f86sabjf

Hello Everyone

I wanted to ask this forum if I should be mad or if I'm throwing a temper tantrum? . I had a wreck last saturday and tacoed the rear rim. I go to my local shop to have it fixed IE build up a new rim with the old hub.Simple enough or so I thought.I was told that it should be ready by end of week to the end of this weekend.Well i called last night and they tell me its going to be 2-3weeks to get the rim it seems they can't get the one I wanted. This is a shop I've spent over 4,000 dollars in.Am I wrong to have expected a phone call on my bike? I also know that other shops in the area have the rim.This is the second time they've done something like this.I hate to break off a 3yr relationship and find another shop but its becoming an option.What do y'all think.

Thanks for letting me rant
Jeff

P.S. any body know of any good honest bike shops in the orlando area?

ljbike

A phone call is not expecting too much.
The delay on their getting the rim is probably due to their supplier not having it in stock. Which means the supplier has to wait and the bike shop has to wait.
Personally, I'd cancel the order and go to the shop that does have the rim on the shelf. That does not mean you have to "break off" your relationship with them. Being loyal to one shop is commendable, but it isn't getting your bike fixed. That's the advantage of being in a town with several shops. You get to choose the one that can serve you best immediately Good luck.

shokhead

You would think if they wanted to keep your business they would call.$4000 or $4 bucks,they should treat you the same.A lot of people think we HAVE to support the lbs but then this happens and what do they say.Give them another chance.We are suppose to spend more for stuff there to support them but what are we getting back.It shouldnt be a non call.Lets hope it was just one of those things.

RiPHRaPH

after that happened to me i bought a back-up rear wheel (which i have lent out to friends in emergency as well) -i promised to never be in that situation again. many lbs's are in it for the passion, but because they are business mavens.

Rich Clark

Take your business elsewhere, at least on this item, and tell them why. Make it clear that you believe clear, prompt, and thoughtful communication is part of the service you expect from a shop. Maybe you'llhelp them improve, in which case you don't have to leave them completely behind. Or maybe they just don't get it (some shops really do have an arrogant, the-customers-are-here-for-our-benefit attitude), in which case you needed to find that out.

Or maybe it was just an honest mistake, and they won't know they made it until you tell them.

RichC

danr

I personally wouldn't trash your relationship with the LBS over a phone call. Sure, if there is more to the story than what is presented here, then maybe. However, you may need a favor from the LBS one day.

I agree with ljbike. The supplier probably doesn't have it in stock. I believe the right call for the LBS would have been to call the supplier and find out if they did have it in stock. My experience with LBSs is that this is common practice.

I get along with my LBS, but I try to find a fine line between supporting them, and being self-reliant. I bought 2 bikes from them (one for me and one for the wife) and from time to time, I buy tubes, lube, and other things that I know they have in stock. However, I try to not put myself in a predicament where I really need to count on them (backup parts, knowing where and how to find things online). I find that this approach keeps my relationship with the LBS a little more stress-free.

ParamountScapin 

The LBS is a strange beast. Took a "new to the road" rider to my LBS the other day to look at bikes. He wanted a steel frame and they only carry the cheaps**t in steel. He was willing to order and wait for a Lemond, which they carry. But they wouldn't call him with a price. When he finally called them a couple of days later they told him they were "too busy" to call about the bike he wanted and that he should just come back over and buy the aluminum or graphite bike they have in stock. So he is going to buy off the internet. Strange way to run a business.

Maelstrom 

I wouldnt worry about it. Maybe mention it to them that you were expecting a call but if they are a good shop in general I wouldn't toss them over a phone call...

shokhead

So we are suppose to spend more for stuff at the lbs even if we can get it cheaper on line because we need to support them. When they screw us around,forget about it,its ok,just keep spending your money here and shut up.You know if they are in such competion with the internet prices then they best try real hard not to screw up.I say give them a second chance this time.

VegasCyclist

they should have called you, as soon as they found out it would take more than a week to get the rim. I'd look for a new shop if they had done this before.

Guest

If it were me, I'd tell them how upset you are that they didn't call- after all, you expected to be riding this weekend! Any cyclist would understand that you were upset without thinking you were over-reacting.

I'd also tell them that this is why you will be doing your major business online from now on if this is the kind of customer service they practice- perhaps if they see the potential for the loss of money, they'll step up to the plate and put a rush on the rim or something along those lines.

