serving rants, id say you past that point a long time ago.

Do yourself and your customers a favor and hand the business over to a fresh set of legs.

Thanks,:thumbsup:

 

think it comes down to the difference between a genuine enthusiast bike shop owner/staff and a businessman owner/staff trying to screw every last dollar out of the customer with no genuine interest in the sport or lifestyle they are selling other than making a buck.

Actually we all start off as enthusiast but dealing with idiots or know it all's drive us to the point where we have to go home and drink excessively and beat our wives just to get our frustrations out

How hard can it be to read an industry mag once a month to keep abreast of tech and products?

I'm there to work.. not read.. thusly we are giving training but we just cannot be prepared for some of the off the wall questions we get that y'all sit around on these internet sites thinking up.. seriously thanks to the internet.. a lot of the information I used to have is not longer available.. the manufacturers keep that info private.. so it makes my job just that much harder some times.. and information cost money if you want the information I have crack open your wallet and pay..

When I asked the sales guy what he thought of the new Dyna sys shifting and chain set

We sometimes get to ride the product.. and it's usually once a year and for a day.. seriously unless I owned the product I'm really not going to know the answer to that question..

I am a 47 year old man with more experience on bikes than he could possibly imagine

and if you approached me with that attitude, I would have mocked ya too.. I get 5 of y'all a day.. thinking they are the greatest thing since sliced bread.. Honestly I can say with most certainty that 98% of the people on the internet have never used their "toy" (ie motorcycle, bicycle, etc) to it's fullest capacity.. I get guys all the time.. Yeah I was 5th gear pinned.. ok there turbo.. you were 5th gear pinned on a stock bike going down a fire road.. that tops out at 85 mph... take my race bike out for a spin.. it tops out at 120 mph.. there is a difference between fast.. and scary omg white knuckle fast with big rocks and trees whizzing by ya in a .

understand this jeffgre_6163 I'm not calling you out in particular nor looking for a fight.. I'm taking your examples and showing what is going on the other side of the counter..

 

get your fat ass off the couch and come down to the store.. if we don't have it.. we can special order it.. if you don't want to come down.. don't call and waste my time, I usually have a line of customers, a ton of inventory to put away and a store to run.. order it off the internet..
...
Treat me nice and with respect..

Seriously? You? With respect? After this sanctimonious smug rant?

Yes, there are good LBSes out there. I occasionally visit them, even as I usually order parts online. Their attitude is the complete opposite of yours.

and if you approached me with that attitude, I would have mocked ya too.. I get 5 of y'all a day.. thinking they are the greatest thing since sliced bread..

Don't you choke on that smug?

I'm there to work.. not read..

We sometimes get to ride the product.. and it's usually once a year and for a day.. seriously unless I owned the product I'm really not going to know the answer to that question..

So which one is it? You know everything better - or you don't?

Many of us do work full time. Somehow we find time to read, and not only about job.

I'm taking your examples and showing what is going on the other side of the counter..

You have nicely confirmed his point.

 

no all that has been proven is you know how to misquote and take things out of context..
which is typical of most customers.. they only want to hear what they wanna hear..

Their attitude is the complete opposite of yours.

Well at least to your face.. if you only knew half the stuff we say as you leave..
don't believe me.. watch the movie Waiting.. Additionally if you even read my rant all the way and understood it's context.. well then I'd be asking too much since your reply obviously was misquoted, out of context and way off base

 

You quote my post so I have the right of reply

I'm there to work.. not read..

Who said about reading it at work? I could not give a crap where you read it, on the john come to mention crap would be common and an efficient use of time , and I would have thought keeping up to date with new products, tech etc through industry literature WAS part of your work as is standard in most tech industries [Medical, engineering, computing etc and yes - Motoring]
You say you get training on new products, Who from? presumably from industry reps flogging the products they represent - hardly impartial.
Where do you get your information on competitors products or impartial information if you dont read mags etc
As a customer I think I have a right to expect that the sales team can tell me why I should buy your brand X and not Brand Y down the road for reasons other than "Every one knows red goes faster".

