wannabefaster wrote:
I already posted today on building a relationship with your LBS.
In the "bike shop broke my rim" thread I suspect the outcome would be different if there was an established relationship with the shop. I'm as frugal as anyone but I recognize that paying a small premium in order to support the LBS is a great investment on many levels. It keeps the shop open and running which is good for everyone. It's good for you, the individual consumer, because they get to know you and give you great service. It helps out the small business owner on your community. It's a win all around.
I've posted in the past that I will often bring in a six-pack of beer for the mechanics when my bike needs a repair. It costs me $10-15 for a nice six-pack my bike miraculously goes to the front of the service line, and I probably save money because lots of minor repairs I seem to not get charged for.....
Anyways....... Relationship building, it works.
I agree, but building a relationship starts somewhere, and my first attempt at that relationship didn't really make me want to go back. I brought business to the store, and have more to come, but the first interaction left me dissatisfied, and that's where I think the store should have made more of an effort. If nothing else than to feign concern over the situation, and APPEAR to make an effort to keep my business.
I do buy a lot of my stuff online, I'm sure most of us do, but I do have a need for a good LBS for the services and items I can't do myself. Fittings, service beyond simple maintenance, and professional advice and skills are what I look for in my LBS. Since the first "big job" I brought to them went poorly, I have no plans to return, at least to that store. It truly is a buyers market, and with LBS struggling to compete with each other, online buying, and "You Tube" taking a lot of the mystery out of servicing bikes yourself, I think they, as a whole, have to work hard to attract and maintain customers...it's the reality of the situation these days.
I believe there are a lot of good shops out there, I just need to find one. Getting my tri bike and road bike fitted in the near future, and plenty of stuff will need a professional touch as it wears and breaks.
I agree with the OP, and hope to find a shop that I love as well. One of the reasons I don't mind paying retail at REI is that I find their service to be outstanding, even though they're a big company.