Insane price for a bike wash.

[Hennie VR]

Agreed, but also understand that there are no guarantees of that reference, and if I were to not charge for every Tom, Dick and his dog who told me "ya but it's a 5 minute job" then I would be living on the street.

 

ask yourself how often you give away your time for free, and like Patchelicious said, how and why is my time worth less than the Doc who stings you a full hour rate for a 5 minute job?

 

A personal story, both my children were born prem, were in ICU for the first two weeks of their lives, the "kind Doc" (and don't get me wrong he did a fine job of telling the nurses what to do to keep my kids alive) sends me the bill, 5 times what the medical aid rates will pay. Going thru the statement there are numerous "consult fees" that I saw at R1500 per consult. Now this consult (the few that I saw) consisted of walking in, looking at my kid, looking at his chart and scribbling down the next instructions to the nurses! And I am still paying his bill 7 years down the line!

 

So please tell me how his 5 minute job is worth R1500 and my 5 minute job is worth "a freebie cuz I'll tell all my mates (that I got something for free so if you go there maybe you will get a freebie too)"

 

Look Skinnyone. I never said it is wrong to charge for a 5min job. You have all the right to charge for your time. In fact if you really want to you can charge the same rate for your 5min services rendered as the doctor does but ask yourself where that will get you. All I said is that people must see the opportunities that such a free service can bring.

[Enduro_Jakes]

Yip - girlfriend needs a powerwash !!

Clearly I am a Mountain Biker.... I like it dirty! WOW! Now that is a very sexy lady! It's views like that which keep me going back to Warrior Race.

 

ANYWAYS!....Distraction aside... I pay my LBS R100 (Only when super lazy/busy otherwise I prefer washing the bike myself) for a wash and lube. My bike goes in with skipping gears and mud in places I didnt know exist on the bike, and every time she comes out cleaner than ever before and the gears are smoother than ever... So for me it is worth every cent.

 

Just avoid the Maxxis free(there's the problem) wash at the USN races. There was more lube on my disc and pads than anywhere else!!! Luckily my LBS sorted this out with some or other wizardry by burning the pads or something so they are back to normal.

[Butterbean]

Look Skinnyone. I never said it is wrong to charge for a 5min job. You have all the right to charge for your time. In fact if you really want to you can charge the same rate for your 5min services rendered as the doctor does but ask yourself where that will get you. All I said is that people must see the opportunities that such a free service can bring.

Hennie. The problem with you logic and statement is that as cyclists, we are constantly on the lookout for the best deals and most of us haggle with people to death.

 

There is an extremely small percentage of people who will take your recommendation - in fact, they're most likely to listen when the service has been excellent, rather than free.

 

Look at this from the shop point of view - you come in for something small. Time is used to do it, but he charges nothing. You tell your friends the story. They have the same issue and so go to the shop. He charges them (fairly) and they then spend the next half hour shouting and screaming that you did it for free "for my mate who told me about your shop". Then they come on the Hub and bitch and moan - you know the thread title already "don't buy from shop x".

 

You should always walk into a shop expecting to pay. If you're not worried about the cost, you don't have to ask. But if money will be a problem, you ask before they touch it. If it's small and they throw you a freebie, you repay it in kind - either purchase, or repay some other way - I buy 6packs of beers.

 

All I'm saying is - out of the 6 people you tell, he might be super lucky and score 100 rand sale. It's likely not worth his time. I think you're totally unreasonable thinking that you're a marketing wizard and he should pay you in free work - before anything has even been done!!!

 

Anyway, good luck with your purchasing philosophy. Keep it up, and soon you'll run out of bike shops to go to!!

[Enduro_Jakes]

Hennie. The problem with you logic and statement is that as cyclists, we are constantly on the lookout for the best deals and most of us haggle with people to death.

 

There is an extremely small percentage of people who will take your recommendation - in fact, they're most likely to listen when the service has been excellent, rather than free.

 

Look at this from the shop point of view - you come in for something small. Time is used to do it, but he charges nothing. You tell your friends the story. They have the same issue and so go to the shop. He charges them (fairly) and they then spend the next half hour shouting and screaming that you did it for free "for my mate who told me about your shop". Then they come on the Hub and bitch and moan - you know the thread title already "don't buy from shop x".

 

You should always walk into a shop expecting to pay. If you're not worried about the cost, you don't have to ask. But if money will be a problem, you ask before they touch it. If it's small and they throw you a freebie, you repay it in kind - either purchase, or repay some other way - I buy 6packs of beers.

