Originally Posted by lennon2600
No one in sales will "take care of you". It's business. They want the closest to msrp for profit, like anyone else would. They won't go down on good grace. You just have to be smart with a negotiation. Know your s**t. If a bike shop refuses to budge, and another does budge, go with the budge. There's nothing wrong with comparing store prices with a catalog's prices. If a bike shop gets your frequent business, and another newbie walks in, and they can sell the newbie the last of last's year's bike stock for the sticker price, while you're expecting a deal, you're not going to get that deal. Again, it's business. Now, when there's tight competition between local shops, THAT works to your advantage. Hope a lot of the people on BF are in that lucky situation.
I don't think you understood my post at all. My point is in the long run, beating the last dollar out of the LBS may not be in your best interest. Being reasonable and reaching a reasonable deal for both of you may well serve your long term interest. And my LBS does take care of me, in the sense that my bike gets fixed first while I wait, rather than leaving it for days,and I get allocated the first new Team Advanced when they're only 3 available this year in the entire district. I know they don't do this out of the goodness of their hearts. They do it because it is business and its good business to take care of your repeat customers. When its closing time on a Saturday and your racing on Sunday, and you need a spoke right now, it's nice to know the LBS will be happy to see you, and not lockup while you're on your way. There are things more valuable than knowing you got the absolute lowest price on the bike.