General Cycling Discussion - LBS screw ups

Hey,

Whats the stupidest or dumbest thing your LBS, or an individual at your LBS has done?

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I needed a new chain for my Raceline Performance (Shimano Sora 8 speed, double Chainring) and so my Mum headed of to the LBS with my wheel which I also wanted trued. When she go there, the guy looks at the weel and say's it is fine (which it wasn't) and then proceeds to ask "How many gears has the bike got" when asked for a chain. When my mum told him that the wheel was off the bike we needed the chain for, he was still no wiser, saying he can't tell from a wheel. So my mum had to count in front of him how many gears were on the wheel...........

I would have wanted to know the guy's name. So I could go back to the shop and pimp slap him. My LBS hasn't made any mistakes that left the shop.

I took my rear wheel in to my LBS to have the free wheel replaced. It took over two weeks to get the part from Mavic, so when I got it back I rushed home and put the tire and tube on right away. Went out for a ride and about 8 miles out it flatted. Seems they took the rim tape off and didn't replace it, don't know why, there was no reason to remove it, they didn't true the wheel. And after three holes I was out of glue. The remaining holes were small and I was able to get home by stopping every 1/2 mile and pumping up the tire. Ended up with 7 holes.

My LBS couldn't figure out how to center my Phil Wood BB in the BB shell. I gave up and took the bike home and did it myself. That is why I bought a new, high quality stand. Figure it is faster and cheaper than a bunch of LBS yokels who don't really care. Only problem is then my screw-ups. But at least I am not paying someone else for them.

I guess the worst one that I have had was when I was having my Bontrager RaceLite Tubeless Ceramic rim warranteed. (The ceramic chipped). The shop wrench managed to lose a nipple in the rim. Instead of taking the tubeless strip out or just super glueing the nipple in place so that it wouldn't rattle he cut the rim strip out. Making the rim a regular racelite instead of a tubeless. Next thing he told me that he was no longer a bontrager dealer so he couldn't order me a new strip. I ended up having to use Stan's.

"How many gears has the bike got"
he probably was wanting to know how many chainrings you got in the front. 1, 2 or 3.

I had a bike assembled by my LBS over the winter. They called one day and told me the bike and wheels were done so down I went. I was extremely excited and paid the handsome fee and walked out to mount my new steed. Made it about a block when I hit the brakes at an intersection and discovered that the wrench didn't tighten the stem bolt very well. The stem went loose and I completely lost control. Speed (or lack thereof) was a factor and I was able to recover. If there had been a car in that intersection I would be an LBS owner right now. Instead I just started buying my own damn tools. The young wrench doesn't work there anymore... and the owner and I are on good terms and I get an unspoken %20 or so off my purchases

My worst wasn't that bad. On my first trail ride with my Giant Rainier I tacoed the cheap no-name rear wheel, I brought it back to the shop, the mechanic quoted me a price for a Mavic 219 disc wheelset and he'd give me a free tune-up, he said it would be ready on Monday. So I scheduled a ride with my teammates on Monday after I could pick up my bike. I get there as soon as they open the doors on Monday ask about the bike, the shop manager, that wasn't there the day I brought it in, got it off the rack and handed it to me, all nice and tuned up, with the same wheel. The mechanic never put the wheel order in! Another 4 days without a bike. :( They did end up giving me the wheel cheaper than they got it for, so I made out on the deal.

-Middi-zon

Was having new hubs put on and when i went to pick it up,they couldnt find one of the tires.They didnt carry that one and said i could buy any tire at half price.That didnt work and i didnt want two different tires on my bike.Finally i got a set,one free tire and the onter at 25% off but it wasnt easy.They even went outside to look in the trash for the tire.

Lets see,
There is the lady who thinks her bike will be faster if loosen things like the adjustment screws, hubs, axle nuts , etc, And is insistent that this is the correct thing to do.
(Multiple) people who want their child to grow into the bike and want to get them one where the top tube is level with their nose.
(Multiple) People who come in with the tire off the wheel (the wheel is still on the bike) and can't figure why it won't come off.
(Multiple) People who come in with the chain off and can't figure out why it won't come off the frame.
People who can't understand why I won't exchange the shoes they bought from nashbar for the ones I have in stock (That I just spent twenty minutes fitting them to)
People who drive an expensive sports car but can't understand why an S-works Stumpjumper costs more than a Hardrock.
People who don't believe a helmet will protect your head.
People who gripe about how much a repair cost, decide to do it themselves gripe about how much the tools cost, bring it back after completely screwing the pooch and gripe about the cost of rerpair being even higher.
You ride into work and arrive early another employee is walking up to the store front so you leave the door unlocked so he can get in and go take your shower. Ten minutes later you come out front, no shoes no shirt, and there are four customers milling around in the store IN THE DARK , no lights on, the sign says closed. Turns out the other employee decided to go get something to eat and swerved off before he hit the door.
The guy who was banging on the door for me to open up, at midnight ! Lots of repairs that week.
The guy who can not be brought around to the understanding that his bike, which he has commuted on for four years and never lubed, needs a new drivetrain because he "just got" the bike an "only" rides it eight miles a day each way. That is 16000 miles.
Men (and their women) who are convinced that their weiner is going to drop off if they don't get a saddle with a groove the size of the Grand Canyon in it.
And then there is, oh, wait, are you asking about just shop employees that make mistakes
Well I have one employee who insisted that alluminum is faster than steel so we put two pieces on the floor and yelled GO! It was a draw.

