Okay, I’m running early for a meeting for 4:30pm and I decide to go ride around the skatepark for a little while. I knew my crankbolt was loose, so I was looking around in my car for my allen wrench (hex key, whatever). I found two, but they were the wrong size. I decided to drive a few minutes away to The Bike Shop (yeah, original name, eh?) and see if I could use their allen wrench. I walk my uncicyle in the front door, ask the lady at the counter if I can borrow an allen wrench for a couple of minutes, she tells me that I’d have to ask ‘Bob’. I go over to Bob who is working on a bike, and ask him if I can borrow his allen wrench. Even though I asked nicely, he replied with a tone that suggested either the bike he was working on was giving him problems, or he was just an angry old man. He said “I don’t lend out my tools.” I was planning on just perching my unicycle up on the counter and tightening the crankbolts and pinchbolts, but he took the uni from me and used his (really neat) ratcheting allen wrench to tighten both crank’s crankbolts and pinchbolts. About 2 minutes later he was done and told me I could pay the lady at the desk. I was expecting to pay maybe a dollar or two, but not $5!
I could have done it myself in the same amount of time, with the same results, and saved $5 if I could have only found my allen wrench!
This bike shop is about 20 minutes North of where I live, so it’s not the one I normally go to, and, after today, I don’t think I’m going to go there again.
(My bike shop people are very nice and let me use their tools. They also gave me a replacement crankbolt for $0.75, instead of buying a set of two from UDC for $5 + s&h)
That’s aweful. There’s no reason why they couldn’t just let you borrow a wrench. I understand them doing it themselves, but to charge you… that’s rediculous. At my LBS, Bath Cycle and Ski (www.bikeman.com), the owner, who I happen to know, is a very generous guy. I’m sure he wouldn’t charge for something that minor.
Yeah, I’m definately not going back to this bikeshop. I was totally surprised when the lady said “that’ll be five dollars.” I wanted to scream. I didn’t, but I did complain to myself loud enough that they could both hear.
My LBS, called Village Bike Shop, has some very nice people - a few of whom are friends of mine. None of them unicycle, but they see me come in there every once in a while with my unicycle, and they ask questions.
My local bike shop (50 miles away, still my local bikeshop) the shop manager unicycles, and even gave me some tips when I was first learning. I even did a unicycle meet/demo in there parking lot last summer.
Once when I messed up something on my seat, they let me into they’re work room (were it says employees only) and fix my seat when nobody was even down there. They’re cool.
There is nothing so great in business building as customer service, something that your local The Bike Shop service man seems to have not grasped. I would advise writing a letter to the man or the shop. All businesses love to hear how they’re doing from an outside perspective. Writing a letter does two things for you. It allows you to make your point be heard plus it gives you an outlet for blowing off some steam. I’ve written many letters both in praise and complaint of a business and/or their service and have received many responses, 99% very favorable. In this case, you might be surprised at an apologetic response should one be offered. Be sure to write professionally, explain the situation and the facts, and don’t accuse. Accusations simply cause defensive walls to go up putting you even further from your goal. Once the letter is written and mailed, put it out of your mind and move on. No sense dwelling in rage. Life is so much more bright when you dwell in Pleasantville.
Did you pay the $5? Did they mention it was going to cost $5 before doing the “work?” If they didn’t, it may not even be legal. This is why car repair places and other businesses alway give you a written estimate before doing any work. And usually have you sign it. It does not guarantee that they may find problems that drive the cost up, but at least you agreed to pay a minimum amount for a given service. He can’t tighten some bolts for you, without a word, and then expect $5 for his time; not for something the average bike mechanic would probably do for free.
Maybe there was some conversation besides what you mentioned.
In any case, you might want to look into getting yourself wrenches in the sizes you need. They might even cost less than $5!
