LBS Rant

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  • Briggo
    Briggo Posts: 3,537
    Well if I had a LBS that stocked decent MTB's then I'd probably use it but they all seem to stock road bikes or bmx's around Norwich. :cry:
  • Hercule Q
    Hercule Q Posts: 2,781
    both the shops in exmouth are brilliant i asked dave in exmouth cycles on sunday to get some shock bushes for my bike and they turned up this afternoon and knobblies ar really good for practically anything bike
    pinkbike
    Blurring the line between bravery and stupidity since 1986!
  • saltyman
    saltyman Posts: 472
    edited November 2009
    i tend to buy online..........parts in stock and on your doorstep within 3 days sometimes quicker but always cheaper.

    my local shops are full of nice bikes etc but carry very little in the way of spare parts even the more common stuff like tyres and pads!

    they are useless for servicing etc too, been to a few recently with a mate showing him bikes etc, and a few have said there is a 6-7 week wait for a basic service as they are busy building xmas bikes!!!!!!!!!

    even in the summer, a wheel truing job is a 10 day wait or so........
    :oops:
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  • stubs
    stubs Posts: 5,001
    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.
    GHill wrote:
    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".

    The motorbike shops I worked in didnt have effing great warehouses full of stuff either but we could still get parts quicker than my LBS

    If CRC dont have it in stock its usually out of stock in the country because CRC is the main importer and supplier of bike bits

    GHill wrote:
    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.

    Why dont LBS order urgent bits from CRC get it free delivery and stick on 10% for some profit and keep a customer happy
    Fig rolls: proof that god loves cyclists and that she wants us to do another lap
  • GHill
    GHill Posts: 2,402
    stubs wrote:
    Why dont LBS order urgent bits from CRC get it free delivery and stick on 10% for some profit and keep a customer happy

    If the customer really wants it that urgently, wouldn't they just buy from CRC and save the money?

    10% doesn't sound like a lot if the customer wants it fitted too.
  • carrock
    carrock Posts: 1,103
    i tend to buy parts from places like Merlin- i ordered a minoura workstand ( 30 cheaper than lbs) at 4pm and it wa delivered the following morning

    On the other hand, I buy my bikes from lbs becuase they give test rides and if anything gioes wrong with the bike it goes straight back to shop- wouldnt fancy shipping a bike down the country back to the online shop
  • Hercule Q
    Hercule Q Posts: 2,781
    saltyman wrote:

    even in the summer, a wheel truing job is a 10 day wait or so........
    :oops:

    again exmouth is a wonderfull place i went in and saw dave and got a true wheel back 10 mins later for a couple of quids
    pinkbike
    Blurring the line between bravery and stupidity since 1986!
  • stubs
    stubs Posts: 5,001
    GHill wrote:
    stubs wrote:
    Why dont LBS order urgent bits from CRC get it free delivery and stick on 10% for some profit and keep a customer happy

    If the customer really wants it that urgently, wouldn't they just buy from CRC and save the money?

    10% doesn't sound like a lot if the customer wants it fitted too.

    Surely if you have a customer who needs something ASAP you would try your best to get it for them even if it meant not making a profit. The customer then is likely to come back and buy something at full cost again and again. Its called customer service it works both ways.

    Or do you let the customer walk out the door order it off CRC and risk never seeing them again.
    Fig rolls: proof that god loves cyclists and that she wants us to do another lap
  • Bignige
    Bignige Posts: 223
    Love using my LBS's, and yes I do understand that waiting for a bulk order makes more financial sense - they are a business after all, just wish they'd learn some communication skills......i.e. let me know if the part I've ordered is delayed, don't wait for me to have to chase them up.
    Things do go wrong sometimes, it's how it's delt with by the vendor that makes the difference.
    My LBS took longer than expected to get a part......"sorry mate, that's just the way it goes!", CRC where late with a delivery....full refund of my postage, job done!!!
    Ride it like you stole it.........Yeah Baby!!!

    2008 Spesh Enduro SL Expert
    2010 Fuji Roubaix 1.0 Ltd Edition
  • bol
    bol Posts: 138
    Sorry Wacky, I think you made your second post whilst I was in the middle of writing mine. Point taken. I do get a bit annoyed by people who are quite happy to waste their LBS's time trying out bikes that they have no intention of buying from them. I sometimes wonder whether the online only stores should have to pay a 2% tax or something to be distributed to local shops in payment for the fitting service they provide?

    Briggo, you should try Streetlife in Nelson Street. They might not have a huge selection of bikes for sale from stock, but they do lots of interesting custom builds are a Spesh S Works dealer, and do Cove, Cotic Santa Cruz, Surly and lots of other good stuff. If you want lots of stock bikes in Norwich then Pedal Revolution has got most Scotts, Treks or Giants.
  • GHill
    GHill Posts: 2,402
    stubs wrote:
    Surely if you have a customer who needs something ASAP you would try your best to get it for them even if it meant not making a profit. The customer then is likely to come back and buy something at full cost again and again. Its called customer service it works both ways.

    Or do you let the customer walk out the door order it off CRC and risk never seeing them again.

    Would depend on what the item was to some extent. If the item was of sufficient value (a fork perhaps) then I'd probably just order from the usual distributor and eat the delivery cost. I wouldn't expect the same for a £10 seal kit or bearings. Maybe then ordering from CRC might work, but not sure how VAT would complicate things (I've never owned a shop) and I wouldn't want to charge more than RRP.

    I'm not trying to say that the service from some LBSs isn't bad (it often is), just that expecting them to compete with CRC on some things seems a bit optimistic.
  • dave_hill
    dave_hill Posts: 3,877
    Broonster wrote:
    It has lots of people on here talking about it, so maybe that 5p or 6p does it's job?

    ...all of which just goes to show how fickle the great purchasing public really are...
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  • Briggo
    Briggo Posts: 3,537
    bol wrote:
    Briggo, you should try Streetlife in Nelson Street. They might not have a huge selection of bikes for sale from stock, but they do lots of interesting custom builds are a Spesh S Works dealer, and do Cove, Cotic Santa Cruz, Surly and lots of other good stuff. If you want lots of stock bikes in Norwich then Pedal Revolution has got most Scotts, Treks or Giants.

    Pedal Revo werent much help when I enquired about a Trek Fuel Ex couple weeks back.

    Not been in Streetlife, will take a look weekend cheers ;)

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