Today's trip was a fun 20 miles with pizza at the turn-around point. Gotta love a slice of New York style pizza with a little cruise. It was sooooo good.
Every trip has something interesting right? This time one of my son's front brake pads needed adjusting. It seems like it is always something. A few weeks ago it was a loose head set, the week before that was a blown tire. But I digress.... Thankfully it was something we could tinker with and get working correctly.
After the ride I thought I'd look for some equipment for our trip in August. I need either a handlebar bag or handlebar sling to carry a few things that won't fit in the panniers. So I call a bike shop to get their opinion - you know, find out what they recommend and avoid some of the problems other bikers have had. My buddy gave me the name of a great bike shop that has a lot of things in stock and can make a good recommendation.
I give them a call to find out what they might recommend and I find out the guy really doesn't want to do it over the phone. He explains how we can take a lot of time to talk it over on the phone but it would be easier to come over to the shop. Besides, he explains, a lot of guys just get advice and then go online to order it cheaper.
Now I get that a lot of shops are tired of giving advice without making the sale. I understand that it is better to be there in person so that they can see the bike, show me a few products, and sell me the bag. However, sometime I have been in the store and gotten the same kind of treatment. When I start asking questions they think I have no idea what I'm doing and just give me the general sales pitch and go off to help someone else.
When I'm with my buddy (that they recognize because he's bought some gear at the store) they give you the red carpet treatment. I've seen it more than once. If the rider comes in on something high end they take him seriously and want to talk about anything under the sun. Am I alone here?
The fact is that the bike shop that I was calling was a bit of a drive, so I was hoping to get some ideas over the phone to make sure I wanted to make the drive. As you may have guessed, I now have no intentions of making the trip. They lost a sale. I know they are a great shop, but they lost this one. Should I have to flash credentials before getting the time of day? Do I have to mention the name of my friend who has dropped a few grand at their store to get their attention?
There are a lot of great shops out there. If you are one of them, remember to show a little interest in the guy that wants to spend money at your shop even if he looks/sounds like a waste of time.
Did I happen to mention how good that slice of pizza tasted? Mmmmmm... maybe tomorrow it'll be a burger...
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