Cycle shop experience - your thoughts?

[geocycle]

I think it was very mean spirited of the shop assistant and I would tell everyone I knew about it as well. I also would never buy from that shop ever again. Theres a difference I think between helping a person in a genuine emergency as opposed to helping a total p taker.
I think the lesson here is to always make sure you are carrying all your tools

I agree, I’d be mightily annoyed being refused in the OPs situation. I might have offered some cash for a coffee or something.

 

[ColinJ]

Answer to the original question: It would have been better for the reputation/future sales of the business and better for the cyclist if some help had been offered, but I can see that businesses might get fed up with people scrounging/stealing/damaging tools and NOT buying anything.

Here is what happens when staff at a bike shop go out of their way to be helpful...

Humber Bridge forum ride, 2019, I had a problem with my singlespeed bike near the bridge. There was a bike shop nearby. They sorted the problem out for me.

I asked the owner how much the repair would set me back and he replied 'no charge'! So, a HUGE thanks to the excellent Vive le Vélo in North Ferriby, near Hull. If you live in the area, or are passing through, be sure to drop in. They are friendly and helpful, and have some lovely-looking bikes and lots of parts and clothing for sale.

Humber Bridge forum ride, 2021, @Julia9054's husband Al had a major tyre failure on the way to the bridge. We did a bodge repair, but a replacement tyre was needed. I remembered Vive le Vélo and suggested that we call in there...

We got to the bike shop and Al went in to buy a new tyre. They kindly fitted it for him there to save time. Another FREE service for a CycleChat rider on a forum ride, so I think they deserve a shout out here... If you want to spend your money in a good bike shop, with friendly, helpful staff, and you are in the Hull area - pay a visit to Vive le Vélo in North Ferriby

So they got themselves a sale, AND another shout out to thousands of cyclists online. And here I am happily doing it again!

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I remember many years ago and my bike got knocked from the garage at home and I went to look for a new bike with the insurance money

I went to several LBS's and eventually found a nice folding mountain bike (in 199ish!) made by Rudge
Old family LBS - owner had been there since he "were a lad" and was in his 60s and seemed nice

Bought the bike and it was great - took it back for a free "service" after a few weeks and all was OK

A few months later I decided that a rear rack would be useful for taking a bag into work and stuff. According to the manual the rack needed a specific gadget to attach it to the seat post ratehr than the normal one that would interfere with the folding. Apparently you could only get it through a Rudge (or Raleigh) dealer

SO I took it back to the shop - spoke to the owner and showed him the bike and the manual

His response was "If you are going to buy something weird like that you need to take it back to where you bought it rather than pestering other people" - and he turned away and walked off

I got rather annoyed and commented ratehr loudly that I have just done that
A young mechanic heard and came over - he recognised the bike and explained to the owner
who was suddenly all smiles and helpful


got the gadget sorted and a new rack - and never went back

 

[geocycle]

In a similar vein, thanks to Pitlochry cycles for loaning that track pump in 2006 while I fixed a puncture! Also the guy in Halfords Newcastle who loaned me an 8mm Allen key when my crank fell off, hope you enjoyed the Costa.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Oh - and due to the helpful nature of our LBS - I have sent several people there who were otherwise headed for Halfords


Although TBF the local Halfords do seem one of the helpful (and knowledgable) ones when I have asked questions

 

[Illaveago]

And yet at the other end of the spectrum...

Out on a ride, many miles from home, made a bad gear change and my chain came off, but somehow it managed to get stuck between the frame and the chainring. And I mean it was truly wedged in there - even after 20 minutes I could not get it out for love nor money with the limited tools I had (and may have actually made the situation worse). Looked up on Google to see if there was an LBS nearby, but came up blank except for a Halfords over 3 miles away. Was not immediately filled with optimism but with little other choice I started walking with the bike.

