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Things bike shop costumers hate/love !!

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Things bike shop costumers hate/love !!
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flag odin333
Posted: Dec 20, 2007 at 15:29 Quote
the think i hate the most about bike stores is when your just looking around, browsing their stuff, and some stupid employee comes up to you when your looking at a specific bike and starts talking about it, i had one 15 year old kid try and tell me that the shock on this bike was a fox dhx 2.0 (do they even have that) and it was actually a manitou 6-way, and even after showing him the label and everything he was convinced it was a dhx 2.0...and then i started looking at their devinci wilson 2, and he comes over and tells me that the fork on it is a fox 40 with 300 inches of travel. and i'm like yeah, no it has 200 MILIMETERS, and he's all like, trust me i know i have this fork, and then i just left.

its also annoying when the guy isn't even speaking loud enough and you can barely understand what he's saying.

the thing i like most about bike stores is when they don't bug the hell out of you, one time i was looking at a trek session 7, and the guy comes up to me and is like, nice bike, you like it? and i'm like yeah it looks pretty nice, and he's like here go test ride it, see how it feels.

another thing i like is at this bike shop i used to go to in the summer while i was away, they had like a rectangular shop, really long too, and the bikes were all lined up on the walls, with one row down the middle, and they would bike around doing like bmx races, and you could just ask to join in and grab any bike and just start doing laps, it was pretty fun, i spent like $100 their on parts i didn't even need just to support such a fun shop.
flag jim-kaplan
Posted: Dec 20, 2007 at 15:49 Quote
redridesrule wrote:
wow. maybe BC is different, but i dont have anything i hate about the shops ive been in! i wish i could name them, but the couple shops that i go in once a year or so (i live in isolation, away from the real world haha) the guys there are really nice! they totally talk to me and remember me even though i rarely go into their store. they dont care if i just hang out waiting for somebody or anything. and the store that i bought my TOP from, the owner/worker there was super nice! he talked to me about how he thought shops ripped people off unless you "knew the secret handshakes" and how he thought business should be run. all of his stuff was way cheaper then normal. generally the rule of thumb is add 100% to the manufacturer cost, but this guy only added 75% he was super nice, and swapped out parts for me on the new bike i was building and showed me some stuff. then i was out of there with a new bike just like that! and to fit the bike in the car, we needed to strap the trunk down, and he cut a brand new tube in half just so we could tie the trunk down, FOR FREE! he was so nice, he said if i couldnt get the bike on the plane for whatever reason he would drive to the airport (from north Van to richmond) and pick it up and mail it, on a weekend! he was amazing.. anyways, ive had good experiences with his shop and i call him all the time with questions. he's super cool! anyways.. that was a rather long winded speach haha.. sorry Razz

-braeden

ya, the bike shops aroind me everyone is really chill and don't care if you come in and just look. they'll talk to you or ask if you wanna watch the latest nwd movie. its sick.
flag Hummeroid
Posted: Dec 20, 2007 at 15:54 Quote
I cant say enough good things about my local shop. The guys there are great, don't pretend to know things that they dont, research it if they dont know about it, have lots of small parts in stock (not bad for a shop that opened 3 months ago!) Price match nearly anything to internet prices, and buy me lunch on occasion! Lots of the other shops around here do the whole "pretend to know" thing, and thats what bugs me the most. Ill admit I dont know everything there is to know, but if youre representing a product, youd best be studying its specs@!
flag t3rry
Mod
Posted: Dec 20, 2007 at 16:02 Quote
few things I like about my LBS

Staff get to know their customers. I went in once, spent 30 minutes buying a $1600 bike and leave. I come back like a month and a half later and they still remember my name. That starts the friendship, now pretty much everybody knows me there, I get some discounts here and there, go on a few trips here and there. I trust them enough to leave parts there for months at a time if I'm out of the country. They give advice and help out on selecting parts even if they know that I am getting a frame or something else in through someone else. But in return, I talk them up well, rep their jersey at the races, do a little helping here and there (eg selling beer and hamburgers at their last dj contest).

Things I dislike about other local shops.

Unfriendly, not seem to know much about there bikes. (EG guy tries to buy dirtjump bike and staff try to sell him cross country bike - though he wanted a dj bike). Umm me and my friend win a $150 prize from one of them, but they won't give it to us saying that first our drivetrain is not worn enough to deserve getting new parts, than telling us afterwards ss bikes don't have a drivetrain. A bike shop that says they will do something by such an such a date, but really it takes 3 weeks longer, than they lose parts or receipts.
flag MattPiro
O+
Posted: Dec 20, 2007 at 16:07 Quote
sqrleprle wrote:
Well it is your own dumb fault for actualy paying. You didn't authorize any of that. Either they give it to you for free or they try and dig your old parts out of the garbage (probably already at the dump) and reassemble

Exactly! When you brought your bike in, I take it the mechanic wrote up a repair tag, in which it had an estimate, probably a place to write "Not to go over:..." and then a place for you to sign. Then you get a copy.

If you have that copy, there is nothing they can argue with you about, you didn't authorize the repairs.
flag t3rry
Mod
Posted: Dec 20, 2007 at 16:08 Quote
MattPiro wrote:
sqrleprle wrote:
Well it is your own dumb fault for actualy paying. You didn't authorize any of that. Either they give it to you for free or they try and dig your old parts out of the garbage (probably already at the dump) and reassemble

Exactly! When you brought your bike in, I take it the mechanic wrote up a repair tag, in which it had an estimate, probably a place to write "Not to go over:..." and then a place for you to sign. Then you get a copy.

