To compete with online shopping, have a Customer Supplied Parts Installation Price list. Let them buy what they want, but make it worth your while to install it. The plumbing company I work for does this, because we don't always carry what our customers want on our trucks.

Don't B.S. me about small jobs, just because you don't want to do them. I wanted a 126mm hub respaced for 130mm and the wrench tells me it just can't work. Wrong, I can get a longer axle and spacers, I just didn't want to have to do it myself, but now I'll have to. And take your eyes of the %%$@ing TDF to talk to me.

What I look for in a shop:

Bikes, lots of them and lots of accesories, If I walk into a bike shop and there are like 3 bikes on the wall and some high zoot components in a glass case I usally walk out. I want a bike shop not a boutique.

A wide range of bikes. I don't want to go in and see nothing but shiek single speeds or a whole line of downhill mtb.

Good staff in a wide range of ages. I get nervous having my bike questions answered by a 17 year old. I like to see a couple old guys in there kickin around who can remeber the days before index shifting.

Recumbents. I like shops that have a few recumbents and know enough about them to sell and fit them properly.

A nice selection of cycling books and magazines is always nice to have in a shop.

dogs. all my favorite shops have dogs that hang out and keep you company while you wait.

good mechanics. The quality control in some shops makes me ashamed.

There are a few pivotal things I look for in a shop; accessibility -- can I get to the parts I'm looking for, can I get to the staff for questions? Availability -- do you have the various things a cyclist might need, and since we are all slightly different, this means sizes, flavors, colors, etc.? Do you 'exude the love for the cycling lifestyle', or are you there for some other reason, like focus on high-end racer-boy tech?

There's four LBS's in town right now that are on my radar; one, i haven't been into for about 4-5 years simply because of location -- I don't like dealing with the traffic between here & there. Another, probably 2 years, for much the same reason. The third is 'the leader' in most cyclists' eyes here, but part of their core staff seems to be resting on their reputation, and are losing some vital business. Some of the folks there are cool to deal with, others I'd rather they just leave me alone 'til it's time to ring up. The last, a new shop, was a puzzle when I first went in there; I felt at first that I was being challenged, almost like I wasn't good enough to step inside, but that went away pretty quick -- and that was the shop that got my latest business, as they had a mini-pump I liked and needed. I'd go back there, but if I felt the 'challenge' again, I'd probably tell them about it.

If I don't get enthused talking to you about bikes, or what I came in for, then you're not getting my repeat business. I can buy online easily enough, and haven't found anything I can't install myself yet.

What's your preferred LBS in Portland? My wife used to live there. We were there several years ago and were taking our bikes on a long trip, so I needed a few things and stopped by Citybike. The scene there was awesome -- people out front and inside on rented/loaned (not sure) repair stands working on their bikes... they were very nice, offered a non-pushy opinion about which products were best for me (I think I needed two headlights and a frame pump), and even asked what kind of trip I was planning.

I know Portland is the bike capital of the US, so I assume it's the LBS capital too. I guess I'll find out when my wife finally convinces me to move there... (not such a bad fate IMO...)

Clever Cycles, without a doubt. But I like Citybikes, too.

so far people have the 'focus and scope' thign covered...

My favorite shop? Even if they are a bit more expensive sometimes? I watched a mech take a roadies $6k bike off the repair stand to hang up a neighborhood kids way trashed Huffy to change a tire and tube, adjust the brake cable and just give it a quick lube and chain clean. The kid only asked if there was something sticking in his tire...oh yeah! The kid didn't get charged, just got told to be careful and then the roadies SuperRide was back to being worked on.

That little scene made me a long term customer.

I don't do much complicated stuff on my bikes, so a good bike service by quality bike mechanics is my priority. Also when the shop says they are going to service my bike I expect them to do it and not have to redo the cables myself because they "forget" to do it.

Please take notice of me, talk to me find out what I'm riding, find out how I ride. If you are an assistant learn your stuff. The amount of youngsters who understand very little about bikes and try and sell you stuff you don't need is amazing.

Complacent shops -Just because you have a good rep - don't mean you can do b*gger all to maintain it.

I am still struggling, the one LBS I really like is only open part time, as the owner cannot get quailty staff. I admire this but please come on!!! If anyone ever needs advice on a bike shop in and around Wellington New Zealand - I'm your man.

Yeah, stuff like that definitely makes people want to come back. I went with a friend of mine to a couple stores around us, he was looking for basically a cheap beater to get him to class and back. The first store didn't want to show him anything under $850, whereas at the next store one of the two guys there left one customer (who was still being helped btw, by a kid who works there), asked why was looking for a bike, then walked us right past all the new bikes straight to a couple of 80's road frames rebuilt as single speeds for around $200. And it turns out he owns the place.

+1

Nothing is cooler than stopping into your local LBS and having a happy tail wagging dog in there to meet ya.

Speaking for myself, here's what's I like in a shop:
- fun, pleasant atmosphere that I want to go back to
- catalogues for everything, preferably that I can take home
- willingness to chat about stuff that clearly I'm not even considering buying
- lots of gadgets to browse through
- a good website that goes beyond "we have the best range on everything at the best prices!" actual $ figures are always a bonus.
- no trash talking other brands. If two brands are very similar, just acknowledge it, and try and win me over with your superior service.

Some things I would love:
- "while you wait" service. Most places I know require you to drop the bike off and pick it up at least 24 hours later. I would love to be allocated a slot like "Thursday 11am", and have it back by lunchtime. Much more convenient if I only have to go there once, and don't need to work out some other way of getting home etc.
- reasonable attitude towards online sales. Agree to match the online price of a rack, if I'm getting shoes there. No guilting or sooking. Capitalise on the fact that they can have the thing *today* and pay *no shipping*.
- courtesy bike when yours is in service.

