CPcyclist

There are tome that I want to be left to shop as there are some shops where I know more then the employees but the lest they should do is acknowledge my being there with a "hello, do you need any help" "are you finding what you are looking for." I too like to kill time at the shop it is much easier to do at the LBS where they know me i get a "Hi, so what do you need this time" in a light hearted joking voice.

PeterK

Here in Baton Rouge LA, I have tried all the shops. 3 are under same ownership and 2 of those sell bikes and kids dolls!! Service and sales at those shops is handled by high school and college kids at the most 20 years old that just have no experience or technical knowledge. They have no idea of sizing and are clueless on crank replacement questions I raised. The local Specialized dealer is on campus so again is staffed by youngsters with very little knowledge although the store has a great selection of bikes. The dealer that carries my road bike brand is a mountain bike store and has incredibly high prices on bikes and accessories - $100 higher than retail on the crank set I was looking at! The only decent shop is extremely tiny, sells bike brands I have never heard of and seems to really know their stuff. I plan to spend a fair amount of money there . I purchased my bike prior to finding this little store - while traveling in Michigan! and had it shipped back home to Louisiana. It was $400 less than the local store. All of you who talk about just going to your local LBS for assistance, info, proper sizing, etc are spoiled rotten . It would be so nice to have a selection of quality stores available.
Pete

patentcad

Not quite that bad. NY Metro Area. NoCal is ever worse. There Burger King managers make $90K. But a fixer upper starter home/shack is $699K. If you can find something that cheap.

fifao

My LBS is super nice. I walk in and I am swamped with the dudes saying, "how can I help you?", and , "Can I get anything for you?". This customer service is so effective that I always feel guilty about not buying something when I leave their store........

They don't stock any 'wow' bikes, but some decent Treks.

big john

I once went into a LBS where I had been several times with cash in my pocket to buy a bike. I tried to get them to notice me for some time before leaving and going to another store and buying a bike. I understand what the OP is talking about, a little acknowledgement would have been all that was needed, if people are clearly ignoring you, it doesn't make you want to spend money there.

GuitarWizard

I hear ya....I looked at homes in the Redding, CA area a few years back, and there was nothing approaching "decent" back then for under $500k....and even those kinda sucked. NY Metro can be expensive as well. I remember working in lower Fairfield County, and couldn't figure out how people actually lived in that part of CT making anything under $150k a year if they wanted a somewhat nice house and be able to afford a car and to eat.

markwebb

Compare your in-person in-store experience with my experience with the Mercian shoppe in Derby UK.

I live in Kentucky USA and their shoppe is in England. I called them inquiring as to selection of in-stock frames. I was talking to Grant. He went through entire store with me on the phone, first identifying frames in my size then identifying paint and decaling and braze-ons and other items. Then on each one that seemed to be a potential match he used tape measure and measured the tubes. He spent maybe 40 minutes with me on phone going through the entire shoppe inventory. He did not know me or if I was a serious buyer or just casually shopping. That's awesome customer service 5,000 miles removed, and you could not get even a greeting in person.

Exeye

yeah the bike warehouse guys are awesome. i ended up getting one from BL Bikes in Solana Beach...they are really good too. they're a pretty high end (colango, orbea, s-works, tarmacs...etc.) place, a bit intimidating as i'm a noob on a budget. but the guys there were all really cool and helped out a lot. black mountain bike shop was really but helpful but i live in Carlsbad and didn't want to have to go all the way down there for service etc.

congrats on the bike! my roubaix elite is on the way!

Portlandonian

Aren't you being extremely overdramatic? Jesus give them a break, and you just wasted 2 hours driving for absolutely nothing and now you won't get a Cervelo? Sometimes when you are working a ****end job there isn't much motivation for parts of the day.

Although I agree it was a bit jerk of them, it's really not that big of a deal. Why does nobody get this worked up when George Bush says in his state of the union address that we need to help kids go to college and get a better education, and then the next day the ****ing senate moves to cut $12.7 billion in federal funding for student loans!!!!

And not all 20 something year olds are incompetent, I get old elitists every day who assume that I'm an idiot because I'm 17. Even though I know about all the products, I can do almost any bike fix, and I can build wheels.

cmcenroe

Sounds like Cyclepath in San Mateo, CA.

My first time in there I was going to buy some tires from them. The guy in the shop helped me out with the tires, great. That was fine. He helped me look as brake shoes and pads, great. I picked out a set of tires (Conti GP4000) and was ready to go. I was actually ready to go for 15 minutes or more. The employees were standing about 5 feet away from me while I waited at the front desk with the tires plopped down. They were just so wrapped up in their conversation about more elite bicycle things than people like me can understand that they failed to acknowledge my presence. They all knew I was there. After about 10 minutes, I took $120 in twenties out of my wallet and set it out in front of the tires on the counter. I was not looking around. I was not doing anything except standing there. Finally the guy came over and helped me. Not good.

The next experience was the next day. Same EXACT thing. I only went back to return the tires. I told the same sales clerk that helped me the day before that I wanted to return them the second I walked in. Before I know he is chatting it up with the mechanic about, again, more elite things than mere mortals such as myself can comprehend. Then a couple more regulars walk in the back door (which is not public accessible, as far as I can tell) and join in. Finally the employee condescends to my dimension and accepts the items for return.

