LBS rant..

[beatcad]

is it just me?
i wnet to my lbs today ready to spend my hard earned cash.
the emplyees acted as if i wasnt there. or maybe i was to poor to purchace anything.

i poked around and finally got someone to talk to me.

i was reminded of years ago when TOWER RECORDS was still in buisness. the guys and gals that worked there acted like they were in rock bands and helping a regular guy was beneth them.
or goin' to venues that book rock/punk bands and the employees act as if they're in a band.

you guys know what i mean..guys and gals that are too cool for school(am i showin' my age?).

i really dont like to gripe.
i was just wondering if this was an isolated incedent.

 

[Uncle Stretch]

With the economy like it is ,they are probably thinking that they are going to close next month anyway and whatever you buy wont help. The one closed in my town and they kinda acted like when you went in there it was your fault for not buying a bunch of bikes to keep them afloat. :roll:

 

[Tommy Atoms]

I'm not a guy with alot of money but when I get treated like that I go somewhere else. I think its funny when I do have a wad of cash in my pocket and folks look surprized when you whip out some green instead of plastic to pay for a high dollar item.

 

[elvis51]

ive had that problem with my LBS as well. i went into my LBS looking to buy some 26x1 3/8 tires for a schwinn specific rim. the S 5 to be exact. the guy had to tell me the whole story about how theres two different sizes of 1 3/8's to fit schwinn specific wheels. i wasnt listening to him until he said so you need the standard size 1 3/8s then right, i said no actually i dont need anything at all. thanks! ive always found that the LBS's that carry your more road bike type stuff are usually just a bunch of d bags that are stuck up and think if your bikes not carbon it aint $#!@.... but luckliy bicyclericks shop isnt too far from me and he always hooks me up with good deals and is very knowledgable about everything i need.

so throughout all this rambling, yes ive had this problem too!!! :roll:

Easy E

 

[Slick Rick]

I think its just a right of passage! The cure is let them know that their attitude is not acceptable with you and that you know where other bike shops are and that is where you will be feeding your addiction! I had a proprieter of a Schwinn dealership get short with me when I asked to purchase a set of Westwind whitewalls.I beleive his answer to my query was " Why would I carry those?" my reply was "I would think a Schwinn dealership would carry Schwinn specific tires." his reply was " I have one and it is in case a replacement for a repair is needed, so its not for sale! Besides I don't cater to collectors!"I said ,Oh I see, would you like me to re-stock the merchandise on your counter That I WAS going to buy? There is another Schwinn dealer down the road and he has no problems with catering to any of his customers needs. And that is where I will be going from now on. His reply was thats fine Schwinn is dead anyway! So as you can see, pretty common place! :wink: Later & PEACE!!!

 

[Bendix]

ha!

i love these posts i've been in shops for the last 20+ years and it's always interesting to see how different owners and employees interact with customers. some are retail professionals who can convincingly feign interest even if they're crying on the inside, and some are simply cycling enthusiasts who just can't hide their dissapointment when they find out the bicycle business isn't like it's portrayed in the magazines! personally i'm pretty patient, except when some gimbel tries to corral me into wasting valuable time nodding mindlessly while he tries to explain every excruciating detail of his latest motorized recumbent or some such contraption, or droning on and on (and on.... and on...and on.....and on....) about juniors latest race results. a lot of it comes down to years of learning to speak "customer" and being able to translate what many of them say into what they actually need with a minimum of trial and error. you also have to recognize that sometimes customers, like dr. suesses 'horton', actually "say what they mean, and mean what they say". i have to say sometimes it is a challenge to be a professional in such an amateurish industry. but it's only because i care..... sometimes i think i care TOO much..... sometimes i care so much- IT HURTS................. :mrgreen:

 

[Ed_Straker's_Rat]

I have a couple of great LBS in Toronto that I go to regularly but they are all a decent 45 min ride from my house. Great parts and service but a real pain when you're trying to pick up a part for a quick fix.

