It needs to cultivate the right customer base. Yesterday I was in my local big-brand retail/service outlet. One couple came in and within 15 minutes dropped almost $10k on his-n-hers carbon 'endurance' bikes.

Meanwhile, at the service desk, another customer was engaging the head mechanic on a tedious debate over the right kind of waxing regime to extend the life of their $10 chain. At a charge out rate of likely $200 per hour, and no shortage of work to be done in the back, this customer effectively cost the shop $50.

Meanwhile, I was filling a box with discounted consumables such as cassettes and chains that probably cost the shop wholesale double what I paid for them. I will then take these to fix my bikes and those of my (rich) pals thereby taking away business from the shop.

So which type of customer should you cultivate? Hint: you want customers who roll up in a Porsche SUV, pull out a $10k bike for the scheduled semi-annual servicing ($300), and trade-up every other year. All done with a Platinum card.