I read on the wall that the return policy was for store credit only. Worst five minutes of my cycling career when I realized that i had $120 invested permanently in a shop that overcharges and doesn't help anyone unless they want a Colnago or a Calfee bamboo bike (they had several of the first, one of the second). Thankfully, the employee didn't read the sign and gave me cash.

Phew.

.:Jimbo:.

Well, being some some 18 year old punk, im surprised how much attention and assistance i have been provided with after visiting a number of bike shops in my area, and drooling over all those $3,000 dura-ace equipped bikes. Even though i would have to sell more then a kidney to buy one, i was still shown and allowd to sit on some of these bike, even got to ride a tt bike on a trainer that cost 10x my 500 hybrid. I relly must say i was pleasantly surprised that they really do make it a case to assist anyone and everyone and i can compare, for 3 weeks ago, i was walking around a Bang & Olfsen store (some crazy epensive audio equipment) and i wasn't given the time of day becuse i did not pull up in a bently or ferrari, so i didn't fit thier typical clientel, hence id did not buy the headphones i set out to buy simply because i wasn;y assisted im my potential purchase.

Sirrobinofcoxly

I agree that stores should at least say 'hello' when you come in, but some stores are low-pressure sales envoronements. Some poeple liked to be helped right away, and some people don't (just-looking'ers). Ask for some help. I'm sure they would have responded positivly.

theshoemaker

All this episode is missing now is some Castanza style revenge.

You know what would really burn them, is if you went back and bought one of those bikes. Then they’d feel so stupid for not treating you like a serious buyer! When they’re done counting up the till I bet they’d probably stew about that one for a long while.

jeh

I had the same experience about a month ago in an audi dealership. I walked around looking at the cars for about 20 minutes, then decided to leave. There were about 3 salesmen sitting at their desks playing computer games. The guys at BMW will probaby get my money, as they were really helpful and not pushy at all.

-j

trmcgeehan

My local LBS never fails to acknowledge me, because as soon as I get through the front door, I say in a loud voice: "IS THIS THE FINEST BIKE SHOP IN ALL OF PULASKI COUNTY? This is met with a resounding "YES!" by the LBS owner, and dialog goes on from there regardless of who's in the place. (PS: It's the only bike shop in Pulaski County, and fortunately for me, it's a good one.)

PeterK

That is a GREAT idea you have there trmcqeehan!! So far at the local (30 miles away) stores near me, I find that if the store owner/manager is there, I will get far better service but sadly the staff is normally local teenagers without real interest and knowledge. I wish the stores would post the working schedule of the owners .
Pete

minolta7

Thank you for having good taste in looking at Cervelos! Come on, how can you resist those beautiful, aero Canadian bikes? Trek, on the other hand....

briscoelab

Wooo.. calm down bud.... I NEVER said that I wasn't going to buy a Cervelo.... Just that I wasn't going to buy one from THEM. I also never said we drove two hours for nothing... we were also doing other stuff while out. And what in the world does this have to do with Geroge Jr********** Lay off the crack pipe

Honestly.... some of the responses in this thread have actually made the whole eperience worthwhile! Some of you guys are nuts



Yep! That'd show em

rufus

any customer that wants something, but can't be bothered to ask a salesman for help, and walks out in a huff instead, couldn't really be too interested in the product in the first place.

patentcad

This is one of the most profoundly clueless statements about business that I have ever read.

Lamplight

Eh, maybe they were just ready to go home for the day. In my experience, bike shop employees are easily the friendliest people in retail. On Saturdays I often go to my LBS and the owner will usually be heading out the door to go pick up lunch for his employess. Not once has he not offered to get me something! LBS people are usually the best of the best when it comes to customer service, at least from what I've seen.

rufus

maybe it speaks more to our pampered, self-centered society where everything has to be about "me".

"i was ignored in a bike shop, so rather than ask someone to help me out, i left in a huff, angry and resentful, and now i'll voice my complaints on an internet message board. that'll get me what i wanted. how dare they not cater to my every need, slave and lavish over me?"

briscoelab

Yea, cause thinking it would be a good idea for someone to say "hello" is really the same as demanding for them to "cater to my every need, slave and lavish over me" as you put it. You're reading comprehension skills are fantastic. Grow up! And for christ'a sake... let this thread die. No one has posted anything for like two days and you dig this up with your wonderfully insightful comments. Thanks

bigbossman 

Ummm.... you might actually want to speak with a successful saleman or two about this. While it is true that the OP could have hunted one down, it is a cardinal sin in the sales profession to have potential customers standing around on a sales floor not being at least acknowledged or greeted.

If you call yourself a salesman and you stand around waiting for customers to come up, hand you money, and say "I'll take that one", you will not be successful and will lose out every time to a real salesman.

And you won't be employed very long in that profession, either.

Oh and when is comes to the saleman/customer relationship, it is ALWAYS about ME (ME = THE CUSTOMER), and it has ALWAYS been that way, since the dawn of commerce.

Hell, it's probably even written in the Old Testament somewhere.........

KeithA

Me too. Remember Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. I don't tucker to a shop of any kind making me feel like they'd be doing me a favor to assist me.

On the other hand, like you say, all it takes is a little acknowledgement. I don't want pressure or hard-sell tactics. I prefer a friendly, casual relationship, where we say hi, they answer any questions I might have or we can just chat about whatever. That kind of shop, whatever the business or product, gets my business over and over.