LBS Rant

pmerryman

I ordered some new forks from the LBS, only to be told they were out of stock (fisher). I was told they would be 4 weeks, so I agreed. After the 4 weeks, I rang the LBS, who contacted fisher, and they were now instock. This is now the 9th week, and I have heard nothing from the LBS, so I called in today to cancel my order with them. I now have to call back in again, to get my refund, as the lad behind the counter cant authorise it.
I wouldn't of minded if they had kept me informed, but to not hear anything. And if anyone wants to know which bike shop it is, its the cyclery in saddleworth.

Paul

jayson

And yet they wonder why people use online shops instead.......

pmerryman

Exactly

weeksy59

It's not just LBS's it seems to be all shops.

Not long ago i had £3000 sitting in my pocket to be a new motorbike.

Rang up 5 places and was told "we'll/they'll call you back"

Funnily enough... only 1 place called back.

I bought their bike

Have had same with car dealers etc..

Consdiering the financial market it truely baffles me.

The Northern Monkey

Took my LBS 4 weeks to get shimano brake pads in stock :shock:

canada16

full service for bike, be done in 3 days... Ok I say

3 days not done will do it tomorrow.. OK bit annoyed.

go in the next day still not done, I go off on one, its then done the next day.

I keep using them as they do a good job and really cheap, 25.00 for full service 35 elsewere.

they are a nightmare.

.blitz

weeksy59 wrote:

It's not just LBS's it seems to be all shops.

You're getting old - like me

It annoys me when shop staff refer to me as 'mate' and try to close a deal by offering some pathetic trinket such as couple of gear cables, a pair of socks or worse still - SHOP VOUCHERS :x

Clickety-click on CRCWiggleMerlin for me.

schlepcycling

pmerryman wrote:

I ordered some new forks from the LBS, only to be told they were out of stock (fisher). I was told they would be 4 weeks, so I agreed. After the 4 weeks, I rang the LBS, who contacted fisher, and they were now instock. This is now the 9th week, and I have heard nothing from the LBS, so I called in today to cancel my order with them. I now have to call back in again, to get my refund, as the lad behind the counter cant authorise it.
I wouldn't of minded if they had kept me informed, but to not hear anything. And if anyone wants to know which bike shop it is, its the cyclery in saddleworth.

Paul

I don't mean to be rude but I don't understand what happened between Fisher telling your LBS that they were in stock and now?, apparently 9 weeks after you ordered them???. If they were in stock with Fisher after the agreed 4 weeks why were they not sent to your LBS and more importantly why weren't you bugging your LBS every day for a delivery date. I mean after being told they were in stock you then waited another 5 weeks to contact your LBS to cancel your order.

scale20

I have had a few issues like this with suppliers, One was Endura and the other was USE. USE being the worst.

On both occasions I could not blame the LBS, they were doing all that could be done to get the kit in but the suppliers would give delivery dates and come that time nothing to show. Endura was regarding a pair of replacement bibs but USE was for a new seatpost. My LBS kept getting the same line for about 8 weeks, they will be with you in a week. I cancelled that order.

LBS's put customers orders in to the suppliers but then they at their mercy and because they are the middle man they get all the stick from the customer.

dave_hill

canada16 wrote:

25.00 for full service 35 elsewere.

It would be even cheaper if you did your own. And it would get done in time.

ride_whenever

.blitz wrote:

weeksy59 wrote:

It's not just LBS's it seems to be all shops.

You're getting old - like me

It annoys me when shop staff refer to me as 'mate' and try to close a deal by offering some pathetic trinket such as couple of gear cables, a pair of socks or worse still - SHOP VOUCHERS :x

Clickety-click on CRCWiggleMerlin for me.

Out of interest what would you like as a deal sweetener?

stubs

I think the problem with most shops (any sort of shop not just bike shop) is your dealing with staff who are on the minimum wage have no career and basically dont give a cr@p they are only there to earn enough to pay the bills and have a bevvy at the weekend. Not surprising we have to put up with poor service.

dave_hill

ride_whenever wrote:

Out of interest what would you like as a deal sweetener?

I don't think thats his point - if he's like me, a good deal to start with, with efficient, friendly and polite service makes any deal worth having in my book. You don't need to patronise me or insult my intelligence with freebies.

I wonder how much WIggle could drop their prices if they stopped sending sweets with every order?

