I hate this apologetic attitude. If I'm going to be spending $1k minimum for a toy (and the crowd on this forum is likely spending $2-4k+) I should be treated nicely and NOT subject to redicule and abuse by the salespeople.

Bike shops are failing because, at many, you don't get decent customer service unless the customer does the work to build the relationship. I find this completely unacceptable.

Other retail stores either earn your business with good customer service or understand that they will only be competing on price and will have to deal with online competitors. When I go shopping for a new TV, I wouldn't deal with the salesman being rude to me while talking about what I like/dislike in a TV, why is it any different in the bike shop?

Cute imagination.
Why support those who don't want the support in the first place?

oops, I was wrong and I was a jerk.

This seems like really broad brush strokes. If bike shops are globally failing over customer service then Central New York must have missed out again. I have been treated far worse at Worst Buy and Staples (known as "The S word" in my household) than I have ever been at a bike shop.

It seems many employees at stores selling technical products think that expertise is magically bestowed with employment. Try buying PC parts in many retail stores. Noone wants to say "I don't know" or "That is not something that I have dealt with." Its nerd ego at work.

"Luke, I see that your Shcwartz is bigger than mine." to badly misquote SpaceBalls.

OK

A little more info -

I went in, asked to try a hybrid that would fit me in a 600 to 700 dollar price range. He looks at me, says I have a good bike for you - for $450.

I looked at it, not as many gears, did not have as nice components - it wasn't on sale, it was what he had in stock that would fit. Then he started trying to switch me to a "comfort" bike. When I said, no - I know I don't want a comfort bike nor do I want a lower entry model, I wanted a little better - he then started trying to push me on to the larger bike.

I rode it, it didn't feel as good as what I had tried in other stores. I aske about ordering a bike and he didn't pick up on it and keep pushing the larger bike.

I left with the clear feeling that he was highly motivated to sell what he had in stock regardless of what I wanted

Its almost like bike people dont want you in the club, huh?

For real. San Diego is saturated with bike shops.

Also, for the record: if it seems like my previous post was complaining about the attitudes of LBS employees, it wasn't. I prefer places with a little character. Granted, there's a limit to the amount of attitude I'm okay with, but I'm a competent cyclist at this point and I want real answers from my LBS, not someone to butter me up and try and convince me that whatever choice I make is the right one and that this Giant OCR will magically give me the power of speed.

I feel like cyclists are a little rough around the edges sometimes. Not constantly rude, mind you, but if I wanted a yes man for my bike purchases I'd go to Performance.

If they are confrontational in their first contact with you they are *******s. Some people can't help themselves. But you'd have to get out of the house now and then to be able to recognize them.

"So do you know anything at all about bikes?" That's the first thing out of their mouths. Nice stuff like that.

That didn't take long (a member for only a month)!

When I was looking for a bike, I had no idea what I wanted other than a road bike. Every store I stopped at was very helpful, and I had made it very clear that I was not buying that day, and that I was going to look elsewhere. I made my choice, and when I went back to order my bike today, the store owner saw me in and knew me by name, it has been a WEEK since I had been in. I have never been more pleased with a salesman and a staff in general. They know there **** and do not try to push you for than you are looking at.

ROFL. I couldn't help myself. I have lurked for a year if that helps, and the guys at my bike shop handed me a printed copy of the rules last week with my violations (that they know of) highlighted.

I've been to lots of shops all over the place. Fortunately I live in an area with many stores to pick from unlike the OP. But I've found most of the LBS are doing very well - one has people waiting in line on weekends to check out and pay for complete new bikes. In my opinion, they are one of the best in the country and opened another store last year. The other expanded from to stores to now 5 over a 5 year period.

I laugh about people here who complain their LBS won't allow test rides. Both of these stores not only allowed but encouraged longer test rides - one even said to take the demo bike home over a three day holiday weekend.

I've seen mechanics showing people that brough bikes in for repairs how to do it themselves next time. So all I can say is find a LBS you like (if that's possible depending upon your circumstances)

The folks at my LBS simply say, "You can't do that," and walk away.
When they deign to speak at all, that is.

Yes, broad brush strokes. I'm not an expert on retail stores, but in my mind, stores compete on 3 legs:

1) Price
2) Convenience / availability of products
3) Customer Service

On pure price competition, a LBS will lose on price to internet retailers, ebay, etc. Heck, LBSs lose the cheapest consumers to Walmart and the like.

As far as product goes, LBSs have better product that Walmart, hands down. However, if a town has more than one LBS, each LBS will have decent product.

Therefore, that leaves customer service as the area where LBSs compete against each other. Furthermore, the customer service experience should be better at an LBS than Best Buy or Staples.

Broad brush strokes are great, so let's paint the house.

Since 93% of statistics are made up on the spot, here are some more. The people that walk into a bike shop fall into the following categories:

20% - people looking for a tube, or a flat tire change, or some other thing that they could do themselves with 5 minutes of effort. They expect to pay $3 and will be annoyed if not serviced immediately.

10% - people looking for that thing that goes on the dohicky holding the seat to the wheel.. they speak gibberrish, look at other bikes to show an example, can't find it, and wander out confused.

40% - people actually looking for the best bike Walmart prices can buy. They become offended when they see bike shop prices, act shocked and outraged that anyone would charge that for a "BIKE!" and leave.

