I am one that typically would like to support my LBS. But I may be rethinking that.
I go into my LBS 3 weeks ago with a wheel problem. End up deciding to have a new wheel built. Mavic open pro with a 105 hub. They quote me $275 after tax. Tell them I will think about it and get back to them soon.
So I shop around on the internet and find the same wheel only with an ultrega hub at Colorado Cylist. After shipping its going to run $210.
I think about this for quite awhile and decide that I want to support my bike shop because they spent some time helping me with the old wheel. Figure that sure, its an extra $65, but I will most likely get better service and should also be able to get the wheel faster.
So 16 days ago I tell them to build me the wheel. They supposedly order the hub.
A week later I check in with them to determine the status and nobody has a clue what I am talking about. No order for the hub or anything. Pisses me off, but I suck it up and talk with another guy and he apologizes. I watch him put the order for the hub into their computer. Another week wasted, damnit.
So I go in yesterday afternoon to check again. Talk to another person. She has the order but has no idea about the status. Gives me this dumbass look and just shrugs at me. Acts like I am boring her. I tell her I am very disappointed by the service and that I was willing to pay more to them because I thought I would get better service. She ends up muttering something about it not being her department and then shrugs again.
I do my best not to lose my mind. As calmly as I can, I tell her not to worry about building me a wheel, that I will take all my business elsewhere from now on and leave. I drive home and order the wheel online.
Now I have to find a new bike shop in the mid-cities of DFW because if I walk back into that place, my head will probably explode.
Customer service is not rocket science and should be a no-brainer. Its ashame that its so damn rare.
Mistake #1 - living in the Dallas area (redemption if closer to Fort Worth rather than pretentious Dallas)
Mistake #2 - not trusting your instincts - $65 more and lower quality hubs? It’s a no-brainer.
Mistake #3 - not knowing how to build your own wheels
It’s amazing that some of these places stay in business!
I took my wife’s bike to the LBS for a tune last Tuesday. They said it would be ready Sunday afternoon. We go to get the bike just before noon on Sunday and they haven’t even started working on it yet! They had the bike for 5 days and they don’t even start on it until the time they’ve promised to have it ready. WTF! Customer service seems to be an unknown concept! This LBS has seen the last of my business.
This is exactly why I have my own stand and tools. Sure the first time I do $X_JOB takes a while, but now I know how to do it in the future
This is especially true after seeing the craptastic build job on my girlfriends new P2SL: loose brakes, electrical tape all over the place, uncut aero extensions…
When I really need something done right I either do it myself or bring it to Elite.
I feel your pain. I usually go out on a limb to support local businesses(not only cycling related) but when a shop is plain stupid, I move on. Placing an order, being able to keep track of it and updating customers is the very basics of inventory and customer service. I have ditched my old LBS b/c of similar issues but on grander costs.
I gotta say though, in the past I have made excuses for the stupid shops(heavy customer traffic, everyone make mistakes, etc.) but I work hard for my money and I am done wasting it on sub par service.
As a small business owner with employees, I can tell you it’s HARD to find quality employees! We’ve been through several over the years, and currently have two excellent employees, but in a bike shop where they’d typically have several employees, the shop owner can only know that his employees suck if customers complain to him about them. I’d send a letter or email to the owner and buy the wheels online.
Bought my new TT bike at a LBS based on price -had a helluva good sale going- went in for adjustments and carbon brake pads for my zipps, now I bought my bike there a little more than a month ago , and the very same guy charged me for the adjustment and installing the brake pads,
Ok so $30 for labor no big deal.
Next
Bike shop# 2 looking for good bike shoes for my wife, tougher fit, the local legend bike mech/ fitter popped his head out and started to help her with the shoes, put her on her bike on the trainer watched her pedal for a while fit her shoes adjusted the cleats and installed new shoe inserts . even adjusted her seat, sold her new shoes and inserts and me wondering why I would go any where else!
After a few bad experiences with my local shop I just bought a stand, some tools, and a book. Now at least when I bring my bike to the shop it’ll be really messed up
As a small business owner with employees, I can tell you it’s HARD to find quality employees! We’ve been through several over the years, and currently have two excellent employees, but in a bike shop where they’d typically have several employees, the shop owner can only know that his employees suck if customers complain to him about them. I’d send a letter or email to the owner and buy the wheels online.
Exactly what I did. So far, I haven’t had a response to my email.
It’s amazing that some of these places stay in business!
I took my wife’s bike to the LBS for a tune last Tuesday. They said it would be ready Sunday afternoon. We go to get the bike just before noon on Sunday and they haven’t even started working on it yet! They had the bike for 5 days and they don’t even start on it until the time they’ve promised to have it ready. WTF! Customer service seems to be an unknown concept! This LBS has seen the last of my business.
It’s amazing that some of these places stay in business!
I took my wife’s bike to the LBS for a tune last Tuesday. They said it would be ready Sunday afternoon. We go to get the bike just before noon on Sunday and they haven’t even started working on it yet! They had the bike for 5 days and they don’t even start on it until the time they’ve promised to have it ready. WTF! Customer service seems to be an unknown concept! This LBS has seen the last of my business.
