On Feb 15, 2017 10:55 AM, "Bill Lindsay" <tapebu...@gmail.com> wrote:
Hugh pointed out something he does not understand: " what I don't get is when you ask a retailer how much they can get a White Industries hub for you? And they give you negative attitude for even asking the question" Hugh went on to explain: " I was ready to just have them order the part regardless" Hugh, I will try to explain the part that you don't understand. You definitely didn't deserve to get attitude from the salesperson, and you should not buy from people who give you attitude. The person giving you attitude wasn't about you. Either the guy is a jerk who gives everybody attitude, or he's tired of being asked for prices on parts he doesn't stock. Everybody who works at a shop frequently gets asked for a price on something they don't stock. 19 times out of 20, you quote a price, and the customer says "OK" and leaves. Maybe they'll ask first "do you match prices?" and then show you their phone where some online seller is selling something at below cost. It gets tiresome, and it happens all the time. When you asked for a price quote, I bet that was what was going through his mind, and he was just tired of it. It was unfair to you, because he assumed you were doing to him the same thing that the previous 19 people did to him with the same question. The fact is, retailers are bad at selling you things they don't stock. If you want to help a retailer, buy something that they have in stock. If you think they could improve their business by stocking something new, suggest it. Buy tubes from your LBS. Buy cables from your LBS. Buy chains and brakepads from your LBS. That stuff is on the shelf and it helps them out, alot. Gee Bill I really appreciate you going to the trouble of explaining how I should approach shopping. Frankly, I don't care if I was the 100th customer who asked for a price. Here's a novel idea Bill, it's not my prerogative to patronize a retailer who treats me disrespectful for any parts large or small. I have never shown an online price to a bike shop employee unless they specifically requested me to do so. When I came in to the LBS in the recent past I had them build a $1200 wheelset, build two bikes and bought, tubes, bottles, patches, cables...I asked one of the Proprietors what was the best price for said hub? His response was something to the effect we can't give you a lower price, you should go buy it somewhere else, maybe online. I was shocked. Left with a really bad taste. I know a guy running his own shop by himself, no employees, always busy. But he always makes time to talk with me respectfully. He needs the business and I'll continue to support him. On making a suggestion to carry products, this I have done at a different LBS and the Assistant Manager with heaps of shitty attitude scoffed at my suggestion. The suggestion was maybe carry a few steel touring bikes. My question back to you, Hugh, is: if you wanted to buy the White Industries hub from them, regardless of price, why did you ask for the price? Why didn't you say: "Hi, I'm Hugh. I need a White Industries MI5 rear hub. I know MSRP is $323, and I can order it direct from White Industries, but I'd rather put the money in your register. Do you want to order it for me?" I bet you would not have gotten attitude, and it would have been a very pleasant transaction. That's exactly what I do when I need Schmidt hubs. I call Riv and say "Hi, it's Bill. I need a SON Delux. Should I order ti from Peter White, or do you want to sell it to me?" I always buy my White Industries stuff and Paul stuff from Mike Varley at Black Mountain Cycles. He doesn't always have exactly what I need in stock, but Mike loves White Industries and Paul, and they love Mike. Everyone is happy that I put my money in Mike's register. He's a 75 minute drive away from me, but it's a nice drive and Mike has a nice couch and usually offers me a beer. Sometimes I feel a little bit like a sucker when I see folks discounting Paul stuff at half-retail, but I try to get over it. Well Bill we aren't all so well healed as you where we can just toss our money around without asking for a price. I asked because that's what I do as a consumer, I check on pricing which in my experience can fluctuate. In the end they lost a wheel build which included other parts and I always ask in a polite and respectful way. He could have said you know Hugh we don't have any wiggle room on those hubs but we'd like to order it for you and get that wheel built for you. We'll build it for $45 rather than $50 since you've been such a valued customer. I'm not angry with you just amazed you'd suggest how I should approach spending my money. But I get it, you used to work at a bike shop. ~Hugh Bill two-cents-is-all-it's-worth Lindsay El Cerrito, CA On Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at 9:27:53 AM UTC-8, Hugh Smitham wrote: > I agree. > > I get that running a bike store is hard work and the margin's are tough, > what I don't get is when you ask a retailer how much they can get a White > Industries hub for you? And they give you negative attitude for even asking > the question. In this case I ended up getting the hub from a euro retailer > and saved some money. But what the retailer didn't realize was I was ready > to just have them order the part regardless. Why because I was hoping to > support them. Attitude goes a long way! Now when I think of buying locally > or having some work done I think twice about whether I want to patronage > their shop. > > ~Hugh > > “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep > moving.” ― Albert Einstein > > http://velocipeedemusings.com/ > > > > On Wed, Feb 15, 2017 at 9:15 AM, Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> A shitty attitude is a damn' good way to go out of business in the bike >> retail business! Fortunately (at least for me in my area, ABQ, NM) there >> are some very good shops near me: Fat Tire and Stevie's to name the 2 best, >> and High Desert is OK if you get good with the owners. >> >> From my own experience, some shops were started by cycling afficionados >> who loved bikes but didn't love retail or service, and some were staffed >> largely by youngster wannabees with attitudes. >> >> On Wed, Feb 15, 2017 at 12:37 AM, Hugh Smitham <hughs...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> >>> [I] try and shop locally as best I can. Also for the current build I'm >>> doing most of the parts wouldn't even be available at a LBS. And the one's >>> I've gone to have a shitty attitude. >>> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the >> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/to >> pic/rbw-owners-bunch/nDRC-egq9g8/unsubscribe. >> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to >> rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com. >> To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com. >> >> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/ topic/rbw-owners-bunch/nDRC-egq9g8/unsubscribe. To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. 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