Originally Posted by
Reach
My LBS is a bit overpriced but they advertise free lifetime tune ups for any bike purchased from the store. The lifetime is regarding the bike's life, of course...
Anyways, I am interested in a Specialized Hardrock for 380~ at my LBS with "lifetime tune ups" or I can get the same bike for forty dollars cheaper someplace else. I called the LBS and asked what this perk means, the guy on the phone said its normally a $70 tune up per time, only free for bike purchasers whenever they want.
What do you all think? The Yelp reviews don't mention this service much so I don't know how shady this is.
I owned a shop for 6 years and we offered lifetime tune-ups on new bikes and the folks I sold it to also do the same. How is this economically feasible? Very simple. Of every 10 bikes we sold, we probably saw 1, maybe 2 that ever came back into the shop for any service whatsoever.
There were of course, the customers who brought their bikes in more often. These customers were likely using their bikes more and were becoming "enthusiasts". They were getting free service, but they were also buying things as well (tires, pumps, clothing etc). We
always looked at the opportunity to tune-up a customer's bike as a way to build a loyal customer by taking care of his service requests. Many returned the favor by becoming loyal customers, just like any other business.