Rouxenator Posted October 24, 2014 Share So how about a little drama for your enjoyment of a Friday. As some may have seen I converted to tubeless this week. With a lot of convincing from some very helpful hubbers I decided against breaking up the nice wheelset I got and took the plunge. I should perhaps give a little background first, I have only been in cycling for about 3.5 years and until the start of this year liked to shop around. Got to know some cool folks at the bike shops and all was cool. This year a very nice shop opened real close to home and true to my shop around nature I checked it out. From the start I took a liking in the guy running this one man show and the way he gets stuff done. Got all my friends and family to also try out the place because this oke really knows his stuff. He is honest and if you want to talk nonsense and joke around he's your man. I almost forget where the other bike shops in town are... Fast forward to this week; me pre-tubeless, trying to get wire bead tyres and tubes on my Crest wheels - failure. I SMS my favourite bike shop guy asking him what time he opens the next day cause I'm stuck. Maybe he can sort me out before work and I can be on my way on my bike. He says he's not in the next day and I decide I'll drop off the wheels any way cause I don't know what to do. Obviously the guy deserves a day off. Next day and I turn to thehub with my problem - get my mind made up for me to go tubeless and, itching to ride my bike, decide to hear if any of the other shops can maybe help me out. I should add I commute to work on my bike, so I really do not like it when my bike is out of action. Most of the places I call can't help me, all booked full and what not. Ironically the last one I wanted to call I had to google to get their phone number and lo-and-behold one of the search results show an entry on thehub. I check out the thread and it is about a guy that needs something done, every other place turns him away except the shop I am about to try, goes on to claim it is not the first time this place helps out when others can't - LOL, how about that. Same situation I am in. Hour or so later and I pitch at said shop and, surprise surprise, it's dude from my new favourite bike shop on his day off browsing around. We joke around and he remarks that this is how he busts his customers, I remark saying that it's funny we should both en up here because I read on thehub this shop seems to be the most reliable one when you can't get helped elsewhere. We talk some nonsense and my favourite new bike shop guy gives some advice on what tyres to use, crack a few more jokes and I'm off. Next day I try out my new setup and I'm pretty happy with it. So I decide I'll have my old wheels rebuilt and then sell them to make up for my recent huge expense. Naturally I ask my favourite bike shop guy how much it will cost, I send an email and also ask for prices on a few other things I want done. Send, carry on with my day. Quite some time later I get a reply, guy tells me I should ask the most reliable bike shop. I'm like... WTF?... oh LOL... nice one. Reply saying "nice one!" and enquire about another part that I might need. Send, carry on with my day. On the way back home I figure might as well pop in at my new favourite bike shop cause I left work a little earlier than usual and I have time to kill. After waiting around cause the dude is helping a customer he finally get to me, I jokingly comment about his reply and ask if he got any nice new goodies form himself on his day off. This bru tells me I'd better leave cause I am not welcome there any more. Again I'm like WTF? oh, ok LOL - nice one, dude. But seriously though can you tell me how much it will cost to rebuild my old wheels? "Go ask that other bike shop we were at yesterday" he replies and I ask him "Are you being serious now?" This oke looks at me, there is another customer in the shop too, and he says "I am serious yes, there is the door, leave". I can see this is not going anywhere and reply that I really though we were just joking around and if I offended him I really am sorry. Making my exit, which was awkward as hell, I think to myself what the hell is he on about? On the way back home I figure that if it really was a problem for him then he should have just told me to sit down and hear him out. I mean, that is the mature way to solve an issue if you have one. We all make jokes sometimes and it can get under other peoples skin so why not just tell someone when something they say or do is not on and let them apologies and please explain. A bit worried about the guy I had a chat with another buddy of his and asked if the dude is going through a tough time or if something else is bothering him because I figure he really is not the same as I have come to know him. I get told that he is only screwing around, so I take it that it's not that serious then. Sure felt pretty tense. Thing is, I supported this bloke exclusively except for the day he was not there and I also recommended him to everyone I possibly could. I know at least 4 people followed my recommendation and were also impressed. But how do I handle a situation like that? I mean, if I was wrong I am more than willing to apologies - but was I wrong? Hope you all enjoyed reading this drama - now lighten up cause it's Friday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NixM Posted October 24, 2014 Share Yoh, seriously, he sounds way too sensitive. If I were you I would take your business elsewhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaper Posted October 24, 2014 Share seems like his business has to go elsewhere!! Does not sound like the guy will be in business for very long if on his days off he goes to other bike shops to see if his "so called customers" are shopping elsewhere so that he can bust them them dump them.