Going to our 1 and only Trek dealer waste of time
08-27-19, 09:09 AM
#26
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I love how, on one hand we excuse the slackness of SOME bike shops... and then complain that the industry is struggling. Why is the retail/LBS struggling? Because they serve little purpose. The parts are more plentiful and cheaper online. Every city has five different mobile mechanic companies/franchises who'll come to your house. So what's left? Product knowledge? Advice? Consulting on new bikes (geometry/fitting)? Yet, we're okay with salespeople who haven't bothered to learn the brand and shops that don't prioritize training.
The employee got the OP to try a bike, that he believed was too big, and it confirmed that he needed a smaller size.
The OP said she couldn't answer many of his questions, but he never said what those questions were.
08-27-19, 10:03 AM
#28
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Lack of knowledge is NO excuse. Even if that was her very first day on the floor, I bet she knew the day before that she'd be working there. So, that gave her time to read EVERY *$#&ing page of information provided by Trek and the shop and the internet and... Yeah, there's a LOT of available info on the most common brand of bike sold today.
And yeah - the car industry is worse...
- Had a guy tell me the seats had lumber support. Cool. Glad they're using some natural products.
- At a Lexus dealership, a snooty new car sales guy, when asked "Does the GX460 still have a solid axle in the rear?" (admittedly, a test question to see if he knew his product)... responded "The whole vehicle is solid. It's a Lexus"
But it does sound like she did confirm the size by suggestion a test ride on the 56. That was smart. Our measurements are only part of the equation.
Congrats on the new ride! Red's faster too.
And yeah - the car industry is worse...
- Had a guy tell me the seats had lumber support. Cool. Glad they're using some natural products.
- At a Lexus dealership, a snooty new car sales guy, when asked "Does the GX460 still have a solid axle in the rear?" (admittedly, a test question to see if he knew his product)... responded "The whole vehicle is solid. It's a Lexus"
But it does sound like she did confirm the size by suggestion a test ride on the 56. That was smart. Our measurements are only part of the equation.
Congrats on the new ride! Red's faster too.
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08-27-19, 10:44 AM
#29
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When I needed a new vehicle I went to the Philly Auto Show with a tape measure. Wanted something I could but the bike in with little or no disassembly. Eventually bought a Forester. Even my long wheelbase Surly LHT fits with both wheels on. And I got a special discount because my employer is a vendor of sorts of Subaru. It handles finished autos transported by rail.
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08-27-19, 12:06 PM
#30
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I took matters into my hands on a Jeep build a while back... pulled a tape on the garage - floor to door/header... and built a Jeep to fit. Ended up with a 1981 CJ8 (Scrambler) that was dead on 7' tall. The mid-cab roll bar actually touched the weather stripping on the bottom of the garage door. Kinda cut that a bit close.
08-27-19, 04:54 PM
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What are some good trick questions I can use next time I'm at the LBS? I want them to understand I'm really smart but that might not be apparent during a normal conversation. Car questions too in case I have more time on my hands.
08-27-19, 06:34 PM
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I think that best practice is to just tell them that you know more than them. Then you don't have to beat around the bush and you can get right to negotiations. Instead of asking them for their best price, you can just tell them what their best price is (because you know more than them, natch), why you're only comfortable paying $100 less than that and why it would behoove (definitely use that word) them to accept your reasonable offer. 60% of the time, it works every time.
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08-27-19, 10:23 PM
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I think that best practice is to just tell them that you know more than them. Then you don't have to beat around the bush and you can get right to negotiations. Instead of asking them for their best price, you can just tell them what their best price is (because you know more than them, natch), why you're only comfortable paying $100 less than that and why it would behoove (definitely use that word) them to accept your reasonable offer. 60% of the time, it works every time.
08-28-19, 05:58 AM
#34
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Definitely talk about how you dropped this one guy you saw out on the road - how you drafted him for three miles then totally dropped him. He was on a really sweet bike - so he had to be a Cat2 at least. That'll impress the guys for sure.
Last edited by Zaskar; 08-28-19 at 09:39 AM.
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08-28-19, 07:31 AM
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OP has a point in that spending hours of his time, it doesn't really matter if the salesperson was new or trying hard. It's still hours, and he expected some sort of service that he didn't get from the bike shop.
That said, I feel like defending the sales girl because it sounds to me like she accurately qualified the customer, gave him the attention he needed, helped him make some choices and wound up with a sale.
That said, I feel like defending the sales girl because it sounds to me like she accurately qualified the customer, gave him the attention he needed, helped him make some choices and wound up with a sale.
08-28-19, 07:38 AM
#36
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That's what you get for wanting a Trek in the first place. You should be going back to ti.
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