It's always been the same with bike shops - the old codger who owns it knows everything and can't possibly conceive that anyone else (let alone customers) might have half an idea themselves; and the spotty oik serving couldn't give a toss or is just plain daft.

supersonic

canada16 wrote:

full service for bike, be done in 3 days... Ok I say

3 days not done will do it tomorrow.. OK bit annoyed.

go in the next day still not done, I go off on one, its then done the next day.

I keep using them as they do a good job and really cheap, 25.00 for full service 35 elsewere.

they are a nightmare.

What does that involve? I charged more for a full strip and rebuild.

Broonster

dave_hill wrote:

I wonder how much WIggle could drop their prices if they stopped sending sweets with every order?

A bag of Haribo that retails at 10p per packet, which Wiggle will probably get at, say, 5p/6p a packet? Not much of a saving really, although it's a nice touch more than anything. It has lots of people on here talking about it, so maybe that 5p or 6p does it's job?

Wacky Racer

I think alot of local shops have had their day for a number of reasons - Many are ridiculously overpriced, very few actually offer a good service, servicing can be done by most people with a modicum of common sense, they don't offer anything that an online shop can't!!

I can get everything I want online, sometimes at half the price of my LBS. Ok, I may get an occasional hiccup, but it's always resolved. If I want to buy a component I get a choice of 3 if I'm lucky at LBS, whereas I can choose from thousands online just with the click of google.

I used my LBS to try a bike for size and then saved a massive £600 by buying elsewhere. Could I get the same deal at the shop? Not even £50 off!

I think some people would actually be prepared to pay a "higher price" for fantastic service, knowledgeable staff, servicing without scratching your pride and joy, a good range of products, in an environment which doesn't resemble a dungeon. I've yet to find one.

MrChrisP

Broonster wrote:

A bag of Haribo that retails at 10p per packet, which Wiggle will probably get at, say, 5p/6p a packet? Not much of a saving really, although it's a nice touch more than anything. It has lots of people on here talking about it, so maybe that 5p or 6p does it's job?

I'm thinking of buying something from them JUST for the sweets

supersonic

Where you shop does depend on the service you require. Many do need a good local shop for servicing, advice (one to one) and testing.

"I used my LBS to try a bike for size and then saved a massive £600 by buying elsewhere"

Many cheap online retailers do not have facilites to show bikes so you can try them, which is why they are cheaper.

Small LBS do have proportinally higher overheads.

And of course the LBS is handy on a Sunday afternoon when I need a couple of tubes and bits and bobs for that evening ride.

Wacky Racer

Supersonic, I agree with your comments, but unfortunately good local shops have become rarer than hens teeth. I can accept paying a bit more because I recognise the benefits, but far too many don't offer those benefits, and will pay the price for poor service and a poor range of products. If I had a decent LBS I would use it, I've yet to find one.

supersonic

They are OK around here - sure, 95% of my buying is online as I do like to think I know a bit about parts lol, but they always come in handy, and a good one is invaluable to a complete novice.

Wacky Racer

They are OK around here - sure, 95% of my buying is online as I do like to think I know a bit about parts lol, but they always come in handy, and a good one is invaluable to a complete novice.

I think the biggest problem I have is where I live, I wouldn't describe Worcestershire as great MB'ing country, there are one or two great road bike shops around, but not much else. On the other hand you live in an area where there is an abundance of riding, so I guess that means more shops too.

If I really want to visit a shop, mainly so I can try things on etc, I treck down to Leisure Lakes in Cheltenham, about an hours drive for me, online prices and loads of choice. But this is so far removed from the dingy bike shops around me, it's no surprise many are struggling to stay in business.

Also, I think a few years back alot of people went to the LBS for advice too, but sites like this have meant that advice can be found from behind the PC, yet another reason not to bother.

I'm sure, however, there are many on here who do have decent shops they use, and certainly bad service hasn't been cornered by bike shops, unfortunately it is indicative of the times of ever diminishing "good old fashioned service" which makes us want to go back for more.

scale20

I would say that about 60% of my purchases are done in my LBS. I don't buy any of my bike clothing online because I like to try it on. I like to buy certain components from my LBS because they can offer sound technical advice, and you can chat about the product.

I find wiggle have gone expensive, and are no way cheaper now than they were when I first started with them. I have actually bought stuff cheaper from my LBS than some online shops.

I am a great believer in supporting my LBS and one thing I will never do is use them to try before I buy online.

