Not a Rant or a Rave but is this the Reality?

[Dirkitech]

Nearest Specialised shop to me couldnt be bothered to return my call when I was looking for a new bike below R10k....nor could they be bothered to reply to an email when I was looking for lace up MTB shoes (old school I know...)...I guess if you aren't crapping R's they aren't too bothered....

 

To be fair though a good number of other bike shops also couldn't be bothered to return calls etc....

 

 

I can only guess they didn't take you seriously, because I haven't seen a Specialized for under R10k. There might totally be though, but I've never seen a new one for so little!

[HairyLegs]

When your dad owns a bikeshop and even he can't help you...

[Hairy]

I can only guess they didn't take you seriously, because I haven't seen a Specialized for under R10k. There might totally be though, but I've never seen a new one for so little!

FAKE NEWS.......

https://www.specialized.com/za/en/mens-pitch-sport-650b/p/134025?color=239950-134025

https://www.specialized.com/za/en/mens-rockhopper-comp/p/128930?color=240208-128930

https://www.specialized.com/za/en/mens-pitch-650b/p/134026?color=239953-134026

https://www.specialized.com/za/en/mens-rockhopper-sport/p/129117?color=240213-129117

[Eddy Gordo]

Could be off topic, but kind of on topic

 

Just had a discussion with a colleague who happened to see an ad for the WWE coming to South Africa. He went online and the tickets were around 2k, but majority was already sold out.

The same tickets in the UK are around R300!!

Once again most likely the middleman pushing up the prices!!

[Meezo]

Bikeinn stop selling SRAM to SA now too, i know the hubber staff are big for them, but CCS are a bunch of guptas!!!

[Kranswurm]

Could be off topic, but kind of on topic

 

Just had a discussion with a colleague who happened to see an ad for the WWE coming to South Africa. He went online and the tickets were around 2k, but majority was already sold out.

The same tickets in the UK are around R300!!

Once again most likely the middleman pushing up the prices!!

Not sure where he went on line but there are tickets available and the max ticket price is R1370

[forgotten1]

I own a bikeshop, and I can assure you its no easy job. My frustration is that the local distributors are making it very difficult for local bike shops. In recent months it had been a lotto when ordering from one of the larger suppliers. If you order 10 items, most likely half of these are out of stock. As a shop I use the correct channels, and it can prove frustrating. You look like a twit to the customer...you feel like a twit too. Last week I had a customer ask me to match the price of pedals on CWC. But when the pedals in question are R5 cheaper from CWC than my VAT exclusive price from the supplier, it makes it tough for me to support the local distributor.

The other bugbear that I have is that the public seems to believe the bike shops are killing it. Believe me, from my point of view thats not the case. I can never compete on price compared to online. People tell me I must charge a fortune to fit online parts for customers...but I cant. I cannot add to the adding hatred for the LBS in a digital era. Bike shops used to be the church for cyclists, we would gather and share stories, seek advice and perv over the latest offerings. In our SA economy, this is hard. I cannot have a full compliment of bikes as I need to pay upfront for them. Customers often comment "jeez, bikes are crazy expensive"...yes, I know. Believe me. I had to pay for them first!! And even when you do have stock, shops are so desperate to make a sale that they will sell bikes at cost (and there is no profit)...so either you match price or you sit with a bike you cannot sell. This may seem like a feel sorry for us post...but its not. The reality is that we as a bike shop need to be mindfull of the current situation and change our approach. Yes...calling someone back may seem trivial. But I am alone in my shop because I cannot afford to hire extra help because business is that thin...of the 200+ daily whatsapp's, emails and phone queries...it becomes difficult. I will always return a call, even if its 2 days later...and all the local shops know that the same guy is pitting you against each other for the best price, with no intention of buying from any of us because he is comparing to an online site in the UK...I will return the call. Guys...its a tough industry. Its not what it was a decade ago. Just be aware that the brick and mortar shop you are going into costs money to be there. Rent, salaries and stock. You will miss us when we are gone. And I see us going soon if I am honest.

[WrightJnr]

Appreciate your reply here and can fully understand the challenges. The last person interfacing with the customer will always gets the hardest job (think a poor waiter at a restaurant that is held accountable for everything). While my original post might seem to suggest online is the way to go that is not actually what I was suggesting or wanting. You will see I was ok to spend the higher price to go through my LBS within reason. I can assure since my first post I have spend much money at Northcliff Cycles and CycleLab via the till.

 

We live in a world now of instant gratification and while the above makes perfect sense, people are just not going to accept waiting 2 days for a response and then not be 100% confident with timelines to back orders etc. I can also imagine the massive task in trying to carry stock for all the different standards that are out there now. I don’t have the answers.

 

This is why the topic was called as such....Is this the new reality....

[ChrisF]

forgotten1 thank you for the other side of this coin ....

 

 

My BIL is in retail for a different hobby.  Same story ....  Clients EXPECT them to have anything and everything on display - just to confirm "this" is what they want to mail-order ... that is after sapping them for days and weeks for information .....

 

 

I see the same in photography as well.  My office window looks out onto a good camera shop, and I know the staff WAY too well ....     I have seen people walk in with the "specials-pages" from places such as Makro.  Then they expect the dedicated camera shop staff to answer all their questions ..... 

