LBS wont service Bikes

beauf

Tell me how wrote: »

I am largely on the side that the LBS missed an opportunity here. It is much easier hold on to customers than attract new ones so ordinarily they would welcome service work and a chance to build a relationship......

In my experience all the local shops are so busy they have far more business than they can cope with.

Tell me how

beauf wrote: »

In my experience all the local shops are so busy they have far more business than they can cope with.

Mine closed down 3 months ago

CramCycle

Tell me how wrote: »

Well, yes, that is my point........

But if such an event occurred, what version would the customer tell other people? That the shop explained logically the cost and time element or simply that they asked and were told no.
We all view things subjectively.

If a place is too busy, they are too busy. The shop was obviously able to do it so they should have just given the customer a higher labour charge or said we are too busy to get it done in that time frame. My local mechanic has told me he wouldn't get to some work on my car for a week as he was out the door. I didn't tell anyone he refused, just accepted he was out the door and that was that. It still really sounds like the guy behind the counter got pushed into it and is annoyed with themselves.

I actually forgot my last BB was fitted by my LBS. I needed the frame rethreaded, and brought the BB so they would have a handy one to check it was OK. Bike was a Dolan so online but it was handier to get it rethreaded than return under warranty. It was 30quid if I could wait a few days or more if I was in a rush. Came back a few days later and he had it threaded and fitted the BB for 20. Easy job but I wouldn't have the tools to do it. Asked me to bring the bike in when built up to have a look.

They are always out the door, but I put that down to good service, good manners and also location (the only other bike shop nearby is nice and friendly but do a range of other things such as sports gear and auto parts).

Tell me how

CramCycle wrote: »

If a place is too busy, they are too busy. The shop was obviously able to do it so they should have just given the customer a higher labour charge or said we are too busy to get it done in that time frame. My local mechanic has told me he wouldn't get to some work on my car for a week as he was out the door. I didn't tell anyone he refused, just accepted he was out the door and that was that. It still really sounds like the guy behind the counter got pushed into it and is annoyed with themselves.

Not everyone behaves this way.

beauf

Tell me how wrote: »

Not everyone behaves this way.

I have no idea what point You're making.

tomasrojo

Speaking of LBS's, who in Dublin has a decent range of brake pads? I usually get Salmon Koolstop, but I just got the wrong delivery from an online store and I can't be bothered waiting for them to correct it. Any good v-style brake pad with a bit of extra stopping power would be fine.

Tell me how

beauf wrote: »

I have no idea what point You're making.

Customers are just as likely to take the p*ss and try to make it look like the shop is being unreasonable as a shop is to be dismissive of a potential customer.

It wasn't that complicated.

CramCycle

Tell me how wrote: »

Customers are just as likely to take the p*ss and try to make it look like the shop is being unreasonable as a shop is to be dismissive of a potential customer.

It wasn't that complicated.

Just as likely? Not likely at all. Has no one ever told you they were busy but could do it next week? If it did happen to you would you bad mouth them for being too busy? It not impossible but you'll find people like that are either not listened too or found out fairly quick nowadays.

I disagree with your just as likely, I may be annoyed that my bike or car isn't getting fixed quite as quickly as I'd like but I'd be an idiot to blame the person who was too busy.

eeeee

tomasrojo wrote: »

Speaking of LBS's, who in Dublin has a decent range of brake pads? I usually get Salmon Koolstop, but I just got the wrong delivery from an online store and I can't be bothered waiting for them to correct it. Any good v-style brake pad with a bit of extra stopping power would be fine.

Bee cycles have them

Wishbone Ash

Brian? wrote: »

...If your business model includes turning away business, then it needs to be changed. Take the work, figure out how to fit it in..

I'd be interested to see how you would run a business with that mentality. If you had a restaurant/hotel/cinema/theatre etc., would you still take bookings even though you were full?

That really pisses people off. I'd much rather be turned away than lulled into a false sense of security.

Being successful in business is not about being busy - it's about being profitable. Anyone can be a busy fool. The country is full of businesses who shut up shop even though they were busy.

CramCycle

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I'd be interested to see how you would run a business with that mentality. If you had a restaurant/hotel/cinema/theatre etc., would you still take bookings even though you were full?

That really pisses people off. I'd much rather be turned away than lulled into a false sense of security.

Being successful in business is not about being busy - it's about being profitable. Anyone can be a busy fool. The country is full of businesses who shut up shop even though they were busy.

This was my point in a roundabout kind of way. If your too busy, tell them your too busy, don't create a bad PR run by telling the m too fob off as you still want them to consider you when your not too busy.

In a restaurant/hotel/cinema/theatre you don't tell customers you don't want to see them because they have eaten/slept/watched some other time, some other place. You tell them you are busy or fully booked and they understand. They might or might not come back but they don't turn against your business.