5% - looking for a warm place to survive New York winters. Typically they stop coming in around June but pick back up in September. This may be a regional thing though.

10% - expect to buy a bike on-line but want to use the shop for a free fitting and test ride.

15% - actual customers in the right spot actually looking to purchase a bicycle with an appropriate budget. They are checking multiple stores, asking questions, and comparing data. Most will not buy that day, most will say I'll be back and won't. Of these, half are educated and experienced cyclists, while two thirds walk in knowing they want a bike but know nothing about bikes in general (it is important for made up numbers to not sum out correctly).

So what's my point? The OP absolutely received poor service, and shops should treat everyone well. But I think sales people become frustrated, act inappropriately, and then wonder why they didn't get the sale on that small percentage that was saleable. But don't categorize every bike shop with the same scope. There are great ones and crappy ones.

You're only 39 once, but it lasts for at least 10 years.

I agree but that is sales. That is the job. Like it or get a different career. Sales is not for everyone, and buying a $2000 bike is like buying a car for most people.

A salesperson need to treat every customer well so they can sell the bike to the 10-15% that actually wants to buy one. LBS 's have a hard time with online sales. I mean we aren't talking about a hundred bucks difference, we are talking hundreds even thousands in some cases. If you want a consumer to pay more, that much more you have to give them something they won't get from an online store.

If A newbie spends $1500 on a bike, the LBS should be happy to fix a tube, swap a stem, tighten a couple bolts if I stop by on a ride. A good shop WILL do this. indo thisnwhen I can for people and it takes 2 minutes! It's what happens after the sale that keeps people in your store. (I'm not a bike store employee and not a bike tech expert).

I fell into the 15% that was going to shops to ask questions and get fitted and then buy online because of the inflated prices. If you want me to spend $400 more on the same bike there needs to be a fearing reason! Fortunately ther was a good shop. They were better than all the other shops customer service wise. It made me want to buy a bike there, like you were now a part of the family. Ya some of it is to make a sale, some of it not. In any case I was willing to pay more for the bike and DiD!

I agree. The bike shops that don't understand this are the ones that are failing because their attitude takes people out of the 15% of actual customers and they lose the ability to get people out of the other categories into the actual customer category.

At the risk of using a broad brush (gasp!), I expect you read this part of it right.

I get that, it's because they know you. My LBS usually just gives me a "hey whats up rob" and they let me browse...it's what I do, I always have questions so I just kind of wait for the right time to shoot the sh1t with the guys in the back shop. My questions here are the same dumb questions I ask them each time I go in. There is another shop in town that I don't particularly like, not for any good reason other than I just don't know the people as well and I don't ride with their groups. It sounds snobbish but it's like a clique and you stick to your own. The guys do great work and are solid people as well, and they are closer to my house. My first experience with them was bad and it stuck in my head. Have I sent friends there to shop...of course...everybody deserves a second chance and every new customer deserves to form their own opinion. They may love something I don't

Here is an interesting monologue, with several buried hints at what we are observing to be wrong with the LBS.

First is the suggestion that the average person cannot know anything about bikes, and only the guys in the shop can save him from himself:

"My questions here are the same dumb questions I ask them each time I go in."

These chaps hold cycling's Golden Egg in their fingers. One must wait his turn to speak to them, even though they see Mr. Fred as one of them.
They may beat their wives, be Republicans or be as dumb as stones about anything else, but they enjoy Olympian status because they have chain lube under their fingernails.

Then there is this, when talking about a shop across town:

I just don't know the people as well and I don't ride with their groups. It sounds snobbish but it's like a clique and you stick to your own.

Here, Mr. Fred admits to not riding with *their groups*. In fact, one can surmise from his comments that, as cyclists, you are expected to *stick to your own.* Don't show up uninvited, dude.

By comparison, *his* store is a place of comfort and familiarity.

Without realizing it, DropDeadFred is bolstering the exclusive snobbery one finds in LBS's all over. These things come from Fred himself, too. He accepts them as normal.

Certainly, not every LBS has this fault. But curiously, it may pervade any of them and we think that is acceptable.
If you got that same attitude from Best Buys, for example, you'd tell them to kiss your @ss and hit the internet in a minute. But, if you get it from the folks in the bike shop, well... that's okay. You should still give them your money.

In fairness, Mr. Fred is eclectic. He knows that others should be allowed to form their own opinions. In the end, though, I imagine it is expected they will form similar opinions about *their* chosen shop.

This is not meant to degrade anyone, least of all you, DDF. I give you thumbs up for the entirety of your comments. They are enlightening.

What is funny is I reread my post about the half dozen shops, and am somewhat embarrassed. I use the terms hate and love to describe my thoughts on shops, and I really don't hate any of them. They all seem to service a segment of the customer base, and as long as LBS's exist, and people keep riding, I will remain a happy camper.

I am the type to do exactly this too.

Under the "two side to every coin" category, I'm probably the above guy, at least in the eyes of my LBS people. I occasionally go in asking for things like 15mm crank bolts, and the automatic assumption is that because they don't know what I'm talking about, I must not either. When they ask me to show it to them on a display bike, I can't, because the display bikes don't have it. I fight off the near-overwhelming urge to rant on about the bike races I was winning when they were still in diapers, and wander out - no doubt looking confused, if only because I can't remember the exact day I turned into a grumpy old man.