I was looking for a roller brake for a nexus hub I am fixing up for a friend so I decided to check out a bunch of shops closer to my house. The first few I went into pretty much ignored me cos I don't look like I have a lot of money to spend (I tend to ride in a t-shirt and camo army shorts, not spandex fashion-wear). I figure they lost my business right away. The last shop looked promising as they had a good range of high-end road, mountain and cruiser bikes in stock. After finally getting the attention of the 20 something hipster talking to his buddies, I asked if they had any roller brakes in stock. He looked at me as if I had just asked for a picked herring or something equally bizarre and sent me to talk to the 'mechanics'. I then got a 5 minute lecture on how the part I was asking for didn't actually exist as they only make coaster brake hubs for cruisers. "Maybe I read about a 'Roller Brake' on the internet or something..." After a quick pause I pointed out that the Cruiser that the 'Mechanic' was leaning on the whole time was equipped with the exact Nexus roller brake I was looking for and walked out laughing... So I ended up going to my regular where they found what I was looking for in about 30 seconds flat.

My advice for anyone opening a shop is to hire sales staff based on knowledge, not fashion sense and to test their mechanics for actual mechanical ability. Too many shops around here hire 'certified mechanics' that have only worked on the latest technology in school (which won't break for at least another 10 years) and not the cheaper 'bread and butter' bikes.

There's my rant over

 

[icyuod2]

i went to a little bike shop in eylmer ontario with a couple grand in my pocket. i was told by the owner they had tonnes of old bikes up in the attic for sale. eylmer is a bit of a drive for me (45min)

there where so many bikes up there rusting away, it looked like a small wrecking yard (bout the size of a school gym)
i asked what was for sale and was told everything was.

turned out he was lying. every item i picked up or looked at was the exception.
after an hour of being told this and that wasn't for sale, i asked him to show me what was for sale. the reply, well everythings for sale, i gotta sort through it. come back next month??????
the reply threw me alittle.
so i laid out a couple grand on the counter, infront of his wife and pretty much begged him to sell me an old bike, but at the very least an old seat (i wasn't even being picky, and he had thousands to choose from)

i went home empty handed but judging by the evil looks his wife gave him, i'm pretty sure some words where passed after i left.

what a complete waste of time and gas.
i wont go back. the shop must just be an excuse to collect thousands of bikes without the wife getting on his case.

 

[B607]

i asked what was for sale and was told everything was. turned out he was lying. every item i picked up or looked at was the exception.
after an hour of being told this and that wasn't for sale, i asked him to show me what was for sale. the reply, well everything for sale, come back next month??????

We have a local "backyard bike guy" in a town called Lovington that has several buildings full of bikes...many, many classics and valuable parts bikes. "everything is for sale"...except the piece you pick up wanting to buy. Anything I have for sale is crap and not worth a nickel, but anything he has is pure gold and worth so much he can't stand to sell it. I got tired of his chit one day and told him, "I won't buy a thing from you but I'll just wait till you kick the bucket and then I'll buy anything I want for 10-cents on the dollar from your old lady at your Big Memorial Bike Auction". For some reason, I'm not welcome in his shop anymore. :mrgreen: Gary

 

[icyuod2]

i think he has a long lost brother in canada.

if i ever go back, my first question will be....."is your wife at the shop?"
i'm sure she'd sell me anything i wanted.

it wouldn't surprize me if said gentleman frequents this forum, he's really into the classic's.

and theres only one bike shop in eylmer.

 

[FunkyStickman]

Only "official" local bike shop here is 30 minutes away. They want $30 or more for a cruiser tire, and there's carbon everywhere. Fairly nice, though.

The local guy around the corner, however, has piles upon piles of old bikes and parts in his "lawnmower" shop, and if you ask for something he doesn't have new, he hands you a bucket full of used ones and says "$1 for anything in there if you can find what you need." His shop is a mess, but he's the kind of bike guy I like.

 

[bicycleguy]

Every time I go to The Bike Gallery or even Performance Bike I never seem to get good service and when someone does finally help me they talk to me like I don't know anything about bikes just because I'm younger then them. But when I go to my favorite LBS they always help me within seconds from when I walk in the door and I'd rather support local guys than some huge coorperation so I almost always go there.

