Customer came in recently asking to try on some 5-10s “so I get the size right before ordering them online”

I was a little taken aback. Do you lot do this?

No, but if I was going to do it, I wouldn’t admit it in my lbs…

I suspect a lot do but aren’t quite so honest

Elfin-Fred-Bra ?

you need to keep a ‘special’ set for that sort of customer. Then stick new labels inside with the wrong sizes on…

or, put extra thick insoles in so they think they need a bigger size

no but Merlin is 1 mile away so no real need.
I guess I might but i would see if they could price match or thereabouts if i did

like thepodge says, amazingly ignorant or refreshingly honest?!
And the answer is no, I dont. Hasnt CRC’s free returns had an impact on this?

you need to keep a ‘special’ set for that sort of customer

…that are a bit warm & smell of pee…

At least he’s honest.

Why not ask where he was planning on buying from and then price-match.

You’ll have a new customer then.

Not saying Its right but Its probably down to them being this price at CRC.
I bought a pair of shimano MT33 spd’s this week and I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind about trying them on at Decathlon then ordering from Merlin , In the end I didn’t but If I had I would have certainly kept my mouth shut.

We don’t stock them 😎

I like to do something on price where I can, matching is, I think, too much, but getting close is ideal.

EDIT the guy first asked if we had them…when I said no, he said “I just wanted to get the size right before I order online”…as if that would be less bother to the retailer than a regular sale.

I had an email from someone offering just over trade price for a bike recently, that was another one. I didn’t reply.

I wouldn’t personally…if I choose to buy online (and I often do) then I’ll take my chances with the sizing and realise I might have to send it back for a replacement. Its the penalty for being a tight arse.

Having said that, if it came down to trying a bike out for size before spending a couple of grand I’d be tempted, if a significant saving was to be had online and no price match was to be had. Wouldn’t do it for clothes however, thats taking the piss a bit I reckon.

A bike shop mate told the other week that a guy we all know (he’s a cock even before this story came out) called in to research about a particular brand of bike that the bike shop stocked. He asked a whole bunch of questions and then proceeded to openly admit that he had no untention of buying the bike from them, but instead was going to get it from Evans who could sell it to him cheaper.

My mate told him to f-off.

If people are honest from the start and admit they have seen something for a good price online then it gives the LBS a chance to offer the price match and build a relationship with the customer and in many cases can lead to a regular customer.

If the customer is sneaky and uses your stock to size things up and then buy online it is a bit out of order in my opinion. Most of the time you figure out pretty quickly if the customer is doing this and again you can attempt to win them over as a customer.

If the customer is basically just an arse and does what the chap mentioned above and brag about buying elsewhere they are purely trying to get a reaction, not dissimilar to a forum troll and they obviously aren’t the sort of person you’d want in your shop anyway, so they may aswell be told to get lost.

Just my opinion..

I wouldn’t dream of behaving in the manner the op describes, but given the fact most lbs’s I’ve been in seem to expect that I’ll be happy to pay whatever the catalogue says and wait for a undetermined time for it to arrive, then I don’t go into my lbs’s. Perhaps I should start my own thread, brassneck in lbs; they expect me to pay that! And don’t seem interested in negotiating. Respect should be both ways imho.

I had an email from someone offering just over trade price for a bike recently, that was another one. I didn’t reply.

I once had a guy call me in the office and ask me if I could email him a bunch of trade prices so that he’d know how much to haggle in his local bike shop!
He even got a strop on because I (obviously) refused to supply the info.

Some people are mental.

Smell_it – Are you REALLY suggesting that you think it’s outrageous for a shop to expect a customer to pay the Recommended Retail Price?

Well we all know that bike shops run on fairy dust and free coffee. Can’t see why they charge so much!!

You would not believe the number of enquiries I get that go, “we’re coming to your area but don’t want a guided holiday, can you just tell us where to find the best trails”. I even got one the other day that went “I’m coming to your area, I’m really good so don’t want a guide, can you just hook me up with some local riders”.

I reply to them all, explaining what I can and can’t offer and I’ve even got some repeat visitors from enquiries that started like that. I think that people are genuinely confused sometimes about how everything works. People maybe think that because they’ve bought a few inner tubes in your shops that you really won’t mind them trying on the shoes / taking up time.

On the flip side I went into two bike shops this week looking for the same small part – a reducer gromit for a Mavic MTB rim and was told “oh no we don’t stock them, you’ll get them online somewhere though”

Smell_it – Are you REALLY suggesting that you think it’s outrageous for a shop to expect a customer to pay the Recommended Retail Price?

REALLY! No, shops can charge what they like. But it’s outrageous to believe I will pay it when I can get it cheaper online; can you understand that?
I paid full rrp for my parlee because that wasn’t going to be available for any less anywhere else, but the last cranks I bought were over a hundred quid cheaper on line, so I bought them on line. It’s not that tough to grasp.

I buy as much as I can in my LBS’s as when I need a favor or something specific or a rush fitting of a part it gets done. If there is something that is a bargain online then I’ll get it, same as seeing stuff on sale elsewhere.

A friend asked for a discount in a local shop and was shocked when the guy said asked why he deserved it. Some online retailers are not playing by the same rules shipping out OEM kit as Retail and sourcing from different countries. This makes it impossible for bike shops to compete.

