There's a local bike shop by my house I go to once in a while. I've bought my fair share of product there.

Anyhow, I go in the other day, asking if they wouldn't mind doing my measurements. I explained I was going to buy a track frame online. Instantly, the sales guy snapped on me.

He said something along the likes of, "You come in to my bike shop, asking me to fit you for a bike you're buying from someone else!?"

I reply, "Yeah, I'm not going to beat around the bush and lie to you."

The guy would not help me after this. He told me to ask the company I am buying from.

Long story short, sometimes asking to get fitted can cause some ****ing drama. With that ****ty attitude, its a wonder how they stay in business.

Anyone else had an experience like this? I was blown away.

"hey can you help me buy a product from a competitor?"

Technically, for them to "lose" a customer wouldn't you have to be a potential or returning customer, and not just some jerk trying to get free service out of them before spending your money somewhere else?

Seriously, there are very few services a LBS can offer in the way of sales that cannot be obtained online. Fitting is one of them. I would have done the same thing in their shoes, and I'll bet dollars to donuts most everyone else here would too.

In short: I doubt there is an LBS on earth desperate enough to need a customer like you.

Haw haw!

I saw that same situation in a Three Stooges short....
except they were at the tailor, and then Shemp... well -

YOU'RE SHEMP!

Did you actually offer to pay for his time?

I don't know. I see both sides here. I think the guy is certainly out of line being rude to you, but I can understand his perspective. You want him to do the work so that you can have the benefits of buying in store, while paying online prices, which is sort of unreasonable on your part.

The reason online prices are cheaper is because there are no staff doing fittings or manning a store front for you to walk into. You're basically being a cheap skate expecting the lbs to pony up for those services you have no intention of paying for.

this much is true.

guy could've been a little nicer with that. You'll still have to come back for more parts.

"hey can you stop what you're doing and help me buy a frame... from the internet! "

I would think that the LBS would want to do the sizing, and at least try to sell you something, or order the bike for you. If not, then if I were to get sized for free at an LBS, I would definitely be more likely to go back there for smaller stuff, tubes, tires, bar wrap, etc. If your running a business, then you treat everyone as a potential customer.

Its a shame that bike shops most everywhere a nasty elitist attitude, even some in the Bay Area have it as well.

"Hello, I would like to be fitted for a bike. I will probably be being the bike online, unless you can match or come close to their price. If I do end up buying it online, I would like to pay you and your staff to assemble and lubricate it to make sure that everything is in good working order. I will also be needing some new parts and/or accessories that I will happily buy here if you can help me out."

....is along the lines of what I said to several bike shops here in chicago. EVERY single one of them was extremely helpful.
"No problem" One guy at rapid transit bike shop (on north ave, chicago) said to me. "Sure! cost is a HUGE issue. If we can't match their price, we're just glad to see you getting on a bike, and hope that you use us for what you can...."
...And I did end up having them assemble it when I got it. I didn't have to, I know how to assemble/lube bikes, I just wanted to help support the folks that helped and were happy to do it.

It's called customer service. Some have it, and they get my business (at least some of it). Some don't.

there are plenty of internet sites that dial in your optimum frame size based on body measurements for free and you can do it on your own. sorry to say it man but you were the one out of line. imagine if you were selling a bike on craigslist and someone showed up and asked you to take time out of your day to explain how to fix a problem he has on his other bike - but he doesn't want to buy your bike. and from talking with some of my friends that work at bike shops you were probably customer number 73 in a long line of lame customer requests...

All you need is a piece of string, the internet and a ruler.

Or go nuts and use a tape measure and book.

Well, I've spent over $100 there this month. I was going to continue going there for parts.

And yes, I offered $ to be fitted. I guess I should have just been courteous and bought a Bianchi Pista complete.

Dicks.

My favorite two experiences in the last 2 years:

LBS were I was before moving here:

I walked in to buy a bike with money in hand, and the guy actually gave me such an attitude about what I wanted that I felt like I was having to defend my reasons for wanting a cafe racer (I was 300 lbs. at the time) instead of a mountain bike. He literally told me 'nobody loses weight that fast, so buy the mountain bike then when you lose the weight, come back and buy that bike,' to which I disagreed. In the end, I had no choice because at that time I was impatient and refused to order anything as significant as a bike online.

Recently:

In my search for the perfect fixed wheel commuter here (I'm 35, and not a hipster - which seems to be why I'm getting so much attitude from the LBS owner) I've gone in 5 different times asking questions to try to figure out what THEY can order for me.

First time, I had my name and number taken and was told someone would call me within an hour. 2 weeks later I still heard nothing.

Second time, I went back because a friend from the local riding club said they get busy there and I should really give them a second chance. It took 4 hours for them to tell me they could order a Redline 925 - but that I'd have to pay for up front . . . like there is another way to pay for things. I never implied, nor asked them to order it COD or even mentioned how or when I'd pay at all. When I asked about the possibility of buying a bike online and having them put it together for a charge, the guy all but spit in my face and implied I was killing his business by not purchasing something from his very limited selection of brands/bikes.

I've gone up the road to the bike shop 30 miles and 60 miles away and can say they'll be seeing 100% of my money. Both of them completely understood that if I had to order a bike in due to their inability to get what I wanted, that they'd do the build and set up maintenance on the bike for a VERY reasonable cost. I could do it myself, but honestly I want to help them stay in business AND guarantee someone who knows a bit more about the mechanical side of it is there to keep me from doing something stupid.

+1 you were probably told not to let the door hit your ass on your way out!

Wow, 100 whole dollars! Why didn't you say so? That more than makes up for the FRAME you won't be buying from them!

Actually, most shops will give you a fitting and they won't give a crap what you do afterwards. The catch is it usually costs about $100 for a pro fit.

edit: if you did offer money, he really shouldn't care what you do, but there is no need to "Beat around the bush." Don't tell him something he doesn't need to know.

ok I live near a shop which caters to mostly high end clients, Scott, Look, and the sorts. I've bought all my bikes somewhere else, and they know where. But I buy all my parts from them and they service all my bikes. I've been dealing with these guys for years, one day I was in there getting a headset installed and one of the newer sales people walked up and asked "why don't you buy a bike from here?" I told him straight up I can't afford a $4000.00 bike. They never had a problem, I've gottenquite a bit of free stuff from their spare parts bin too. It's all about building a relationship, if you walk into a shop as a new customer and ask them to fit you for another companies bike and don't except to pay for that service you're sadly mistaken.

Ok, I'm a jerk.

End of thread.

Well, he says he offered to pay.

Was this before or after he asked them to fit him so he could buy his bike somewhere else? My guess is after. You have to bear in mind that once you've insulted somebody like that by asking for a fit so you can go buy your bike somewhere else, offering them money afterwards is likely to just feel like adding insult to injury.

Maybe try this next time?

"Do you offer fitting services?"
"Yes./No./Only as part of the sale of a bike or frame."
"How much?/Thanks anyway!/I was planning on buying Product X for $Y elsewhere, what could you offer me?"

A Perl scripter is you.

lol

I code about as well as I line dance, I.E., I don't know, I've never tried.

I bring my LBS beer and alley cat t-shirts when they're nice to me.

why didnt you just end his life for such a grave injustice?