 

[deorman]

Performance bites. I've gotten a few tires on sale there, that's about it. They'll be standing next to their only low-end bike, "on sale" for the going rate, with regular stem and 1-piece crank, while telling you those parts aren't made anymore, they're all junk, get a new bike. :? There is a real bike shop across the parking lot, in the back of Hudson Trail Outfitters camping store. :shock:

 

[roadmaster]

i know how you feel. whenever i walk into my lbs, the guy (who is usually upstairs and i gotta ring the doorbell for him to unlock the door cuz he's playing online poker) opens the door and says, "what do you want." as if i am bothering him. sorry i can't buy one of your overstocked $800 bikes, but all i need is a part. i have a schwinn sidewinder that i need to have the cartridge bottom bracket removed, but i don't wanna feel like i am bothering him to bring it in so he can remove it. i won't pay for being treated like a distraction to his online poker.

this lbs does have its good traits too, but i've never seen what i've called exceptional service at a lbs, except at the one i bought two cannondale mountain bikes from. but then again, drop about $2000 in one month at a shop, and they better be kissin my... :lol:

 

[Rat Rod]

Re: ha!

i love these posts i've been in shops for the last 20+ years and it's always interesting to see how different owners and employees interact with customers. some are retail professionals who can convincingly feign interest even if they're crying on the inside, and some are simply cycling enthusiasts who just can't hide their dissapointment when they find out the bicycle business isn't like it's portrayed in the magazines! personally i'm pretty patient, except when some gimbel tries to corral me into wasting valuable time nodding mindlessly while he tries to explain every excruciating detail of his latest motorized recumbent or some such contraption, or droning on and on (and on.... and on...and on.....and on....) about juniors latest race results. a lot of it comes down to years of learning to speak "customer" and being able to translate what many of them say into what they actually need with a minimum of trial and error. you also have to recognize that sometimes customers, like dr. suesses 'horton', actually "say what they mean, and mean what they say". i have to say sometimes it is a challenge to be a professional in such an amateurish industry. but it's only because i care..... sometimes i think i care TOO much..... sometimes i care so much- IT HURTS................. :mrgreen:

This reply made me laugh. :lol: :lol:

 

[Riverbend Bicycles]

I thought I had better defend my local bike shop since it appears to be one of the few good ones. It's Larsens Bicycle in Worland Wyoming. If you're ever passing through, you should stop in. Lisa, the lady that owns and operates it, will do whatever she can to help. She doesn't have many vintage items, but she does have a lot of whitewalls and new cruiser parts on hand. It's the type of bike shop that will work on anything and probably doesn't charge enough. That's probably why you can't walk from one end of the shop to the other because of all the repair jobs that are in the way. I've never seen a bike shop so busy. This town only has 5000 + people, yet it's farily common for her to sell 6 to 10 new bikes in a week and half of those are higher end. I've seen her spend hours working on $50 wallmart crap. Granted, she's shaking her head the whole time, but she's still fixing them. If you buy a bike for a child, she'll garauntee a good trade in value when he or she outgrows it. She also does free tuneups for life on any bike you buy. I just wanted everyone to know that there are a few good shops still out there.

 

[FunkyStickman]

That's awesome to hear... they need more shops like that.

 

[karfer67]

sorry to hear that happend to you. you mention tower records are you in sacto? even though i am normally stretched 10 ways to sunday at college cyclery i always try to at least tell customers "i will be with you as soon as i can" kinda like saying to them, i know your there hang tight for a min and i will take care of you. as for the story about the schwinn tires i find that if i dont know the person and they do have a schwinn but dont know the different sizes i do educate them so that they dont make the mistake again down the road. if the customer stops me and tells me they know the difference or ask me for a specific tire i dont bother them with knowledge they already know.

 

[socal_jack]

Too bad to hear such horror stories, heck even the Performance shops around here are pretty decent. Haven't had a bad experience anywhere, although I've never tried the tri-athlete type shops.

 

[beatcad]

you mention tower records are you in sacto?

nah, i'm in VA. tower record went ot of business a couple years ago. it was the best(chain) record store. with the best selection of music and magazines, but everyone that worked there acted as if they knew everything and only their music mattered.
that's kinda the feeling i got when i went to this bike shop..
this was'nt my regular shop. i just happened to be on that side of town to run some errends and thought id look for something.
maybe i got the wrong impression. the more i think about it the 2 employees there were probably 15 an 16 years old.
it wasnt me it was probably them. it was a beautiful sunny sunday and they just probably didnt want to be at work.

i may have been like that when i was that age.

at my regular bike shop the guys there are my age and love what they do and are always chatty and helpful.