Oufy MTB (Roadie) Posted March 28, 2018 Posted March 28, 2018 Some customers are fussy and want to wash their bikes themselves, and the shop owners are tyre(d) (hehe) of getting kakked out. If you want it, ask for it. Technie can't read your mind. I'm pretty certain they won't charge you extra. Our shops have notices on, no washing due to water restriction. OP, that is crappy service. I can do a few things myself, the rest I take to the same LBS I have been using for 5 years. They have not let me down, I also know that others were let down. So I do think it is a bit of a lottery. I don't take my bike into a LBS ahead of the Epic, CTCT, and rather chose other times where it is quieter.
Grease_Monkey Posted March 28, 2018 Posted March 28, 2018 Totally disagree if you're a rookie. I must confess, I can't adjust my derailleurs, so I will never pretend to understand how it works and will always leave it up to my LBS to do that for me. That's a better way of putting it. Everyone who rides a bicycle on a semi- to regular occasion should be able to do the basics. Change a tube, learn to use a CO2 bomb, replace a chain that's come off the top chainring, learning to use clipless pedals, and NOT TO WEAR UNDERWEAR under your cycling shorts.That was said tongue is cheek - meaning that many LBS's do not do work propperly. That's why I learnt to do the small things myself - suck of paying for someone to bugger up what I can do with basic tools after watching 2 or 3 YouTube videos.
ratherberidin' Posted March 28, 2018 Posted March 28, 2018 Some customers are fussy and want to wash their bikes themselves, and the shop owners are tyre(d) (hehe) of getting kakked out. If you want it, ask for it. Technie can't read your mind. I'm pretty certain they won't charge you extra. I'm sure that is indeed the case with some, but in this case they wanted to charge me 200 ZARs extra to wash a bike that was in for a R3k service. Really made me feel like they only wanted me for my cash.. oh, wait, nvm.
PhilipV Posted March 28, 2018 Posted March 28, 2018 Totally disagree if you're a rookie. I must confess, I can't adjust my derailleurs, so I will never pretend to understand how it works and will always leave it up to my LBS to do that for me. .I'm going to assume that the mecheng in your handle is not short for Mechanical Engineer as I thought.
Hairy Posted March 28, 2018 Posted March 28, 2018 I'm sure that is indeed the case with some, but in this case they wanted to charge me 200 ZARs extra to wash a bike that was in for a R3k service. Really made me feel like they only wanted me for my cash.. oh, wait, nvm.lol ... 200 Z.A.R to wash a bicycle ... I am certainly in the wrong line of work.
Amberdrake Posted March 28, 2018 Posted March 28, 2018 lol ... 200 Z.A.R to wash a bicycle ... I am certainly in the wrong line of work.All I know is for a R200 bike wash it better be waxed and brakes better not be meh after.
Hairy Posted March 28, 2018 Posted March 28, 2018 A LBS once charged me R150 to wash my ss bicycle when it went in for a BB replacement (I did not ask for the wash) ... they washed it because it was dirty apparently ... yes it was slightly dirty because it was freaking raining outside when I cycled into town. Forked out for the labour as it was an emergency BB replacement for me on my commuter. Oh, when I went to collect the sales guy, who also worked on it apparently, told me that they thought the frame threads were toast as the BB would not take ... then they realised that he was turning it the WRONG DIRECTION! When I collected I had to also show them how to tension a SS in sliding drop outs as they had the chain under so much load it would not spin back freely! When I bought the bike from them they did the same thing and I showed them then too. Then the last straw was when I took the wheel in to have a freewheel replaced (Screw on jobbies for a SS) as the previous one I got from them literally exploded on acceleration after a few short months ........ got the wheel back, fitted it that evening to find out they put in on the wrong way ... it would only pedal backwards and freewheeled under pedaling loads. Took it back the next day, they said they would fix it .... had to follow up again later in the day as no one contacted me before I left work ... then the guy says "oh we also fixed your puncture for you" ... I did not ask for this to be repaired, and I figured cool, they fixed it because they screwed up again and are making good ... sales guys (actually the store manager) then says as I am leaving that it would be R30 for the puncture fix ... a few words from me after that and they "would let it go" for the frustration of them not getting the wheel right the first time and their poor communication. Besides this, other riders have not been happy with their workshop and we no longer go their. I will not even buy a tube their again and rather cycle into town to get any parts I need.
Patchelicious Posted March 28, 2018 Posted March 28, 2018 lol ... 200 Z.A.R to wash a bicycle ... I am certainly in the wrong line of work.Its all about perspective. Average hourly rate for IT dude, R650 - R1000 per hour. Handy men from a quick google, about R650 to R700 per hour, plumbers a bit more than that. A massage therapist, R700 - R800 per hour. When I wash my bike properly it takes me 20mins or so, with a good lube. For R200 you could get a 15min massage, without a good lube. Your R200 bike wash probably subsidises the 20 people who came into the shop who wanted free advice..... Peoples time is worth something, we often forget that.