Tell me how

CramCycle wrote: »

Just as likely? Not likely at all. Has no one ever told you they were busy but could do it next week? If it did happen to you would you bad mouth them for being too busy? It not impossible but you'll find people like that are either not listened too or found out fairly quick nowadays.

I disagree with your just as likely, I may be annoyed that my bike or car isn't getting fixed quite as quickly as I'd like but I'd be an idiot to blame the person who was too busy.

Check out some of the threads on boards from service providers experiences in dealing with the public.

Some people take the mick in thinking that the customer is 'always' right. That can have an impact on how a business deals with another customer because they're tired of or have just been messed around.

neris

The customer isn't always right. 1 akward dickhead of a customer out of alot of decent customers can cause so much hassle heart ache and time wasting.

CramCycle

Tell me how wrote: »

Check out some of the threads on boards from service providers experiences in dealing with the public.

Some people take the mick in thinking that the customer is 'always' right. That can have an impact on how a business deals with another customer because they're tired of or have just been messed around.

Very true, I just don't think that carries here, and not sure about the threads in the ask me forums but generally I imagine the "I deserve this" brigade would get short thrift of other posters if they were ignorant or demanding.

neris wrote: »

The customer isn't always right. 1 akward dickhead of a customer out of alot of decent customers can cause so much hassle heart ache and time wasting.

100%, but i don't think this follows here. The OP was reluctant to name the shop, they were just refused and thought it odd, which I would too, and certainly wouldn't waste time there again.

Not sure if I put this analogy up before but imagine I bought my bike in Galway from when I lived there but moved shortly after to Dublin. No way I could have gotten my bike from my LBS but I am not resident in Dublin and likely to live there forever more. Imagine a LBS refused a service because I didn't buy the bike there, it just seems bizarre they would turn down possibly a lifetime of business from me.

cletus

Id like to just clarify a few things. The shop were not at all unpleasant, very matter of fact that they dont service bikes not bought there. I wasn’t awkward, just asked acquestion, and I wasn’tupset or annoyed, just a little surprised. I didn’t come here to complain or give out, I wanted to clarify if this was a common situation in all lbs, or are they just particularly busy.

Thanks again to everybody who replied, and i enjoyed reading the various ‘side’ replies too

Tell me how

CramCycle wrote: »

Very true, I just don't think that carries here, and not sure about the threads in the ask me forums but generally I imagine the "I deserve this" brigade would get short thrift of other posters if they were ignorant or demanding.


100%, but i don't think this follows here. The OP was reluctant to name the shop, they were just refused and thought it odd, which I would too, and certainly wouldn't waste time there again.

Not sure if I put this analogy up before but imagine I bought my bike in Galway from when I lived there but moved shortly after to Dublin. No way I could have gotten my bike from my LBS but I am not resident in Dublin and likely to live there forever more. Imagine a LBS refused a service because I didn't buy the bike there, it just seems bizarre they would turn down possibly a lifetime of business from me.

Agree ordinarily the LBS should/would be thankful of any business.

My suggestion here was the attendant may have been burned somehow by a customer previously and so used a poor excuse.

Maybe it was just bad business practice by a careless attendant. That could be the case too and if the shop owner found out they would be none too pleased.

rubadub

magicbastarder wrote: »

mod note - please don't name the bike shop. i'd have to check official boards policy but i'm pretty sure they're not happy with 'name and shame' actions on boards which could get the site in trouble.

mossym wrote: »

the call for shaming is a bit OTT in fairness.

if a shop decides that it only wants to sell bikes to left handed people wearing red t-shirts and can make a valid business model out of it, then who cares?

What is this talk of "shaming". The post in question was perfectly reasonable, and answered the "who cares?" question. A right handed person would not want to waste time!

irishrover99 wrote: »

Name them. It will stop others from wasting their time on shops that don’t want business.

It is not like the OP got screwed over, they were pleasant in the shop, it's their policy and they are freely telling it to customers so I guess they are not ashamed of it...

Brian?

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I'd be interested to see how you would run a business with that mentality. If you had a restaurant/hotel/cinema/theatre etc., would you still take bookings even though you were full?

That really pisses people off. I'd much rather be turned away than lulled into a false sense of security.

As Cramcycle not equivalent at all. If a hotel or restaurant are fully booked you apologise to your customer and ask to accommodate them at a different time. They’re time sensitive services. You don’t send them on their way because they had lunch somewhere else.

Being successful in business is not about being busy - it's about being profitable. Anyone can be a busy fool. The country is full of businesses who shut up shop even though they were busy.

Being profitable is about finding new customers.

tomasrojo

nee wrote: »

Bee cycles have them

Brilliant, thanks a million!

I can get those good tyre levers he stocks as well while I'm there.