 

All I'm saying is - out of the 6 people you tell, he might be super lucky and score 100 rand sale. It's likely not worth his time. I think you're totally unreasonable thinking that you're a marketing wizard and he should pay you in free work - before anything has even been done!!!

 

Anyway, good luck with your purchasing philosophy. Keep it up, and soon you'll run out of bike shops to go to!!

 

I agree 1000000% with you.

 

My LBS does a lot of little things for free for me, but that comes with being a loyal customer. It is earned, not expected. 

My first question is always "How much?" and when they say "don't worry about it" I sincerely haggle them and ask several more times "are you sure?" and usually end up buying something, even if it's just energy gels or something. 

 

I don't mind paying for what they do, it is their jobs, it puts food on their tables and keeps their doors open.

Hell, I even pay more with them even if I can get it cheaper elsewhere (and they have actually told me straight, on more than one occasion, to rather go for the cheaper price coz its a brilliant deal or whatever) purely coz I feel I owe them my loyalty for the brilliant and amazing service I always get. And coz I know they will back up any after sales issues I have. I only shop around if it is something they dont stock and even then I still ask them to try and source it for me.

 

Maybe I am old fashioned that way but I just believe in showing loyalty to the guys who keep my machine running perfectly and are always happy to give honest advice to improve my cycling life!

[Hennie VR]

Hennie. The problem with you logic and statement is that as cyclists, we are constantly on the lookout for the best deals and most of us haggle with people to death.

 

There is an extremely small percentage of people who will take your recommendation - in fact, they're most likely to listen when the service has been excellent, rather than free.

 

Look at this from the shop point of view - you come in for something small. Time is used to do it, but he charges nothing. You tell your friends the story. They have the same issue and so go to the shop. He charges them (fairly) and they then spend the next half hour shouting and screaming that you did it for free "for my mate who told me about your shop". Then they come on the Hub and bitch and moan - you know the thread title already "don't buy from shop x".

 

You should always walk into a shop expecting to pay. If you're not worried about the cost, you don't have to ask. But if money will be a problem, you ask before they touch it. If it's small and they throw you a freebie, you repay it in kind - either purchase, or repay some other way - I buy 6packs of beers.

 

All I'm saying is - out of the 6 people you tell, he might be super lucky and score 100 rand sale. It's likely not worth his time. I think you're totally unreasonable thinking that you're a marketing wizard and he should pay you in free work - before anything has even been done!!!

 

Anyway, good luck with your purchasing philosophy. Keep it up, and soon you'll run out of bike shops to go to!!

 

Do me a favour and read all my comments. I have never said that I don't expect to pay for services rendered. I merely tried to highlight the possibilities that such favours can bring. 

[jagwil]

An interesting one. I paid for most of my bike stuff with my own money when I was at school. I don't remember ever once being given a freebie by my LBS.

 

The attitude I take these days, is I expect everyone to charge me, a reasonable rate for a reasonable job. If someone does something for free, I'm very happy to accept their kindness, and it certainly cements the relationship. Although I've got freebies that I had to take elsewhere to get redone properly but that's another story...

 

I don't know whether you expected a freebie because you're a young man, or because it's a small job, or a combination of the two. But I what I can say is that the shop treated you like a customer, and there's a degree of respect to you in that very act.

 

I'm writing a lot of words over a little thing but I think it's because it bugs that you never want to use them again because they charged you a fee. That doesn't make sense and you seem like a logical, reasonable guy in every other respect.

 

My 5c worth.

 

Well said. I agree wholeheartedly.

[Butterbean]

Do me a favour and read all my comments. I have never said that I don't expect to pay for services rendered. I merely tried to highlight the possibilities that such favours can bring.

I have read all of your posts.

 

I'm merely trying to highlight the fact that your value offering is not worth the "favor".

[Hairy]

I agree a bike shop has to make money. After all they had to pay the mechanic, they bought the tools etc, however, the point is not so much that he was charged, but how much he was charged. R50 to replace a cassette, a 2 min job. That equates to R1 500 per hour.

 

A bike shop in PE charged me R10 for the same thing. Another shop did it for me for free.

 

 

 

Take it easy. As I read the comments I'ts clear there are more people that are in favor of the mechanics logic.