BTW, we used to have a local bike shop called The Bike Shop also, but they recently changed their name to “Patriot Bicycles.” They are not such wieners. In fact, when I had them build a new wheel for my 24" track uni, the guy asked if he could keep the old (red Araya) rim, as he said it was pretty rare. I told him as long as he didn’t expect to use it. That’s why I was replacing it; it was beat to crap! But I knew he would probably put it on display. Their ceiling is covered with rare and odd BMX and other types of bikes.
burjyznkziktsi, where’s your toolkit? I never go riding without a few allen wrenches, a spoke wrench and a patch kit… I’m sure you could fit all your essentials in a tiny little pouch and stuff it in your glove box / backpack / pocket…
…until some idjut hurts themselves with a tool and sues you. I can understand why shops don’t loan out tools, but I can’t understand why someone would charge to tighten a bolt.
Yes I paid the $5, and no, they didn’t say that it would cost anything before he did the “work”. I said everything in my message that was said at The Bike Shop.
I agree. My ‘usual’ LBS people wouldn’t have charged for something so simple, so I assumed this guy wouldn’t either. I was wrong though :o.
I said everything in my message that was said at The Bike Shop.
I have a set (actually, two sets) of allen wrenches of varying sizes. I normally keep one in my car and the other at home. I had two allen wrenches in my car (not the full set of 8 or so), but neither fit into the hex head of the crankbolt.
I also do some work at schools assembling desks and chairs, and then moving them into the appropriate classrooms. Each pack of desk legs needs to be screwed into the desk with an allen wrench, so each pack of desk legs comes with an allen wrench. These are usually just thrown away or broken to be used as a drill bit, so sometimes I grab a handfull (or two, or three) of hex keys. I could have a couple hundred of them if I wanted to .
You always carry a spoke wrench? I guess I should put together a little pouch to carry everything unicycle-related together in. I just have all the tools in the garage, either on the pegboard on in one of three toolboxes. I’ve never needed a patch kit, but I guess it couldn’t hurt to have one.
I didn’t even notice that until I re-read the post…
I’ve only been to my LBS once, but the guy there was pretty nice, and really helpful…my mom went there again to buy me some reflector stuff, and he helped her out a lot, and even gave her some spoke reflectors for free.
So he lost some shiny plastic, and he got guaranteed future buisness from us.
Like Yoopers said, customer service is the most important thing for a buisness.
I noticed it, thought it was pretty funny. It’s really actually pretty simple, last name with initials of first and last name each three letters burjzyntski
burzynski, joseph + thomas
I’m going to write a letter to them (TBS) tomorrow morning.
If i had a store i would not let you use my tools but, i wouldent charge you.
there his tools and do you know how many of my tools have been broken by other people.
Ouch. Probably my reaction in this situation would be to never walk through their door again, and relate my little ripoff story to every other cyclist I knew, asking them to pass it along. Writing him a letter is also nice; you’re doing him a favor, though he doesn’t deserve it.
No, he doesn’t deserve the critique but calling the situation to his attention could help other customers who do business at his store. As Burj originally mentioned, perhaps he was having a particularly bad day or moment. It doesn’t give him the right to take it out on someone else, of course. The guy could just be an all-around jerk, we’ll probably never know. But politely letting him know how his actions affected one of his customers could be a lesson opportunity for him and allow him to make a change in his behavior that would give future customers better service.
At one of my former places of employment, the engineering manager would get so riled up at times that he would stomp into his office and write a blazing letter to whomever had offended him. Once he was through, he would print out the letter, lay it on his desk for a bit, then crumple it up, throw it in the trash and move on with his day in a better mood.
that makes me thankful to have a lbs like mine, I did a few shows for him and now he gives me dicounts and when my spoke broke he put me ahead of the other bikes. he had to make a costum length spoke and he didn’t even charge me! plus he’s nice to everyone, if people want a simple fix they can do it them selfs for free!
wow, i’m glad my lbs doesn’t do that to me. they let me borrow their spanners and allen keys and bike pumps if i have a problem while i’m out riding. the lady because she’s so nice even gave me my pedals for half price!!! 100 down to 50. i’m gunna get my next wheel built there for sure.
Hmm…I’ve never had to do any repairs outside of my house with my uni, except the day I learned I had to inflate the wheel in a skatepark and one time on my bike the wheel was loose…Dad keeps a pump in the trunk for the car’s wheels, and a tiny adjustable wrench in his pocket. Lucky for me!
EDIT: Any info on the Heng Shing tire and/or pedals? Lasco cranks?
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