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

[Conquiztador]

This place is filled with what a bike shop owner wants: CUSTOMERS!

We have all visited the places that get it soo fucking wrong. So wrong in fact that we will never go back!

Many of us (me included) have started threads re useless cunts not doing what we want.

Let's here tell the shop owners, and the ones who are planning to open one, what we, their customers, really expect!

What do you expect, want, prefer?
What do you hate?
What makes a good... no, a PERFECT shop?

And try to be serious here. After all, I recon that if someone on here is running a shop/planning to run one, he would love to know...

[Katman]

I'll start by saying you wouldn't have a fucking clue.

[Conquiztador]

I'll start by saying you wouldn't have a fucking clue.

Please take your meds and go to sleep.

[FJRider]

I'll start by saying you wouldn't have a fucking clue.

I can't actually read where he says ... he DID ...

[98tls]

Product knowledge and a greetings a bloody good place to start,that and a total ban on cunts that wear baseball caps the wrong way round and bad acne wearing "i am Rossis bitch T shirts"behind the counter.

[bogan]

Firstly, parts sold as parts, not parts + shop overhead fees, they should come from bike sales and maintainance jobs. Can't really comment on maintance stuff as i do it all myself, no bloody overcharging for simple jobs springs to mind though. Courtesy bikes for when you get your wof done, maybe just a scooter if you're not a VIP.

[MIXONE]

I just want service or goods to the value of what I'm paying.
Lucky in Wellywood there is at least 3 shops that provide that.

[Ixion]

Meh. We argued this subject to death in this thread. The conclusion of which was that bike shops aren't in business to make money or satisfy customers, but rather to suit thier owners life style. Like hobby farmers, I guess.

They're not interested in what the customer wants.

Which is fine, we're all sourcing off the nety now, and I no longer feel guilty about it.

[Virago]

Firstly, parts sold as parts, not parts + shop overhead fees, they should come from bike sales and maintainance jobs. Can't really comment on maintance stuff as i do it all myself, no bloody overcharging for simple jobs springs to mind though. Courtesy bikes for when you get your wof done, maybe just a scooter if you're not a VIP.

So if you were to start up a bike shop, you would sell parts at cost, and provide your customers with a bike to use while you're doing a $30 WOF...?

How long do you think you would last?

[Robert Taylor]

This place is filled with what a bike shop owner wants: CUSTOMERS!

We have all visited the places that get it soo fucking wrong. So wrong in fact that we will never go back!

Many of us (me included) have started threads re useless cunts not doing what we want.

Let's here tell the shop owners, and the ones who are planning to open one, what we, their customers, really expect!

What do you expect, want, prefer?
What do you hate?
What makes a good... no, a PERFECT shop?

And try to be serious here. After all, I recon that if someone on here is running a shop/planning to run one, he would love to know...

Id have little issue agreeing with the sentiments of what customers expect, as long as also they are not totally unreasonable expectations. Cynically.......itll be great if that new dealer can give me great deals, and if they go bust because of all the great deals then oh well....
The reality that I have witnessed in over 30 years in the trade is that I have seen an enormous amount of turnover of motorcycle dealers in that time. And more than a few who have started up on the premise ''those existing dealers dont know what they are doing, well show them!" More than a few of that ''more than a few'' came unstuck in short order because the reality is its a very complex business to be in. Moreover finding a complete ''set'' of the right staff is impossible. Staff can make or break you, if you pay big to get the right people you usually cannot afford them as the margins are often too tight to do better than break even.
I was a motorcycle dealer for 15 odd years and we made reasonable profit and kept most of our customers happy most of the time. But you just dont want to know the hours that I worked to keep a lid on everything. With the way the world has evolved Id have to say that Im very glad that I sold out when I did, it totally destroyed my passion for riding motorcycles and that has not come back. Lucky Ive got a passion for the specialist field I am in.

[Robert Taylor]

Firstly, parts sold as parts, not parts + shop overhead fees, they should come from bike sales and maintainance jobs. Can't really comment on maintance stuff as i do it all myself, no bloody overcharging for simple jobs springs to mind though. Courtesy bikes for when you get your wof done, maybe just a scooter if you're not a VIP.

Be my guest and start up a shop with that mentality. Ill lay odds on how long before you have to close the doors.
BTW not all motorcycle dealers overcharge

[p.dath]

I'd like shops to carry more parts. I don't mind paying a small premium when compared to ordering in from overseas.

I would also like parts departments to be open 7 days, even if the hours are reduced to half days on the weekend. It's sometimes hard trying to get something when they are only open when you work.
Maybe they could do a deal with a national chain like Repco or Supercheap Auto, and have them act as agents. They have to have the doors open anyway.

I would also like it if the staff acted like they wanted to help me, rather than doing me a favour by allowing me to buy what I was after.


On the whole, I've been pretty happy with my bike buying experiences from dealers.

[Headbanger]

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.

[Conquiztador]

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....

[SMOKEU]

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.