Shop Hours WTF

Curious of all the people who posted that people should pay full retail and say that bargaining with a shop is BS……Do you pay full retail?

The funny thing is that I bet alot of shop owners are looking to do more than just live (a.k.a. get by). They just feel pressured knowing that the same product is 10^10000 times cheaper online. It's a rough world.

Funny things is, all the shops i deal with seem to have very nice lives and seem to make a pretty decent living. A few of them happen to also like the life style that owning a shop gives them.

My thoughts on 'honest pricing': I was looking to buy a SS conversion kit, nothing expensive. The one store local to me was charging $35 for this kit, and I know online its usually about $15us plus shipping. I was not in a rush, and even though $35 is somewhat reasonable it was more than I thought it was worth. Went to a different shop afforementioned in this thread over the weekend, and they had the exact same SS kit for $25 and a cheaper one for $20. Done deal, put my 20 bill down, and walked out with what I was looking for. Now I know the $35 kit was based on the distributor's MSRP, double wholesale, yada yada.

Most of the times I'm at the LBS, I know more or less exactly what I'm looking for. I try not to trouble or bug employees, I usually have my research done before I head out to a store for my goal. If I need an expert opinion of a shop employee, I have no problem paying more. If I was in a pinch and needed something last minute, once again I have no problem paying more. If I just need someone to go to the back and get me the part I'm looking for, I'd obviously like to pay as little as possible.

As with Bryan, I do not agree fully with bro deals but feel a bit different with price matching. If the store's pricing is way out of line, I do like to give them the benefit of the doubt to see if they can match the competitor's price and hope they can understand where I am coming from. Would the store rather not sell to me at a 20% margin and possibly hang on to the part for 3-6 months for the chance to sell the exact same thing at 50% margin? In some ways, a request to price match is a great compliment. Why would I bother to even ask a store to match a competitor's price when I can take myself there and know that I can for sure get that product at the lower price? Either I'm too lazy to make the trip, or I want to give you my business (albeit at a lower margin) because I like the store's service.

^^ nice post.

so reading through a few posts about how customers should "earn" better pricing from shops?

are you kidding me?

does the tail wag the dog?

I can go to any shop….what are you going to do to earn my business? I'm going to the shop with the best deals.

so reading through a few posts about how customers should "earn" better pricing from shops?

are you kidding me?

does the tail wag the dog?

I can go to any shop….what are you going to do to earn my business? I'm going to the shop with the best deals.

Lorien at Sooke mountain cycle has given me great deals from day one. Sometimes
it's $1.00 off of a bottle of tri-flo others it's free install on a part I bought at his
"regular" price. I don't ask for deals, I don't expect a deal, if he wants to give one
to me, great. If he doesn't I know he has his reason.

I've only dealt with two other LBS' (there was only two bike shops on Kauai), and
they never gave me shit. I bought two $3000 bikes in less than a year from one
shop, and numerous high end brakes and wheelsets. The mechanic was a cranky
bitch and the owner was polite but never made you feel really welcome. The other
shop was hot/cold, one day he'd have a big smile and a hi, others he would be gruff
and curt. I bought a lot of things from him during my early days of riding. If it
wasn't for on-line shopping, I'd have gotten out of riding.

I recommend finding a shop that treats you well, and stick with them. I know I
owe Lorien a few beers (at least), and when I get a job, he'll be a happy camper, but
at no time have I ever felt he expected it.

so reading through a few posts about how customers should "earn" better pricing from shops?

are you kidding me?

does the tail wag the dog?

I can go to any shop….what are you going to do to earn my business? I'm going to the shop with the best deals.

I completely disagree with this one. There may be lots of shops around, but I bet 50% of them don't carry the stock you want, and the remainder of the shops all have some deficiency whether it is poor customer service or the inability to handle special orders.

Good shops are few and far between, even in Vancouver.

If you want deals at my shop, more than 15% you have to do something for me in return. Give me a reason to lose money on sale that I would need to pay the lease for the building, pay my employees or myself, or to buy more stuff to keep up with the customers' demands.

