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

[Robert Taylor]

Shops have to make a profit on parts.

However, they have no right to complain if people shop elsewhere due to a large price difference. If they have put the large margin on then its up to them to rethink their position, If its their supplier then its up to the shop to let them know and to source crap from elsewhere.

At no time is the customer at fault on any level for buying the best priced part.

Ok, how about when a ''customer'' walks into a shop and spends a lot of time trying on clothing, being helped by the staff , in the full knowledge that they are going to not buy it there ( despite being offered a deal ) but off the net?/ And then when there is a subsequent sizing or warranty issue taking it to the dealer and having the temerity to ask them to exchange or sort it out?
Hard to believe but it happens often. Cheapness often comes at a price.
I look after my customers if they are honest with me. If they are clearly using me they will get short shift.

[Robert Taylor]

Reasonable workshop rates would be a good start. None of this $80+ per hour bullshit. It's good if there are actually staff at the shop as well when it's open. I've been to a bike shop several times before when they were open, and not a staff member or customer in sight for at 15 minutes. I could have walked off with a nice Ducati and no one would have been there to stop me.

So what does it cost per hour for the workshop doors just to be open? And Im not talking tin sheds with no tools, no training etc.

[98tls]

Ok, how about when a ''customer'' walks into a shop and spends a lot of time trying on clothing, being helped by the staff , in the full knowledge that they are going to not buy it there ( despite being offered a deal ) but off the net?/ And then when there is a subsequent sizing or warranty issue taking it to the dealer and having the temerity to ask them to exchange or sort it out?
Hard to believe but it happens often. Cheapness often comes at a price.
I look after my customers if they are honest with me. If they are clearly using me they will get short shift.

Imagine how someone in "Jeans West " feels everyday.

[Robert Taylor]

Guys... Look at this as a brainstorming session. Please take your cynisism out of here. The "it won't work" is the old blinkers scenario. Keep an open mind.

What always surprises me is how shop owners are trying to tell the customer what he/she wants. And they have never asked....

Well the reality is ( as per my post ) many have looked at it with as you say ''blinkers off'' Many of those have failed, Ive seen it many times.
Yes there is much room for improvement and it so totally depends on people and those people having experience ( LOTS of it ) an articulate dis[position and deep product knowledge. Would you care to provide a list of people off the top of your head that can for starters fill those 3 neccessities?

[98tls]

Reasonable workshop rates would be a good start. None of this $80+ per hour bullshit. It's good if there are actually staff at the shop as well when it's open. I've been to a bike shop several times before when they were open, and not a staff member or customer in sight for at 15 minutes. I could have walked off with a nice Ducati and no one would have been there to stop me.

I have no problem paying big $ hourly rates if in return i get big $ service,for all my years mucking about with bikes theres plenty i cant do so go somewhere that i expect to pay (all things considered) big $ to get it done,at many places in my experiance it turns to shit the moment you walk in the door and ask the first question.No shit ive in the past had the unforgettable experiance of saying Bevel drive in a Ducati retailers establishment to see a blank/wtf/ive seen that word on a T-shirt look appear on the recipient of said words face.

[Milts]

To me (especially as someone pretty new to riding), it's all about customer service. You can get parts and gear online but it's not the same as the service you get in the shop. The shop I go to for service and for a new helmet when I needed one (most other gear bought online) was excellent for service and advice. I pay perhaps more for parts and oil than I would online, but not what I would consider unreasonable prices. Service also not overly cheap but not unreasonable.

But what really makes the difference is honest advice and customer service. Turnaround times are key - I don't want to drop my bike in for a service and wait a week.

Honest advice is also appreciated. I've had several situations where I have been told "look, we could do this, and charge you X amount, but you'd be better off doing it like this..." (and saved myself some money). Based on this, and other advice on what to purchase which has served me well, I'd never go anywhere else. I've always had excellent customer service at motorad, regardless of the fact that I'm not exactly a 'big spender' and am not about to buy a brand new bike off them now or anywhere in the near future. I think as long as customer expectations are reasonable, a combination of not unfair prices and excellent service and advice will get a bike shop a long way. A few staff members at motorad who have been very helpful and knowledgeable not once, but every time I've gone in, and go above and beyond what I would consider normal service, give me complete faith that when I go there I'm getting the right deal for me.

I think any bike business with focus like that will find it easy to get new customers, and keep them long term, while charging enough to keep the business running.

[Conquiztador]

So what does it cost per hour for the workshop doors just to be open? And Im not talking tin sheds with no tools, no training etc.

Hi Robert. You are not helping here... Can you please stay out from this thread.

[SMOKEU]

So what does it cost per hour for the workshop doors just to be open? And Im not talking tin sheds with no tools, no training etc.

I don't know, but I know a few very good, honest car mechanics who charge no more than $40/hour (including GST). Why should bike mechanics charge double what car mechanics charge?

[Milts]

I don't know, but I know a few very good, honest car mechanics who charge no more than $40/hour (including GST). Why should bike mechanics charge double what car mechanics charge?

Coz bikes are twice as much fun to have running nicely?

[98tls]

I don't know, but I know a few very good, honest car mechanics who charge no more than $40/hour (including GST). Why should bike mechanics charge double what car mechanics charge?

Reality is most bike mechanics are merely paid what they are by the owner of the establisment they work in (we all know that) who in turn has in most cases a lease,advertising blah blah blah to pay not to mention like the rest of us there mortgage/kids blah........will repeat i find no problem with there rates more the indifference/lack of knowledge/fuck-ups that go with it.

[SMOKEU]

Coz bikes are twice as much fun to have running nicely?

You have a point there....

[Conquiztador]

Thanks to the ones who have sofar contributd in the spirit this thread was intended: To tell the shop owners what we, the customer, wants. This will not be a rule or a law. It will be an eye opener (I hope) where you might learn something. Keep an open mind and leave the "it won't work" out.

So, what would I want from a bike shop?
- Service. Be treated like I was actually important!
- Knowledge. And if it is not there, the ablility to say "sorry, I do not know, but I will find out"
- Ability to find solutions to problems I have.
- Be prepared to explain to me what is wrong and what the options are.
- Do what they say they will do. No false promises!
- I would want them to make a living, and so I would be prepared to pay a markup on bits and a fair hourly rate.
- Get involved in the community. Be part of what goes on.

There, a start.

[98tls]

Bit of an afterthought but can we have some sales people with at least a degree of honesty ie awhile back i read a post on here from a rather prominent (in cyberspace anyway) motorcycle salesman that dismissed money as his reasoning for being in the business but rather the satisfaction of his customers satisfactionno doubt thats currency in his world and the holder of his mortgage is completly happy.No doubt hes died of starvation then or theres a huge retainer.

[Headbanger]

I look after my customers if they are honest with me.

Rob, Its not about you, please don't try and make this thread about you, I went as far out of my way as possible to make my post as generic as possible. And I won't be replying to you again in this thread.

At least, I'll try not to, Lmfao.

[CookMySock]

I value the advice I get from my bike shop. Others would do well to emulate them. Yes, I rock on into their service department and pick their brains and go fix it myself. Half of the time the bike ends up on their table anyway and I don't even look at their hourly rate - I have no idea what it is and I don't care.

I think many business owners don't care about the income - they just want a lifestyle, and to the same end, so do I.

I go out of my way to support them, unless some part is a huge amount cheaper elsewhere, but if it's only a few dollars more I make sure they get the money.

I dread the day they might go out of business. I don't want that to happen.

Steve