In the meantime, call the local bike stores in town and see if anyone can get the rim sooner than that- it looks like you may have to get the rim online- I don't know of any online store that would sell a rim and not have it in your hands in the next week with surface mail. And you can rush it to 1 day or 3 day also. How can any LBS pull what they pulled on you knowing the competition they're up against? It makes no sense to me.

Get someone else to do your rim for you. Tell your LBS you'll be back, and that you hope to have better service the next time around.

Koff

stridercc

If I were you I would probbly think about going else where. Around here there are many excellent bike shops, and I frequent many of them knowing a bunch of their employees. All of them would have called me if it was going to be an extra day, much less two to three weeks. This being said, if one of them did this to me, I would just go to one of the other shops and stop going there. I don't know if you have this option, but if you do I would persue it.

-Matt-

slide13

They should have called, but as a LBS employee I know that those things sometimes slip through the cracks even though we mean to call. Let them know you are displeased and tell them that other stores in the area have the rim in stock. The shop should either get the rim from another store for you, or advise you to get the rim there and bring it back for them to build it. If other places have it in stock and the LBS can't get it for you soon enough, then they should understand.

naisme

This is along the lines of one of my questions. I hit several LBS in my area looking and shopping, they all know what I ride, and they know I shop cause I tell them so. I have one that I hit that come back with the witty "We can order it for you." Well, I can order it from Nashbar dummy, I walked in here. So, I go looking. My last search was for a small cage deraillure Shimano 105, I'd have taken black if they had it. Two had the part, and then they could order it. So it came down to price and one of the others got the ging. I was happy with the transaction, and to top it off, they had the cassette I was interested in too. So, they won in a couple ways, they got my dollors for the deraillure, and the cassette, store one wanted me to wait cause this was a "specialty item" they didn't keep them on hand, they'd order it, and store two was two bucks more, but 3 miles from my house.
Oh, store three won in another way cause I went back after seeing MA3s for what I could get then in Nashbar. I need a third set of fixed wheels. My guys in the LBSs know me, and they know my equipment, only once did one of them say they could have gotten what I got else where for a better price.

a2psyklnut

As a shop rat for many years, this stuff does happen, you're buried in repairs and you're in the weeds. However, it is still NO excuse. We have on numerous occasions, called the other shops in town and purchased the item from them. We have also (don't tell anyone) purchased the rim from an on-line retailer instead of our suppliers. We didn't make money off of these repairs, but kept a good customer satisfied. Sucks for us, good for the customer. If nothing, the shop should have called, but there is NO reason to totally give up on them.

Heck, I've had stuff I've ordered get delayed for a couple of weeks and I'm one of the employees.

L8R

orguasch

personally I would take back my rear hubs and go the next Bike shop and have them built the wheels for me, a week off my bike will drive me crazy...

Rev.Chuck

I can see this happening at my store(unfortunatly) You Talk to me, the shop guy, and as it is Wed I tell you we will not be ordering again until Mon(This is pretty standard, most shops only order once or twice a week to save on shipping). Between Wed and Mon I have done fifty repairs sold twelve bikes, talked to about a 100 people and had a discussion with at least one employee about showing up late. I have forgotten about your rim, but that is ok because it is on the order list and the ticket is the order slot. The only problem is I don't do orders, that is the store managers job, well he waited til Thurs to do the order. Friday I check the order slots "Where is the rim I ordered" Other guy"I ordered it" I am thinking, no problem, I can take it home monday nite and be ready tues no problem. Well, it does not show up til wed, except it does not show up then either, just the stuff that was ordered at that time because, hey, the supplier was out of that part. Great I will call you and let you know what is up, except it is to late, because you have already called and are upset that it is not ready yet. This doesreally piss me off, because it makes me and my shop look bad and reputation is very important.
Mostly I order stuff I NEED to have through my wife who works at another shop and is as much of a stickler as I am.
Perhaps one day we will have our own shop and it will be the most successful ever, or we will kill each other.

Waldo

Chuck offers a good insight here, though it is no excuse for what happened. Our shop is in much the same situation, where there can be delays in our finding out what got backordered or was not ordered by the owners. Same end result-I end up looking like an idiot and potentially lose a customer. I doubt the shop intentionally blew you off-I'd be inclined to give them another chance as mistakes do happen.