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Old 01-19-22, 04:32 PM
  #22  
Ironfish653
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Originally Posted by unterhausen
From what I have heard, trained bike mechanics have a hard time at walmart because they don't want you to do a good job if it takes any more time. I think they are on piece wages too, so I'm not sure why they would care much about how long you take. .
Originally Posted by Calsun
For starters the people assembling the bikes have little in the way of tools, no knowledge of bikes and with a place like Wal-Mart the turnover is so high that they probably have been there a few months.
I worked retail when I was going through school. and it's not even that. Most big-box stores contract out their assembly (Bikes, lawnmowers, BBQ grills, etc) through outside contractors. Retail store management typically very metrics-driven, so the (hourly) store staff they have on hand on a particular day isn't going to have a bunch of free time to be knocking bikes or grills together, they're there to (ostensibly) assist customers, make sure product stays stocked, and whatever other tasks you need to do to keep the store running.

Assembly contractors generally come in on a certain day (usually mid-week, off-hours) to put together whatever items the store will need that week. They're paid piece-rate so the goal for them is to get everything put together, and get out as quickly as possible.
It's not like a Bike Shop, where you have actual mechanics, and a dedicated shop area; these guys bring in their own tools, and work wherever the product is staged up, then they pile up the trash and go home, generally while the store is closed.

Again, the way most bikes come shipped, there's not much to do besides put on the pedals and front wheel, and stick the stem on to the end of the steerer tube. (the cables are usually already run and connected) There's not much to go wrong, but there's neither space or time for anything more than the most basic function check, let alone a test ride, presuming they even know how to fix it.

Last edited by Ironfish653; 01-19-22 at 08:38 PM.
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