Taking over the bike shop...

[Andy in Germany]

Finally...

The display in the showroom is built.

However, this morning someone donated some heavy duty shelving units, which was not an opportunity to be turned down. I got dibs on the shelves but it meant a change of plan and some fast building, not helped by the cliant who I was working with not understanding more than a couple of words of German. However, we still made it:

It's starting to look like we might have our act together...

 

[All uphill]

That's impressive, Andy.

 

[annedonnelly]

Of course the last thing you need is a customer to come in and buy one of your beautifully arranged display bikes!

 

[Andy in Germany]

Of course the last thing you need is a customer to come in and buy one of your beautifully arranged display bikes!

I have some in reserve, for precisely that reason.

Part of this frantic activity is that next week I'm going to the doctor and will probably be signed off sick; nothing serious; just a repettitive strain injury that needs a rest. I wanted to make sure the clients had a buffer so they can keep fixing bikes without too much pressure.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Another important but invisible devlopment: long suffering followers may remember the quality control/checklist system I brought in. I've been coaching two clients to be able to check each other's bikes and do the pricing and basic paperwork independently of me.

This means that one client has gone from not knowing about bikes, to fixing them largely independently with me only needing to check them, now to being able to do 99% of the checks independently of me.

Obviously I'll still check bikes made by clients, but it's a very satisfying feeling knowing that I'll soon potentially find bikes in the showroom that I've only briefly seen.

 

[Andy in Germany]

So, yesterday I was duty Saturday manager, which generally means I have to cover the second till and try to look like I know what I'm doing.

The shop is fairly large and our manager takes great pride in the displays; she tries very hard to make sure we don't have a "charity shop" feel and carefully displays items by colour or theme; it's very effective. Of course, we don't have a lot of money to buy decorations and with the amount of donations this wouldn't make a lot of sense anyway, so the manager has got very good at selecting donated items to use to support things we're going to sell. We know that an item without have a price tag is a display item, and not for sale.

Anyway, it's just before closing time (they always come just before closing time) and a customer comes carrying a metal frame which is part of a display. The client on the till tells her it's part of our display and not for the sale, and the customer takes umbrage. She tells us we have to sell her the frame because it's in the shop, and we can't "just decide to keep items for display", and if she wants to buy it, we have to sell it to her because... this is a second hand shop.

My client smiles and repeats that the item isn't for sale, and places it out of reach behnind the till.

The Customer repeats her previous arguments at higher volume.

I intervene and back up my client, and add that this is the manager's policy. Before she can ask to speak to the manager I add that the manager will next be in the store on Tuesday.

"Thern there will be an email." Says the customer.

My client follows her to the door with a leaflet, smiles sweetly, and gives the customer this leaflet, pointing out the email address.

Now we're really hoping the customer sends the email; the manager likes a laugh as much as the rest of the staff...

 

[Emanresu]

Interesting story and reminds me "the customer is always (a) right (a***hole)"

Knowing the situation in English contract law, any of my customer would have had the principles explained to them and invited to take their strange views elsewhere. Anything on display in a shop is an invitation to bargain with the shop. For a sale to happen, there has to be consideration/something of value exchanged. Since nothing was paid or agreed to be paid in the future, there was no bargain. An example of a customer thinking the law is one way, when it is actually the other.

Had me looking to see what the principles of German contract law were, and it seems they are broadly the same between here and Germany. Displayed items as invites to bargain but no sale can happen without consideration. See D.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/jour...-comparison-of-consideration-in-contract-law/

/anorak mode off.

PS Fixed link

 

[classic33]

Interesting story and reminds me "the customer is always (a) right (a***hole)"

Knowing the situation in English contract law, any of my customer would have had the principles explained to them and invited to take their strange views elsewhere. Anything on display in a shop is an invitation to bargain with the shop. For a sale to happen, there has to be consideration/something of value exchanged. Since nothing was paid or agreed to be paid in the future, there was no bargain. An example of a customer thinking the law is one way, when it is actually the other.

Had me looking to see what the principles of German contract law were, and it seems they are broadly the same between here and Germany. Displayed items as invites to bargain but no sale can happen without consideration. See D.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/jour...-comparison-of-consideration-in-contract-law/

/anorak mode off.

Linky no worky!

 

[Mike Ayling]

Interesting story and reminds me "the customer is always (a) right (a***hole)"

Knowing the situation in English contract law, any of my customer would have had the principles explained to them and invited to take their strange views elsewhere. Anything on display in a shop is an invitation to bargain with the shop. For a sale to happen, there has to be consideration/something of value exchanged. Since nothing was paid or agreed to be paid in the future, there was no bargain. An example of a customer thinking the law is one way, when it is actually the other.

Had me looking to see what the principles of German contract law were, and it seems they are broadly the same between here and Germany. Displayed items as invites to bargain but no sale can happen without consideration. See D.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/jour...-comparison-of-consideration-in-contract-law/

/anorak mode off.

I do recall something in Contract law about Offer and Acceptance.
Purchaser offers to buy an item and the seller may either accept or reject the offer.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Her argument seemed to be that because we are a second hand shop we have to sell everything. Presumably she thinks it's a obligation because the items are donated and we have to sell everything that comes through the door.
If that's the case she would be rather startled to see how much rubbish gets thrown out, and/or how many tools, stationery items, fabrics et c are used in the workshops. Taking her logic to extremes, we should sell donated tools and then buy more expensive replacements.

Had me looking to see what the principles of German contract law were, and it seems they are broadly the same between here and Germany. Displayed items as invites to bargain but no sale can happen without consideration. See D.

It's about the same here. You can try to negotiate the price but the seller can refuse.

We have fairly strict guidelines, and clients are not authorised to negotiate. This is because unfortunately some costomers think they can bully clients more easily.

The manager can discuss prices and technically so can I in my own department. I don't because I know fairly exactly what a bike costs us and I need to make a profit. Also, if I negotiate with one person I have to negotiate with everyone and I don't have the time or energy.

 

[Big John]

Hi Andy. Have you heard of a bike brand called Checkered Pig? We had one arrive at the bike charity today as a donation and within a few hours we'd serviced it and given it a spring clean. Looked new when it was finished. Went into the shop with a price tag of £100 late this afternoon. We believe it's a German make. Thought you might be interested.