Do you need any help sir?

[Rampage]

I've noticed recently that a lot of bike shops don't seem to like you looking around.

It's a few local ones.
One local shop waits almost 2 minutes before sending the next shop worker my way. The most recent time after saying "I'm just looking" met with the response "what are you looking for?". So I told them I needed some brake caliper bolts, thats what I went in for. But I was looking for other stuff too, but never got the chance to look, so didn't buy.
I don't dare go into the bike section of the shop now, as they just seem to follow you around. And if you ever prod or touch a bike part you are met with "Do you need any help?" and feel like giving up.

I'm not the smartest dresser, but it's not as if I dress like a chav!

When I was young I would ride for miles to go and look around the local bike shops. I almost always bought something. It never seemed to be a problem then.

Is it just me or does everyone get this?

 

[stevetait]

Here too , when I was a young Tim Gould wannabe my lbs used to rock. Now it's just a soul less pit of jumped up morons. No time to help, no tolerance of anything over 2 years old.

Near my parents the two lbs are the same. One is a real cave of stuff but on a recent visit I asked if they have any m900 to which the shoppy replied probally as we have loads of stuff but you need to tell me exactly what you want. I said anything, the response, a grunt and a repeat of the same statement. However, a bs a bit further away has a true owner who really appreciates the retro. So from 6 lbs only one is amicable with a welcoming atmosphere... The rest, pretentious w@nk holes and some of the biggest names in the East Midlands.

 

[cyfa2809]

i often get asked is that for a mountain bike or bmx, now i dont know what the generic bmxer is but i thought i didnt look like that :? most round here dont know what they are talking about and it frustates me, i think 'let me work here!'

 

[kaiser]

So many folks rabbit on about supporting your LBS, why if its crap? Support the GBS, good bike shops I say.

 

[ekiborter]

the phrase you need is....

"I'm just window shopping, you know?.. just looking around. I'll give you a shout if I need any help. but thanks for asking".


should do the job.


The funny thing is it is a really hard line to walk when you are a shop worker.
If you don't great people and ask if they need help, they complain you are rude or too stuck-up to care... if you do ask them if they need assistance then you are pushy and sales driven.

lose lose situation.

:roll:

 

[stevetait]

The way to be is to acknowledge a customer with a friendly hello. If done right the customer will feel at ease to ask for help and the shoppy will be confident this will happen because their approach is correct.

I have used and seen this in practice... It has become too scarce in these pressure kpi driven times though.

 

[LeeDevelopment]

A simple smile, wave a cheerful "Let me know if I can help?" is enough without the need of them hovering over you.

I'm OK.... if they have been hovering and they ask if I need any help I just reply in sign-language and they leave me well alone after that!!!

 

[perry]

I leave people well alone , If they want something they can come to me and ask . I refuse to give a hard sell and if it gets to the point where I'm asked to ( unlikely as the manager is happy the way I do things ) I'd walk .

I hate going into a shop just to look at shiny stuff and get hassled by staff so I'll never do it myself .

 

[Rampage]

Replying in sign language is brilliant!

The place I do most of my window shopping (and the best bike shop I have come across) is on-line.

 

[stevetait]

Perry... Bravo, good form sir