LBS- lack of service delivery

[Reg Lizard]

Is it just me, or has any of you had a similar experience at your lbs?

 

Last week I contacted the one and asked for a price on a product. The other one I personally visited on Saturday and enquired as to whether they had the product and what the cost would be- was told I'll phone you in 30 min! Still waiting for both these stores to come back to me!!!

 

Don't these people want to do business or what? Looks like I'll have to order from CRC

[Zula]

Name & shame

[Top Fuel]

It's probably cause you killed that snake!!!!

[Guest Big H]

Place your order at CRC...... and buy some extra tools etc so you can work on your bike yourself.

[EigerSA]

Phone the shop and ask to speak to the manager/owner. Very often they have no clue as to what has been said to a customer. Better yet, send them an email with your complaint and point them to this thread.

[Danger Dassie]

Had a yen for new shoes last week and decided on the Louis Garneaus, well priced, damn comfy and a stylish enough slipper.

Went to four bike shops to find a size 44! Nothing, Complete Cyclist took my details and actually called back twice, left a message the first time and then got hold of me the second time.

Unfortunately I was out of town and a mate's passing on his spare shoes. So will have to phone them and let them know.

Still, that's service following through like that, so I'll definitely support them in the future!

[Reg Lizard]

Place your order at CRC...... and buy some extra tools etc so you can work on your bike yourself.

Oom ek het klaar al die spanners en doen al seker 4-5 jaar self die maintenance op my fietsie

 

En more as die bikeshops toe maak dan wonder almal hoekom?

 

So ja, ek sal definitief nie teruggaan soontoe nie, net jammer CWC het nie stock nie anders was ek al gehulpe.

[Buell]

Guys' it is not just the Cycling LBS stores that are shrinking.I have experienced this type of thing all over.

 

Motor cycle shops - If you want a range of helmets and gear ( gloves, leather jackets,leather pants etc )to look at, they keep minimal stock holding and can get from suppliers if you want

 

Martial Arts gear- go try buy the normal decent quality day to day gear ( gi's, gloves etc ) shops can get and they will speak to suppliers

 

Athletic footware - The ranges are getting smaller and the suppliers bring in only the models that will sell to the masses, try getting some racing spikes or x-country shoes, again the shops can get from suppliers if you want to look at

 

Tyre Dealers - I go buy some tyres and want to replace the car battery and guess what they will order the tyres and battery in for me as they do not have stock and this is with a franchise brand tyre place

 

I am sure it will probably be the same for plenty of products and different markets out there, the way I see it markets are shrinking and suppliers are under pressure as shops/ dealers whether it be cycling, motorcycles, cars etc are not going to be buying huge quantities of stock to keep in their store rooms the suppliers are going to have to carry the stock now and they will be bringing in less as they are now basically storing the stock for the dealers (which takes huge capital) and the LBS or motorcycle dealer, sports shop or what ever will order 1's & 2's or as the customers needs.

 

The SA market is shrinking at a rapid rate the wat people are buying now is also splintered (on line) this causing suppliers and inporters bringing in less as they know they are under competion and will loose hands down to the on line business's

 

So for me it is just a case of being patience working through the store and knowing it is going to be a wait and hopefully the product and colour I want will be supplied.

 

The world wide recession has slowly changed the way business will be done and reality SA has a shrinking market (with huge amounts of diposable income) and the suppliers and stores will have to keep less as less in brought in.

 

Thats my 1 Ront worth

[Reg Lizard]

I don't mind waiting, but I at least expect them to get back to me with a price before I place an order.

[jmaccelari]

I have a simple policy: if they don't get back to me then I don't go back to them...

[urbanroyal]

The less stock , the less the overheads, the less the interest lost on capital invested .. maybe a reflection of the current economic situation..

 

In these recessionary times all businesses should train the front-line staff to be more customer friendly , have proper sales skill and engage the customer on his needs and address it adequately.

 

I have found that business is all about relationships and not always about price.

 

IMO this is what is lacking when entering a LBS or any other shop etc..

 

Somewhere I heard the Raymond Ackerman's first job in his dads store was to greet the customers as they walked, he did this for six months..

 

Something our current Business owners can learn from..

 

[The_Break]

My experience is that bike shops do not phone you back unless they know youu well or you make a huge fuss onetime after a big purchase. I think they just don't want to spend the money on phone bills or just get busy and don't get back to you.

[EigerSA]

Unfortunately most bike shops here hire 'kids' that at right out of high school, or have not since long left high school. They get paid cheaply and this is reflected in their attitudes and knowledge. You can't really blame them since it's impossible to have a career in a bike shop in SA as you would in say the States. I agree with "urbanroyal" above, I personally will go back to a shop even if their items or more expensive if the service is right. If bike shops invest in their staff with training and salary, I'm pretty sure they'll see the benefits in sales. Just my 5c

Edited January 11, 2011 by EigerSA

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Somewhere I heard the Raymond Ackerman's first job in his dads store was to greet the customers as they walked, he did this for six months..

 

Something our current Business owners can learn from..

 

Yeah, cant comment on Raymond but Sam Walmart the founder of the giant conglomorate company WALMART did exactly that, and later would isist all his staff spend time meeting and greeting customers.

 

I agree, in small business its vital to have a relationship with your client and greeting them cheerfully can diffuse a difficult situation.

 

Even today there is ALWAYS a greeter in any Walmart store - difficult to find occassionally I know, but they are there.

[jatho]

I've also noticed this, got back into cycling after a long lay off and the first thing I noticed was the poor service at the bike shops, its not a cheap sport it seems that unless you're spending R50K+ on a new bike they're doing you a favor, its a competitive industry and given the current economic conditions I battle to understand it. I've given up ordering stuff from the LBS, out of probably 10 times I was called back once and this is from at least 3 different LBS's.

 

Its sad but this is why international on-line retailers like CRC are thriving.

[urbanroyal]

Yeah, cant comment on Raymond but Sam Walmart the founder of the giant conglomorate company WALMART did exactly that, and later would isist all his staff spend time meeting and greeting customers.

 

I agree, in small business its vital to have a relationship with your client and greeting them cheerfully can diffuse a difficult situation.

 

Even today there is ALWAYS a greeter in any Walmart store - difficult to find occassionally I know, but they are there.

 

http://www.reference...Stores-Ltd.html

South Africa's Retail Revolutionary in 1967" Raymond Ackerman was born in 1931 into one of South Africa's leading retailing families--father Gus Ackerman had founded the Ackermans department store chain in 1916. Raymond Ackerman studied commerce at the University of Cape Town under noted economist W.H. Hutt. Hutt's ideas, particularly his philosophy of "customer sovereignty," were to have a lasting impact on the young Ackerman.

 

Having graduated from University, Ackerman went to work for his father's business as a trainee manager in 1951. Ackerman's first position with his father's company, however, was as a store greeter. In this way Ackerman's father hoped to instill the importance of politeness for the store's customers, while also helping Ackerman overcome his shyness. Ackerman later worked for two years in the company's distribution warehouse"

 

Maybe there was a conspiracy amongst the old guys on how to snare the customers....