do-well

I don't want to this to come off like a rant about local LBSs, but I doubt it's going to come across any other way. [To guard against this, I included a useful/productive question at the end].

First, let me say that I don't do any of my own wrenching. I'd love to, but wrenching is written in stone under the title "anything mechanical" on the list of skills I do not possess. I had a great relationship with my former shop(although my budget limits what i can spend, I do buy everything in shop), but one-too-many shoddy repairs forced me to recently change shops.

My new shop recently did a free and competent rear brake repair, so I took my bike back for some derailluer work. My front derailluer started "skipping," and in trying to repair the issue(there, you see, I tried to do something I can't do and only made it worse), I complicated the matter. I took the bike to the shop and did my best to explain the issue(have since forgotten exactly what I said).

A brief conversation insued:

The young worker(I'm not so old myself) said: "OK, we will get the front derailluer adjusted."
I said: "Well, I'm not sure if that's the entire problem."
He said something like, "Don't worry, we will take care of that derailluer."

I dropped the bike off two Fridays ago, and, because of my schedule, was only able to pick the bike up late this week. I, did though, have to call and make sure it was ready, so there's another strike against this shop. This morning was my first chance to ride it. The FD is fixed for the most part(still too much chain rub in my opinion; and no, I am not cross-chaining), but the now the RD is ghost-shifting. I understand enough about this issue to know to change the tension, expect, for some reason, the barrel adjuster does not want to turn.

I'm assuming(and could be wrong) that the young worker wrote "FD adjustment" on the work manifest, and that's pretty much what I received. The same protocol seemed to be in place at my last LBS. The mechanic always fixed exactly what you asked for, and nothing more. I guess I didn't make it clear that the work manifest should have said something like "gear issues, customer says maybe FD?".

I paid $10 for the FD adjustment, whereas a full tune-up would have cost me $35. I am partially at fault here, for hinting at the FD being the issue, but I also tried to point out the fact that I am stupid when it comes to bikes. I would have gladly paid the $35 dollars if that was what was needed. I know better then to walk in and announce that I need a "tune-up" knowing any shop will provide one whether that's what's needed or not. At the same time, why do LBSs listen to their obviously mechanically-challenged customers at all? That would be like me taking my car to the auto mechanic and telling them what to do about the pinging sound in my engine. I'm not sure how that would end up, but I think it would include one exploding car, a few dead mechanics, and a rather large lawsuit.

I'd like to be able to take my bike to the shop knowing that I can say, "I'm an idiot, but I trust you. Fix everything that is needed -- nothing more, nothing less," without fearing either a half-done job or me getting hosed. Is that really too much to ask?

I'm going to go talk to the manager when the shop opens. I know the shop owner and a few people who have since left town who are considered part of the "shop family." I'm not looking for special treatment, but instead, I want to support this LBS because friends have invested energy into its limited success.

I'm open to the idea that my "inexactness" in describing the issue is part of the problem. So, I ask you guys and gals: For someone like me who knows very little about bicycle mechanics/wrenching, what's the best way to go about requesting repairs and describing symptoms? I've always tried the "it's doing this, instead of this" and "it sounds like this" and "this happens when I do this" approach, but it seems like I am quickly making my way through my second LBS.

If this one does not work out, I want to know that I did everything to prevent having to tell the manager, "Really, don't feel bad. It's not you, it's me."