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01-12-2005, 06:50 PM

> Also come to find out why my LBS where I got my Trek offers 'free life of
> the bike tuneups'. They didn't even -do- the tune up on mine last time (I
> told them to be thorough, I was riding out of town, and I'd even pay for a
> more thorought check up). The guy apparently just hung the bike up and
> gave
> it back to me the next day touching nothing on it. All the same little
> adjustment problems were still there.

I feel your pain, only more so. You have no idea what it's like, as a
bicycle retailer, to have customers saying that such-and-such shop gives
free "tune-ups" for life... and me knowing that the situation is similar to
what you describe. You really don't want to bad-mouth other retailers, but
how do you get the point across that, often, you get exactly what you pay
for? Without sounding bad?

In the real world, if you hire decent mechanics, and you allow them to spend
the time to make things right (and build it properly in the first place),
it's going to cost a shop a significant chunk of money. While the shop
offering "free" tune-ups, but not really doing anything, isn't facing those
costs. Eventually, customers figure things out, but that's often only after
they've bought the bicycle elsewhere.

Fortunately, most shops aren't like that, and work very hard to take care of
their customers.

I should also, as usual, point out that in no way are we perfect. We screw
up from time to time, with things that might not have been written properly
on a repair tag (and thus not done), or simply screwed up because somebody
was having a really bad day. It happens. The difference is that we go out of
our way to take care of our mistakes (a difference that I notice often when
I take in a car for service, and they say they took care of whatever it was,
but it turns out it was something else... and you end up paying twice, maybe
even three times for something because they didn't properly diagnose the
problem the first time.). As a retailer, I've eaten a fair amount of labor
and parts over the years. I have yet to see evidence of that at any auto
shop I've taken a car to. But, it doesn't bother me; in fact, it makes me
feel better about how we run our business when I see what happens elsewhere.
Still, I wish we could be better, and have even fewer opportunities to "do
the right thing" because everything was perfect the first time.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

"jj" <jet@jetstream.net> wrote in message
news:u3bbu058fc5o1jqv7i80nblkqo20ivrlfr@4ax.com...
>
> I took my bike into the LBS where I purchased it to have them look at a
> brake pad that was scraping, metal on metal. I thought it was worn down to
> the metal. Turned out to be a little metal flake in the pad.
>
> Guy wanted to write up a ticket and have me leave it over night. They
> weren't busy - one of the Wrenches was out in the parking lot putting a
> Yakima rack on the top of his car. And this was two to three hours before
> closing time.
>
> Doesn't that seem excessive? I don't mind paying, but leave it overnight?
>
> I took it across the street and they dug the flake out for free, and even
> did a once over, checked the brakes, etc. Very nice considering I bought
> the bike elsewhere. The guy said 'oh no big deal it will only take me 30
> seconds.
>
> Also come to find out why my LBS where I got my Trek offers 'free life of
> the bike tuneups'. They didn't even -do- the tune up on mine last time (I
> told them to be thorough, I was riding out of town, and I'd even pay for a
> more thorought check up). The guy apparently just hung the bike up and
> gave
> it back to me the next day touching nothing on it. All the same little
> adjustment problems were still there. The LBS across the street spent 10
> minutes checking everything after digging the flake out - didn't want me
> to
> leave without a safe ride.
>
> Guess I won't be going back there.
>
> jj
>
>

01-12-2005, 06:50 PM	#13 (permalink)
Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Metal flake in brake pad... > Also come to find out why my LBS where I got my Trek offers 'free life of > the bike tuneups'. They didn't even -do- the tune up on mine last time (I > told them to be thorough, I was riding out of town, and I'd even pay for a > more thorought check up). The guy apparently just hung the bike up and > gave > it back to me the next day touching nothing on it. All the same little > adjustment problems were still there. I feel your pain, only more so. You have no idea what it's like, as a bicycle retailer, to have customers saying that such-and-such shop gives free "tune-ups" for life... and me knowing that the situation is similar to what you describe. You really don't want to bad-mouth other retailers, but how do you get the point across that, often, you get exactly what you pay for? Without sounding bad? In the real world, if you hire decent mechanics, and you allow them to spend the time to make things right (and build it properly in the first place), it's going to cost a shop a significant chunk of money. While the shop offering "free" tune-ups, but not really doing anything, isn't facing those costs. Eventually, customers figure things out, but that's often only after they've bought the bicycle elsewhere. Fortunately, most shops aren't like that, and work very hard to take care of their customers. I should also, as usual, point out that in no way are we perfect. We screw up from time to time, with things that might not have been written properly on a repair tag (and thus not done), or simply screwed up because somebody was having a really bad day. It happens. The difference is that we go out of our way to take care of our mistakes (a difference that I notice often when I take in a car for service, and they say they took care of whatever it was, but it turns out it was something else... and you end up paying twice, maybe even three times for something because they didn't properly diagnose the problem the first time.). As a retailer, I've eaten a fair amount of labor and parts over the years. I have yet to see evidence of that at any auto shop I've taken a car to. But, it doesn't bother me; in fact, it makes me feel better about how we run our business when I see what happens elsewhere. Still, I wish we could be better, and have even fewer opportunities to "do the right thing" because everything was perfect the first time. --Mike Jacoubowsky Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReaction.com IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member "jj" <jet@jetstream.net> wrote in message news:u3bbu058fc5o1jqv7i80nblkqo20ivrlfr@4ax.com... > > I took my bike into the LBS where I purchased it to have them look at a > brake pad that was scraping, metal on metal. I thought it was worn down to > the metal. Turned out to be a little metal flake in the pad. > > Guy wanted to write up a ticket and have me leave it over night. They > weren't busy - one of the Wrenches was out in the parking lot putting a > Yakima rack on the top of his car. And this was two to three hours before > closing time. > > Doesn't that seem excessive? I don't mind paying, but leave it overnight? > > I took it across the street and they dug the flake out for free, and even > did a once over, checked the brakes, etc. Very nice considering I bought > the bike elsewhere. The guy said 'oh no big deal it will only take me 30 > seconds. > > Also come to find out why my LBS where I got my Trek offers 'free life of > the bike tuneups'. They didn't even -do- the tune up on mine last time (I > told them to be thorough, I was riding out of town, and I'd even pay for a > more thorought check up). The guy apparently just hung the bike up and > gave > it back to me the next day touching nothing on it. All the same little > adjustment problems were still there. The LBS across the street spent 10 > minutes checking everything after digging the flake out - didn't want me > to > leave without a safe ride. > > Guess I won't be going back there. > > jj > >