Supply your own parts, pay a premium?

[Caerus]

They're using their tools and labour in the normal price anyway, tell them to get lost and go somewhere else.

 

EDIT: The price of a wheelbuild would be factoring in the hours taken to build & true the wheel anyway. If they offered the service free of charge for wheels bought through them, then that would be okay as they would favour the client that buys stuff through them (standard business practice) but the way they've conducted themselves now smacks of somebody who doesn't know how to run a business and keep clients.

Short of telling the owner to get bent, I did exactly that. I even said to him he will lose customers from it, he says he does not care. Funny whenever I go there its always empty, I would think you would welcome any business. Edited April 19, 2012 by Caerus

[Grebel]

I chatted to a shop owner in Hillcrest a while ago and at one point, they refused to fit spares if you supplied them... They realise the error in their ways and released a general communication to all patrons that if you supplied parts (ie CRC etc) you would be charged different labour rates than if you bought from the shop and there would be no guarantee (obviously) The reasoning was that they make a certain percentage on the sale of the goods and they have a set rate for fitting said goods. If you supply the parts, their rate is higher as I assume that they are trying to make up for the loss in mark up on the sale that they missed out on.

[Caerus]

I chatted to a shop owner in Hillcrest a while ago and at one point, they refused to fit spares if you supplied them... They realise the error in their ways and released a general communication to all patrons that if you supplied parts (ie CRC etc) you would be charged different labour rates than if you bought from the shop and there would be no guarantee (obviously) The reasoning was that they make a certain percentage on the sale of the goods and they have a set rate for fitting said goods. If you supply the parts, their rate is higher as I assume that they are trying to make up for the loss in mark up on the sale that they missed out on.

Must be the same shop. They have a set price for a wheelbuild that should include whateever costs there are. I don't charge my customers more cause they bring in their own material to cut. If they will charge me the same for a rebuild, how can they justify their reasoning? Edited April 19, 2012 by Caerus

[Grebel]

Short of telling the owner to get bent, I did exactly that. I even said to him he will lose customers from it, he says he does not care. Funny whenever I go there its always empty, I would think you would welcome any business.

 

Wouldn't be the shop that you can't see from the road in Hillcrest by any chance...?

[TwiggzSA]

I chatted to a shop owner in Hillcrest a while ago and at one point, they refused to fit spares if you supplied them... They realise the error in their ways and released a general communication to all patrons that if you supplied parts (ie CRC etc) you would be charged different labour rates than if you bought from the shop and there would be no guarantee (obviously) The reasoning was that they make a certain percentage on the sale of the goods and they have a set rate for fitting said goods. If you supply the parts, their rate is higher as I assume that they are trying to make up for the loss in mark up on the sale that they missed out on.

 

So what you're saying is that if you had to only buy the part from them and not fit it there that they would be taking a loss (in profit at the least) on the item. How does this LBS stay open then?

 

A price on anything has a cost portion and a profit portion. Just because you're supplying the parts doesn't mean that they are not making a profit on the service fee.

 

The LBS should remember that there is value in customer service as well, good experience means repeat business. Taking a small hit in profit now could mean major come backs later.

 

I think this LBS is being very short sighted.

[scotty]

If i take a bike in for a rebuild and supply the new frame i don't expect to pay anything extra than if i had bought the frame from them except labor and any parts required. Same should apply to wheels, cranks etc.

[Caerus]

So what you're saying is that if you had to only buy the part from them and not fit it there that they would be taking a loss (in profit at the least) on the item. How does this LBS stay open then?

 

A price on anything has a cost portion and a profit portion. Just because you're supplying the parts doesn't mean that they are not making a profit on the service fee.

 

The LBS should remember that there is value in customer service as well, good experience means repeat business. Taking a small hit in profit now could mean major come backs later.

 

I think this LBS is being very short sighted.

This is what I said, he didn't really care, his stance was If you don't like it I don't care and you can basically F-Off some where else. This is why I don't usually use LBS stores.

 

Does that mean that if I buy a part from them to fit myself to save a bit of money I'm wasting my time, they have charged me a premium because they have included labour costs in as well? No wonder this shop is always empty when I go there. They are taking the Mickey. No wonder your independent bike mechanics are making a killing.

 

As you say, how do they survive?

[Caerus]

 

If i take a bike in for a rebuild and supply the new frame i don't expect to pay anything extra than if i had bought the frame from them except labor and any parts required. Same should apply to wheels, cranks etc.

 

Exactly, when I recently had my new frame built up I bought some parts from the LBS, some they supplied, no difference to what I'm doing now. They charged me a bike build rate - No hidden costs or premiums.

