In recent trippings around in the process of looking for various odds
and ends to maintain and build up my bikes, I've found the demarcation
line that differentiates between a "bike shop" and a "shop with bikes".
Actually it's really easy to differentiate between the two because it
comes right down to two things.
Bike knowledge is essential for a bike shop. If a layman walks into a
bike shop and is depending on that shop's knowledge in getting them
what they need, they are boned if the shop's employees don't know what
they should. On the other hand, if an experienced cyclist walks into a
shop and asks for a particular bike part, the employee should either
know what it is, or be able to find out in an instant from reference
material or a colleague.
Service is also essential and it is directly related to the points of
contention for knowledge. If the aforementioned layman needs advice,
it should be based in good knowledge and good service in that realm
begins with knowledge. Good service to the layman also requires NOT
selling them something the shop is trying to get rid of just because it
needs to go. As far as the experienced cyclist's aforementioned
situation goes, good service means knowing whether or not the item is
in stock, checking to see if it is something that can be ordered,
offering to order the item, or sending them to a shop that may have the
item. Attempting to blow smoke up an experienced cyclist's shorts is
not good service.
That all said and done, there are two shops in OC that I will never set
foot in again and one that will get more of my business. Shop "a"
tried to blow smoke up my shorts and tell me he had to see the previous
part to know what he needed to order, which was BS. He lacked
knowledge about that particular item and didn't want to admit it. Shop
"b" had some slacker college wannabe who offered nothing more than a
"no" when I asked if they had what I was looking for. I was obviously
interrupting his conversation with another of his type in a rather
cavernous and shiny bike shop that was devoid of any other customers.
Shop "c" gets an "A". The employee knew exactly what I was talking
about, grabbed the Quality catalog, looked up the part, quoted me a
price and offered to order it for me. The best part? My kiddo was
with me and witnessed the whole spectacle, recognizing what was
inherently wrong with shops "a" and "b" and what was right with shop
"c" before word one after all of the shop visits.
I'll refrain from naming names at this point in time because I'm going
to compile my own list of bike shops vs shops with bikes in SoCal.
JD