If you have that copy, there is nothing they can argue with you about, you didn't authorize the repairs.

I don't know of any shops that do those kind of tags... weird.
flag luke-c
Posted: Dec 20, 2007 at 16:19 Quote
in our shop we make sure to call the customer to make sure we get authorization to install the new parts
flag raceface77
Posted: Dec 20, 2007 at 16:19 Quote
terriflow3-0 wrote:
few things I like about my LBS

Staff get to know their customers. I went in once, spent 30 minutes buying a $1600 bike and leave. I come back like a month and a half later and they still remember my name. That starts the friendship, now pretty much everybody knows me there, I get some discounts here and there, go on a few trips here and there. I trust them enough to leave parts there for months at a time if I'm out of the country. They give advice and help out on selecting parts even if they know that I am getting a frame or something else in through someone else. But in return, I talk them up well, rep their jersey at the races, do a little helping here and there (eg selling beer and hamburgers at their last dj contest).

This sounds like RVC for sure... that's the best shop, I know exactly what your talking about!
flag scott-e
Posted: Dec 20, 2007 at 16:24 Quote
I bought a new bike this summer, and before long the fork had to go out for warranty. My shop was kind enough to lend me a fork to make due with, while mine was in vancover. I thought that was top notch customer service
flag sendit4
Posted: Dec 20, 2007 at 16:31 Quote
odin333 wrote:
the think i hate the most about bike stores is when your just looking around, browsing their stuff, and some stupid employee comes up to you when your looking at a specific bike and starts talking about it, i had one 15 year old kid try and tell me that the shock on this bike was a fox dhx 2.0 (do they even have that) and it was actually a manitou 6-way, and even after showing him the label and everything he was convinced it was a dhx 2.0...and then i started looking at their devinci wilson 2, and he comes over and tells me that the fork on it is a fox 40 with 300 inches of travel. and i'm like yeah, no it has 200 MILIMETERS, and he's all like, trust me i know i have this fork, and then i just left.

its also annoying when the guy isn't even speaking loud enough and you can barely understand what he's saying.

the thing i like most about bike stores is when they don't bug the hell out of you, one time i was looking at a trek session 7, and the guy comes up to me and is like, nice bike, you like it? and i'm like yeah it looks pretty nice, and he's like here go test ride it, see how it feels.

another thing i like is at this bike shop i used to go to in the summer while i was away, they had like a rectangular shop, really long too, and the bikes were all lined up on the walls, with one row down the middle, and they would bike around doing like bmx races, and you could just ask to join in and grab any bike and just start doing laps, it was pretty fun, i spent like $100 their on parts i didn't even need just to support such a fun shop.



I have been to the shop you mentioned. The staff there is awesome. The guys who work there really know their stuff, they are friendly and helpful plus they have a great selection. I always bring my bike in there when it needs work or when it needs some upgrades.
flag cutsz
Posted: Dec 20, 2007 at 18:03 Quote
sqrleprle wrote:
cutsz wrote:
How about dropping off your bike for what you were told would be a $70.00 tune up and picking it up and being presented with a $190.00 bill. A couple of things may have been valid but the majority were things that anyone could do in their garage. I own 3 bikes and am a definate bikeophile and spend too much money on such things, but I guarantee I won't spend another dime there.

Well it is your own dumb fault for actualy paying. You didn't authorize any of that. Either they give it to you for free or they try and dig your old parts out of the garbage (probably already at the dump) and reassemble

You are right and I learned my lesson. Its not like the work wasn't done I just have a feeling they took advantage of me being a new customer. BTW my LBS is awesome and would never f#$# anyone over like that one.
flag Truvativ21
Posted: Dec 20, 2007 at 18:06 Quote
hate:

When random scratches start appearing on my bike.. WTF!
flag blue-don-rider
Posted: Dec 20, 2007 at 18:21 Quote
what i hate is when i walk into my local store and i get a non-reglaur guy who thinks i'm a rich spoiled 13 year old who has a pike. sounds pritty spoiled even though i jump everyday after school, got the pike used and bought my bike my self. then he trys to rip my off thinking i'm a rich dumbass. that's pisses me off. although, the regular guys know me pritty well and are nice cause i'm in there atleast once a week with some problem with my fork, derauler, brakes something, although usaully my deraluer. I hate gears. anyways
flag kawasakirules
Posted: Dec 20, 2007 at 18:25 Quote
you know what i learned, not just for bikes that happens everywhere, people thinking your just a spoiled rich person, it bugs the sh#t out of me, my dad was trying to get his deck built and they wanted 19000!!! he built it for 5000. and a guy trying to sell me a coiler when i wanted a good downhill bike. it happens evywhere
flag chasefreeride37
Posted: Dec 20, 2007 at 18:27 Quote
kawasakirules wrote:
you know what i learned, not just for bikes that happens everywhere, people thinking your just a spoiled rich person, it bugs the sh#t out of me, my dad was trying to get his deck built and they wanted 19000!!! he built it for 5000. and a guy trying to sell me a coiler when i wanted a good downhill bike. it happens evywhere

When they quoted you 19000, they didnt think you were rich... when you hire people to do that stuff, its expected to cost alot

 


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