Brother in law went into a lbs recently and got measured up for a Giant urban bike.£700 in the bike shop and he went away and bought it online for £450.Doubt if the bike shop could have matched that and its quite a bit of a saving.

Not when they spend their time on timewasters who don’t intend to buy anything 😉

Brother in law went into a lbs recently and got measured up for a Giant urban bike.£700 in the bike shop and he went away and bought it online for £450.Doubt if the bike shop could have matched that and its quite a bit of a saving.

Most shops I know will do a free service on the bike and maybe throw something in at a discount – helmet/lights etc they know they can’t compete but will probably offer to do something.

REALLY! No, shops can charge what they like. But it’s outrageous to believe I will pay it when I can get it cheaper online; can you understand that?

Buying online and buying in a shop is not the same though is it. In a store you’re paying for someone’s time, someone’s expertise AND the product.

I wouldnt dream of doing that. But its the way mountain biking has been going for a few years, I dont know why but it seems that all the bellends of society have recently started riding bikes. I mean what sort of idiot doesnt know the size of their own feet?

lol I was 3 sizes different to normal in my 5.10’s got them from the shop i tried them in though

In a store you’re paying for someone’s time, someone’s expertise AND the product.

someone’s time – which I will still get online, as all I want them to do is essentially hand me THE item.

someone’s expertise – I don’t know how EXPERT I need someone to be to hand me some cranks? and a very dubious claim when I consider most of the lbs SHOP staff I have dealt with.

As I said, when I NEED thoSe things I will pay for them; but don’t expect me to FUND what I don’t need. If no one needed what I offered at work, they would get rid of me, what makeS you so lucky?

someone’s time – which I will still get online, as all I want them to do is essentially hand me the item.

someone’s expertise – I don’t know how expert I need someone to be to hand me some cranks? and a very dubious claim when I consider most of the lbs shop staff I have dealt with.

As I said, when I need those things I will pay for them; but don’t expect me to fund what I don’t need. If no one needed what I offered at work, they would get rid of me, what makes you so lucky?

You’ve missed the point. Buy online then, thats what I do. Because I’m not thick.

However, there are some people who arent clued up enough that they need the help of the shop staff. They then take the piss and buy online (after receiving free help from shop staff)

Or does this actually make them incredibly clever? Free advice and then cheap goods at the end of it. Either way, they have no morals!

If I think I’ll get something in return for loyalty then I’ll keep going back to my LBS. Only last week the mechanic at my lbs (ed bikes) lent me some tools so I could bleed my brakes at home. Given he didn’t know me from Adam I was pretty impressed. Since then I’ve already been in twice to buy stuff I could undoubtable have found cheaper on line, because I appreciated the level of service.

Ok Smell It.

That’s fine. I’m not going to start trading personal insults.

You can’t see the validity of my point and whilst you consider it ‘outrageous’ for a shop to charge the RRP I’ll be unable to see yours.

Let’s call it a day.

Richie, turn the other cheek. There’s no winning the argument in this day and age. Price has long since surpassed value as a key choice for most people. More’s the pity.

It’s so much of a problem is Oz now I’ve heard you pay around 10 dollars to try on shoes and clothing which is then deducted off your bill if you buy… 😯

Buying online and buying in a shop is not the same though is it. In a store you’re paying for someone’s time, someone’s expertise AND the product.

and for the higher overhead costs associated with the more convenient location they’ve situated themselves in for you.

I don’t understand why a LBS that doesn’t hold the item in stock that you’re after doesn’t get it in for you at a heavily discounted price though…

“You want me to wait a week, drive back here to see you, pay for parking again and then charge me 20% more than I can pay to get it delivered to my door?”

If it was 5% I’d probably go back.

You’ve missed the point.

I probably have; as I said I wouldn’t behave in a manner the OP stated, but I guess wanted to highlight that respect should be both ways. I pay full rrp when needed and when I want more than just the product, but the fact I would CHOOSE to save money on items at other times means I’m some kind of tosser in the eyes of folk like richiethesilverfish. I guess this belief that I shouldn’t choose, was the arrogance I was wanting to highlight from some shops etc.

edit – you are right richie, if you can’t understand what I said, we won’t. I’ll back away from the post to, and wish you a great weekend.

One reason i use my LBS for certain items like my new brake set and reverb seat post is the ease i can get any problems sorted. My riding time can be quite limited at times and if i have a problem with items like this i want it sorted ASAP.

Yes i pay a lot more than if i bought online but im paying for the expertise i do not have to fix any problems. I learned this the hard way a while back.

Small stuff like gloves, pads etc – online every time.

But it absolutely takes the piss trying gear on in the shop then buying online, not sure what the answer is though. Muppets in every walk of life.

As far as I’m concerned the LBS is entitled to charge what they want, likewise you are quite entitled to buy elsewhere.

I don’t see it as arrogance. But it could be seen as bad business practice.

I’ve gone back to Swinnertons on the Chase simply because of the service they have given when I have gone in. Nice chaps, always willing to help & never try to BS me into buying something I don’t need. Simple as that.
I build/maintain bikes myself though, because I enjoy doing it. Would happily pay them if I was too busy too DIY though. Popped in recently & they charged me £6 to regrease my King BB, not worth me buying the tools at that price. Top chaps.

Bad business practice would be selling at discounted prices which generate the retailer an unsustainably low margin.

The OP highlights simple bad manners.

I’m very much with Richie on this one.