LBS Taboos?

[ridebikeme]

Interesting to read all of your posts, my question for you is this... when are all of you moving to rural Maine? I could certainly use customers like yourselves!

With that said, I do have lots of WONDERFUL customers. And like every business, we have our share of issues time and again. I think the issue that bothers me the most is this: I have a customer that is legally blind. I've serviced the familys' bikes for a couple of years now.. great people and we always have great conversations! Anyway, one Friday I received a call that he was leaving work and had a flat. He didn't have a spare tube or frame pump, so something that he definitely couldn't fix. The person that he rides to work with has a position where they truly couldn't leave work as they have different shifts. So he called to see if I could help him out, and if not, then he would understand. I truly did not have the time to drive a half hour each way to change a flat, and had a specific time frame to get a bike contract completed. Anyway, I stuck a note on the door that I would be back soon, and went off to change the flat. While I'm changing the flat, I'm installing a new tire and using a tube that I brought with me. He preceded to tell me about all of the bike parts that he had recently(including the tire that I was mounting for the first time) purchased online. Considering that I just closed the shop to change a flat and I'm hearing all of this, I'm starting to really get angry. So I decided to finish and take some time to think about all of this.

Later that day, after I had thought about it. I thought that I would email him and let him know what I thought. I approached it professionally, but told him I was upset and why. I mentioned that if it was something that I couldn't match a price on then I understood; but I would hope that you would at least call me before placing the order. I actually pickup and deliver their bikes when serviced, and closed the shop in order to change a flat and with that service I would hope that you would at least ask if I could get your item. So tell me fellow TE's. Am I asking too much?

At any rate, enough about my drama... I appreciate all of your comments. But the focus of this post is not me and is Bethany.


http://chasecyclery.blogspot.com