Clever. Asking a customer if they have a budget ceiling isn't a sales ploy to get them to the brink, it just saves time by avoiding bikes that are out of their range. Once they realize that I'm not their nemesis, they usually end up selling themselves on something more expensive.

But the other thing to remember is that selling bikes is just a small part of the job. It's mostly selling lights, locks, tubes, tires, tools, and helmets. That's where the better margins are.