We sometimes get to ride the product.. and it's usually once a year and for a day.. seriously unless I owned the product I'm really not going to know the answer to that question..

You totally missed my point, The sales staff worked in a bicycle shop and admitted he knew nothing about bikes, not just MTB's but all bikes.
He did not even suggest I talk to a more knowledgble staff member, just stood there as if I was going to open my wallet and bless him with the purchase of the bike
Why was he even given the job other than he could be paid minimum wage?
Surely the boss could find a kid willing to get minimum wage AND love and know bikes?
Give me a break....

and if you approached me with that attitude, I would have mocked ya too.. I get 5 of y'all a day.. thinking they are the greatest thing since sliced bread.. Honestly I can say with most certainty that 98% of the people on the internet have never used their "toy" (ie motorcycle, bicycle, etc) to it's fullest capacity.. I get guys all the time.. Yeah I was 5th gear pinned.. ok there turbo.. you were 5th gear pinned on a stock bike going down a fire road.. that tops out at 85 mph... take my race bike out for a spin.. it tops out at 120 mph.. there is a difference between fast.. and scary omg white knuckle fast with big rocks and trees whizzing by ya in a .

I take your point on this, I can truely sympathise with you on dealing with the arrogant know all customer, however in this case I did not come over all "Mr MotoGP engineer" I politely and simply pointed out in a friendly manner that an FZ1 was not a naked R1 and should not be marketed as such as was clearly done in the Australian 'bike press and he decided to take a dump on me - he was a true arse hole

understand this jeffgre_6163 I'm not calling you out in particular nor looking for a fight.. I'm taking your examples and showing what is going on the other side of the counter..

Fair enough, again point taken and having never worked in retail in any form I can only imagine the S**t you deal with, just dont expect me to put up with rude, poorly informed sales staff

 

trunkating quotes for shorteness (not to be confused with context)

Who said about reading it at work? etc etc etc

magazines are a bit partial. they are paid by the manufactuers in many cases.. so they are not going to bite the hand that feeds them.. I'm soo over magazines.. They are just walking talking advertisement filled with more advertisement and occasionally a small gem of information. Where do I get my product knowledge from.. honestly.. you.. me.. spending time at the track.. and not on internet forums.. I'll read user reviews more so and take it with a grain of salt that most people that have reviewed the product did so after 5 minutes of getting the product and not having proper time to give a proper review..
Additionally I'm brutal when the sales reps come in and pitch their products.. I wanna know the who, what, when, where and why.. I look for design flaws right from the get go.. I additionally look at the price points.. margins suck.. period.. we are in business to make a profit.. honestly the internet sucks for business.. Everyone wants Walmart but expects Target.. Lemme come to your work and low ball you.. Go to walmart and ask for a discount.. they'll laugh at ya..

Additionally I wanna bring up a point that.. In the previous topics someone said setup fees.. Here is the deal.. so my mechanic works for free to put together the product? seems hardly fair, he works on commission.. Manufacturers don't pay us to put together these products and with the skinny margins.. The manufacturers don't pay us to sale their product (perse there are some exceptions rebates, bonuses, etc).. service doesn't recoup those charges and it's a loss/loss situation with all the other overhead we have to deal with.. and with current laws (at least here in california) we cannot sale an un-assemble unit.. too much liability..

