St8kout

So I took the advice from the "Introductions" section to visit the LBS here in Vegas before buying online. Granted, normally it's probably not bad advice, but that's 3 hours I'll never get back.


Guess all the LBS bike 'experts' took the day off as my salesgirl...ok, salesperson...was still in the 'on-the-job-training' phase. She had to consult someone in the back almost every time I asked a question. Pretty sure I knew more about the bike than she did. She finally realized a way out by saying, "they'll explain all that to you when you pick up the bike."


She did let me test drive the newest 2020 Domane SL 5 (in Nautical Navy) they just got in. At least seeing that color in person made up my mind to go with Rage Red, as I was on the fence. The Nautical color looked depressingly dull. Maybe that's part anti-theft, (who'd want to steal THAT).


Before going there everything I read indicated I needed a size 54 bike (32" inseam, 68" height), but they had a 2019 Domane size 56 she thought I should try. Even with the seat all the way down I was so hunched over I couldn't see 10' in front of me, and I could barely control the bike. The 2020 SL 5 in size 54 was WAY better.


When ordering they used the same public web page, said it didn't matter ordering online or ordering through them. You'd think they would have some special dealer logon page or something. But anyway I put a downpayment on it and will have to wait a week to 10 days.

Fendertele

Nice bike and color. Wish you the best with it. Hopefully you will have a good experience getting set up when it arrives.

shelbyfv

Enjoy your new bike!

Prodigy4299

I hear you. I often walk out of local LBS's with a stronger urge to just buy stuff online.

jimincalif

Well, by actually seeing/trying the bike you confirmed the correct size and color preference. So not a complete waste of time. Being able to see and touch the product are the few advantages bricks and mortar retailers can still offer over online.

MSchott

It’s a shame they didn’t have a more experienced sales person to help but she seems to have done her best to help you. As far as the LBS having more expertise, to be fair we are not the typical buyers. We are far more fanatical and knowledgeable. Last, the LBS has multiple lines, each with multiple models. They can’t possibly be expert on everything.

popeye

Well they should be expert at selling the correct size and not pushing you to buy off the floor. RUN!

noodle soup

Doesn't sound like she was pushing him to buy the wrong size bike, but rather trying to get him out on a bike to confirm his belief.

I'm surprised McGhies didn't have a 54cm in stock(or at the other location), but I guess the could have sold out of their first shipment of 2020s

Gconan

No reason to put the girl down. All sales people were new once. A person has to start somewhere, just like you did.

noodle soup

+1
I wonder what questions he had, that she couldn’t answer off the top of her head.

It’s a totally new frameset, so I can understand why a salesperson might not have all the answers.

St8kout

Well I know that, and I wasn't putting her down. I was mainly pointing out that it was pretty much a bust taking the time to drive all the way over there, (a 30 minute drive each way), and finding out nothing new, instead of simply ordering online from my house the day before like I planned.

Gconan

Congratulations on a very fine bike!

Atlas Shrugged

That's horrible. You were able to actually see the bike and colors. Test ride it and possibly get a discounted last years model if it fit. The salesperson also did there best to get answers to your questions which they did not know. Perhaps their knowledge base could have been deeper but by the sounds of it, they strived to get the answers you were looking for.

It sounds like you would be better served by purchasing online in the future.

MyTi

Well I need to know what questions you specifically asked before judging the salesperson.

But the fact that you bought a very expensive bike regardless shows me she can’t be that bad. Her job is to sell not to enlighten you about the product.

but you got to try it out and see what fits. Most of us in the know wouldn’t even have to try the bike out or get fitment. When I know what bike I want I will test ride it just to ensure all the components function as it should and do a quick over to make sure there is no damage to the bike.

heck the only question I would ask is...can I get a bigger discount!

trailangel

Why was it a waste of time....? you bought a bike.

burnthesheep

Welcome to sales in any industry or any product, lol. When's the last time you bought a car?

shelbyfv

[QUOTE=MyTi;21091624] Most of us in the know wouldn’t even have to try the bike out or get fitment. When I know what bike I want I will test ride it just to ensure all the components function as it should and do a quick over to make sure there is no damage to the bike./QUOTE] To be fair, lots of folks here may not have your level of knowledge and experience. That said, hope you can decide on something soon. Autumn is not the time to be without a bike.

mattleegee

When i spent 4 hours at my LBS i was concerned i was wasting their time.....
Asking to ride almost every 54 sized road bike on the rack ( and they stock over 700 bikes).............. ok i test rode about 15 of them
Towards the end i felt sorry for having them pull off bikes on the 2nd and 3rd story racks, one guy needed a lunch break between all of my test riding
But i left with a new bike so i guess everyone won, and i was able to find something that felt and looked right

indyfabz

Let's hope not, for their sake.

Zaskar

Lack of knowledge is NO excuse. Even if that was her very first day on the floor, I bet she knew the day before that she'd be working there. So, that gave her time to read EVERY *$#&ing page of information provided by Trek and the shop and the internet and... Yeah, there's a LOT of available info on the most common brand of bike sold today.

And yeah - the car industry is worse...
- Had a guy tell me the seats had lumber support. Cool. Glad they're using some natural products.
- At a Lexus dealership, a snooty new car sales guy, when asked "Does the GX460 still have a solid axle in the rear?" (admittedly, a test question to see if he knew his product)... responded "The whole vehicle is solid. It's a Lexus"

But it does sound like she did confirm the size by suggestion a test ride on the 56. That was smart. Our measurements are only part of the equation.

Congrats on the new ride! Red's faster too.

shelbyfv

They probably get lots of Lookie Lou time wasters.

WhyFi

You sound like a peach of a "customer."

FWIW, you're absolutely wrong about the affect of a lot of readily available info - it's not a benefit to the uninitiated, quite the opposite. Having a ton of info makes it all the more difficult to parse the relevant info.

MSchott

That’s not reasonable. It’s an entry level job paying close to minimum wage. She may not be a bike enthusiast to the extent we are. You seem to expect her to become an expert overnight. I’m an enthusiast who leans towards Specialized products. I easily get confused about all the models and the variants of each.

indyfabz

Should I be pissed that the new guy at the Whole Foods fish station took forever to clean my branzino and had to be walked through it by a more experienced employee?

Zaskar

If he didn't know the difference in tuna and salmon... yeah. Or, if he didn't know if the salmon was fresh caught or farm-raised... yeah.

I'm not saying every bike shop employee should be on the level a pro team mechanic. But not knowing the basic product specs - info on company's website, e.g. geometries, groups, colors, etc. That's just inexcusable. We beat up on car sales guys, but there are fewer features/details on a bike than just the dashboard of a new car. It's not that difficult.

I love how, on one hand we excuse the slackness of SOME bike shops... and then complain that the industry is struggling. Why is the retail/LBS struggling? Because they serve little purpose. The parts are more plentiful and cheaper online. Every city has five different mobile mechanic companies/franchises who'll come to your house. So what's left? Product knowledge? Advice? Consulting on new bikes (geometry/fitting)? Yet, we're okay with salespeople who haven't bothered to learn the brand and shops that don't prioritize training.

For what it's worth, I love my LBS - the guys absolutely know their ****. Every one of them rides, the sales guys are better mechanics that I am (I claim to do 90% of my own wrenching) and their mechanics are just amazing. This shop has survived while lots (most?) in the area have folded.