Cervelo - Race Day Saviours at IMC

Triathlon Forum
1

I am standing at the exit to T1 at IMC ysterday and an athlete is walking his bike back into the transition area. He had cashed hard in the first turn not even 100m into the bike leg. He’s a bit scraped up and one crank arm was broken, handlebars badly bent and the seat-post binder wrecked on the bike. It was a Felt. The athlete, Thomas Spitzner from Germany takes the bike to the Bike Barn tech tent. The bike is so badly wrecked that they can’t do much. Chris Bastie, the Customer Service manager for Cervelo shows up. He has one look at the bike and he says that he can get Thomas one of the Cervelo demo P3C’s to use. So Chris runs down to the expo( about two blocks away) grabs a P3C in Thomas’s size and runs it back to the tech tent in the Transition area. The Bike Barn wrenchs go to work transfering over some gear from the wrecked Felt to the Cervelo and then get Thomas fitted up as quick as they can on the P3C and in less than 10 minutes he is off and onto the bike. Not quite an F1 pit stop, but the guy could still have the opportunity to get out on the bike.

As fate would have it I see Thomas in the finish area, just after he finishes in just over 12 hours. I am ask him if he will be buying a new bike and he replys, " Of course, I will be buying a Cervelo"!

2

That certainly qualifies as excellent customer service! Nice move Chris and Cervelo.

3

Great story! It’s always good to hear big companies still looking out for the “little people”! Way to go guys!!

4

I’ve met Chris and he’s definitely an asset to Cervelo. Kudos to Cervelo for stepping up.

By the way Fleck- you were pretty solid during the IMLIVE feed yesterday. I see a future in broadcasting for you.Do you have an agent yet ?

5

Mike,

Thanks. The media coverage stuff was fun, but it’s the stories like I shared here that really make the race for me. That sort of thing you can’t make up. It just happens and it’s so great to witness stuff like that happening before your eyes. I am just the messanger.

6

great story

you did a great job this weekend
you should be looking for a job as a weather/sports talking head on the tv.
very exciting race and you had great coverage at mile 10 of the run
you doing the big dance (KONA) ???

thanks for the great race coverage dirt/thom/cheyou

7

Must be a strong rider, with changeover still cranked out a 5:33.

CQ

8

That’s a good story. I wonder if another bike company, if given the opportunity, would do the same.

9

Love that story!

\ Caius
(Proud member of the Cervelo mafia.)

10

what a great story. Big props to Chris…I’m sure they just got a customer for life. I’m sure the athlete must have been going through an emotional roller-coaster, crashing…thinking his day was over, then getting a new bike and back into the race.

11

This is not Customer service since this guy did not have a Cervelo in a first place.
Whatever it was, it was a very nice gesture for sure!

Fred.

12

I bet they have a customer now!

13

This is not Customer service since this guy did not have a Cervelo in a first place.
Whatever it was, it was a very nice gesture for sure!

Fred.

Treating people like loyal customers whether they currently own your product or not is what gets you loyal customers.

14

Whatever it was, it was a very nice gesture for sure!

It’s called savvy marketing by a professional who knows how to think on the fly.

A nice move on Cervelo’s part.

15

Must be a strong rider, with changeover still cranked out a 5:33.

Indeed. He had already crossed over the timing mats on the first time out before that crash, so the clock was running on the bike split since then. Take off the time for the bike change-over and it’s a great split. He was pretty banged up to, so obviously not optimal. My hat’s off to him. Great effort.

16

I agree with you actually thought the same but decided not to include it in my post (hidden behind “whatever it was” :slight_smile: )

cheers,
Fred.

17

Thanks for sharing the story, it’s good to hear things like this that put a company and their reps into perspective.

18

** Treating people like loyal customers whether they currently own your product or not is what gets you loyal customers. **

That’s what I thought about the Elite guys in LP, when they offered to tune my bike (not an Elite) for me since three of my condo mates had Elites.

19

Hopefully Gerard will see this post (or hear this story) and give Chris a big pat on the back, or an extra day off, or a Christmas turkey or something :slight_smile:
.

20

Hopefully Gerard will see this post (or hear this story) and give Chris a big pat on the back, or an extra day off, or a Christmas turkey or something

I say Chris gets the Christmas Turkey! :slight_smile: