beetz12

That's valid point.

However I don't feel like I'm intruding on anyone's time because most of the time when I walk into the shop, the place is pretty devoid of customers with about 5 guys just standing around. My questions are usually pretty simple. For example, I would ask "Do these bearing look worn to you?", "what are your experiences with this?", or "i've been having this problem... what are your recommendations?".

Over 70% of the time, I follow up with the recommendation and purchase something that will help me with the problem. If not, I thank them for their advice, and move on. I'm not the pesky kind that hangs around the shop all day and bother the staff with pointless questions. I'm more inclined to research bicycle questions online and teach myself.

Yes, I've received knowledge from the shop, but I didn't feel like I was taking advantage of them since I often buy something. Also if I ever have them do some kind of adjustment (installing end cap on my brake cable, or install a spacer in my headset , I'm prepared to pay - although half the time they do it for free.

spry

If they really disliked you they would "beetz your a55".
Drop off a lid of weed occasionally to those grease monkeys to show you care.

hrt4me

My understanding is that bike sales offer the least profit margin for a LBS; they make more selling service, parts and accessories.

beetz12

No I did not buy at another shop. Instead, I bought a used frame and components from PBK to build my own bike.

At the shop, I test rode the Sequoia, Roubaix, and Tarmac, and I really liked the roubaix. The owner tried to sell me a new 2007 Roubaix Elite Triple for $1700 and a 2008 Roubaix Elite Triple for $1900.

It wasn't a terrible offer, but I really wanted an all-carbon dura ace bike for that price. I really couldn't justify spending several thousands more than I need to for the bike I want. So I collected the parts on my own and now my friend is trying to convince me to let the shop build it.

travkat

sounds like they just sized you up, so you don't owe them anything really. If they had done a full on fitting then I would still say you should buy from them. If not no worries. Let them chill and decide if you want to continue giving them your business.

travkat

All of these are viable options yet I imagine not a single one of these would have given the OP advice on any of his bike related questions, let alone give him a sizing or a fitting for that matter. There is some entitlement in an LBS and rightfully so. If they are a good shop and can help you in person then they are entitled to expect some reciprocity. I worked a long time in an LBS and personally never had a problem helping a customer who ultimately went somewhere else for a bike or item we didn't carry. Usually, if my service was good enough, they would come back to us for everything else they needed. Good customer service cant be replaced by the internet.

Debuman

Doesn't seem like you did anything wrong as many others have commented. I'm curious why the shop management would knowingly create hard feelings between themselves and their customers. Don't they understand that it's customers like you who will refer other customers to their shop if they keep you in good standing? Apparently there is no simple business sense in that shop. I recommend moving on, finding another shop, and sending all your friends to the new shop as well. Business people need to understand the power of "word-of-mouth" advertising.

Beaker

Interesting. I like my LBS -- they've been good to me over the last couple of years, and I bought my bike from them last December. I try to spend some cash there on a reasonably regular basis as they've offered me plenty of free advice and help but with low pressure to purchase. I've probably put at least $3K their way so far and feel good about it because they've provided me with value that exceeded the $ price of the goods that I purchased from them.

However, I'm thinking of upgrading my crankset to Ultegra SL, and am torn since they offered to instal and let me ride the cranks for a while and purchase if I wish, but they were starting in the $300 range. I know I can get it for half of that on PBK (if they ever re-stock), but will probably see if I can negotiate a better deal with them before going down the path of the internet purchase.

What's the point of this ramble? Well, I sympathise with the OP. I'm with TequilaJoe - $100/mo is a nice regular income for those guys, so while I am into supporting a *GOOD* LBS (like the one I have), I don't think yours quite meets that definition.

Of course, as others have noted, your "friend" is the wild card/agent provocateur here...

eb314

When I planning on building up my first bike (and only bike I've built up) I went in just to get an idea for what frame I wanted. Right off the bat I said I probably couldn't afford a new bike, because I already had an Ultegra 9 speed group at home that I got for free. I liked the CAAD9, so we got a quote. $1000 for the frameset. This was a little pricey for me since I'd seen them new on ebay for half that.

A Six13 frameset was $2000 from Cannondale. I Chatted a bit with the guy, who was really nice. He let me take a Six13 out for a test ride even though he knew I had absolutely no intention of buying the bike. Just for fun.

I did end up getting a Six13 frame on ebay and building it up, but I went back to the shop to buy my girlfriend's OCR-3w. Stuff like that earns business, even if it isn't immediate.

enjoi

i worked at a bike shop last summer. Its one of those shops that noone rides a bike and the customer is a hassle.

The whole, i adjusted the seat post for you, you should/have to buy it now attitude killed me. If it wasnt for the good pay i would have been out of there real quick

Cyclist0383

Perhaps you are a bit more high-maintenance than you realize. Shops make their money from service, and you are using their knowledge to save having to pay them for the services they provide.

Every LBS has people like this who think they are a great customer, but in reality just come in looking from something for free or on the cheap.

cinegabe

LBS-related threads are the most entertaining on all of BF.

banerjek

That's not really a fair way of putting it. Anyone who is truly interested in learning will naturally gravitate towards people who will teach them. Besides, many shops require people to leave their bikes there overnight. If you really like to ride or if the distance to the shop is an issue, there is a strong incentive to do things yourself even if you don't care about the $$.

