King's
Obnoxious cycle shop owners.
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Cyclopathic
Veteran
- Location
- Leicester.
I'm just starting out as a self employed bike mechanic so I'm happy to read here that a lot of people are willing to pay a little extra to have an analogue shopping experience. I thoroughly sympathise with the op and other people who have had bad experiences though. I have often been into bike shops and felt like an inconvenience or that I was wasting their time because I was very much a budget shopper and not able or willing to pay out huge amounts for stuff speced way beyond what I needed.
Having said that I am finding that attitudes seem to be changing for the better and lbs owners seem more willing to spend time explaining things and ensuring people get what they need not what the vendor wants to sell. As I try to build my own customer base I think the interaction with the customers is almost as important as the quality of my work (and I only say that because the quality of my work has a bearing on the safety of my customers). I know what it's like to feel belittled in a bike shop and it is something that I do not want to make my customers feel. Firstly because it's not nice and secondly out of enlightened self interest. I want them to come back and I want them to tell other people to come to me.
Mechanics not retail is the main thrust of my work but I will sell the odd thing and work out a price based on what I paid for it, what it costs in retail outlets and what it costs on line but I hope that I would never treat anyone the way the op was treated and that I would take the time to explain why I was more expensive and hope that I offered enough of a service to compensate for that. I also hope that I'd realise when I'd priced something way too high or if I might have to sell it for a fair bit less than I'd hoped because it was so cheap elsewhere. A third of the total price over the odds is just too expensive and I wouldn't expect anyone to pay. I wouldn't.
I think that there is room for the internet and the lbs because a good lbs is a godsend. When in the past I've found an lbs that really took care of me I have tended to use them a lot and happily so.
Finally I'd add that it must get shop owners down to be constantly used as a show room where people can come along and look at the goods to make a decision and then go and buy it online. As I understand it on line buying comes with a lot of protection and you can send items back up to a week after their arrival for a full refund, no questions asked which is what they should do rather than using an lbs as if it was argos (and then ordering from home).
Sorry for the long winded post guys.
Having said that I am finding that attitudes seem to be changing for the better and lbs owners seem more willing to spend time explaining things and ensuring people get what they need not what the vendor wants to sell. As I try to build my own customer base I think the interaction with the customers is almost as important as the quality of my work (and I only say that because the quality of my work has a bearing on the safety of my customers). I know what it's like to feel belittled in a bike shop and it is something that I do not want to make my customers feel. Firstly because it's not nice and secondly out of enlightened self interest. I want them to come back and I want them to tell other people to come to me.
Mechanics not retail is the main thrust of my work but I will sell the odd thing and work out a price based on what I paid for it, what it costs in retail outlets and what it costs on line but I hope that I would never treat anyone the way the op was treated and that I would take the time to explain why I was more expensive and hope that I offered enough of a service to compensate for that. I also hope that I'd realise when I'd priced something way too high or if I might have to sell it for a fair bit less than I'd hoped because it was so cheap elsewhere. A third of the total price over the odds is just too expensive and I wouldn't expect anyone to pay. I wouldn't.
I think that there is room for the internet and the lbs because a good lbs is a godsend. When in the past I've found an lbs that really took care of me I have tended to use them a lot and happily so.
Finally I'd add that it must get shop owners down to be constantly used as a show room where people can come along and look at the goods to make a decision and then go and buy it online. As I understand it on line buying comes with a lot of protection and you can send items back up to a week after their arrival for a full refund, no questions asked which is what they should do rather than using an lbs as if it was argos (and then ordering from home).
Sorry for the long winded post guys.
uclown2002
Guru
- Location
- Harrogate
I asked Boneshakers in Harrogate to replace a free hub body, that wasn't working properly on wheels I had custom made from them at a cost of £250-£300. This was about 16 months after purchase.
When I picked the bike up I was informed that they were unable to fit a new one as the part supplied wasn't quite right. So they thought it would be a good idea without consulting me to give the hub a 'service'. When I picked the bike up they charged me £30 for the 'service' and also told me that it probably wouldn't change the way the hub was behaving. I remarked (in a non-confrontational calm manner) that £30 was therefore a complete waste of money. The mechanic, as he was processing my credit card, answered that it was also a complete waste of workshop time then!!
I was speechless. Needless to say I will never set foot in there again, and neither will any of my mates even if they giving their bikes away.
Conversely, the staff at the local Halfords branch have always been top class; so more inclined to buy bikes and stuff from them in the future.
