EX- CYCLE WORKERS, redundancies and shop closures

jonnyboy666":1oga24ov said:

good shops will survive by being niche market specialists and being good at their jobs and the crap shops will die regardless of internet mail order

Click to expand...

Sums it up really.

I have a new LBS - only opened in December :shock:

Bad timing but they are doing well by sticking to high end stuff and looking after their customers - remembering names, offering tea etc...

When you think about running a business I always think about the guy who services our washing machine (and lately oven, fridge, dishwasher :roll.

You ring him up. He answers (good start ). Comes same day. On time. You offer him a coffee, he accepts, but he barely touches it as he's like a whirlwind. He chats, very friendly, but doesn't stop work while he's at it. Job done, writes invoice there and then, transaction complete. Totally painless.

That's how to do it.

Why do people who run shops sometimes appear too bloody grumpy and unapproachable? It's like surly Landlords in Pubs - why do it if it's clear you're not enjoying it?

My gauge is if I went into a shop, I would like to be treated exactly the same if I was asking for a 50p starnut as for a £3000 new bike (assuming I don't arse them around). I figure if they can get it right with the small stuff, they'll get my loyalty and then one day I might come back with a wallet full burning a hole If they can't be bothered with me because I'm only spending 50p, then f*** 'em.

Hope this does not digress from the topic too much, but I attempted to buy a set of Hope Pro 3 hubs to have built into a set of wheels. I rang a famous shop in Headingley to enquire about the cost of these hubs (I had already looked at their website and knew that they sold them) and the crux of the conversation was that I could have any Hope hubs that I wanted provided that they had disc mountings - I had already said they were for a 92 Clockwork and I wanted non-disk wheels making and disc compatible wheels would not be satisfactory for me, and was given some lame comments along the lines of this is what we do - take it or leave it. I was quite disappointed by this and chose not to have a "discussion" with him about it.
I then rang a shop in Otley, asked if they stocked Hope products and was put through to their workshop, they do not stock the Hope Pro 3's but were happy to order them from Hope and build me a set of wheels, and even discounted the price, I ordered the wheels there and then.
I will not be going to the former shop again, even though I go past it daily on my commute.
It is saddening to notice that in these difficult times for businesses that because of a lack of knowledge and customer service that a shop has lost out on selling a £200 set of wheels and subsequent repeat business, and another shop, which is not really local too me is now reaping the benefits because they could be bothered.

was the guy you spoke to a yoof ? probably has no knowledge of decent bikes pre disc :roll: they make it seem like bicycles started when they were bought a bike

you probably would have ended up with wheels with the hope logo not lining up with the valve and a lump of alloy hanging off to bolt an unwanted disc

And that shop in Otley is ace They also plough alot back into the sport with sponsporship of a team and certain races,its not local to me but I have bought some stuff off them,one item only being a £3.00 extra long brake bolt for my Super6 and was treated to exellent service even though they had to source it from Cannondale Europe.

I think some shops just dont want to sell to you or cant be arsed too, Last summer i had a few quid burning a hole in my pocket so fancied a new modern ride, Not being to fussy or infact well up on new stuff i bought one of the mtb mags and happened across an ad for Winstanleys in Wigan. They were flogging off 07 Zaskars nicely discounted, so not being far from them (8 mile) i decided to go see for myself what they were like. 2pm ish monday afternoon i rolled up at there shop, No customers in the place so i though cool, I couldn't see any on display so asked this young lad if they still had any, Yes was the answer and yes to having a 16" one in as well, Last one infact. So i asked the lad if i could see it, To be told call back Wednesday afternoon :shock: Errr its Monday, i have cash, Show me the bike and i'll pay now and take it away. No can do says lad to busy... so when i explained that they didn't even have to build the thing just pop the box open and if it is right for me i'll take it away boxed. Lad replied with come back about 4 and i'll see what i can do :roll:

Needless to say i just turned and walked away cash still in pocket, And last time i looked Winstanleys were still advertising 07 Zaskars discounted even more.

There's a shop near me which shall remain nameless, where the boss laughed at me for asking to look at a steel framed Rocky Mountain. After I justified to him my choice of steel over alu, he eventually let me go out into the car park, where I was granted a tiny little ride round. The baggy denimed idiot shop boy started doing stunts on it round the car park for the next 10 minutes, completely ignoring me.
It was a sweet bike, and I had nearly £1000 cash in my pocket ready to put down a deposit on it.
I've never been in that shop since, and I wouldn't recommend any of my friends to either, even though they have some great stuff.

I wonder if the baggy denimed idiot is the one that used to work at our place?

were lucky at my place no baggy jean kids will ever work there as its adults only    and you have to be a keen cyclist and a good engineer with good ish people skills hence why my good customers always come to see me    

Got out of the bike trade 2.5 yrs ago after 15 years in it

Best move i ever made. Now i can enjoy my bikes

I still build bikes for friends on the side- but i get to name the price (and tell em to get fecked if they try to haggle)

Service is the only way to success- but try finding ppl prepared to pay for it :-(

Andy