Got there, explained the situation to one of their guys and he got to work immediately and managed to free it without having to take the whole crankset apart (which was what I thought he was going to have to do), although it still took him a good few minutes, which made me feel a little better about my previous feeble attempts. Asked him how much he'd charge for labour and he said "nothing" - I even offered to pay £10 and he waved me away. All he wanted was for me to fill out a favourable customer survey online and make sure I used his name, as that would go to his boss which helped with his annual review - as soon as I got home I did so.

So if staff at a corporate behemoth like Halfords are willing to give a stranded cyclist free help, even when they're happy to pay, I can only assume that guy at the LBS must have been having a rough day, or a bad experience with a previous customer.

Yes some of us who worked there were human. I used to jump start people's cars in the car park for free.

 

[Slick]

Il

Is that just below the Crow rd? If so all that junk is wheels waiting to be trued, rebuit or lying waiting for the customer to say OK if beyond repair i need a new wheel. My last wheels were as ordered, don't even go back for the 100 mile true up 😄. You can phone an order in if waiting is out or chill out in the coffee shop next door.😲

No, although I was in that once for a repair and found the guy to be very good. The one I'm talking about is out the city and run by Big Al, who is a complete gentleman but panders far too much to the assembled crowd. I don't mean to speak I'll of him, as he produces first class work but it just doesn't suit me.

 

[Sallar55]

No, although I was in that once for a repair and found the guy to be very good. The one I'm talking about is out the city and run by Big Al, who is a complete gentleman but panders far too much to the assembled crowd. I don't mean to speak I'll of him, as he produces first class work but it just doesn't suit me.

Did you not know that that we have another Crow road and the shop is Wheelcraft run by the one and only Big Al.

Il

Is that just below the Crow rd? If so all that junk is wheels waiting to be trued, rebuit or lying waiting for the customer to say OK if beyond repair i need a new wheel. My last wheels were as ordered, don't even go back for the 100 mile true up 😄. You can phone an order in if waiting is out or chill out in the coffee shop next door.😲

 

[PapaZita]

I can understand shops having a policy of not lending tools. There are things like bearing presses and thread chasing tools that almost no one has at home, which are the things that bring some customers to the shop. At the other end of the scale, are things like hex keys. I still wouldn’t lend out my good workshop sets. However, I just had a look at some industrial suppliers, and basic 5mm hex keys can be had for 16p each if you buy five. If I had a bike shop I’d keep a box full of various sizes of those behind the counter, to be loaned out in emergencies, or given away to enthusiastic kids. It wouldn’t be hard to have a policy of “you can’t borrow tools, except the ones in this box”.

 

[rogerzilla]

My mate broke a chain on a Rohloff-equipped bike and had to walk a few miles to the nearest bike shop. They fixed it for him for a reasonable fee, but he needed a new chain (you can't shorten a chain on a hub-geared bike, so a chain tool would have been useless without a spare inch of chain too) and it is a bear of a job, since there is not much "standard" about the back of his bike, with bolted sliding dropouts. He was quite happy for them to do it, and lucky it was in opening hours,

 

[Scotchlovingcylist]

Humber Bridge forum ride, 2021, @Julia9054's husband Al had a major tyre failure on the way to the bridge. We did a bodge repair, but a replacement tyre was needed. I remembered Vive le Vélo and suggested that we call in there...

I'm a Hull lad and this is nice to hear.
Likewise Cliff Pratt cycles have always been top notch guys in terms of customer service.

A few years ago we stopped at a bike shop in York mid tour and they happily charged my mates SRAM battery for free while we went for a coffee.
Last year in the lakes called in to a shop mid tour on the off-chance they had an 11 speed quick link, again given to me free of charge.

None of this was expected but greatly appreciated and makes for repeat custom and word of mouth reputation.

Whilst under no obligation its pretty poor the bike shop wouldn't lend an Allen key to a repeat customer who's business has aided their continuation.

 

[Alex321]

My LBS - Simon's Cycles in Cowbridge is definitely in the helpful camp.