When I picked the bike up I was informed that they were unable to fit a new one as the part supplied wasn't quite right. So they thought it would be a good idea without consulting me to give the hub a 'service'. When I picked the bike up they charged me £30 for the 'service' and also told me that it probably wouldn't change the way the hub was behaving. I remarked (in a non-confrontational calm manner) that £30 was therefore a complete waste of money. The mechanic, as he was processing my credit card, answered that it was also a complete waste of workshop time then!!
I was speechless. Needless to say I will never set foot in there again, and neither will any of my mates even if they giving their bikes away.
Conversely, the staff at the local Halfords branch have always been top class; so more inclined to buy bikes and stuff from them in the future.
bikepacker
Guru
- Location
- South Worcestershire
I have cycled almost 100,000 miles in the last 10 years and tried out dozens of different saddles and positions. When it comes to them I know what suits me best, with that in mind I went into a lbs in Evesham because I wanted to see and buy a SMP (the one Mark Beaumont used) and this shop were listed as dealers. He obviously hadn't heard of the saddle and without asking a single question proceeded to lecture me saying; if I was having problems I had the wrong type of saddle and my postition was wrong.
My problem with this was I had never been in the shop previously or met the man, and due to my wife shopping nearby, I was in the car so he had never seen my bikes.
My problem with this was I had never been in the shop previously or met the man, and due to my wife shopping nearby, I was in the car so he had never seen my bikes.
MontyVeda
a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
- Location
- Lancaster... the little city.
That reminds me...
walked into leisure lakes for a browse... young assistant walks past and i ask "Have you got any front pannier racks?"
He replied, "No, nobody uses front panniers."
I replied, "Well, apart from those who do... you know, for better weight distribution... it's handy on hills having some of the weight up front."
He repleid, "There aren't any hills around here."
now i've only lived in Lancaster for 40 odd years... so my local knowledge is obviously sketchy compared to some 16 year old nobber... but i'm almost certain i'd just walked up a hill to get to the fecking bike shop
glenn forger
Guest
Ha ha!
glenn forger
Guest
Anyone remember the old bike shop on St Benedicts in Norwich? Good service I suppose, but the couple who ran it were just breathtakingly rude, patronising, argumentative. It's a cafe now.
eck
Über Member
- Location
- Kirriemuir Vélo HQ
Aye, I remember them. I worked in Norwich in the mid 80s, and used the late Ted Henderson's shop when I could, he was a really nice guy. The son in the St Benedict's shop was ok though.
youngoldbloke
The older I get, the faster I used to be ...
Often a pre-emptive strike works wonders - on one occasion browsing the bargain bits and pieces bin, looking for a seatpost, the bicycle boutique assistant asked if he could be of any assistance - 'I'm looking for a seat post' - he started to tell me there were all sorts of seatposts, sir, you probably want ..... ours tend to be rather expensive..... '300mm, 27.2, 2cm plus layback, preferably carbon, cheap', I replied - we got on fine after that, and he found, and I left with a very fine, quite pricey, alloy seatpost, swapped from another customers new bike purchase, all for a tenner! 
ayceejay
Guru
- Location
- Rural Quebec
I was once in the book business. One day a chap came in and asked if I could order some academic books, academic books were supplied at a very small mark-up so the other bookshop in town had told him to get lost. I took his order and we talked about the subject a bit, he then produced a long list of general market books that he wanted and most were in stock. He would come back most Saturdays, five minutes before closing but I would stay open to allow him to spend at least £30 (1973). When I go to a bike shop I imagine myself as him with his attitude.
glenn forger
Guest
Peteaud
Veteran
- Location
- South Somerset
Dont use them myself.
Ralph coleman has always been good, and gives some good discounts.
I've not used any in Taunton before, but I had a free hour and needed a shop that was open at 1630hrs on a Saturday. Kings were the only one open. I bought my spoke tool online, for a couple of quid including postage. I now have a not so local Bike shop called Woods of Hanham. Who is friendly, knowledgeably, and willing to help if you have a problem. for example a few weeks ago I bought a new chain, fitted it myself but could not get the gears to work properly, I managed to cycled to the shop, and despite him being really busy and inundated with work, he fixed the problem, at cost. So rather than by my new bike online I've ordered it through him, even then he gave me a good deal, some decent mudguards and a free service when I've had the bike a month.
matthat
Über Member
- Location
- South Liverpool
Don't be buttered up with a free service after a month as thats standard on new purchases!! But other than that it sounds like you got some good service there!!
