Another LBS thread - I tried to support them today.
 

I live in a small town and the closest LBS that I enjoy going to is about 2 hours away by car. Needless to say I don't shop there very often.

Lately I have begun shopping for a new bike, I have a budget and a good idea of what I want. I have always had a good shopping experience while I am at this store so it is my first stop when I decided to go shopping.

As I enter the store I see a couple familiar faces and I don't believe for an instant that they would remember me (as I only make it in about 2 times a season).
I am totally ignored for almost 20 minutes. I am taking bikes down off the racks, sitting on them and pushing myself around the store.... nothing. Finally somebody yelled across the store "Have you been helped?". I say no and we strike up a conversation. No harm no foul, right?

I tell him my budget, what I am looking for, how much I ride and so forth. I recognize him from the previous trip to the store but I know he doesn't have a clue who I am since he introduces himself to me for about the third or fourth time now... After a quick talk he quickly narrows down my search to three bikes in the shop and sets me up on test rides. So far so good.

The first bike I ride is OK but nothing that would make me want to bust out the bankcard. The second bike is awful - it is one of the worst test rides I have ever done. The geometry was wrong and it just jarred me stupid after about three minutes. I quickly returned to the store and grabbed the third bike. This third one was beautiful, I almost didn't want to go back to the store! Light, nimble and responsive, it fit me like a glove so back to the store to see what we can do with it!

As I return to the store the salesman in waiting and asked what I thought. I explained to him my views on each bike and I swear to you this was his response "Really? that second bike is our bestseller to older men such as yourself" I respond "Older? I'm 39." He says "Then you must be stupid" (a more harsh slang version of this word was used).

His friend behind the mechanics station is beginning to laugh and says to him "leave the guy alone, not everybody likes that bike".

Now if this had been a friend that I know and see on a regular basis I would understand jabs at each other every now and then, but as I stated prior, this guy has no clue who I am and after then ten minute lecture as to why I should like the compact geometry of this particular "team model bike" I began to feel as though this little snot did think I was stupid.

I became a little disgruntled at the elitist attitude these guys were displaying and simply said that I would still need to look around a bit and left, as I was leaving I noticed that my salesman was wearing a shirt that said "Support your brick and mortar bicycle shops". Hmmm...

here's a hint: don't take it personally.

Sounds like they are doing pretty good and don't need your money. Now that you know what bike you want, go get it elsewhere.

You drove 2 hours to get called a dumbass by a salesman. Time to quit supporting the LBS.

teEell me about it...

Oh come on guys. Seriously?

Someone find me a gawddamn LBS that doesn't have a character or two.

I don't care if they are characters or not, they wouldn't get my money.

Seriously, though. LBS employees are just kind of weird, slightly offensive people. I wish I knew why; maybe it's part of their job description.

I had a mechanic that made funny comments about my legs at my old LBS. There's weird legends about the crabby guy that owns the place on the edge of the city. My current mechanic asks me when I'm getting married every time I come in.

As much as I hate to say it, if you want pleasantries and politeness you're probably going to have to shop at Performance. It seems like everyone has something to say about the attitudes at their LBS.

/thread

Except for the part where you mail a copy of your receipt to the LBS owner and explain why you didn't buy from him.

Ummm, maybe where you are - but not where I live. I just bought a new bike. Went to 4 local bike shops. Was treated professionally and courteously at all.

Granted, one of the four tried to sell me a bike that not only had zero standover - it was pushing my "boys" up. When I remarked it was too large, the response was "it's fine for you if you like how it rides" so I crossed the shop off the list.

So, I bought at the shop where bike seemed to feel the best.

Three rides, three trips back to LBS for minor adjustments. Every time I walked the bike in, they greeted me like an old family friend - asked what they could do and made the adjustments in five or ten minutes, apologized that it needed adjustments - I commented I would have been surprised if a few things hadn't needed to be done.

This is a store in a small chain - I think it's the original one - and they have been so nice, and given such service that I really haven't seen in decades -

Perhaps I don't understand why it is good to drive two hours to do business with someone who will not listen to their customers.

I don't give a rip how polite they are. I do give a rip that the salesman didn't listen to his customer. I don't want someone to kiss my ass to do business with them.

I do want someone that will listen to my needs. If he doesn't listen to my needs prior to the sale, he is unlikely to do so afterwards.

Seriously

All the employee's at my LBS and I are on first name basis. I'm surprised that things like that still happen in a small town. I can certainly understand it happening in a big city. I don't like that type of attitude from salespersons, especially when its the customer that is responsible for their employment. But it's not just in the bike business, it seems to be everywhere. I'm much older than 39 and I remember years ago going into stores and you were treated as if you owned the place. Now, it seems as if your are an idiot because they sell the product and you don't. Personally, I wouldn't lose any sleep over this but I would complain to the owner and not go back. If there is another bike shop in that area, they would be seeing me from now on.

Yeah, awesome business practice. Are we supposed to accept that kind of behavior from people trying to earn our business?

Don't be the old guy who gets butthurt by the young'ns.

Is that the royal "we", or did you have a specific group of people in mind?

I also went to my lbs the other day for the second time ever. Also got a snooty attitude. Also am never going back. Don't need my butt kissed either but I'm not going to be talked down to by someone and then reinforce their attitude by giving them my business. Doesn't help that their prices are way higher than an online retailer.

If I had to drive 2 hours to get there, I wouldn't consider it a Local Bike Shop...

My fave LBS has the youngest wrenches and sales folks, but are the friendliest around.

If you have to explicitly say "[I] don't need my butt kissed...", it's very probable you were expecting at least a bit of a peck. You do realize they don't know you, right? You might be the best wrench/cyclist/bike industry expert in the business, but under their roof, you are just another customer, just like the one they saw two minutes ago and just like the one they'll see two minutes after you leave.

I can only hear out of one ear, so it's easy to miss the stupid jokes. I know the guys at my LBS shops and they are funny. I am there to shop and ask questions, not to bond and share pillows.

Wow - you're just now discovering this?

The whole idea that to be worthy you must know as much as the LBS folks, is repulsive.
It is also too prevalent, from what we hear on BF. your experience is not unique.

Had he said that to me and then begun a lecture about the what I should like, I would have likely said, "Boy, I spent years in the Navy, where I was lectured to by genuine heroes. I don't need more from a wannabe like of you."

I would of just said STFU and left.

"We" being people who actually do not appreciate being spoken to in ways like "Then, you must be stupid"! Do you appreciate being spoke to in that manner? I do not need to be your friend nor do you need to kiss my ass but at least speak to me as an equal human being. Is it wrong to expect that from a business? Or is professionalism too much to ask of a local bicycle store?

Anyone who is as rude as the employee mentioned by the OP doesn't deserve one cent of my business.
And anyone who thinks that type of behavior is acceptable from a salesperson is part of the problem.

I wonder if any of the people that think this type of "quirky" behavior is acceptable, own their own business.

No, I actually work a service job dealing with the public and I know damn well how unrealistically demanding customers/patrons can be and the hell you have to put up with with some people. That being said I approach every customer/patron that I have to deal with as a new fresh face. I treat every person the same no matter what they look like or what assumptions I may or may not have made about them or how the person before them treated me. And when I say the same I mean I treat them with respect and courtesy. I don't kiss anyone's ass but I also don't turn my nose up at anyone. That is the only thing I demand from people. And it's not because they are "serving me" but because I believe that's how people should treat each other. It just happens to be the case that it makes sense in a sales position to do so as well.

Really? How should you take it when someone insults you to your face?

KeS