Leftovers

My Checklist for Checking In A Bike

Recently, I had someone ask me what I look for when checking in a bicycle for repair. A list so nothing would be missed and the opportunity to up-sell would arise. So, here it is, the master list of information I like to look through when taking a bike in. 

THINGS TO ASK THE CUSTOMER:

Name?
Phone?
Email?
Best way to contact? Phone? Email? Text? Tweet?
Address?
When do you need the bike back?
Which of our menu items would you feel suits you best?
Any odd sounds? Clinks? Clanks? Rubbing?
Anything feel weird or uncomfortable?
Any pain in your body when riding?
Where have you ridden it since your last service?
How many miles since your last service (estimate)?
Do you have an event coming up?
What is most important to you: speed or comfort?

ITEMS TO CHECK ON THE BIKE:

F. Tire: tread wear, cracking
F. Rim: trueness, pad burn, cracking, swelling
F. Spokes: loose or snapped
F. Hub: lateral play, stickiness, QR loose
F. Rotor: wear, warped
F. Caliper: pad wear, cable fray
Fork: compression/rebound not responsive
HT: cracks at TT and DT junction
Headset: fore/aft play with fork
Stem: not straight, bolts loose/uneven
Handlebar: not center, odd rotation
Computer: Not working
F. Light: Not working
Bar tape/grips: wear
Shifters/brake levers: squishy, loose, difficult to move
DT: bottle cage loose, broken
BB: cracks at DT, CS, and ST junction
Crankset: lateral play, loose bolts
Chainring: loose/missing bolts, worn teeth
Chain: stretch, how many miles?
Pedals: sticky, rusted, bolts stripped
F. Derailleur: Not shifting properly, cable fray
ST: bottle cage loose, linkage sticky, cracks at TT/SS junction
Seatpost: over max height, scratched, not dropping
Saddle: sagging, rails loose, material wear
SS: Shock compression/rebound not responsive
R. Light: Not working
R. Caliper: pad wear, cable fray
R. Rotor: wear, warped
R. Hub: lateral play, stickiness, QR loose
R. Spokes: loose or snapped
R. Cassette: play, worn teeth
R. Derailleur: Not shifting properly, worn pulleys, cable fray
R. Rim: trueness, pad burn, cracking, swelling
R. Tire: tread wear, cracking

Want more? Take a look at Leading Out Retail. This book is a creative look at bicycle retail and teaches retailers simple strategies on how to increase profit through service, what the most important question to ask every customer is, and how to manage the dreaded Timmy Factor.

Building Staffs' Identity

In retail if you can increase engagement between staff and customers the owners will have two ideal results. First, improved customer service and second, an improved connection between the business and the employee. In bike retail, when this is done well, the person working in the store will be come known as the bike shop guy/gal, people will know where they can find them, they will seek them out to ask questions, and any thought they have that relates to bikes will default to them and, by association, to your business. If your staff known for where they works, if their role becomes part of their identity, they are motivated to stay and to do right by customers.

Here are some steps to take with staff to increase their relationship with customers and the cycling community.  

  • Put them in charge of the local cycling club or team
  • Have them to attend or lead group rides, races, and other events.
  • Ask them to lead clinics on coaching, bike repair, or skills training.
  • Have them to donate their time for trail maintenance.
  • Ask them to speak about cycling at a nearby school.
  • Have them manage the sponsorship relationship for a local triathlon.
  • Set up a coffee station during Bike To Work Week and ask that they run it.

As a manager you want to support anything outside of the bike shop that will support the growth of the cycling community. This is how you will develop social wealth in your staff and earn their dedication and hard work.

 

What Happens Before We Buy?

Have you ever visited a store and saw something awesome, then went home and checked it out online, then asked your friends about it, and then went back to the store to buy it? 

I like to call these points in time, micro conversions. Nearly every purchase we make is preempted by a micro conversion or a series of micro conversions. When someone is overwhelmed by micro conversions it can become too much to handle. The desire to purchase is like an enormous weight on their shoulders. These are the people that walk into the store, throw down a credit card, point to a bike and say, “That one. Now!” 

