I advocate for the LBS, but if "local" is its most redeeming quality, it's better to take your biz elsewhere.
I am proud to say that we at HC have a number of loyal customers who pass other shops on their way to our store. Over the years we've had several dissatisfied customers, but they were all in the wrong, most assuredly. On Jan 7, 4:26 pm, cyclotourist <cyclotour...@gmail.com> wrote: > On Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 2:14 PM, Seth Vidal <skvi...@gmail.com> wrote: > > On Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 5:12 PM, beth h <periwinkle...@yahoo.com> wrote: > > > I'm sorry it's so hard to special order stuff through your local shop. > > > I've similar experiences as a customer and do sympathize. > > > > As the lead buyer at our shop, I can tell you that if a shop is left > > > holding the bag too many times on a non-stock part they can't easily > > > sell to someone else, they may become more skittish about special > > > orders in general, and orders for non-stock items in particular. > > > > We do our best to manage special orders where I work, but we make sure > > > the customer is committed by asking for half down, advising that we > > > give no refunds on non-stock items, and advising that delivery times > > > are usually beyond the control of one small retailer (we estimate 7-10 > > > days unless they want to pay for expedited shipping). > > > > We also advise the customer that if an order will not fulfill our > > > minimum required dollar amount to place an order from a distributor we > > > may have to wait until we have enough other stuff to order from that > > > distributor before placing the order. This is a reality for a small > > > retailer; we just don't have the buying power of a mail-order house > > > and we are often required to educate customers to that effect. > > > These last two paragraphs are the critical bits. > > > If you're upfront about ALL of that and give reasonable expectations > > and keep communication up then any pissed off customer is unreasonably > > pissed off. > > > I've just found that a lot of LBSes are rotten at communication and > > managing expectations. > > > -sv > > > -- > > Beth, Jim, et al: I 100% sympathize with the potential hassle of ordering > parts. I understand waiting till the shop can get their minimum to avoid > shipping. I get it, really. Buuuuut, I'm still the guy with cash in hand, > trying desperately hard to throw that cash in their general direction. $40 > for the bars, $25 for the shifter, and $5 for rinky-dinky SRAM IGH part. > NOT a lot of money, so I don't expect them to jump up and get it tomorrow. > > But he said "Next Thursday." Then when Next Thursday came around and I find > out they haven't even picked up the phone to call SRAM... Now it's four > weeks since I placed the original order. Maybe it's in, maybe it's not. > They haven't bothered to call me and give me a heads up. That's not the > retail business. That's having a hobby of owning a bike shop. > > -- > Cheers, > David > Redlands, CA > > "Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There is something > wrong with a society that drives a car to workout in a gym." ~Bill Nye, > scientist guy
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