Evans vs LBS

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SpokeyDokey

67, & my GP says I will officially be old at 70!
Moderator
Spokey, bang on, they have been lead by the business. Now you and I may not let this happen, we are also the customers who costs the most to serve.

You're now confusing an internal selling process (albeit taking into account customer requirements) with the original post that you responded to re businesses being customer lead.

Think of a business like this:

***

You sell Red, White & Blue bikes.

Someone wants a Yellow bike. You manage to sell them a Red, White or Blue bike.

That's what you are talking about.

****

Nobody wants Red, White and Blue bikes anymore. They all want Yellow bikes. They will not be persuaded otherwise.

In response you have to either stock Yellow bikes or you go out of business.

That is why businesses are customer lead.

That's what I am talking about.
 
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bpsmith

Veteran
Am I missing something, or reading this too simplistically..
You want a specific bike, you go to three shops.
Two shops can't help you, one shop can, but won't get a bike in to try.
For whatever their reasons, which may be possible financial loss, or perhaps they're not very customer focused...Online retailers are now seen as the only way forward and LBSs are useless (judging by some comments here)
The simple reality is...go to a proper dealer for that specific bike.
But dont knock LBS in general. In many other ways, they have so much to offer.
Why be so down on them because in this one case they couldnt fullfill your needs.

Itd be like me going to a Fiat dealership and expecting them to get me a Ford...and then moaning because they can't. (nothing personal, just an alternative point of view :thumbsup:)
Fair enough. Don't believe anyone is knocking the LBS approach in any way though?

The OP is just gutted that he can't fulfil his requirements and spend his hard earned at one of them, rather than the Chain. The guy clearly values the LBS hence he would have not gone to 3 of them!
 
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Cope

Senior Member
The simple reality is...go to a proper dealer for that specific bike.

The shop that recommended the bike (about which I knew nothing before *they* recommended it) are a Genesis dealer. They sell Genesis bikes. They're on the Genesis website as a Genesis dealer. If that isn't a 'proper dealer' I don't know what is. The more I think about it the more I come to the view that it isn't the fault of the LBS (who have constraints) but of Madison / Genesis not supporting the small retailer. In my old industry, a manufacturer would bend over backwards to help a small shop with loan equipment, or borrowing from a different supplier. Obviously this doesn't happen in the cycle industry.
 

screenman

Legendary Member
From experience the cycle industry is unlike most others I have dealt with, often the manufacturers cannot and do not back up the retailer.
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
From experience the cycle industry is unlike most others I have dealt with, often the manufacturers cannot and do not back up the retailer.

Spot on, the bike industry is a law unto itself.

Madison are also known to be very variable, examples of excellent customer service, but also horror stories.
 

SpokeyDokey

67, & my GP says I will officially be old at 70!
Moderator
It does, we are just not going to see it the same way.

Ok. But think of this - how many businesses are set up to provide products and services for which there is zero customer demand?

Can't do it any simpler than that so I'll leave it there.
 
OP
OP
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Cope

Senior Member
The OP is just gutted that he can't fulfil his requirements and spend his hard earned at one of them, rather than the Chain. The guy clearly values the LBS hence he would have not gone to 3 of them!

Absolutely. I would much much rather spend my money at a small, local business. I've run my own business for the last 8 years and understand what it's like to run a small local business, through a double dip recession. I want to support them. Especially since it was the LBS that actually recommended the bike I'm interested in. I'm just sad that the industry is set up in such a way that I can't get a chance to look at or ride the bike the LBS recommended at the LBS. That gives me three choices:

1) Buy the bike from the LBS on trust, without riding one
2) Go to another (national) shop to try it out, and if I like it, go back to the LBS
3) Go to another (national) shop to try it out, and buy it from them if I like it.

I don't much like any of these. The first, because I'm not accustomed to buying things without trying them (although I'm coming around to the view that this is probably of little value ). The second, because it's dishonest and taking advantage of the national shop. The third because the suggestion for the bike came from the LBS, and it seems a bit rough that Evans get the sale simply because they have either the buying power or capital to offer demos of any bike.
 
OP
OP
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Cope

Senior Member
Interesting point really.

I'd guess for some people precisely nothing apart from a rough view on whether it fits or not (and even that could be dealt with on a static rig). And for a complete Newbie not even that as they will not have the experience to know whether the bike is right for them or not.

My guess is that many people have 'bought' the bike, before any test ride, based on online pic's, spec' lists and what other people say.

Exactly. I'm an experiened cyclist. I already own two bikes. I know that the LBS will do an excellent job regarding fit. I know the spec (and frankly regardless of how passionate I can get about minor spec differences, the spec is going to be fine whatever it is). What I don't have any idea of is how it rides. I've ridden dozens of road bikes, and owned a similar number. I've owned and ridden fast road bikes, TT bikes, audax bikes and slow tourers. I've also owned hybrid-style bikes. I've built and maintained more than half of the bikes I've owned over the last 25 years. I wouldn't feel I'd need to test a road bike - I know enough about the spec, the materials, and I trust the opinions of my friends. But I've never owned a 'mountain bike'. I've never done any real off road cycling. I've never ridden a 29er. I've no idea how it will feel on the road. I guess that's what I want to find out. Because as it stands this looks to be the ideal compromise for the kind of riding I'm most likely to do in the next year or two. But if it turns out that it's not nice to ride on the road, which I'll be doing 5 days a week, then I obviously need to think again. So I think in this case maybe there is a case to be made for a test ride in a town.
 

gbb

Legendary Member
Location
Peterborough
The shop that recommended the bike (about which I knew nothing before *they* recommended it) are a Genesis dealer. They sell Genesis bikes. They're on the Genesis website as a Genesis dealer. If that isn't a 'proper dealer' I don't know what is. The more I think about it the more I come to the view that it isn't the fault of the LBS (who have constraints) but of Madison / Genesis not supporting the small retailer. In my old industry, a manufacturer would bend over backwards to help a small shop with loan equipment, or borrowing from a different supplier. Obviously this doesn't happen in the cycle industry.
TBF at no point did you say this was indeed a dealer of Genesis bikes, I just (probably naiively)assumed that they were'nt Genesis dealers.
In simple terms, walk away and go to someone who will fullfill your requirements, they obviously can't.
Forgive me if I seem unsympathetic, I'm not...but I couldnt get so bothered by it all...I'd just go somewhere else, simples, and forget about the other shop. Shrug of the shoulders kinda thing.
 
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