Grumpy McTrumpy

I would do all of my own maintenance even if I lived next door to a shop and could afford to buy the shop. I like to do things myself. If I want to spend money in a shop I will do it, and I probably drop a thousand at the local shop per year just in tools, parts and extras. I also see these guys at races and know them by name so the whole concept of client vs. merchant is somewhat blurred.

I have never just walked in to a shop asking for free advice. The only time I will hassle a mechanic for information is if I just bought a tool there and need to know how to use it.

In terms of running a customer-oriented business: I don't think the ability to pilot a bicycle fast for twenty years makes a person better at this. Neither does the ability to lace a wheel or re-face a bottom bracket shell.

The truth is, the more you can just be a friendly and helpful person the better your brick-and-mortar establishment will do. If you go about this with the attitude that everyone who walks in to your store has to "pay annual dues" just to be gifted with your precious attention then business will be a difficult proposition in the long run.

Ideally the local serious riders will, over time, consistently support your shop with small purchases whereas the one-time bike buyers may spend a thousand at one time and then possibly never be seen again. If you alienate a potential customer on purpose by attempting to guilt them into buying a large item from you as "payment" for them taking up your time then you run the risk of having that person decide to boycott your establishment and tell all of their friends precisely why they are doing it.

bakerjw

I do all of my own maintenance as well so my local bike shops don't get service dollars from me. That said I do support the shops that I frequent by making purchases from them when I stop by. Clothing, parts, nutrition aids, etc... No big ticket items, but something to keep stock moving.

If any of them were to make me feel that I was taking advantage of them by asking questions or by being a smart consumer and spending my money wisely, I'd simply find a better shop. Someone is always ready to step in and treat you like a customer should be treated.

Cyclist0383

Sadly some people don't have the tact to know when it's too much.

FWIW, my LBS gave me a lesson, a spoke wrench, and a handful of spokes when I asked about truing wheels and replacing broken spokes.......

deadly downtube

WTH!! it's not like the dalai lamma himself came down from his holy perch and gave you sacred wisdom only he could give you and then you turned around and used it for nefarious gain... this bike shop owner should've simply never given you advice, and then you could've found the same advice or better advice somewhere else!! this guy sounds like a jerk... i never deal in retail because it's a ripoff! i support the bike church instead, it's what a bike shop should be!

https://bikechurch.santacruzhub.org/index.html

JayC

Im really not getting what youre saying.

I offered them a service. I tried to tell them, based on my experience, how to utilize it. Its their sections, they can do what they want with it. My website gains nothing from them being there. The shop sections are a benefit to their business only. I can't see a way that goes back to the same mentality. Im giving them something to benefit them. Im telling them ways to utlitize it to benefit them.

Essentially getting people in the door was my goal for setting up the shop sections. Putting bikes on sale once a year is not going to get people in the door. But, its their sections, they can use them or not. I have several sections on there now where shops requested them and have never posted in them.

I dont see how I can service it any more than saying "Hey guys.. based on my years of running forums, this is the best way for you to utilize your sections" and explaining it to them. I cant make them do it, I can just tell them what works best, which is what I did. It boggles my mind that their squandering such a great money making opportunity that theyre getting for nothing but looking at how LBS's are run, it doesnt surprise me much.

sharkey00

+1

If I had to go to a bike shop every time I needed a tune or to replace a part my bike would spend weeks per year in the shop. I often get home after the bike shops close and need to get back to work before they open. You should have seen my jaw when the shop told me it would be about 5 days to replace a spoke.

One shop in particular was great about this sort of thing though. There were a lot of commuters that went there and they would work with you to get your bike fixed on weekends or nights.

Retro Grouch 

Maybe, maybe not. My question is how much shop employee time the OP takes. If he's chit-chatting for an hour or more every week, that's at least $100.00 per month he's costing the shop.

urbanknight

I disagree. I know that bike mechanics aren't always in the highest IQ range in the professional world, but they can chew gum and walk at the same time. If the OP wasn't around chit chatting, they would be chit chatting with each other. That's how it worked when I was a mechanic, and the topics were rarely about cycling (usually sex and music) when the store was empty.

mcoomer

If $100 a month isn't enough "support" for them then you should look elsewhere to spend your money. It would be one thing is you always asked for deals, freebies, repair advice, or whatever and then spent your dollars at another shop but if you're not they you're holding up your end of the bargain, so to speak.

Mike

DScott

If all the info you have about how the owner/manager feel about you is from your "friend", you might want to verify it for yourself. It'd be interesting to know how they might feel if they knew one of their employeees was losing them a customer.

wirelessness

I think you crossed the line asking the LBS owner for help regarding buying used gear online. That being said, it sounds like you have done a lot to support them financially. $100/mo is a lot of money no matter how you look at it. If they don't appreciate that then I would go somewhere else in a heat beat.

I'm pretty new to road cycling but I have to be honest here. There are a lot of high end bike shops in my area and they are the last place I would go for advice on what to buy. They all have an agenda and for the most part the general aura of intimidation I feel when I go in these places is not that much fun. I figure out what I want to buy and what the best price should be before I even step inside the LBS. If they have what I want and the price is at least close to the online price I will buy locally. If we don't buy from them they will go out of business and it is nice to have a local resource when you really need one. For me it's 100% business, I straight up ask for a discount or a price match. If they won't do it, then I weigh my options; instant gratification vs. ordering online. I would never step foot in a store that tried to guilt me about how I spend my money. Why don't you ask them to show you the books on how much profit they have made in the last 5 years. Pretty sure they would be offended...as you should be about their feelings and or comments.

nycphotography

You LBS employees make $25/hr?