 

 

When the dedicated shop owners can no longer make a living we will have to choose between mail-order or that other "big store" in SA ....    

 

 

going to be interesting to see what awaits us in 10 and 20 years ....

[BigDL]

So much true stuff being said here.

 

Up until leaving SA, I used to deal with Tool Up cycles in Midstream. They were amazing. They knew my bikes, knew what I could afford and what I expected, and managed me as a customer accordingly.

 

Unless I was caught short somewhere else, I would always buy my consumables from them, even if they were a few rand more. I also took pains to introduce friends and relatives to them and give them the opportunity to build a relationship with them as well. I trusted them and was willing and able to pay a bit more for the trust and comfort of the relationship.

 

Over here, I have a similar relationship with a one-man bike shop. They key difference is, that I will often drive ten minutes up the road and buy parts from CRC, because of their specials, normally on the advice of the bike shop dude. However, he is the only guy who works on my bike. He charges me full whack for his time and I am happy to pay for it as he is providing a specialist service to me. Sometimes, when I have a few extra Pounds in the bank, I will PayPal them to him and he just adds them to my credit balance.I don’t ask him for discount and he doesn’t ask me for discount when he buys from the business I work for. He has taken many years to become as good as he is and I recognise and respect this.

 

What I don’t understand is people who expect first class service but want to pay third class rates. I would not be chuffed if my company came to me, expecting me to do my job for half what I think that I need to support my family.

[Mojoman]

,

 

[Mojoman]

I can only guess they didn't take you seriously, because I haven't seen a Specialized for under R10k. There might totally be though, but I've never seen a new one for so little!

I think there is a Rockhopper or something you can get for around R10k....

[GLuvsMtb]

I can only guess they didn't take you seriously, because I haven't seen a Specialized for under R10k. There might totally be though, but I've never seen a new one for so little!

Their entry level range is quite well priced.

 

https://www.specialized.com/za/en/mens-pitch-sport-650b/p/134025?color=239950-134025

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Fox3]

I own a bikeshop, and I can assure you its no easy job. My frustration is that the local distributors are making it very difficult for local bike shops. In recent months it had been a lotto when ordering from one of the larger suppliers. If you order 10 items, most likely half of these are out of stock. As a shop I use the correct channels, and it can prove frustrating. You look like a twit to the customer...you feel like a twit too. Last week I had a customer ask me to match the price of pedals on CWC. But when the pedals in question are R5 cheaper from CWC than my VAT exclusive price from the supplier, it makes it tough for me to support the local distributor.

The other bugbear that I have is that the public seems to believe the bike shops are killing it. Believe me, from my point of view thats not the case. I can never compete on price compared to online. People tell me I must charge a fortune to fit online parts for customers...but I cant. I cannot add to the adding hatred for the LBS in a digital era. Bike shops used to be the church for cyclists, we would gather and share stories, seek advice and perv over the latest offerings. In our SA economy, this is hard. I cannot have a full compliment of bikes as I need to pay upfront for them. Customers often comment "jeez, bikes are crazy expensive"...yes, I know. Believe me. I had to pay for them first!! And even when you do have stock, shops are so desperate to make a sale that they will sell bikes at cost (and there is no profit)...so either you match price or you sit with a bike you cannot sell. This may seem like a feel sorry for us post...but its not. The reality is that we as a bike shop need to be mindfull of the current situation and change our approach. Yes...calling someone back may seem trivial. But I am alone in my shop because I cannot afford to hire extra help because business is that thin...of the 200+ daily whatsapp's, emails and phone queries...it becomes difficult. I will always return a call, even if its 2 days later...and all the local shops know that the same guy is pitting you against each other for the best price, with no intention of buying from any of us because he is comparing to an online site in the UK...I will return the call. Guys...its a tough industry. Its not what it was a decade ago. Just be aware that the brick and mortar shop you are going into costs money to be there. Rent, salaries and stock. You will miss us when we are gone. And I see us going soon if I am honest.

Dude good luck with the shop! I pay more for parts at my LBS. But I get much more than just a part. I get actual support, conversation, rides, friendship. To me it's like reading a book or an ebook. It feels more real. Hell I go in just for a coffee and a howzit. I miss that human touch.

 

I get the idea behind this post, bad service sucks. Sometimes there is a reason though.

[Hairy]

I miss action cycles

[daniemare]

Yesterday whilst out riding, we stopped at the Trek shop in Durbanville (Best Bikes) for Coffee. My friend has been waiting for a small cover for a cable hole on his Domain after a Stellnebosch Trek Shop has "ordered" it on 3 occassions.

 

He got chatting with the owner, who promptly removed a cover from a shop floor model and installed it on his bike. The ordered one can go on the shop model he said.

 

NOW THAT IS SERVICE!!! And his stolen mountain bike will suddenly be replaced by a Trek come the new year - from Best Bikes

 

And not very difficult.

 

LBSse must unfortunately become service enterprises. Charge Service Fees - stop guaging on parts. And be truthful about the the attrouches service you get from agents.  And call them out by name. And ask customers to e-mail brands directly. If it is really the problem, mobilise the customer base, you will be surprised the power.