If you're naive enough to expect that every single interaction you have with someone in customer service should be perfect, then your must live a life full of disappointments.

To stop going to your LBS of six years because of one bad experience is really juvenile.

br995 - do you work on hilton head? I know some people that work in a bike shop there....

Ok, from a wichita ks, perspective, I am a mechanic in a city where there are very few fixed gear riders... There are there of us in the shop that ride and two exclusively. Before I worked there I was the only one that ever asked the shop about fixed gear. And now that I work there I have only talked to one person about it. I would love it it somebody came in and wanted to talk for an hour.

Another LBS experience thread...

In trying to get my disc wheel all together, I've been to Landry's twice and Harris Cyclery twice (and going back again on saturday).

First time at Landrys got a tube for my clincher, a Cateye headlight, and a cycling cap, second time I got a Surly cog and the bb locking they ordered for me for free. When I came back to Landrys because the lucknut on my clincher wheel broke (not related to the disc wheel), the guys found a replacement on a busted wheel and installed it for me for free. I don't think that would have happened if I hadn't been purchasing regularly.

So the first time at Harris I bought an axle, track nuts, and cone wrenches. All were the wrong size (store was closing and I didn't have time to double check). Adam was nice enough to find me stuff all in the right size and even throw in an old cone wrench so I could have two of the right size. I'm going back again on Saturday because the shop was all out of 10x26 track nuts, and I plan on buying a chainwhip and lockring wrench (and possibly a floor pump). I could save a little bit by buying these online but it's worth supporting a LBS that does a good job and has friendly people.

At the same time, I could see how people like me who need to come in a lot because they're clueless about a certain piece of equipment could piss off the shop people, especially if I were not to actually buy anything.

There's a reason the shops sell tools, they expect people to learn stuff about bike repair. You can learn stuff online and buy tools online but that's no good replacement for a shop showing you how to use them. I think they need to make the effort first to show you, even if it means potentionally spending time on a non-customer, because otherwise the potential-customer is not going to want to shop there (like the OP).

Okay, so lbs have to make money - that's a given.
Dialog is a wonderful tool to explain your situation, "I have to make money."
This is what I'm going to do to your parts....
Here you go. That'll be: "**********$$$$$."
Thanks for your business. Come back sometine when we aren't so busy.

Hey which island are you on?

James? John's? Edisto? Kiawah? Seabrook? Paulie's? Litchfield? Bull?

That's about all the S.C. islands I know..

He's on Hilton Head.
Dates only cheerleaders.

ya know guys there is only one lbs that is in my area of sacto that I steer clear of because of personal issues with the management other than that all other shops around these parts have a great repoire with me and seem to have no problem answering my questions and getting me what I want at the price I want however I don't sit there and waste the guys time stuttering and asking stupid remedial questions

when there is extensive how to instructions on the parktool website and sheldonbrown.com
get over it life isn't all bright and shiny Sally!

it's just the way the game operates... some employees give you lip, but that shouldn't mean you avoid the whole shop. hell, portland is infamous for dean at bike central who, aside from being probably the best wheelbuilder in town and one of the best mechanics, is also a dick to just about everyone i've asked who's gone in there...maybe he doesn't like to see nice track bikes on the street because he's a pure-blooded velodrome racer, but you have to understand where he's coming from. try make friends with the dick employees if they have something to offer you (for example, they're a superior mechanic like dean), otherwise avoid them and find other employees to talk to at the LBS.

wait...what game?

Rhetorical expression.

I almost expect to get vibed going into a bikeshop. Its not neccesarily a bad thing.

When I bought my chrome Pista, the star spangled nut in the steerer tube was set too deep so I did not have enough bite with the top cap adjusting bolt. I took the brand new bike to the shop I bought it from and the teenage mechanic (looked like a pot head) clamped the seat tube in the shop stand. He must have clamped it tightly in order to tap in a new star spangled nut. When he brought the bike out, I noticed that the clear finish on that section of the seat tube was deeply and extensively scratched and a small decal was completely trashed. I was understandably upset, but did not lash out. The shop did not offer any compensation for the damages, which they considered minor. True the damages were merely cosmetic, but cosmetics is one of the reasons why I bought a shiny chrome bike.

Ever since then the salesmen seem rude to me and tend to ignore me, even though I have bought multiple bikes and many expensive components there. Even when it is their fault, bike shops are quick to categorize customers as difficult.

