Originally Posted by
dnuzzomueller
One thing I will say is that nowhere (At either shop) is there poor mechanic work. Everyone has little gripes about both shops, things have fallen through the cracks at both shops and then someone writes a horrible, scathing review of the service at the shop because they were the 1 out of 100 that happened to have some minor thing overlooked on their bike. Both shops will stand behind their work, if something is wrong they will fix it.
I hope you didn't misconstrue my comments as a "scathing" review. I was just trying to give the OP my personal experience at the shop. I really like Back Bay and would still be going there regularly if I still lived in the city. It is disappointing to hear that Alaska has moved on though, because he was great.
Also, I think your point about a shop making you feel comfortable/getting to know you is really important. That's what has been a nice surprise at Landry's in Natick. Despite it's size, I have a good relationship with their manager/lead fitter.