Originally posted by brigid
It was great, except the chain came off the front derailer twice when I downshifted on hills. I am going to take it back to the shop tomorrow to see if they can adjust that. I also realized after I got home that I forgot to buy a helmet!
The derailleur should have been properly adjusted when you bought the bike. The mechanic should have built the bike, adjusted it and taken it for a test ride.

The owner of the lbs said I could try out the grip shifts, and if I decide I want to switch to rapid-fire, he won't charge me for labor. I do have to pay the full price of the shifters, even if I switched when i bought the bike.
The owner my bike shop NEVER would have done this. He wants the customer to LOVE her bike and to RIDE! Partly because he wants them to be happy, but of course partly because he will ultimately sell you more stuff the more you ride... It's not all altruistic, but the bottom line is that he wants his customers to be happy with their purchases.

I went to this shop specifically because they had great customer service when I was trying out the bikes.
So, now I'm in the market for shorts, a helmet, sunglasses, a water-bottle cage, flat-tire repair kit
No offense, but it certainly doesn't sound like they have good customer service.
1. derailleur was not adjusted correctly.
2. They were unwilling to negotiate on upgrade parts for you on a brand new bike you bought from them.
3. They don't even mention accessories (especially a helmet)!!
4. You have to pay FULL PRICE for upgrades.

I have bought several bikes from my LBS. But even when I purchased my first one I received tremendous service. I was a total stranger to them and I had never bought a single item from their store (I'm assuming that's the position you were in). If I had been treated as you were, I would have never gone back.

There are better bike shops out there!!