LBS: A store I go to all the time for tubes, tires, jerseys, shirts, two bikes were bought. The only stuff I have bought online were aerobars. period.
I snapped my derail hanger, but the RD is in good condition. So, I figure it’s a good opportunity to strip my bike and overhaul it anyway. So, I take the bar tape off the chain off (might need a new one), the RD is obvisously off, and the cables. I remember reading all the slowtwitch articles thinking I can’t wait to learn more about my bike. I went to the site (bike tools) and ordered all the things I didn’t have (cable cutters, cables). A week or so later I ride (I don’t have a car) 3 miles to my LBS on my commuter and with my road bike (holding the stem) in hand. I explain to them that I need a new hanger and I’d like them to make sure the hanger threads are ok as well. I also brought a shoe that I couldn’t get the cleat off of because the screws are stripped. A guy comes back and says I will need to buy cleats from them if I want them to get the cleat off. I laugh and go grab a pair of cleats (with cleat covers because that’s all they have +$). He leaves again and another guy comes up to me saying things like you know you will need to leave your bike here…(duh), Did you buy this bike like this? (yes, I bought it mangled like this…what?!), This is going to cost a lot…(in this annoying condescending tone) I was getting so annoyed at the way he talked down to me like I knew nothing about bikes. The other worker comes back saying the machanic doesn’t have time to fix the cleat today, but you can leave it here with the bike. He also brings me a new RD and says this will be $80. I say why, I think I can work with that other RD. He explains how it is cracked. I ask to see it and he goes back to get it. He gets back and points to the hanger (which I brought in to show them exactly what hanger I need, since cannondale has made a newer model) They take my order (hanger) and give me an estimate of $40, so I ride back home 3miles. Right when I get to my door I get a call saying the bike will cost AT LEAST $250, because of all the things I need. I ask the caller if he understands I don’t need the cables, bar tape, chain, ect… I just need the hanger. He puts me on hold to talk to the machanic and after about 5 mins comes back and says, “sorry, the machanic says he will only put the hanger on if you buy all the other things…” What?! I explain that I buy stuff all the time from the shop and I don’t need those things or that work done. So, I turn my bike around ride another 3 miles to the shop grab my bike and say “thanks for everything guys, this will be the last time I come here, you just lost a costumer that comes in here all the time”
you will be relieved when you figure out how simple it is to work on your bike. Undoubtedly, there will be some difficult spots, but in the end it is far better to know how to do it yourself - E
Take it to the REI in Cranston and they’ll order you the part you need and only the part you need. They are large enough that they might even have it in stock.
That sucks you had that experience, and I bet every person who reads this thread can relate to it to some extent. We have a very good local bike shop with super friendly owners, but a few of their sales people can get a little bit snippy. I just try to avoid them (snippy sales people) because I DO want to support my LBS. Its really unfortunate that a few bad apples can ruin a LBS’s reputation.
Before you write the shop off completely, I suggest calling the shop and asking to speak to the owner. Explain your history of patronage to their store and your desire to support them, but that you did not appreciate the way you were treated nor apparently were being milked for everything you were worth. Base your decision on how the owner handles the situation. Attitude? Tell them thanks and never go back. My guess is he will make it right and have a serious talking to the sale/mechanic people.
That sucks. You would think that more local shops would realize that their customer service is vital to keeping people coming back rather than shopping online.
Sometimes I wonder if mine can see the guilty look on my face when I come in with stuff I bought elsewhere.
I have 3 bike shops within a mile of my house. A couple of years ago I take my bike to bikeshop A. for an overhaul. Bikeshop A calls me later that day and tells me I need a new bottom bracket so I tell them to replace the DuraAce that I had in there.
I get my bill; Dura Ace bottom bracket, new cables, brake pads, labor…couple of hundred clams.
Last year I take my bike to shop B. on the recommendation of a friend who tells me they do much better work. Bike shop B calls me later that day and tells me my bottom bracket is shot…it had been clicking so I had suspected as much, so I tell them to throw another Dura Ace model in there…huh says the wrench??? Dura Ace??? I took a 105 out of your bike.
There are some slimeballs to be found in every industry.
Before you write the shop off completely, I suggest calling the shop and asking to speak to the owner. …Base your decision on how the owner handles the situation.
Before you write the shop off completely, I suggest calling the shop and asking to speak to the owner. Explain your history of patronage to their store and your desire to support them, but that you did not appreciate the way you were treated nor apparently were being milked for everything you were worth. Base your decision on how the owner handles the situation. Attitude? Tell them thanks and never go back. My guess is he will make it right and have a serious talking to the sale/mechanic people.
I second that, but I understand how pissed of a bad experience can make you. I got shafted by a big LBS once, so now I only use them when I can score a sweet deal (race x lites new for 450 once) and do all the other work I can do at home.