Steve

Oh, also, acknowledging the bias of your sales staff, too. I totally accept that a guy whose passion is mountain biking is going to steer me towards mountain bikes and tell me that road bikes are fragile. But just be up front about it. And don't try and pretend you actually know anything about road bikes if you don't...

Steve

The bike shop I use (Cambria bikes in San Luis Obispo ((shameless plug))) has two things going for it.

1) Great service
2) A coffee shop

Those aren't the only two things... but they're important. One thing you need from a bike shop is that they stand behind their work/product. Anyone who sells you one thing one day, and then calls it crap the next day when they try to sell you something else should be avoided. When parts from the bike I bought broke (chainrings bending well before they should) they were replaced with better quality parts, got a free tune up, and done in 2 hrs while I went to the movies (on a drop in basis).

Good shop.

Best advice though is to look around your area. Don't hesitate to try a different shop if something seem odd about the one you're using.

Lots of opinions, so mine might be covered, but here I go.

I find with the bike store I like, that they are very busy. This is not because the overwhelming amount of customers. It stems from the large amount of internet orders they receive, and from the nature of the bike sale. It takes only moments for a person who knows what they want to come in, grab a tube, tire, whatever, but with increased bike sales recently, it means you get a lot of people who don't know what they want. So what happens is you get 1 or 2 people coming into look at bikes, now it takes a considerable amount of time to sell someone a bike. You have to find out all sorts of information, recommend a couple bikes, let them test ride, and so on. It's like selling a car, really.

So it takes very few customers to cause a back-up in service. Between Customers, online order filling, and bicycle repair (in which there is a lot), there is just no time for quick questions to the employees.

If it were my shop, I would ensure the mechanics on duty know how to work the register, know how to greet customers and ask if they need something. They don't need to be excellent salesmen, but if I say, I have "x" bike and need a particular part they don't have out on the floor, then they should know what I need, and where it is. And if it takes more than a few moments then say the salesmen will be with you shortly.

Its a need for efficient service.

The layout and the displays I know little about.

Also, since waiting for the salesmen to be available can be troubling, and tedious, something to keep the customer comfortable would be nice.

Someone mentioned a coffee shop, maybe a seating area with magazine or a video playing. A Cycling video game would be sweet :-)

To attract commuters, hire employees who commute to work. Having staff who knows what we're going through is key. Aside from that, just stock the stuff we'll need. That means racks, fenders, good lights, etc. Have commuter-friendly tires - Armadillos, Gatorskins and Marathons for 700C, and semi-slicks for 26".

Also, maybe host events. Put up flyers near your shop (and signs in it) advertising a "Bike commuting 101" get-together. Then have staff interact with people, and go through the pros/cons of different equipment and clothing. I know that was one of the bigger hurdles for me, especially once winter started closing in. Also maybe talk about route selection for commuting, since that's one of the things that doesn't immediately occur to newbies.

Good for you for caring about commuters. We recently had a new shop open, and I was really excited because it would allow me to avoid Performance. No such luck, though, as nearly everything in the store was dedicated to high-end roadies and a few nice MTBs. Probably won't be going back.

Ditto on bicycle commuting employees. I put more miles on my bike commuting than any other activity and always prefer dealing with bike shop personnel that ride the same streets I do.
If I do have a question or problem, they at least have an idea as to where I'm coming from.

everyone in my shop has gauged ears and tatoos... and are still respectable and representative of their sport.

good idea on the flyers. most of us do commute here. and we carry all the sssential commuting gear not that i'm here.

I found a shop owner that got into the business for the love of cycling .. Its a small shop and a 1 man show but he's easy to talk to, though he's quite buzy between new customers and his repair buisiness.

Plus since I live in the wonderfull state of NEW YORK i get taxed wether i buy online or not so I've decided that i'll buy exclusivly from my lbs even though he's a little out of my way he's told me that if he does not have it instock he can order it and most likely have it there the next day.

People pretty much have said it all. In really long ways. So I will reiterate in a short version.

*Hold.."How to commute" lessons

Show some of the gear one can use to make commuting easy and efficient.

*Give product demos.

*Hold bike rides..from beginner to advance.

Good. What Gonz said is absurd...Should he not hire anyone who wears certain ethnic or religious garb either? Fascist

As far as a shop,
I like being talked to not talked at. Treating each customer differently, because we do each have our own wants and needs. Don't assume I came to buy something, maybe I just came to learn something...like what is out there.

The fact that you are even asking/posting this shows that you are headed in the right direct.

Good Luck!

Gauged ears? Meaning earrings? As long as they are neat, clean and well dressed, who cares if they have earrings or tattoos?

It's funny. There's a shop in town where most of the wrenches are inked and pierced. I've stopped in there on the way home from work, tie loosened and dress pants cuffed with dork bands. Totally different worlds right? Nope. It's all about bikes and how can I help you and get you on your way?

If they think it's weird that here's a middle-aged guy wearing a tie and riding an old road bike converted to fixed gear, they don't let on, they don't make jokes about my total Freddishness. Hey, that's a great commuting bike! What is that 42x16? Nice mellow gear for riding around town, isn't it?

Great shop.

I googled gauged ears, and wikepedia said it was the practice of stretching the ears to a larger size using incremental instruments. Not sure if there is another connotation to it.

Dirtiness. Simply put I don't need my bike shop to be a retail joint. I can buy the stuff I need off of Nashbar. I need a mechanic. Friendliness and willingness to explain are also definite musts.