How to fire a customer in 10 minutes or less

Discussion in 'Bike Shop Reviews' started by mtnbikerfred, May 14, 2008.

  1. Gnutz

    Gnutz \m/ ( > < ) \m/

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    Really? Twice as much? What parts were they?
     
  2. bluefirepictures

    bluefirepictures Almost Local Rider/Photog

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    Similar experience at a local shop in Long Beach.

    $3 per foot of derailleur housing (not that bad)

    $10 to change out pedals. 20 seconds of work is worth $10??

    $5 for 1 new chain ring bolt. ONE BOLT FOR $5??

    After that I told myself that I would never go in there again, but I did anyway...


    I just rebuilt my rear wheel. Same rim, same hub, new spokes and nipples. I go in to have it tensioned. I could have done it but I figured it would be easier to have a shop do it.

    $60 to tension a wheel!!!
    Told me it was the same price as a whole wheel build. Said it took 5 minutes for new spokes and 40 minutes to tension them. So its the same price.

    I wont go back in that shop again. Unless for some reason I win a lot of money and have a need to waste it.
     
  3. gooseaholic

    gooseaholic Active Member

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    60 dollars to tension a wheel???????? That is a rip off. I have never payed more than 25$. Used to get them done for 10$ with the good guy price.:bang:
     
  4. nerdgirl

    nerdgirl Ronin

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    I don't really have a bad experience just yet, and I hope I never do. There is one shop that I don't like because the people there have kind of an elitist vibe, and I think they charge far too much for what they've got. Probably why I shop at Jenson and Pricepoint.com

    I really hope that no one has had a bad experience at Jenson, because I think that would really bum me out. (Okay, parking lot sale excluded, everyone). I <3 Jenson, and I wish more shops were like them.
     
  5. thephat

    thephat Active Member

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    This saddens me.

    If the cashier forgot to give you your STR discount, why didn't you say something at the time?

    I know for a fact that our prices are competitive. You may find a great price elsewhere on an item that we have out at MSRP. That says nothing of what you would find with an overall price survey.

    We have built our reputation offering a fair price, and that is not going to change with the expansion. Our pricing structure has not changed one bit, and it is not going to. We needed to expand several years ago to accommodate our business levels, but the opportunity did not come till now.

    I assure you we are not trying to get rich on any one sale. Rather, we are trying to create a place that folks can trust for a fair deal.
     
  6. gooseaholic

    gooseaholic Active Member

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    The Path has always done right by me. But mistakes can be made at times. I assure you, its not common practice at the Path.
     
  7. Drop D

    Drop D New Member

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    I often ask for STR discount at The Path.... but when I ask them to price match... I don't ask for STR discount anymore... I'm happy enough that they matched it.... I guess its my way of supporting my LBS
     
  8. bluefirepictures

    bluefirepictures Almost Local Rider/Photog

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    I didnt know there was a STR discount at The Path. I normally drive from Long Beach out there to buy most of my bike parts. I only go to the local shops when I dont have a lot of time.

    Cool. It kind of fits because I only know about The Path because I heard about it on STR.
     
  9. kevinator

    kevinator Staying hydrated

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    Even if I am not a regular customer I appreciate the work and feedback you've done within the local community and what it takes to build and keep a reputation going. Like Goose mentioned mistakes happen. I made a mistake on the pricing I quoted to you and am sorry for the misunderstanding. That is completely my bad. I stuck my foot in my mouth and now it's time to say sorry.
     
  10. dubjay

    dubjay Having upgraditis is OK

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    That's not exactly retensioning a wheel. Retensioning usually entails an adjustment of the spokes so that there is even tension along all the spokes on the same side. No parts replaced.

    What you describe is an entire wheel build - but in actuality would take even longer, because they would need to take apart your existing wheel first.
     
  11. bluefirepictures

    bluefirepictures Almost Local Rider/Photog

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    I already rebuilt it. I did all the lacing myself I just wanted them to tighten everything up evenly because I figured they could do it better than I could.

    They said a full relacing wheel build is the same price as just tightening everything up
     
  12. Chewyeti

    Chewyeti Circus Bear

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    you got hosed.
     
  13. dubjay

    dubjay Having upgraditis is OK

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    Alright. I stand corrected then. From the sounds of your initial post, it sounded like you asked your LBS to change the spokes out.

    But now what I can't figure out is...how can someone who knows how to lace up a wheel, not be able to change out pedals themselves? :?: :beer:
     
  14. Chewyeti

    Chewyeti Circus Bear

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    irrelevant :lol::lol:
     
  15. bluefirepictures

    bluefirepictures Almost Local Rider/Photog

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    Not lack of knowledge. Lack of pedal wrench.


    It was right after I moved to LB and only had a small selection of tools



    I wouldn't be posting that I would never be returning to a bike shop unless I knew what I was talking about
     
  16. Gnutz

    Gnutz \m/ ( > < ) \m/

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    Very cool of you to apologize :clap::beer:
     
  17. 2wheel_lee

    2wheel_lee Active Member

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    First, I think $60 is a bit high for a single wheel build.

    Second, as far as wheel builds go, the actual lacing part is easy and only takes a couple minutes. The time consuming part is the tensioning. I would also not want to be the person tensioning an 'unknown' wheel, meaning the person doesn't know if you picked the right spokes.

    Additionally, as a wheelbuilder, I'd wonder what you used for spoke and nipple prep - you did you spoke prep, right? And did you grease the nipple seats? Although you can get away without the nipple grease, the spoke prep is important. If you didn't use spoke prep, I'd charge you even more that the standard wheel build price because I'd have to unlace the wheel.

    So...there are a lot of questions in the builder's mind that would take far longer to ask and discuss than simply lacing a wheel. Considering all of those hassles to discuss, I can understand the high quote.

    There's a good reasons why signs like this exist.
     

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  18. Chewyeti

    Chewyeti Circus Bear

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    but lee,

    that is how YOU build wheels. Some people omit nipple grease, and there are a myriad of different spoke thread preps available, or using none at all.

    If someone is paying you to tension a wheel, that is all you need to do.

    If you get half way in, and realize the spokes are wrong length, stop. Record your labor. Charge them what it cost in time, nd tell him it neesd new spokes.

    so your saying shops shouldnt work on wheels they didnt build? :?:
     
  19. project_d

    project_d Steve Peat Wannabe

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    Poor customer service at The Path is an exception, not the rule. 99.9% of the time, I've had a positive experience there, and I've referred several people there. Why?...because there just isn't a better shop! There are other great shops, yes, but I prefer The Path.

    As for pricing, their pricing is pretty competitive. Nobody has the lowerst price 100% of the time; and this goes for several industries, not just bikes. So if you're the type that only buys at the lowest price, then you'll reap what you sow.

    The Path has a great selection, great prices, and if they can order it, they'll get it!:beer:

    Now if I can only get them to bring in more MTB flicks from the U.K....:-k
     
  20. bluefirepictures

    bluefirepictures Almost Local Rider/Photog

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    There are some good points. Maybe questions they could have asked me? I just thought tensioning a newly built wheel would be around the price to have a wheel trued. But I do know there is more work to be done on a new wheel. So i expected it to be more, just not $60

    The price of the wheel wasnt the only reason I dont like this shop. Even before I went in there to get the wheel tensioned I had told myself that I didnt like the place.



    in any case...
    New sig anyone?
     

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