 

I have no problem paying for services rendered as I expect to pay for something when I enter a shop. Question though: If I enter a shop with a cassette that needs to be changed and you change it for me in say 5 min at no charge I will most probably be so impressed that I will tell all my cycling buddies about the shop. They in turn will most probably take their bike to your shop to have it serviced or buy something. If I had to pay for that 5min it took to change the cassette I will not even mention your shop to anyone (not because I did not get it for free or got bad service but to me it's just another service rendered for which I paid). You made your R50 bucks but my reference could have made you R600+ and that is a lesson in PR and Marketing. See it is the small things that make a difference in my life that will cause to tell people about you and your great service which will cause you to get much more business in the end as word of moth is the most powerful advertisement out there. Choice is yours in the end. Do you want to make that quick R50 or get much more exposure in the market and get more business in and in turn make more money.

 

The cost to factor is not the physical time it took to just simple wrench a cassette on, consider the following:

 

He/she is busy or is about to be busy with another clients bike, so now they have to put down the work they are busy with.

Do the job for you, including the most certain chit chat, even if it is very simplistic.

Then get back to what they were doing.

 

YOU have broken their flow, and now they have to get back into it .... flow is a real thing. I work in a design and drawing production field, for me to stop and take a phone call or set up an email in response to a query could take 2min to do the typing and emailing, but the loss of flow is substantial .... those 2min become a literal 15min of production lost. Then factor in 5 or so interruptions through the day and "wham bam thank you mam", who pics up this bill and puts the bread on the table for the LBS for this?

[Shebeen]

The cost to factor is not the physical time it took to just simple wrench a cassette on, consider the following:

 

He/she is busy or is about to be busy with another clients bike, so now they have to put down the work they are busy with.

Do the job for you, including the most certain chit chat, even if it is very simplistic.

Then get back to what they were doing.

 

YOU have broken their flow, and now they have to get back into it .... flow is a real thing. I work in a design and drawing production field, for me to stop and take a phone call or set up an email in response to a query could take 2min to do the typing and emailing, but the loss of flow is substantial .... those 2min become a literal 15min of production lost. Then factor in 5 or so interruptions through the day and "wham bam thank you mam", who pics up this bill and puts the bread on the table for the LBS for this?

but the hub helps your flow, right?!

[Shebeen]

Out of all of the above it seems that I was the wrong one in this instance.

rule #1 Never expect something free

rule#2 Always ask upfront what it will cost

rule #3 Rather buy the stuff and do it yourself

Thanks for your input guys

Lesson learnt

Well said, you could teach a lot of these ballies round here a lesson in maturity!

[Hairy]

but the hub helps your flow, right?!

between tasks Yes, it Let's me recharge.....Some people go for a smoke break or go make tea or coffee. I hubba dub dub.

[NicoBoshoff]

The cost to factor is not the physical time it took to just simple wrench a cassette on, consider the following:

 

He/she is busy or is about to be busy with another clients bike, so now they have to put down the work they are busy with.

Do the job for you, including the most certain chit chat, even if it is very simplistic.

Then get back to what they were doing.

 

YOU have broken their flow, and now they have to get back into it .... flow is a real thing. I work in a design and drawing production field, for me to stop and take a phone call or set up an email in response to a query could take 2min to do the typing and emailing, but the loss of flow is substantial .... those 2min become a literal 15min of production lost. Then factor in 5 or so interruptions through the day and "wham bam thank you mam", who pics up this bill and puts the bread on the table for the LBS for this?

This is why descending riders should always enjoy right of way!!!

[Skinnyone]

Perhaps I should charge R50 every time I hear the phrase, "ya but you know how many mates I have and how many services I'll send your way if...". I would be a millionaire!  

 

Anyway, I've said enough...

[NotSoBigBen]

between tasks Yes, it Let's me recharge.....Some people go for a smoke break or go make tea or coffee. I hubba dub dub.

 

Smoke 'break' jissis now that can get me going ..... I had a boss once that was a heavy smoker, had to go outside to smoke. I swear he spent at least 2 hours a day outside and then still went to the canteen to have lunch.

 

One day I left an hour and a half early, when he asked why I was going early I said 'cause I don't smoke' - he was not amused but got the message!

[Baaisikilist]

Out of all of the above it seems that I was the wrong one in this instance.

rule #1 Never expect something free

rule#2 Always ask upfront what it will cost

rule #3 Rather buy the stuff and do it yourself

Thanks for your input guys

Lesson learnt 

You sir, are on your way to becoming a good man.

Tell your parents to keep up the good work.

 

And to up your pocket money...

[Patchelicious]

You sir, are on your way to becoming a good man.

Tell your parents to keep up the good work.

 

And to up your pocket money...

Agreed!