We have a list at the other OBB location of people who get bro deals. They are all avid cyclists and understand that they need to contribute to the store in order to deserve better pricing. They do things like lead shop rides, race full circuits, or put on skill clinics. Funny thing is OBB is the biggest shop on the island, and the most successful. Even with our "hardass" policy.

Bryan, no I don't pay retail on bikes, but I did before I worked at a bike store and never haggled on the price. I remember how hard it was to keep my bike running when I wasn't making any cash and going to school.

As for the lifestyle comment, when I decided to be a shop owner instead of pursuing work associated with my degree, I knew that I would be taking a pay cut for a lifestyle that I valued more. I'm not sure where slashing prices down to narrow margins that either keep bike businesses from growing or put them out of business added to that allure.

I'm not advocating that customers pay full keystone (or more) prices, or that shops take advantage of customers, but there is a fine balance between giving someone a deal and making enough money to support the outlet that serves the customer.

Do you guys haggle at Lordco when you get new brake pads for your car?

Haggle at Blockbuster on the latest DVD/BluRay?

Ask for a discount on the jeans from The Gap?

I am not saying there is no place for the haggle over price in bike shops, but picking your loyalty to a shop on odds and ends just stands out as odd to me. Pick your battles.

Loyalty gets discounts and thus breeds more loyalty.

Curious of all the people who posted that people should pay full retail and say that bargaining with a shop is BS……Do you pay full retail?

When it comes time to buy a suit, or shoes, or some other bullshit I sure as hell don't expect a deal. If I can't afford something I wait till there is a sale, or I have more money.

Good service and advice ('cause trust me, I know nothing about buying a suit) is worth so much more to me than 5% off and a reputation as a chiseler.

I also don't see why it's so hard for people to get along with retail shops in general. It's not a crazy concept: you get service and products, and you pay for them. If you're pleasant and reasonable, they probably will be too.

so reading through a few posts about how customers should "earn" better pricing from shops?

are you kidding me?

does the tail wag the dog?

I can go to any shop….what are you going to do to earn my business? I'm going to the shop with the best deals.

I guarantee you that people who constantly chisel and chase the short term best deal will ALWAYS end up paying more in the long run.

if you can't sell me what I want within a few points of margin for what I can find it for online, that's a problem with your distribution network not mine.

Do you guys haggle at Lordco when you get new brake pads for your car?

hahah I can totally get bro deals at Lordco..

Why is there an issue about asking for a discount? If I walk in and see a jersey that I like and I wouldn't mind having it but just not for say $120, I don't know the markup, so I ask "hey, you know I like that jersey but just can't see myself spending $120 on it, is there anything you can do about the price?" A good shop will be polite and tell you an honest answer politely. Since 2003 I've been dealing with the same shop, rarely do I buy items at other shops. It all started with a pleasant and a polite conversation about pricing on a low-end (my first) bike. Now, my wife screams at me how much I've spent on bikes and gear. The shop owner is quite happy.

I think it depends on the attitude, if you come in expecting that everyone will band over backwards to give you a discount - then that's one thing, but if you are polite and honest - that's another.

Okay, I know some shops don't like talking about this, but I think it's pretty reasonable when people thing about it. It gets a lot of shit out of the way.

You never ever have to wonder about markup again: it's 100% on most parts and accessories, and 45-65% on bikes. Realistically, expensive parts get marked down closer to bike markup; a shop isn't making $1000 on a $2000 fork.

You think 100% is high on p[HTML_REMOVED]a? That's not 100% the shop is taking from you, it's 100% the shop is earning for a) having it there for your to actually see, b) storing it, c) knowing it'll work on your bike, d) suggesting it because you mentioned a certain problem with your bike/riding/whatever, and e) taking the risk of bringing it in.

if you can't sell me what I want within a few points of margin for what I can find it for online, that's a problem with your distribution network not mine.

Get ready for service charges to go through the roof.

I'm sure this will happen anyway, as it has with instruments, etc., but when distribution goes online and big box (Long and McQuade), repair, advice, and service get valuable.

I guess for some people that's cool… but I definitely think it'd be a shame.