The chance of a lifetime: You are asked to start a bike shop. How should it be done?

[PeeJay]

Back for more...

Here a scenario: We have a faulty bike. We go to the local shop and want the bit. They tell us it is $500. We say: "SHIT! Thats expensive. But I need one, so yeah, I'll take it". We then have to pay the $500 up front so they order it. They contact their NZ distributor/importer who contacts their overseas distributor who gets it from the factory. This takes ages and we get peed off. We were peed off at the high price, but decided to pay as we really need that bit. But the real anger comes in when the bit does not arrive before 2 months later.

Yep, we can do some websurfing and find a supplier of that bit, probably 1/2 price (or less). Then we need to have a credit card, do the ordering and all that goes with it. And it turns up in our letterbox a week later. But we also need to have some knowledge (that takes some time to learn, and we most probably will never need again...)

How bout a company that sorted all that hassle for us? We contact "Find-A-Bit" and tell them what we want. They ring/email us back inside an hour and say: We can have it here in a week. Cost you $400. Pay by internet banking, post a cheque (you will have to wait for clearance) or deposit cash in to our account. A week later we have the bit.

We would pay them for doing the web searching, for having a credit card with cash on it and for the service, while we could go on with our life earning our hourly rate, washing the dog or watching footy on TV.

Find-A-Bit would slowly start to get a reputation of doing a good job (A little like the Doctor), they would start to build a relationship with some of the overseas suppliers and perhaps start to get a little better prices. They could get an agreement with a courier company so their costs would go down. And here is a business model that needs very little money up front...

Right all nay sayers, shoot a hole in that one.

But But But you just dont understand. It (whatever it is) doesnt work that way.

Good idea, I know a guy doing that part time, word of mouth advertising. Basically his customers are those who are still afraid to give their credit card details to the internet.
He ended up in a shitfight with someone who ordered the wrong part and then wanted their money back. Didnt want to pay the courier fees or the restocking fee. Disputes tribunal found against the customer, found that the entrepreneur was a facilitator, offering a service and wasnt actually a retailer of parts.
So could be a go if it was organised properly.

[Robert Taylor]

Back for more...

Here a scenario: We have a faulty bike. We go to the local shop and want the bit. They tell us it is $500. We say: "SHIT! Thats expensive. But I need one, so yeah, I'll take it". We then have to pay the $500 up front so they order it. They contact their NZ distributor/importer who contacts their overseas distributor who gets it from the factory. This takes ages and we get peed off. We were peed off at the high price, but decided to pay as we really need that bit. But the real anger comes in when the bit does not arrive before 2 months later.

Yep, we can do some websurfing and find a supplier of that bit, probably 1/2 price (or less). Then we need to have a credit card, do the ordering and all that goes with it. And it turns up in our letterbox a week later. But we also need to have some knowledge (that takes some time to learn, and we most probably will never need again...)

How bout a company that sorted all that hassle for us? We contact "Find-A-Bit" and tell them what we want. They ring/email us back inside an hour and say: We can have it here in a week. Cost you $400. Pay by internet banking, post a cheque (you will have to wait for clearance) or deposit cash in to our account. A week later we have the bit.

We would pay them for doing the web searching, for having a credit card with cash on it and for the service, while we could go on with our life earning our hourly rate, washing the dog or watching footy on TV.

Find-A-Bit would slowly start to get a reputation of doing a good job (A little like the Doctor), they would start to build a relationship with some of the overseas suppliers and perhaps start to get a little better prices. They could get an agreement with a courier company so their costs would go down. And here is a business model that needs very little money up front...

Right all nay sayers, shoot a hole in that one.

Parts people and dealers in the industry that are onto it are already doing this and have done so for years. Dont ask me to quote whom but there are people that do so

[Robert Taylor]

Welcome to the yawning chasm that seperates theory from reality.

Exactly, you and me as old and past it naysayers are actually living in day to day reality and providing good service to our customers.

Youth and beauty are no match for age and treachery. Or to put it another way experience does actually count for a hell of a lot.

[Robert Taylor]

Does 'Find-a-Bit' handle the warranty claims?

Whose headache is it if the wrong part is sent?

Which part will 'Find-a-Bit' source? The cheapest part, or a good quality part? (Or just whichever part gives them the best margin?)

Plus cost of holding stock, bank interest charges, insurance etc etc. This guy is living in pixieland.

[sidecar bob]

Nay, can't see any holes in that one . With the amount of info and parts diagrams freely available online it probably wouldn't take too long to find the bits either.

