Let me tell you a situation about what had happened to me today. I will then ask for your advice.
I went into a trusted local shop (to remain nameless) with the intention of two things: to get some cleats for my shoes, and to put a down payment on a pair of the Hed bars. After a chat with the owner, I I went to look these bars over. I was about to put some money down (which was kind of agreed upon by the owner and another employee), when I was informed that first of all "these bars are going as soon as they come in. We can put aside another pair (from the next shipment) for lay away." Fine.
But the insult came when I was to put some money down. I did not see the sign concerning lay away policies, which was my mistake. I was to put down 10%, but the policy was 20%. I only had 10% in my pocket. Fine, except the the bars I had looked at were not even going to be my bars. I was not going to even have any put aside until the next shipment.
Then, the big insult came: "I know that you come in here all the time, but we simply have to have 20%". This was okay, except that I feel that a) I was not going to have any bars put aside until the next shipment, which is next month. b) By the time the next shipment was going to come, I would have had atleast 50% down, if not more. c) The new regime in this shop does not realise that I have bought several thousands of dollars worth of bikes and spare parts over the years, have used their labour department extensively (less so when I did find a local guy to do some grunt work, but this shop is very far away from me), d) referred many, many people to this shop, and they have spent a lot of money there, and e) They did not even try to negotiate with me on this. I did not bring it up.
I went ahead and purchased my cleats, as I did have them get them for me. But after getting into my car, I felt the anger bubble in my blood. I was not so angry about the policy, but the way it was handled. They acted like they did not even want to do lay away at all, then wanted me to put 20% down on bars that did not exist in the store inventory. I feel that I was wronged as I have been coming there for seven years, and the first purchase I made was for an $1100 wheelset, then spending no less than $150-250 once every other month (on average), not including the bikes I have bought.
This is where I ask for advice:
Should I write a letter to the owner about how I was treated?
Should I just never come back to that shop ever again?
I went into a trusted local shop (to remain nameless) with the intention of two things: to get some cleats for my shoes, and to put a down payment on a pair of the Hed bars. After a chat with the owner, I I went to look these bars over. I was about to put some money down (which was kind of agreed upon by the owner and another employee), when I was informed that first of all "these bars are going as soon as they come in. We can put aside another pair (from the next shipment) for lay away." Fine.
But the insult came when I was to put some money down. I did not see the sign concerning lay away policies, which was my mistake. I was to put down 10%, but the policy was 20%. I only had 10% in my pocket. Fine, except the the bars I had looked at were not even going to be my bars. I was not going to even have any put aside until the next shipment.
Then, the big insult came: "I know that you come in here all the time, but we simply have to have 20%". This was okay, except that I feel that a) I was not going to have any bars put aside until the next shipment, which is next month. b) By the time the next shipment was going to come, I would have had atleast 50% down, if not more. c) The new regime in this shop does not realise that I have bought several thousands of dollars worth of bikes and spare parts over the years, have used their labour department extensively (less so when I did find a local guy to do some grunt work, but this shop is very far away from me), d) referred many, many people to this shop, and they have spent a lot of money there, and e) They did not even try to negotiate with me on this. I did not bring it up.
I went ahead and purchased my cleats, as I did have them get them for me. But after getting into my car, I felt the anger bubble in my blood. I was not so angry about the policy, but the way it was handled. They acted like they did not even want to do lay away at all, then wanted me to put 20% down on bars that did not exist in the store inventory. I feel that I was wronged as I have been coming there for seven years, and the first purchase I made was for an $1100 wheelset, then spending no less than $150-250 once every other month (on average), not including the bikes I have bought.
This is where I ask for advice:
Should I write a letter to the owner about how I was treated?
Should I just never come back to that shop ever again?