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And how were they supposed to 'check' the leaking seals without taking them apart? Which would probably require fresh fluid and oil. £40 sounds a good price to me...
I work for a small distributor in the bike industry and see things from the other side. Some shops are great, some I dread talking to. Some love what they do, some I cannot understand why they ever chose to open a shop. Some pay their bills on time, some always go into the 90 column because "you need to email or ring me to get me to pay, I'm just too busy." This was after emailing him 3 reminders!
I am also a customer at my LBS who know who I work for, we supply them stuff. I ride regularly with them, and get on well with many staff, but my word, some are snobbish twonks who treat me like I know nowt because I'm a lass.
I'm sure some shops we deal with think we're rubbish sometimes because we get things wrong. It all goes around but we try our best and try to be nice and professional, it's all you can do really. Shame not everyone sees that.
I work in a bike shop. I am no a salesman, but I love cycling and bikes. If someone wants advice I will give them the best I have or then ask someone with more knowledge of that particular subject. Some customers have done a lot of research and quite frankly I tell them that their knowledge is better than mine. Quite often a customer will ignore a female member of staff to speak to me or another male, when both have these have at least as much or more knowledge than me in a lot of areas.
We often pump up tyres and dig through huge boxes of old tat to try to find the right item for someone. The owner drives a van, bikes fit in the back(including his families)
Yes I like to make a sale, I suppose, but only if its the sale the customer wanted.The most important thing is that every customer walks out of the shop happy - purchase or not. That's what brings people back, and that's what gives people the confidence to part with their hardearned. Oh yeah the majority of customers are commuters and families, no room for bike snobbery there.
We are also on the LEJOG route and have "groaters" in all summer long, we do our best to turn them around and get them back on the road, even though at this time of year the workshop is booked 2 weeks in advance.Customer service is what separates a good lbs from bad and also from t'internet.
bikeneil: No, you can pop the wipers and foam rings out in 2 minutes. Needs a new pillow pack at most. The forks were bought new from and fitted by the same shop, 2 weeks prior, probably ridden twice and you really think the customer should pay to have them looked at when they weren't working properly from new? You sound like you're easily parted from your money.
bencooper: Yes, as above, bought from and fitted by that shop 2 weeks before.
To redress the balance a little, I will say that I've had good service at almost every other LBS in town.
Handsome bicycles in Hastings are not . they took my bike did what needed doing ,put on part supplied by me for no extra charge ,gave me great advice and when i tried to go crazy on bying new bars and stem from them they told me not to as mine were light and good enough ?? Legends those guys.