[Dicky DQ]

Guys, guys. It is all semantics. they just communicated the pricing wrong. what they should be saying is the cost of a wheel-build is X and if you buy all the parts from us there will be a discount of Y.

 

I don't see the issue with this thinking at all.

 

We do the same thing with some of the products we sell as a bundle of software and hardware. If the customer insists on supplying his own PC's we charge a surcharge as we always end up having to spend more time on the installation as we do not know what the state of the hardware is and etc. etc. we then also have to spend additional time on the job.

 

Not exactly the same but similar.

[Caerus]

Guys, guys. It is all semantics. they just communicated the pricing wrong. what they should be saying is the cost of a wheel-build is X and if you buy all the parts from us there will be a discount of Y.

 

I don't see the issue with this thinking at all.

 

We do the same thing with some of the products we sell as a bundle of software and hardware. If the customer insists on supplying his own PC's we charge a surcharge as we always end up having to spend more time on the installation as we do not know what the state of the hardware is and etc. etc. we then also have to spend additional time on the job.

 

Not exactly the same but similar.

They are doing nothing additional or extra, there is nothing that can go wrong, they are supplying the spokes, the nipples are correct, and I'm sure that they have built a lot of wheels with Hope Hubs & ZTR Crest rims. Nothing out of the ordinary whatsoever. The fact they charge the same for a rebuild makes no sense to me whatsoever. In my humble opinion they are doing more damage to their business then good. They just lost out on R1344 in spoke sales and R500 in a wheelset build. Must be there high prices and ignorant customers that are keeping them in business, good luck to them.

[Caerus]

I would love to hear what a bike shop owner has to say about this?

 

Still confused as to how they include labour costs into the parts they sell, Like I mentioned, am I then being ripped of cause they include labour if I was to by a part from them. Should I get an automatic discount when I say I'll fit it myself?

[Tintin44130]

Clearly the LBS have lost the plot when it comes to service related industry!! I am totally shocked that they want to charge that amount? The reason why guys are buying online is purely that it's CHEAPER and the Manifacturer still have to carry the warranty as it is there product. If the LBS cared more and gave good prices maybe they would get more of our return business instead of us shopping abroad. I have asked a LBS for a simple thing like helmet sponges and get NO answers?? i have now had them delivered from abroad to my house in less time than it takes to make a local phone call!!!! EXPLAIN THAT

 

Service levels are everything and i think most industries have forgotten how important this is!!!

 

This is my 5 cents worth

[walkerr]

So I'm about to get my new wheelset built. I've called around for prices and find out that some LBS really are taking the pee when it comes to pricing.

 

I decided to get my spokes locally from the wheel builder I choose. So prices vary from R18/ DT Revolution spoke up to R25/spoke, coloured nipples not included.Wheel build prices vary from R150 up to R240 per wheel.

 

Now this is where the fun part comes in. I call one of the LBS shops I use, and they have built a previous wheelset for me. So I tell them I will supply the rims, hubs and nipples, they only need to supply the spokes, but for this privilege I must pay an extra 20%/wheel as I have not got everything from them originally, this on top of the R240/ wheel I have to pay. So when I add everything up including their inflated price on spokes it's an extra R750

 

Is this normal practice in the cycling industry? I know I will pay a cork-age fee at a restaurantt, I don't pay it if I supply the parts for my car to be serviced.So not only do they lose a sale, as they would not shift on their price, but they have lost potential customers too..

 

FWIW - I'm having a couple of wheelsets built by my LBS (Williams in Somerset West). His charge was I think R300 (forget exactly). He's supplied some of the parts (rims, spokes + 1 rea hub). I've supplied 3 of the hubs. His labour charge was flat, no extra because some parts I sourced.

 

His build charge was actually higher than a couple of other LBS - but roughly in line with what some of the top wheel builders charge. I've got a lot of confidence in the work he does, so would rather pay a tad more and get a really solid set of wheels that I know I can get tweaked and adjusted with no quibbles if there are issues.

 

Just my 10c

[Cycle Factory]

Precisely my point. They offer a service for "wheel building" for a certain sum of cash. That should be the same for your existing wheels, new wheels built using items bought through them, or bought elsewhere and taken to them for building.

 

This is how we do it. No "corkage fee" for supplying your own stuff.

[Chro Mo]

Recently had a rear wheel built ata store in Durban.

Charged me for the spokes and rim-tape and a flat rate for the wheel build and true.

Could not have been more pleased

Pm me if you want details.