My LBS sold me a bike. About a month later, I took it back because the bb was loose. They could not figure out how to tighten it. Unfortunately, it was the ONLY LBS, so I had to go back.

I took the bike home and figured it out in about 2 minutes. There was a locknut that held the spindle in place. It came loose. I simply tightened it and all was good.

I picked up a brand new bike that they had setup for me, and they did a great job too! Oh yeah, Except that the handlebars were on crooked! (The sneaky guy must have set this one up, always wants people to think hes turning when hes not). That is the day I learned about adjusting Threadless stems (so in a way, I am kind of glad it ended up that way)!

Don't trust the work of a bike store that requires excessive multi-tasking, i.e. phone answers in three rings, quick and chipper counter service, etc., of mechanics. You'll get better work at places that don't insist on wrenches, who truly have their customers' lives in their hands, being Wal-Martish greeters.
If the mechanics ignore you while they finish tightening something, you want them doing your work.

Originally posted by oscaregg
Don't trust the work of a bike store that requires excessive multi-tasking, i.e. phone answers in three rings, quick and chipper counter service, etc., of mechanics. You'll get better work at places that don't insist on wrenches, who truly have their customers' lives in their hands, being Wal-Martish greeters.
If the mechanics ignore you while they finish tightening something, you want them doing your work.

As a mechanic I say Amen to that!:beer:

So true. I am not ignoring you, I am trying to finish helping another customer, who just happens to be in the store by proxy, his bike.

Originally posted by Rev.Chuck
Lets see,
There is the lady who thinks her bike will be faster if loosen things like the adjustment screws, hubs, axle nuts , etc, And is insistent that this is the correct thing to do.
(Multiple) people who want their child to grow into the bike and want to get them one where the top tube is level with their nose.
(Multiple) People who come in with the tire off the wheel (the wheel is still on the bike) and can't figure why it won't come off.
(Multiple) People who come in with the chain off and can't figure out why it won't come off the frame.
People who can't understand why I won't exchange the shoes they bought from nashbar for the ones I have in stock (That I just spent twenty minutes fitting them to)
People who drive an expensive sports car but can't understand why an S-works Stumpjumper costs more than a Hardrock.
People who don't believe a helmet will protect your head.
People who gripe about how much a repair cost, decide to do it themselves gripe about how much the tools cost, bring it back after completely screwing the pooch and gripe about the cost of rerpair being even higher.
You ride into work and arrive early another employee is walking up to the store front so you leave the door unlocked so he can get in and go take your shower. Ten minutes later you come out front, no shoes no shirt, and there are four customers milling around in the store IN THE DARK , no lights on, the sign says closed. Turns out the other employee decided to go get something to eat and swerved off before he hit the door.
The guy who was banging on the door for me to open up, at midnight ! Lots of repairs that week.
The guy who can not be brought around to the understanding that his bike, which he has commuted on for four years and never lubed, needs a new drivetrain because he "just got" the bike an "only" rides it eight miles a day each way. That is 16000 miles.
Men (and their women) who are convinced that their weiner is going to drop off if they don't get a saddle with a groove the size of the Grand Canyon in it.
And then there is, oh, wait, are you asking about just shop employees that make mistakes
Well I have one employee who insisted that alluminum is faster than steel so we put two pieces on the floor and yelled GO! It was a draw.

I wonder if there are people like those you mention in every town or do they just travel around to every shop in the country to annoy us? ;)

They all keep in touch because they all seem to show up about the same time of day.

Originally posted by Rev.Chuck

Men (and their women) who are convinced that their weiner is going to drop off if they don't get a saddle with a groove the size of the Grand Canyon in it.


Rev,

LMAO

Originally posted by oscaregg
Don't trust the work of a bike store that requires excessive multi-tasking, i.e. phone answers in three rings, quick and chipper counter service, etc., of mechanics.

My pet-peeve at my LBS isn't that the mechanics answer the phones at all (few of them speak English). What I dislike is when I've waited my turn at the LBS to ask about something and finally gotten the attention of one of the people there, the phone rings and they dash off to answer it. Actually that happens at most retail stores....