You’re just ignorant of how the system works… Likely, they told you it’d be done on X day and they would call you when the service was completed. What happens is they schedual your service for that day. They have other people ahead of you, you’re job is no more important then their’s! Then the day they told you it would be done, you came into the shop before they called you and complained it wasn’t touched yet. When they told you it’d be done that day NOT by that day.
Bought my new TT bike at a LBS based on price -had a helluva good sale going- went in for adjustments and carbon brake pads for my zipps, now I bought my bike there a little more than a month ago , and the very same guy charged me for the adjustment and installing the brake pads,
Ok so $30 for labor no big deal.
Next
Bike shop# 2 looking for good bike shoes for my wife, tougher fit, the local legend bike mech/ fitter popped his head out and started to help her with the shoes, put her on her bike on the trainer watched her pedal for a while fit her shoes adjusted the cleats and installed new shoe inserts . even adjusted her seat, sold her new shoes and inserts and me wondering why I would go any where else!
Likely, you bought the bike at cost (the great deal they had) and you expect them to do free work for you? Do you know if this guy even remembered you? And why is it bad for them to charge you for labor when they are likely busy with other work? Buying shoes kind of requires a semi-fit (cleat placement), but installing pads and adjusting does not. Was the #2 shop busy at the time? probably not
I had a nice LBS experience just recently. Went to a shop i had avoided for a while since the prices seemed out of line to me and they didn’t seem interested in selling me what fit but what they had on the floor. This time the manager saw me come in greeted me and asked what i wanted, I told him and he got out the supplier books and worked up a price which was way under what I could have ordered the setup for on the web. I thanked him and let him know I was going to check a couple other places and brands, but that I did think he had given me a great deal. I then proceeded to get quotes for the same thing from the shop i had purchased the last bike from and check out some other brands also. I was not impressed by what they quoted me and went back to shop number one. We sat down and went through what I wanted, found a couple things out of stock for which he substituted some nicer bits that were available at no increase in cost. He stayed 1/2 an hour after the store closed finalizing this with me, I then offered to leave a deposit, he declined, saying he knew i would be in for this bike. He quoted me a day it would be done. I dropped by after work that day and it was in the stand but not done, so I grabbed dinner and came back, they had some issues with some of the assembly and again the manager and mechanic stayed almost an hour after close finishing my new ride and getting me setup. I paid for it and wheeled it out the door, as I left I thanked the Manager for the excellent service and price point, he looked at me kinda sheepish and stated “well we fucked up last year when you wanted a new bike, I figured we had better fix that”
Point being he realized they had not satisfied me last year and went out of his way to get my business this year.
Which shop was this? If you are near Plano Check out Plano Cycling, they been around for many years and I have always had good luck with their service. Richardson Bike Mart in Frisco has never down me wrong either.
“You’re just ignorant of how the system works… Likely, they told you it’d be done on X day and they would call you when the service was completed. What happens is they schedual your service for that day. They have other people ahead of you, you’re job is no more important then their’s! Then the day they told you it would be done, you came into the shop before they called you and complained it wasn’t touched yet. When they told you it’d be done that day NOT by that day.”
Of course you must be right!
I owned a small service oriented business for more than 21 years and assumed the LBS would be as customer service oriented as my business was. We made a habit of exceeding customer expectations, and I had many clients from my first year until I sold the business many years later although there was vastly more competition than the LBS has. I should have called first before wasting a trip across the city.
When we got there and the bike wasn’t ready - or even started on - we were told they should be able to have it done in an hour and a half. Came back two hours later and still not done - was told it would be another hour or so. By that time the afternoon storms would be hitting so we just said eff it (to ourselves) and went home. I’ll go get it sometime this week because my wife won’t be able to ride until next weekend anyway.
I do most basic maintenance myself, but every few years I take the bike in to the LBS for a more thorough tuneup than I’m willing or able to do. I actually chose this LBS because the manager is a member of the tri club and the bike was originally purchased there about 10 years ago. The few times I’ve used them in the past I’ve never been very pleased with their service. Next time I’ll be using another LBS who is also a tri club sponsor and who advertises same day service.
My LBS hates me (no clue why)…I guess b/c I’m young and buy stuff there?
I tried buying my first tri bike there (trek equinox 7) that was on “clearance” and has been sitting there forever. They wouldn’t even give me a water bottle with it, no “extras”. I laughed and walked out.
I got a killer deal on the classifieds and took it in there for an inspection/tune up. They didn’t do the tune up (charged me for it). They lost the spacer to the rear cassette. Luckily I went back in b/c it was sitting on the floor.
Only reason I go in is one employee there is great (and a coach). Instead of a quick 1.5 mile bike, I drive 15 miles across town to a road/mnt bike shop that’s great ($5 to fix my rear/front dérailleurs where they spent an hour trying to figure it out).
I now buy off the internet or at the other store, unless I need something quick/cheap from the LBS.