I have found that by supprting my LBS they have the time of day for me, I get a small discount on all my purchases, I've had the loan of specialist tools to service my bike and had small jobs on my bike done for nothing. Its all about gaining trust with eachother.

spanielsson

pmerryman wrote:

I ordered some new forks from the LBS, only to be told they were out of stock (fisher). I was told they would be 4 weeks, so I agreed. After the 4 weeks, I rang the LBS, who contacted fisher, and they were now instock. This is now the 9th week, and I have heard nothing from the LBS, so I called in today to cancel my order with them. I now have to call back in again, to get my refund, as the lad behind the counter cant authorise it.
I wouldn't of minded if they had kept me informed, but to not hear anything. And if anyone wants to know which bike shop it is, its the cyclery in saddleworth.

Paul

I'm sorry to hear about the trouble you have had, they are my LBS too.

My dealings with them are totally opposite of yours. They really do everything to help and be as competitive as they can, matching and sometimes beating online retailers prices.

In my experience they are what an LBS really should be.

Noizetek

I use my LBS a hell of a lot, great service and having only been riding for around 10 months now, were excellent at giving advice, servicing etc...I mainly shop online for clothing rather than parts.

jamespiggot

For a while I got 90% online mostly from Wiggle but then had a change of heart and now try to get as much as possible from my LBS (for info Beeline in Oxford) as they are always willing to provide free advice, they let me take bikes away to test ride for a weekend, I can try stuff on before purchasing. If you're a member of a cycling club they will give you 10% off everything, and if you're a good customer they will give you preferential rates and treatment, so my advice is find a good local shop and give them your custom and if the are cyclists themselves they will treat you well (even if they do make all their profit from selling low range bikes).

GHill

I take the principle that if I need the LBS to try something out (demo a bike, check the fitting of clothes/helmet) then I'll buy it there - they've provided a service that I couldn't get online.

I do have the benefit of having two good LBSs though, and the third one isn't bad either. Good experienced mechanics and 13 months free servicing after a bike purchase.

bol

If we don't support our local bike shops there won't be any. It's a self fulfilling prophecy. I don't buy everything in my LBS, and yes, in some ways they're not as reliable as some online stores, but they're often as cheap, love chatting about bikes and even make me a cup of coffee every now and then. They'll even fit stuff I've bought online if they can't match the price (forks and remote fitted and set up Including a free crown race for a tenner for instance). I sometimes think that our expectations are a bit ott when we're dealing with small independent enthusiast-run businesses. I wonder whether Wacky Racer's ideal LBS would be a giant Wiggle outlet? I'm happy to buy from companies like that online, but they'd make a pretty soulless LBS in my opinion.

scale20

I got my Joplin seatpost and remote, brand new from my LBS for £175, beats CRC and wiggle prices hands down.

Cant argue with that!

stubs

I can never understand why a LBS takes so long to get parts in. If I want to order something from CRC or Merlin I go on internet press order and usually (at least 90% of the time) its there 24 hours later.

Go into shop desperately spend 10 minutes trying to attract attention of the badly shaved monkey who is busy chatting to his mates and ignoring you ask to order something and they get a grubby book out from under the counter illegibly write down your order and tell you its going to be 2 weeks because you have just missed ordering day and its 10% deposit mate.

Huh I did my apprenticeship in a motorbike shop 30 years ago and we could get parts next day. I once had to rebuild a blown up Suzuki it was a Japan import with no parts back up in the UK. I rang the Suzuki importers and they had the parts sent from Japan within the week.

Wacky Racer

I wonder whether Wacky Racer's ideal LBS would be a giant Wiggle outlet?

You obviously haven't read my posts then!! I would gladly use a LBS if I had one, relatively near to home, which offers a caring service with a smile and makes more effort than to point at what they have with a grunt. Of course there are many on here who do have that relationship, but there are at least as many who don't. This is not some myth spread by people who would rather shop at some "Giant Wiggle", it is a fact.

I don't know whether to feel insulted by this comment, or just shrug my shoulders and assume it comes from someone who just adds two and two and makes five! My point about travelling to Leisure Lakes is that I have a choice between them or a shop which offers neither price nor service. The very fact that I am prepared to travel to LL to get what I need does actually demonstrate that I would be equally as happy to drive ten minutes down the road more frequently. What would you do? It's not up to me to keep shops in business, it's up to them to do that.

GHill

stubs wrote:

I can never understand why a LBS takes so long to get parts in. If I want to order something from CRC or Merlin I go on internet press order and usually (at least 90% of the time) its there 24 hours later.

Most LBSs don't have an effing great warehouse full of stuff. Trying ordering from Wiggle/CRC when the item shows something like "available in 8-10 days".

For a LBS with a small turnover, it makes sense to make larger orders (maybe once a week) to suppliers in terms of postage costs. This often becomes free when you hit a certain threshold.