Uh... hey, I'm HERE in your shop, already made the effort to get here, money in hand, wanting to buy something. Don't you think that it's probably better just on probability of sale to continue helping me instead of answering the phone? And isn't it kind of rude to just ditch the person who has already waited his turn to answer the phone when you have no idea what they want? I mean, I think so.

I never quite understood that. I mean, when I was a phamacy intern, we were taught from day one that if a customer or potential customer in your presence clearly wants your attention, you give it to them even if the phone is ringing off the hook. That they have already made the effort to be there and if nothing else they are just a hell of a lot more likely to make a purchase than someone on the phone. Always made a lot of sense to me.

"Well I have one employee who insisted that alluminum is faster than steel so we put two pieces on the floor and yelled GO! It was a draw. "

Rev, you've made my day!! Thanks mate!

But I like the guys at the LBS, they are a very demented extended family, and I think that there is some sort of solvent abuse going on in the back... But they are the most congenial bunch!! Its like dealing with lost truckers from Georgia!! Just too polite.

jatkins679,

Unfortunately, I do answer the phone whenever it rings, even if a customer is in my presence.

Of course, I apologize first and almost everybody will understand that I do have to answer the phone. I have yet to have someone walk out of the store or even become annoyed simply because I answered the phone.

Granted, I am nicer to customers that are physically in the store but I am cordial to those that call because they are potential customers.

If I take too long on the phone or I see that the in-store customer has become agitated that I am conducting business on the phone then I would offer something to off-set the delay (most likely a reduced labor cost).

If that didn't work or if the customer were to make a comment (such as "I already made the effort to get here, money in hand, wanting to buy something") then I would tell them that I appreciate the effort, I am very sorry for the delay, & please tell me where you work so I can come down next week and tell you how YOU can more efficiently do your job.

Ok I have only ever said that last thing once and it was to a customer that was very snooty and he totally deserved it.

In my shop, I am the only one working (I'm the manager, salesman, & bike mechanic). I multi-task only when it comes to sales or questions about products/services. If I am wrenching, I will finish whatever it is I am doing and then speak with a customer (whether they are in the shop or on the phone).

So please try to understand that you are important your LBS, but that the employees also do other things in a manner/order that you may/may not agree with. They want your business as much as you want to do business with them. So try to cut them a little slack.

Some retail store around here has the slogan: The educated consumer is our best customer." I think that is proabably true, and not just for his store. I find that no matter what the product or service, the more I know about what I am getting, the better service I get. I would bet that the average regular onthis chat pays less for his shop services and parts, and gets better service, than the idiot who doesn't know what is going on. By the same token, I know that I am not costiing the shop extra. I make an effort to do my window shopping and tire kicking on weekday mornings or out of season, so I am not disrupting other sales. I ask good questions, and will certainly share knowledge I might have that the store employee might not (especially background info that may be from my early adult years, but before the young LBS employee's birth). I never criticize a store product, in any store I am trying to deal fairly with, in front of other customers. I will bargain hard, letting the store know that I know where to get a product for less, but again never in front of other customers.

How does this fit in with the chain and cog question? You should have read up on bike maintenance, esepecially chain maintenance, before going to buy the new chain. You could have found a lot on this website, or gotten links. Then you would know when and if there were BS involved at the LBS.

How about the problem for LBS owners? They are in a very competitive business that has one of the highest failure rates in retail. It's hard scrabble out there. I won't tell the LBS how to run his business, but I can tell the LBS that if the product or service of his store is not better than other stores, or if the customers don't know that the product or service is better, then any new bike store could open nearby, undercut your prices and take your customers.

The LBS owner is in a jam of sorts when it comes to personnel. The store needs good employees, but the best employees demand better pay. If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

How do I use this info? I am not in the high end market, $1,500 and up bikes. It is not worth it to me to pay more for the service because bikes in my price range are commodities. I know a lot about fit, and more about maintenance. I cannot afford the kind of shop that does custom bikes and fitting. I just try to get a reasonably well assembled bike and deal with the rest myself.

I vote with my dollars. If I go to a store (or any kind) and the people working there act like I am bothering them because I want them to do their job, I'll take my business elsewhere. Permenantly.

It is great to go into a store where the people know their products and are willing to help. That is where my money goes.

I move around alot. (I am a consultant) It usually takes a store or two before I find a good one.

OK not very technical but... a couple years ago I go in to buy my first bike with a friend of mine. Neither of us knows anything about what size we should get. :rolleyes: The guy in the shop looks at me and says you need a 21" frame, no hesitation at all. I'm 5'-10".

The first thing my boyfriend says shortly after we met and he saw my bike was that it was WAAAY too big for me. I sold it shortly afterward. :mad:

By the time I learned all this I had moved so there was no way I was going back to say anything. Thankfully at least, I no longer have to deal with that place. :)