What happens when you order a whole set of plastics for a bike that had a bin & they all turn up in the wrong colour? Oh, it has happend before FYI.

[steve_t]

Of the people who think NZ dealers are significantly overcharging, who owns or has owned their own business?

[bogan]

What happens when you order a whole set of plastics for a bike that had a bin & they all turn up in the wrong colour? Oh, it has happend before FYI.

head off to supercheap for a can of spray paint

[Katman]

head off to supercheap for a can of spray paint

And charge it to 'Find-a-Bit'.

[Conquiztador]

Plus cost of holding stock, bank interest charges, insurance etc etc. This guy is living in pixieland.

- No stock to be held. only bring in when customer wants it (read posting)
- Bank interest charges? Pay with credit card, deposit customers money in to offset and there is no interest. In fact, you have just given me an idea... I could invest the customers money and get a little interest on it before I would have to pay the credit card bill...
- Insurance. Tell me what we are insuring against here? I would be getting the bits from a overseas web supplier in same fashion as any T D & H.
- etc.etc. No idea. Probably use some bug spray to kill them.

- Pixie land? New Zealand last I looked.

[bogan]

Back for more...

Here a scenario: We have a faulty bike. We go to the local shop and want the bit. They tell us it is $500. We say: "SHIT! Thats expensive. But I need one, so yeah, I'll take it". We then have to pay the $500 up front so they order it. They contact their NZ distributor/importer who contacts their overseas distributor who gets it from the factory. This takes ages and we get peed off. We were peed off at the high price, but decided to pay as we really need that bit. But the real anger comes in when the bit does not arrive before 2 months later.

So anyway, what I would like to see in a service such as that, would be:

Parts confirmation and information as to whether it a genuine part, send an email back with diagram of the part you find to make sure its the proper one.
Competitive prices.
Good technical knowledge, if you're going to recomend a non genuine part I would like to know its from trusted brand.
Good communication, mainly with respect to estimated arrival times.
Some form of gaurantee, as the deal would go through you I want to know you'll be motivated to follow up on any errors.

[Katman]

Some form of gaurantee, as the deal would go through you I want to know you'll be motivated to follow up on any errors.

Houston, we have a problem.

[steve_t]

- No stock to be held. only bring in when customer wants it (read posting)
- Bank interest charges? Pay with credit card, deposit customers money in to offset and there is no interest. In fact, you have just given me an idea... I could invest the customers money and get a little interest on it before I would have to pay the credit card bill...
- Insurance. Tell me what we are insuring against here? I would be getting the bits from a overseas web supplier in same fashion as any T D & H.
- etc.etc. No idea. Probably use some bug spray to kill them.

- Pixie land? New Zealand last I looked.

So why does T D & H buy from you instead of directly from the overseas web supplier and cut you out as a middleman? I'm assuming you'll be adding a markup to pay for your time right?

[jonbuoy]

So anyway, what I would like to see in a service such as that, would be:

Parts confirmation and information as to whether it a genuine part, send an email back with diagram of the part you find to make sure its the proper one.
Competitive prices.
Good technical knowledge, if you're going to recomend a non genuine part I would like to know its from trusted brand.
Good communication, mainly with respect to estimated arrival times.
Some form of gaurantee, as the deal would go through you I want to know you'll be motivated to follow up on any errors.

And all this for a 20% markup on a $30 flasher relay as anything else would be ripping off joe public? If you think this would work gather up a syndicate and make it happen.

[dipshit]

And charge it to 'Find-a-Bit'.

So Katman, will you be getting that 4-wheeler part for your customer through Suzuki NZ for $1400 or from the US for $600..??

Or is there some monopoly protection rules bullshit from the old boys network that prohibit you from doing so..???

[Conquiztador]

Does 'Find-a-Bit' handle the warranty claims?

Whose headache is it if the wrong part is sent?

Which part will 'Find-a-Bit' source? The cheapest part, or a good quality part? (Or just whichever part gives them the best margin?)

- Warranty: Whatever warranty the bits are provided with from overseas would be in place.
- Wrong Part: If the order was wrong, then F-A-B would clearly be responsible. If the client had demanded a left but then realised that it was a right one he would be responsible for the costs to swap it. If the overseas supplier would have sent a left when we ordered a right then they would be responsible.
- Which part? Customer request would determine: "I want the cheapest you can find" or "I want a genuine NOS still wrapped in olfashion oil soaked paper!"