Gar, your post sure seems like you are just looking for an excuse to leave any particular store. You had them all ready in hand when you walked in. bk

I like your style!

Thanks for the info.

I have purchased stuff at 2 shops. ZBikes is on Orange Drive and Flamingo. I've purchased tubes, tires, frame pump, gloves and shorts from them. Bike America is on Johnson Street and University Drive, I've purchased my shoes and pedals from them.

Actually, the particular shop I was complaining about the most Alex Bicycles does come across as the most aloof and snobby. I am short and overweight and older, I have been used to being overlooked when I walk into LBS' for years, so yes, I do bring some baggage in when I walk into their stores. I want to see how they treat me, I don't feel like demanding their respect and service. As a consumer, my power lies in my wallet, and they either get my money or they don't, and someone else does.

I see, your money is a weapon, to be used against potential sellers. bk

Absolutely.

What happened to the seller wanting to earn my business? Call me naive or old-fashioned, but why should I spend more for "customer service" that I'm not getting? Why should I have to spend extra time and energy to develop a "relationship" with an LBS?

It's a real simple and fundamental business relationship. They might have a product I want. I have money that they want. I have more options on how to get that product than they have potential customers walking into their brick and mortar store. They can choose to alienate these customers, or they can display their ability to serve you from the get go. There's only one chance to make a good first impression. It's not like I'm the one applying for a job at their store and I need to sell myself to them. They want my money, I can spend it wherever I want, what are they going to do to prove to me it's worth spending thousands of dollars in their store?

The shops around here are all very attentive and helpful, not pushy. Where do you live? It seems so different from our experiences. I would be annoyed if I were you, too.

South Florida

My local LBS was great when I bought a bike last summer. They didn't have the model I wanted but contacted their Felt rep and he found one at another LBS. They went out of their way to have the bike shipped to the store. They also took care fitting me correctly and adjusting to my needs. I give them 2 thumbs up for an excellent buying experience.

This is leaking out all over the OP's posts;

"The Sadist. Financial sadists play vicious power games with money as a way of asserting their power. They might, for example, make you wait for money that is owed you, promising you that the check is in the mail. Or if they hire you to work for them, they meddle in every aspect of the job, haggling and giving you ulcers. Sadists seem to think that paying for something gives them the right to torture and abuse the seller. They have no sense of he courtier element in money. If you are unlucky enough to get involved with this type, accepting a financial loss may be better in the long run than getting involved in their destructive power games."

From; The 48 Laws of Power, by Robert Greene

Maybe, just maybe the LBS ought to avoid doing business with you, Gar. bk

huh?

I was using specific examples of poor customer service. It just so happened that on a bike forum, I used bike shops to make my point. It's fine if the LBS' don't want my money. I'll still wind up with the product that I want.

If you've read my posts, you know I've purchased stuff at two bike shops, and had a positive experience at a third. I don't know if I want the bikes the first two sell, and I am simply pointing out that the 3rd very helpful shop is located in such a manner as to make me wonder how often I'll be able to access them for support after the sale.

Yup, I'm playing vicious power games with my money. Yeah, that's the ticket. Thanks for helping me see my inner sadist.

So I was at Bike America again the other day, asking more questions, now they're trying to get me on a Cannondale Supersix Rival for over $2,500. So I was asking some questions about the differences between SRAM Rival and Shimano 105. The guy helping me wasn't that knowledgeable (and he admitted it), his manager, Trenton (who I've met) is a SRAM aficionado though. They sell Trek and Cannondale, my sales guy rides a Specialized Allez. In our conversation, I was doing more to sell him on the Supersix Rival! I did buy some locks and some lubricant, and other cleaning supplies. I spent almost $100, so whether or not I buy a bike from them, I have now spent almost $300 in their store supporting my online bike purchase, and asking road questions.

I will say that when I dealt with Trent buying the pedals and shoes, he asked what bike I bought and I told him a Motobecan Fantom 29 from BikesDirect, he said, "Cool."

I think this shop has been my favorite to deal with so far.

I found a bike shop I think I will like. It's a little out of my usual shopping area, but not out of my way at all. It has a wide variety of bikes, including Kestrels, Cannondales, Fujis, Jamis, and Raleighs. I found them through the Jamis dealer locator. Apparently they've been in the area for over 40 years. I recently saw some friends from my area talking them up on Facebook. I gave them a call the other night, and they seemed friendly over the phone, so I went over there today and they made an even better impression on me.

I'm going to buy a Jamis Quest from them.
Reynolds 631 tubing
Shimano 105 gruppo, with Ultegra rear derailer.
Mavic Aksium wheels
About $1,300

sweet!

That's great! You found a good shop and a bike that pleases you. Thanks for the update.

Heh.. Bet you just can't buy one...

The owner of the LBS where I got my bike tried to sell me an Argon18 Krypton http://www.argon18bike.com/velos/rou...ton-en-ca.html just as I walked in.

"Come on... you need to ride something more agressive !" I didn't buy it. I think it was $2500 with full 105 (a very nice ride from what I've heard).

This guy is over 65 and he rides a Colnago track bike with a pair of CF Zipp's on it.

I'm wondering what he's going to try and sell me the next time I'm there.

I always feel that finding the right LBS is half the problems solved with cycling.

I used to work in a bike shop back when I was in college. We had no prices on anything. The owner knew exactly what everything cost and with the exception of small items like tubes we had to ask him how much to charge. He always asked who the customer was before he told us the price. So one day this customer comes in who has been a real PITA and wants to by a bike. Without batting an eye the boss tells him $400 more than we just sold the bike to someone else for (remember, this is the 1970s when $400 was actually worth something). The guy actually bought the bike. So I ask the boss why he charged this guy so much more and he said, "honestly, I was hoping he wouldn't buy the bike, the guy is such a PITA." And that was the way it went. We charged the people we didn't like a lot more money and the people we liked got great deals. Mostly we ended up with customers we liked. The owner told me he knew he could make more money doing things differently but liking what he did was more important.

My recent bike shop story:
I go to a bike shop about a 45 min drive from my house (don't ask why, another long story), I ask them to check the bearings on my front wheel. They say come back tomorrow. I go back the next day (another 45 min ride), they say nothing was wrong but replaced the bearings anyway but since they did not tell me they had to replace them to do really inspect them well they did not charge me for new bearings (total charge $12).
Turns out problem was in the rear wheel. Took the rear wheel to them the next day, showed them the problem. Guy asks where I came from, I told him. He said - "go get a cup of coffee, when you get back I'll have it fixed", while sitting in the coffee shop I get a text, "it's complete", I go back to the shop, he has rebuilt the free hub ($25) and put the wheel by the front door so I don't have to walk back to the shop. I pay for the wheel, walk back to the shop to thank him personally and plop a ten spot on the counter. It would have cost me almost that much in gas to have made another round trip to pick up the wheel.

Now that's a good shop.

Here's the shop I found (for any of you near Hollywood, Florida)

http://www.leesbicycleshop.com/