Lesson #1: try to establish an early rapport
Lesson #2: never let a bike shop do a repair you can do yourself

weird--someone can correct me but it seems
the right place to clamp a bike for work around
the steerer tube or headset would be on the top tube
near the head tube

I went into a LBS yesterday and had a very favorable impression. The staff was nice and pleasantly price checked some lube. Then they told me about bike maintaince classes they offer. Now I'm inclined to buy my next bike from them.

Being nice to customers just makes good business sense. If I owned a LBS, I would damn well make sure that my staff treated customers well. If I couldn't muster the energy to ensure good service and a pleasant consumer experience, I would sell my shop and do something else.

Another example: In a different bike shop they treat me well and are quick to answer questions. A coworker, who happens to be black, was interested in buying a new bike and I saw one matching his needs at this shop, so I arranged to meet him there. I got there first (it was not busy at all) and had a salesman talk to me in a timely manner but I said I was meeting someone. When my black friend arrived, we were completely ignored. We had to take the bike out of the rack ourselves. The salesman never approached us. We stood there what seemed an awfully long time. I then resorted to standing in the path of a salesman to make him stop and ask for a test ride. He did not mention a word about the bike or its features. He took my friend's drivers license which he looked at very carefully before accepting. I helped my friend as he test rode the bike. When we returned we had to put the bike back in the rack and there was no salesman there to "sell us" on the bike. My friend liked the bike and probably would have bought it on the spot with a minor discount from the full MSRP.

I asked my friend if he felt slighted, but he said no. Maybe I am naive about racism and my friend is used to it, but it was an eye opening experience.

I completely disagree with this. It would be truly juvenile to tell them how much they suck, or do something stupid to them. It's a rational and mature decision to decide to stop visiting a shop because you don't like it.

Actually, when you remove the front wheel and fork, the front end gets very light, so it can be good to clamp it at the seat tube (although clamping the seat POST would have much better and would have avoided marring the frame). I guess I should have said he clamped it at the seat tube in order to remove the fork. For a home repair I would have just removed the front wheel and placed the fork tips on the ground. That would have been a good way to tap in a new star spangled nut without needing a stand or needing to remove the fork from the frame.

I agree and disagree. The last time I visited my former favorite lbs, an employee with a heinous tude reading a bike magazine behind the counter tried to charge a homeless dude $1.00 to raise his handlebars after he complained his back was hurting. The homeless guy said he was willing to pay, but a dollar was too much. The employee said "Well, that's what I charge," and the homeless dude started to leave, so I busted out my multitool and raised his bars in less than a minute. After the homeless dude left, the employee told me never to do that again because they don't give handouts. I told him not to worry since he had made me so sick that I could never shop there again. Not that I blew his mind or anything, but at least I communicated my reasoning for taking my business elsewhere.

wrong most lightweight bikes cant handle the stress on the top tube thats why my road bike has a dent in the tt it is a stand bite! usually you would clamp to the seat post itself as it isn't thin butted steel
personally I would have removed the fork and then worked on the star fangled nut.. but thats a teen pot head for ya

I once saw a shop refuse to tighten two faceplate bolts for a man that had just gone over the bars in traffic. I say refuse but that's not the right word, they tried to sell him a $15 multitool or fix the problem for $4. He didn't really want to do either so I fixed it real quick for free. I don't like giving handouts but there is a time and place to cut someone some slack. Bloody faces and roadrash are the time and place.

yeah, cause it irritates the hell out of us when you interrupt our rhythm during a job (yeah, we have 'rhythms') asking us about something we know you are completely capable of. Oh, and if you are standing around bored and want to talk to the mechanics, don't think we are ****s if we don't exactly seem enthused in the conversation.

Shop mechanics DO have service dollar goals, and it's a big ******** deal at successful bike shops. Our service manager gets chewed out every month they opperate at a loss.

Ask a lawyer or doctor for advice and they'll find a way to charge you.

The key word is "worked."

I'll put up with surly mechanics at small shops-- at least they're not idiots / ******bags like the big bike showrooms that exist mostly to pump out low-end Treks to college kids or sell off-the-shelf $3000 bikes to mid life crisis dudes.

It takes a little courage to enter a shop and request work. Let go of your ego, maybe? You don't know everything about bikes. Hopefully these folks know more than you. Don't be afraid to ask questions, but don't be afraid to be wrong either. Open mind please.

If you walk in the door with an attitude of "I can do this myself, but I don't have the tools / patience / etc" then you're setting yourself up for massive ego bruising as soon as something doesn't go exactly as you imagined it would.

good ta know--i've seen two shops do it this way--once when
my headset was being installed this knucklehead clamped the
top tube near the seat tube--then another cat made him
move the clamp closer to the head tube--but this seat post
theory makes good sense--no stress on the frame