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khoisan Posted October 24, 2014 Share Yes he is too sensitive to be in a business like this, in fact any business. It is not your problem he could not help you out, you fixed your problem by getting what you wanted, his loss of business and if it was me loss of a client and surely everyone else reading this. You are too nice, name and shame cause no one deserves to be kicked out of a shop because the owner is upset about finding you in another shop, what was he doing there in any case, that is unprofessional and disgusting!! I would stick to the LBS that helped you out in the end and send a RAVE about them!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pure Savage Posted October 24, 2014 Share That was a long read for a Friday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojoman Posted October 24, 2014 Share How long has this bike shop been in business? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surv0MTB Posted October 24, 2014 Share A bike shop owner that tells you he cannot help, then gets upset when you actually look for other help... Sounds bipolar to be honest. stop using his services, tell your friends and family to stop using his services. Any owner who applies the right to ask somebody to leave their premises, especially somebody who has done nothing wrong, doesnt deserve any business at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khoisan Posted October 24, 2014 Share Send this to him..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latent_Blue Posted October 24, 2014 Share That guy is crazy... name and shame and move on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Deon) Posted October 24, 2014 Share urgh, you don't need this. Two choices, find a new favourite guy or let him blow off some steam and return to chat. He'' realise his errors when you walk back in (when it's not busy) to discuss the issue. If he doesn't take into account that you were desperate and that he turned you away on his day off, then he is not to be pursued. Really, you don't need to feel like you have offended him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rouxenator Posted October 24, 2014 Share Ja nee, now that I scroll through it this is one helluva long drama script I wrote there Sorry to everyone that chewed through it. The new bike shop, or shall I say my favourite one until yesterday afternoon, opened up round about at the start of the year. Look I'm not the kind of guy that bears a grudge and I still hope this dude makes a success cause he is very good at what he does. What I am concerned about it the folks I told to go there. What if they get the same treatment or even worse they tell this bloke I recommended them and then he kicks them out too? Then I'm the one with egg on my face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOEKVLAG Posted October 24, 2014 Share I go to my LBS fairly often and support him whenever I can. I do, however, look around for specials and even discuss it with him. Sometimes stuff gets sold at lower prices than he gets it wholesale from the supplier! I've never gotten the impression that this irate him in any way or upsets him - I was there on Saturday just to say hi, for example. The person in your soapy does not deserve your support. He might be good at some stuff, but acting like a grown-up doesn't seem to be on the list... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ians H2Sport Posted October 24, 2014 Share You are the customer, you get to choose where you spend your cash. He as the retailer/service provider has to work for your business. People like you pay his salary, well hopefully not anymore.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skylark Posted October 24, 2014 Share Maybe your jokes with the bike shop owner when you saw him in the other bike shop didn't sound much like jokes to him, then again the guys being way too sensitive, but an apology there may help. Maybe he just got the wrong side of the stick, Lbs can be very sensitive, they all play the pricing game and I know they don't smaak it if you shop around, which is pure bs but thats the way many of them are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket-Boy Posted October 24, 2014 Share Joking around is great but when it gets taken too far it stops being funny. If he really took offence to you going somewhere else when you needed to be sorted out in a hurry then there is something a bit off with him. I would pop in sometime in the future just to say hi and see if he has come to his senses. More importantly, have you sorted out your pressure and dialed in your tubeless setup? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rouxenator Posted October 24, 2014 Share My tubeless is riding like a dream... made a bit of a n00b mistake by forgetting to re-align the brake callipers so that is why I was working so hard yesterday About the bike shop dude, I completely get that he may have been offended when we joked around. Clearly from his replies to me he did not like the fact that I mentioned the other shop as being very reliable when you have no one else. Although I was merely referring to what I read here it is very possible that this dude took offence because over the past 6 months he was the guy that sorted me out when I was down and out. I am more that willing to apologise if that offended him - and I mean sincerely apologise, not joking around. Still, I feel that that when someone comes to you and you have a beef to settle with them, and they clearly are not aware they did something wrong, the you tell them to have a seat, sit down, stfu and hear you out. You don't tell them to get lost like an upset teenage schoolgirl would. Well, perhaps that's just me. I have enough women in my life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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