My bad experience happened when I bought my p2k from the LBS. It was a last year’s model, so I was quoted a price over the phone by an employee (don’t remember the price). I went down an hour later to buy it, and spoke to the manager, told him the quoted price, and he said no way, it’s 150 more than that. I told him the employee’s name, but he had left. I said whatever and paid for the bike, but they needed to put it together. I asked them to change the cassette to a 12-27, he said no prob, 10 bucks to do so.
I went back a week later, waited 45 min just to be acknowledged (they were busy, but nobody said I’ll be there as soon as I can). Finally the manager was free. He brought out the bike, but I noticed they put on a 105 12-27 (it was spec’d with ultegra). I pointed it out, and he said it was ultegra. A mechanic noticed the 105 box taped to the receipt and said the customer was right. Then the manager told me it would be $15 extra because 12-27 cassettes cost more than 12-25 because they are bigger (he lied, any store will sell them for the same price). I don’t remember if I paid it or argued, but I definitely left with my bike knowing I’ll never go back. The only thing that kept me remotely pleased was that I still got a smoking deal, but turned out not to be as good as they said it would be.
What I realized was how much this shop must be pulling the wool over the eyes of the average clueless customer. I am very knowledgeable about bikes, so I could see the lies plain as day. This wasn’t some commissioned employee, it was the manager. Definitely left me with a sour feeling seeing the scam. Wasn’t a lot of money, but they were trying to deceptively eek out every last penny.
I think we can all say at one time or another that we got screwed by the LBS, that is why I have tried to learn the fine points of tuning etc…although I have never adjusted my front deraileur and not had to take it back to the shop!
I did however manage this weekend to come out on top. I had taken my rear Zipp 404 to get the tubular replaced and when i picked it up expecting the fee to be $110+ (tire & install) it was $30 install only. I said okay paid cash and left. I am certain they have over charged me way more than that over the years!
no sir, if you read the thread I said they charged me $30 for the install …and gave me the tire. Its not my responsibility to make sure they charge the correct amount just like its apparently not their responsibility to check that all the bolts are tightened after they performed $100 work and I almost crash when my aerobar loosened during a ride and slid down and all four bolts on my crank were not tightened.
no sir, if you read the thread I said they charged me $30 for the install …and gave me the tire. Its not my responsibility to make sure they charge the correct amount just like its apparently not their responsibility to check that all the bolts are tightened after they performed $100 work and I almost crash when my aerobar loosened during a ride and slid down and all four bolts on my crank were not tightened.
You stole. You took advantage of their mistake to steal, and then justified it to yourself by saying “Well, I’m sure they’ve overcharged me that much over the years.”, and added a story about careless work to make us sympathize even more. You KNEW they didn’t charge you enough, and you willingly went along with it.
If a LBS does poor work like that on my ride, I choose not to patronize them again. I don’t wait for chances to rip them off.
Learn how to fix everything yourself. It’s really easy and you can fix things on the fly if you need. Tools are the only thing that might prevent you from doing certain things, but if you accumulate your tools over time they aren’t that expensive.
As I understand the facts, you walked out of that store with their tire knowing that you had not paid for it and knowing that it was not their intention to give you that tire for free.
Shame on you and double shame on you for trying to justify it here.
I wonder when bike shops will learn, I have a bike shop about 2 miles away from my house, one day years back I went in because I needed to buy a new rear shock for my crappy beater mtb (that I use to ride when I need to lock it up outside, it was a $50 police auction special so I don’t care too much if it gets stolen), note that at the time one of the entry level norco bikes was using the exact same shock: I get in, say I need to get a new shock, they look at it (there were about 2-3 mechanics/reps) and snottily say ‘we don’t service department store bikes’ and turn their back and me and resume chatting with each other. Let’s just say the lost a lot of repeat business because of that… several other bike shops I went to were along the same lines in terms of customer service, Greg was not and I gave him a lot of business over the years (hope everything is ok in the interior!) nowadays I try to do most of the work on my bikes myself, because I really don’t feel like going lbs hunting again.
The balance has been more negative than positive… I have some positive stories, but more often than not I feel taken advantage of than suprised that the LBS did a good job.
Most of LBS’ have little concept of customer satisfaction; my most recent experience involved a bike build that was absolute crap; it was slapped together in haste, a bottle cage was left off (I had to drive 45min out of my way to get it), Rear Der was not even close to adjusted; I had fiddle w/the barrell adjuster myself…
Shop didn’t even bother cleaning the parts (as they moved components from one bike to another); when it was all said and done (I’ve had another shop in Pdx build a bike, so I’ve got context for what I think should happen) I was sort of hoping that the shop would have followed up w.me personally as I kept them in the loop w/the issues and asked if I was cool w/things.
No dice.
The best advice in this thread is to learn to wrench on your own. Personally I’m making a point of learning this year, the cost of the LBS labor and quality rarely aligns w/the output, and I’m not a picky dude; but here I am having lived in Portland, Boulder and now living in Seattle, and, like I said before, on balance there’s been far more negative experience than positive.
