You ******bags complaining about shop service rates and product markup have clearly *never* worked in the bike industry, and have never worked up to anywhere where numbers get shown. Shop mechanics get paid crap, are expected to generate shop rate and do perfect work and provide 100% customer service all the time, everywhere.
You show me someone who is interetesed in an industry that pays out $15/hour CAD tops to experienced TOP mechanics. Who pays for the mechanics during the off season? Do they get fired? Or do they actually get carried on? Where does this money come from?
Most retail bike shops are for profit. Everyone wants to pay online prices for product that you can see, feel, touch, try on, warranty, refund and exchange. You like those cycling shoes you're wearing? You going to try them on over the internet? Or are you going to walk into a real store that carries them?
Yeah didn't think so.
Don't like LBS prices for accessories/parts? Buy them online. Pay shipping and wait. Most people who have the time and energy to shop online, do all their own research, install the parts and have the tools to do so to various degrees. The fact that bicycle shops even exist as more than just a service shop with low inventory of anything bike related tells you that the people who complain online about prices are the same people we do not depend on for our core revenue.
The people who buy a $6k Cervelo S2, or the guy who buys a $10k pinarello dogma, doesn't care that he can get it cheaper online. They want to be able to walk into a real shop, talk to real people and have their stuff maintained for them.
Most shop owners are not getting ridiculously rich off their business. If you think they are, go try and start your own shop with your own money on the line and get an understanding of how things work before *****ing about it.
And as a last thing don't ****ing ask your shop for discounts. Everyone asks the same thing. If you deserve a discount, we will give it to you without you asking for it. Why don't you try and walk into walmart and ask for discounts on random items?
Seriously, internet penny wise shoppers - go you guys.
Last edited by operator; 07-18-10 at 07:00 PM.