People who run retail shops really to think about the way they talk to (and react in) conversations with customers.
I have an LBS that I don't frequently interact with, but I've bought some small stuff through them here and there. I doubt any of them know my name. I recently went in looking for a new bike, we talked about the various brands they carry and they mentioned that Santa Cruz was quite popular for them. They didn't have any on the floor, and they don't have a demo bike. I told him I was surprised it was so popular for them, over Trek (which is on the floor), in part because Santa Cruz was available online though many discount vendors like Competitive Cyclist. If they had units on the floor or a demo, it'd be less surprising. He said "if you buy from them we will not help you with any warranty work." It was a bit of a tangent and took me off guard, and it's not something I'd do anyway. If he wanted to go off on this tangent, what he should have said was: "If you end up buying it from them, I hope you'd buy tires/tubes/sealant/etc from us." Perhaps I just expect too much, but it cost them a sale in the end.
I like LBSs, in theory, but poor sales personalities really kill a lot of them for me.
I have an LBS that I don't frequently interact with, but I've bought some small stuff through them here and there. I doubt any of them know my name. I recently went in looking for a new bike, we talked about the various brands they carry and they mentioned that Santa Cruz was quite popular for them. They didn't have any on the floor, and they don't have a demo bike. I told him I was surprised it was so popular for them, over Trek (which is on the floor), in part because Santa Cruz was available online though many discount vendors like Competitive Cyclist. If they had units on the floor or a demo, it'd be less surprising. He said "if you buy from them we will not help you with any warranty work." It was a bit of a tangent and took me off guard, and it's not something I'd do anyway. If he wanted to go off on this tangent, what he should have said was: "If you end up buying it from them, I hope you'd buy tires/tubes/sealant/etc from us." Perhaps I just expect too much, but it cost them a sale in the end.
I like LBSs, in theory, but poor sales personalities really kill a lot of them for me.