Originally Posted by
gyozadude
It might surprise you that many shops are operating on such thin margins and very limited insurance that they couldn't much afford a legal challenge that might arise from some guy with a super-expensive CF bike coming in with a pre-cracked frame and then blaming the shop for that. And like-wise, if a mechanic at the shop broke it, you think the frame is getting fixed any time soon by that shop if they didn't sell you that frame? It'll be a long time before you see that ride and can ride it.
Litigation and over-generous return policies make it tough to enter the market. There is substantial risk to doing any type of repair and warrantying the work.
But I wouldn't discourage that. Rather, I would treat that as a risk that has to be managed along with other legal risks for any business. More importantly, for the OP, I think the question shouldn't be what he should charge for his services. The question should be what Value Proposition does he fulfill in the marketplace?
Not sure I get your point. I was only offering the OP a consumer's perspective ... which you seem to back up. Maybe he doesn't want to appeal to the mainstream consumer ... maybe you guys don't want to acknowledge the mainstream consumer. I certainly wasn't talking about a high-end CF frame, several thousands of dollars, and I'm certainly not discussing litigation - all I'm saying is the consumer wants to know the company can cover damages if they arise.
Seriously, this guy has no prior clientele ... and he comes to you, asking if you need service or cleaning. What are you going to ask? That's all I'm saying. How does he prove his experience? How does he prove he's qualified? How does he prove he won't mess up your bike? That is the hump to overcome. Referrals only come when a critical mass (of base customers) is overcome.
Sorry, OP, perhaps this is not the angle you're interested in ... but it's the first thing that comes to mind.