Popular Post Thaddeus Kosciuszko Posted January 23, 2021 Popular Post Share #1 Posted January 23, 2021 Every January a local bike shop runs a special where they take your bike completely apart, clean the frame and all components, reassemble the bike, true the wheels, and adjust the shifters and brakes. Yeah, yeah, I know the drill – the shop offers ‘recommendations’ for you to replace or upgrade components and you walk out the door paying more than you thought. And that’s OK - bike mechanics need to make a living too. So I took my touring bike in and reserved another spot for my newer road bike that I’d bring by later. I’d bought the touring bike in 2008 and it’s seen some tough cycling conditions since then. I usually do my own repairs and maintenance but I figured it was time for a complete renewal by a professional. In due course they recommended replacing the wheels as they said the rims were pretty worn. The rims were original and I’d ridden some gritty miles. Given sometimes I barrel down hills towing a loaded BOB I figured I’d take the recommendation. I picked up the bike last night and paid the bill. I checked the invoice this morning and the bill didn’t list all the work to which we’d agreed. The shop billed me for installation of a component I didn’t buy. Worse, they billed for the maintenance service for the second bike; you know, the one I haven’t even brought into their shop yet. And they didn’t bill me for the new wheelset they put on my touring bike, even though the wheels are indeed on the bike plain as day. I emailed them this morning advising them of all this and let them know they needed to adjust the bill. I re-figured the final tally and it showed they'd billed me too little. They’d hornswoggled themselves out of nearly $90, and I asked them to contact me about making up the difference. 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airehead Posted January 23, 2021 Share #2 Posted January 23, 2021 Crazy, that likely means some other person’s bill is messed up,too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddmaxx ★ Posted January 23, 2021 Share #3 Posted January 23, 2021 Now there's a word I've not heard in quite some time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smudge ★ Posted January 23, 2021 Share #4 Posted January 23, 2021 Good help is so hard to find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groupw Posted January 23, 2021 Share #5 Posted January 23, 2021 I’m on good terms with our LBS owner. He knows my bikes and my riding style. If he doesn’t have time to work on them personally, he checks the work of his help before he calls me. I took the Stradalli in late in the fall because the shifting was more theoretical than precise. I figured a new chain was due as well as the adjustments. He also replaced the cassette and straightened the rear derailleur bracket that had somehow got bent. Cost a bit more than expected, but it sure rides nice! The new cassette has slightly different gear progression. I’m still adjusting but it seems better suited to me. I almost took a KOM on a less than perfect day! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsnip Totin Jack ★ Posted January 23, 2021 Share #6 Posted January 23, 2021 At the LBS I work at sometimes, heads would roll and be mounted on pikes. That level of service isn’t tolerated. We aim to please so please aim. Another saying at the shop is, if you have time to lean you have time to clean. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted January 23, 2021 Share #7 Posted January 23, 2021 I had my son drop my 520 off at the LBS a year ago for a tune up. The bike was working perfectly fine but I have never had that bike in for a tune up and I thought they would need the work to get them through the winter months. Little did I know the pandemic was going to hit and everyone was going to go bike crazy. I told my son to tell them I wasn’t in a hurry for it. A couple months later they called and said it was ready. I stopped and picked it up after a doctor appointment. Their whole showroom was full of bikes for repair. They sold every bike they could get. I never did get a chance to ride my bike last year. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted January 24, 2021 Share #8 Posted January 24, 2021 2 hours ago, maddmaxx said: Now there's a word I've not heard in quite some time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickinMD ★ Posted January 24, 2021 Share #9 Posted January 24, 2021 22 hours ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said: Every January a local bike shop runs a special where they take your bike completely apart, clean the frame and all components, reassemble the bike, true the wheels, and adjust the shifters and brakes. Yeah, yeah, I know the drill – the shop offers ‘recommendations’ for you to replace or upgrade components and you walk out the door paying more than you thought. And that’s OK - bike mechanics need to make a living too. So I took my touring bike in and reserved another spot for my newer road bike that I’d bring by later. I’d bought the touring bike in 2008 and it’s seen some tough cycling conditions since then. I usually do my own repairs and maintenance but I figured it was time for a complete renewal by a professional. In due course they recommended replacing the wheels as they said the rims were pretty worn. The rims were original and I’d ridden some gritty miles. Given sometimes I barrel down hills towing a loaded BOB I figured I’d take the recommendation. I picked up the bike last night and paid the bill. I checked the invoice this morning and the bill didn’t list all the work to which we’d agreed. The shop billed me for installation of a component I didn’t buy. Worse, they billed for the maintenance service for the second bike; you know, the one I haven’t even brought into their shop yet. And they didn’t bill me for the new wheelset they put on my touring bike, even though the wheels are indeed on the bike plain as day. I emailed them this morning advising them of all this and let them know they needed to adjust the bill. I re-figured the final tally and it showed they'd billed me too little. They’d hornswoggled themselves out of nearly $90, and I asked them to contact me about making up the difference. Sounds like one employee didn't know what he was doing or didn't record what he did and then guessed at it later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kzoo Posted January 24, 2021 Share #10 Posted January 24, 2021 Is hornswoggle a noun or a verb? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted January 24, 2021 Share #11 Posted January 24, 2021 1 hour ago, Kzoo said: Is hornswoggle a noun or a verb? I think so. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted January 24, 2021 Share #12 Posted January 24, 2021 On 1/23/2021 at 4:34 PM, Old No. 7 said: At the LBS I work at sometimes, heads would roll and be mounted on pikes. That level of service isn’t tolerated. We aim to please so please aim. Another saying at the shop is, if you have time to lean you have time to clean. Do you also have that saying “if the brakes don’t stop it some thing will?” 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsnip Totin Jack ★ Posted January 24, 2021 Share #13 Posted January 24, 2021 Just now, jsharr said: Do you also have that saying if the brakes don’t stop it some thing will? Ed Zachary! Something will always stop you so don’t worry! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted January 24, 2021 Share #14 Posted January 24, 2021 22 hours ago, Dottles said: He, like Kirby, rides a tricycle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now