In bike retail it’s easy to focus on the macro conversion (when someone makes a purchase). That’s where we find the glory of the sale, that’s where the commission is, and that’s when we feel the satisfaction of a job well done. 

However, I like to remind retailers- without a healthy strategy around acquiring micro conversions, we will never see macro conversions.

If you found this post valuable. It would be amazing if you shared it. Thanks - Donny

Is it Time to Fire Grumpy Bike Mechanics?

They're surly, they're grumpy, and they hate anything that isn't within their tight criteria of a legitimate bicycle. I'm talking about the angst-filled bike mechanics. 

Stored in my closet I have a small, but obscure collection cycling movies. One of my favorites is the 1998 French-Canadian film, 2 Seconds. The movie follows Laurie, a professional downhill racer who loses her job due to a string of irresponsible behavior, and returns home to Montreal to become a bike messenger. There she struggles for acceptance from other messengers, is confused by the job, and questioned by her brother if she is doing anything productive with her life. After crashing her bike Laurie finds a nondescript bike shop hidden in an alley and there befriends Lorenzo, a cranky, surly, ex-pro roadie who is owner and operator of the shop.

The two characters have a wonderful back and forth banter throughout the movie. In one conversation they play a game of one-ups-manship by sharing war stories from their life as professionals. Lorenzo show his scars, Laurie shows hers, Lorenzo shows the tan lines that have permanently burned into his skin. Laurie describes how lackluster sex is with her girlfriend thanks to the saddle sores.  If you haven’t seen the movie, it is worth hunting it down.

I bring up the movie because the character Lorenzo was portrayed perfectly by Dino Tavarone. His portrayal of the character embodies this idealized vision of what many people believe a bike mechanic is and how we should expect one to act. Lorenzo is older, likely in his 50s and has a salty demeanor. While he appears to be working a disorganized clutter, you have a sense that everything has been put in its proper place. He communicates in grunts and stares, and if you dare walk in with a non-Italian bike he will lash out at you for such an insult to his craft.

His social manner aside, Lorenzo does have some skill. He displays an air of knowledge and experience so deep that no one would question the quality of his work. Some would even go as far to say that Lorenzo is a master mechanic or even a guru. Yet even with these skills it’s hard to ignore the one glaring truth- Lorenzo is an asshole. In a garage all by himself he does fine but he can be a nightmare in a retail business with a mixed bag of coworker personalities, customers bringing in department store bikes, and riders who are repeatedly asking to borrow his tools. Modern day bike retail would be Lorenzo’s nightmare.

What will be Lorenzo's future? Will he learn and adapt or will he be replaced by a new generation of technicians?

Thank you for reading this far. If you found this interesting I would appreciate it if you shared it on your social channels. Thanks - Donny. 

Getting Paid Hourly? 5 Ways You Can Get Screwed!

If you’re working for a bike shop and getting paid hourly there are some things you should be aware of.

1. Minimum wage in the US as of 2009 is $7.25 an hour. Anything less is illegal.

2. Your boss is not required to pay overtime for Saturdays, Sundays or holidays unless you went over the forty hour mark on those days.

3. If you’re under 20 years old it is legal to pay you $4.25 per hour for the first 90 days of employment. Luckily it is illegal to terminate someone making $7.25 or more and replace them with an employee making $4.25.

4. Many states do not require breaks or meal periods for hourly employees.

5. While the laws are very clear that overtime happens after 40 hours in a seven day period, it is not so clear on how many hours per day before overtime is required. Working 11 hours in one day may not equal 3 hours of overtime.

If you’re an owner or manager- don’t be a jerk, don’t do these things.

In the US, you can learn more about the labor rights by visiting the Department of Labor. 

Thanks for reading. If you found this article valuable I would appreciate it if you shared it on your social channels. Thanks- Donny