And always seems to charge less than I feel is reasonable when I ask them to repair anything. If I have taken it in and he has been able t fix it in a few minutes, he doesn't charge at all.

And will recommend you replace items without trying to sell you one.

 

[GDS68]

Exeter based adult cyclist out for a 60km ride today, less than two miles from home ran over some glass and punctured. Had a pump, levers and a tube but foolishly had forgotten an allen key to remove the through axle on his newish bike.

There's a decent sized and quality bike shop not far away so he walks (in cleats) to the shop and asks if they can help him out. It's a shop he has used in the past for parts and has even bought a new bike from there in the past. Explains his problem.

Shop assistant offers to sell him a new multi-tool. Even takes a used multi-tool from his pocket to show him what he could buy. There's also workshop allen keys on the shop counter, but the assistant refuses to help and insists on a sale.

The cyclist, explains he has a multi-tool already, doesn't need another, so, upset, leaves the shop and walks the mile home.

Shop has to make a living, so suck it up, or they should have helped but now lost another customer and their reputation?

Thoughts?

My

Exeter based adult cyclist out for a 60km ride today, less than two miles from home ran over some glass and punctured. Had a pump, levers and a tube but foolishly had forgotten an allen key to remove the through axle on his newish bike.

There's a decent sized and quality bike shop not far away so he walks (in cleats) to the shop and asks if they can help him out. It's a shop he has used in the past for parts and has even bought a new bike from there in the past. Explains his problem.

Shop assistant offers to sell him a new multi-tool. Even takes a used multi-tool from his pocket to show him what he could buy. There's also workshop allen keys on the shop counter, but the assistant refuses to help and insists on a sale.

The cyclist, explains he has a multi-tool already, doesn't need another, so, upset, leaves the shop and walks the mile home.

Shop has to make a living, so suck it up, or they should have helped but now lost another customer and their reputation?

Thoughts?

Exeter based adult cyclist out for a 60km ride today, less than two miles from home ran over some glass and punctured. Had a pump, levers and a tube but foolishly had forgotten an allen key to remove the through axle on his newish bike.

There's a decent sized and quality bike shop not far away so he walks (in cleats) to the shop and asks if they can help him out. It's a shop he has used in the past for parts and has even bought a new bike from there in the past. Explains his problem.

Shop assistant offers to sell him a new multi-tool. Even takes a used multi-tool from his pocket to show him what he could buy. There's also workshop allen keys on the shop counter, but the assistant refuses to help and insists on a sale.

The cyclist, explains he has a multi-tool already, doesn't need another, so, upset, leaves the shop and walks the mile home.

Shop has to make a living, so suck it up, or they should have helped but now lost another customer and their reputation?

Thoughts?

@Proto

Exeter based adult cyclist out for a 60km ride today, less than two miles from home ran over some glass and punctured. Had a pump, levers and a tube but foolishly had forgotten an allen key to remove the through axle on his newish bike.

There's a decent sized and quality bike shop not far away so he walks (in cleats) to the shop and asks if they can help him out. It's a shop he has used in the past for parts and has even bought a new bike from there in the past. Explains his problem.

Shop assistant offers to sell him a new multi-tool. Even takes a used multi-tool from his pocket to show him what he could buy. There's also workshop allen keys on the shop counter, but the assistant refuses to help and insists on a sale.

The cyclist, explains he has a multi-tool already, doesn't need another, so, upset, leaves the shop and walks the mile home.

Shop has to make a living, so suck it up, or they should have helped but now lost another customer and their reputation?

Thoughts?

@Proto I'd be rightly annoyed at that considering you've done business there .An email to management would be a good plan ,see if they win you back .

 

[iandg]

It's a shop he has used in the past for parts and has even bought a new bike from there in the past

Poor customer service obviously. All shops I've used in my local area recognise me. If a shop doesn't remember a customer it doesn't deserve to trade.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I think my LBS has a deal with the cafe a few doors down - even the smallest jobs are "come back in 30/45/60 minutes"

what else are you going to do???