Hairy Posted March 28, 2018 Posted March 28, 2018 Its all about perspective. Average hourly rate for IT dude, R650 - R1000 per hour. Handy men from a quick google, about R650 to R700 per hour, plumbers a bit more than that. A massage therapist, R700 - R800 per hour. When I wash my bike properly it takes me 20mins or so, with a good lube. For R200 you could get a 15min massage, without a good lube. Your R200 bike wash probably subsidises the 20 people who came into the shop who wanted free advice..... Peoples time is worth something, we often forget that.a bike wash should be a basic labour rate .... you don't employ a fully qualified plumber to dig trenches ... for that you use basic labourers ... no issue with paying a decent rate that is appropriately applied, but a well functioning LBS should surely be able to wash a bike in 15min, but lets take your 20min x 200 Z.A.R = 600 Z.A.R / Hour ... that is certainly not a basic labour rate.
Patchelicious Posted March 28, 2018 Posted March 28, 2018 a bike wash should be a basic labour rate .... you don't employ a fully qualified plumber to dig trenches ... for that you use basic labourers ... no issue with paying a decent rate that is appropriately applied, but a well functioning LBS should surely be able to wash a bike in 15min, but lets take your 20min x 200 Z.A.R = 600 Z.A.R / Hour ... that is certainly not a basic labour rate.It was a point made in jest dude. Agreed, that its a lower rate, hence me saying it subsidises for the other free time people get. So if you want true pass through rates for bike washes, you should then be ok paying for all other time and advice in the shops.
Hairy Posted March 28, 2018 Posted March 28, 2018 It was a point made in jest dude. Agreed, that its a lower rate, hence me saying it subsidises for the other free time people get. So if you want true pass through rates for bike washes, you should then be ok paying for all other time and advice in the shops.sorry, did not pick up the jest you do currently pay for all the other time in the shop when they service your bike you do pay for advise if you buy the part from the LBS you are a chop if you take and push advise from a LBS and then buy on line or elsewhere if the price is about the same .. if not about the same, give the LBS that gave you good advise the chance to try and get as close to the other price as possible I worked in a LBS many moons ago .... giving advice is part and parcel of what you do.
Patchelicious Posted March 28, 2018 Posted March 28, 2018 sorry, did not pick up the jest you do currently pay for all the other time in the shop when they service your bike you do pay for advise if you buy the part from the LBS you are a chop if you take and push advise from a LBS and then buy on line or elsewhere if the price is about the same .. if not about the same, give the LBS that gave you good advise the chance to try and get as close to the other price as possible I worked in a LBS many moons ago .... giving advice is part and parcel of what you do.Many moons ago, margin on parts was also part an parcel and one could cost your time into it.
Hairy Posted March 28, 2018 Posted March 28, 2018 Many moons ago, margin on parts was also part an parcel and one could cost your time into it. Nope, profit margins were certainly not large back then. A LBS makes money in the workshop, not the sales floor. If you build a good workshop, that is constantly good, you in turn build a solid client base that will support you. They become return customers, who buy parts/goodies from your LBS because they trust your shop and have formed a relationship with your shop. The LBS gets to fit some of these goodies too, but their main income is when the bikes come in for services and repairs. Riders I know travel long distances to take their bikes to and buy goodies from a LBS far away when they have bike shops close by. Simply because that LBS has always looked after them in the workshop.
Patchelicious Posted March 28, 2018 Posted March 28, 2018 Nope, profit margins were certainly not large back then. They were certainly largER than now. A LBS makes money in the workshop, not the sales floor. Agreed.
Hairy Posted March 28, 2018 Posted March 28, 2018 Nope, profit margins were certainly not large back then. They were certainly largER than now. A LBS makes money in the workshop, not the sales floor. Agreed. Labour cost in the LBS industry was also most certainly far lower back then too
Dirkitech Posted March 28, 2018 Posted March 28, 2018 Totally disagree if you're a rookie. I must confess, I can't adjust my derailleurs, so I will never pretend to understand how it works and will always leave it up to my LBS to do that for me. That's a better way of putting it. Everyone who rides a bicycle on a semi- to regular occasion should be able to do the basics. Change a tube, learn to use a CO2 bomb, replace a chain that's come off the top chainring, learning to use clipless pedals, and NOT TO WEAR UNDERWEAR under your cycling shorts.that part took me far too long to find out through the internet, not even by experience.
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