You totally missed my point

didn't miss the point.. wasn't debating that point.. I honestly hate sales people.. I work with one everyday that drives me frickin nuts.. so you even have my sympathies on that one somewhat.. but even still my sale guy has to deal with the afore mentioned rants to some extent

"Mr MotoGP engineer" etc etc etc

don't know wasn't there for that one didn't hear that conversations.. listen different strokes, different folks.. I pissed off a customer the other day because I was juggling 3 other customers I was helping at the same time and he didn't feel I kissed his ass enough and I was answering in short direct to the point answers.. his wife complained to the sale guy... and after the dust was cleared.. my sale guy asked me what happened.. hey sorry but if I know I got a $200 sale on the table and you want me to drop everything to sale you a $2 part... sorry buddy come back when I'm not as busy or better yet.. have some patience..

retail is truly a very very thankless job.. what does make my day.. honestly is the connection and friendships I have made.. I have had customers buy me lunch.. invite me to their weddings (recently in fact), tip me, hang out and go ridin'.. so there are some perks to my low paying job with no benefits or future for that matter.. so while y'all are climbin the corporate latter buying the expensive toys and at least allowing me to have a job in the industry.. we are in the ditches trying to fight the good fight everyday putting up with the BS

 

last point before I sign off for the evening.. first.. it's the buyers responsibility to be informed.. you are talking to a sale person.. I sling parts and I'm even considered a sales person.. if you see BS.. call us on it (politely please).. ask to see invoices.. we don't mind taking the time to explain.. we do however mind having our time wasted..

looking forward to the responses..

 

If I can interject.. I work on the other side of the counter at a motorcycle shop.. ya wanna know why we can be rude.. .

I stopped reading right there. All I need to know is what shop you work at so I can make sure I NEVER go there. I would post a few points but I know they will fall on dead ears. I do hope they open some day for your sake.

 

as a LBS employee, i would be horrified if I saw my co-workers trying to force people to buy a bike that does not suit their stature or their riding style. my shop has no interest in fitting people on bikes that they will not enjoy and therefore, will not ride. people who don't ride are not return customers, so from a business standpoint, it's a bad idea. bike shops are profitable when their customers ride a lot and return to buy accessories, jerseys, shoes, upgrades, and new bikes, then tell their friends to do likewise.

on the other hand, the staff at my shop has a wide variety of experience and specialties, so if I don't know something with confidence, I get a second opinion from one of them. unfortunately, I have been to bike shops where they BS people and somehow stay in business.

 

Xenracer, where would we get such information? You have already stated that mags are useless. The internet is arguable skewed to personal preference, as the greatest rider we are likely to encounter, wouldn't you be the person to ask?

I understand you have a business but I buy from my LBS because they are knowledgeable and want to sell me what fits my needs first with price as a component of the sale.

I know most could smoke me on a trail...guess what...they don't expect me to worship their skill.

We have a lbs filled with sales/wrenches/owner with your attitude. If you aren't sure what you NEED and it's not a high margin, they don't want your business.

I'm very happy to comply and not spend there. As you suggest, I would rather order online than have to enter their doors. Once or twice year I go there just to confirm, yep still a**h***s.

 

Ah, back to the topic at hand...

I've got three large LBS's near me and they're all knowledgeable, friendly, helpful and courteous plus being involved the local community. However, all three have obscene pricing and are clearly trying to make every dollar of profit possible from each customer, fairness and value be damned. I strongly suspect that each store has special A-list customers who pay discounted prices and I'm not keen to being be paying more than some folks just because I'm a D-list customer myself.

Anyway, I'm sorry but a LBS's business model is not my responsibility to finance. If Performance carries it, I can order it on their red phone with no shipping fee AND get them to price-match the lowest internet price (except Amazon and eBay) AND have price protection after the sale AND return anything I'm not 100% satisfied with. If Performance doesn't carry it, there are tons of great deals to be had online.

If all the LBS's near me went under under I don't think I'd even notice. If the two Performance stores near me went under, that would be a serious inconvenience but I would manage.

BTW; I too worked behind the parts counter at motorcycle shops for years. It was my JOB to provide customer service and give each customer their share of my time either in person or over the phone. Period. If there was a line of customers at the counter, fine, there was a line - one at a time. No judgments about who knew their s**t, what their attitude was or who was more important. Also, all customers paid the same retail price - no different grades of customers. The only exception was accessory discounts - on a helmet usually - negotiated by salesmen for customers buying a new bike (motorcycle) that day.