I went to a shop yesterday that had tubes in the back
but it was more like a “showroom” very fancy stuff euro vibey
every other shop I’ve been to including the one I worked at had tubes out front
[quote=Lowrey’sOrgan]I went to a shop yesterday that had tubes in the back
but it was more like a “showroom” very fancy stuff euro vibey
every other shop I’ve been to including the one I worked at had tubes out front[/quote]
Thanks. This place has been in business for 2-3 years, and this was my first visit. I get it that not everybody puts $$$ into merchandising, displays, but bakers’ racks with plastic tubs filled with random items (gels, bars, etc) looked incredibly messy/disorganized.
sticky fingers with tubes caused my bud to move all of them to the back of his shop
[quote=motorbacon]3 cracked frames today on my stand. One which belongs to a Rapha corporate marketing individual.
Speaking of broken carbon, I have 9 Enve wheels coming back from warranty service this week. hahaha.
In the last six months, I’ve sent upwards of two dozen Enve wheels back for delaminated brake surfaces, spoke breakage issues due to incorrectly molded spoke nipple beds or cracks in the bead shelf.[/quote]
When I got my stoemper I asked about an enve fork and was quietly told that they recently switched to TRP, wink wink nudge nudge. I have been wondering when I’d start to hear anything about it openly.
I always see tubes visible but behind a service counter. Mostly I assume people don’t know enough to grab the right tube, so they have to answer a few questions first.
Every shop I’ve been a regular at and/or worked at has had tubes behind the counter or shop area. Either because of sticky fingers or moron customers.
I’ve always thought its worth it just to stop the twice a day, “I bought this yesterday and it doesn’t fit, can I return it” while holding a half inflated tube.
The last time I got a tube from a shop where they kept them behind the counter they gave me the wrong damn tube and I didn’t notice until I got home.
We keep them behind the counter. Reason: North Dakotans are fucking stupid.
We’ve got them out in the open in front of the shop. Allows us to answer the ‘what size do I need’ without leaving the bike we’re working on when the customer asks.
Received a new frame today. Companies need to get their QC sorted out, because I can only imagine I’m not the only one who got their frame out of the box and was a bit bummed.
OH! Customer came in an paid for a 3000 dollar gift card for her husband’s ‘gravel bike purchase’ because she doesn’t know enough about bikes to make the decision…Jesus.
When he comes in you should remove all the price tags.
This has happened to me as well. Honestly I really can’t stand when LBS gurus, and please understand that I mean no offense, try to tell me what I need. I get it, there’s like 98% normies coming in and buying bike shit that they have no clue about, but I just want to grab a tube and be on my way.
I’m like 50% gravy with my LBS because they know I only come there for specific things, or the other 50% of the time I get “hot rod early 20s guy who wants to ask one million questions about shit” guy when all I want is a brake cable.
/rant.
[quote=kmcdon]
This has happened to me as well. Honestly I really can’t stand when LBS gurus, and please understand that I mean no offense, try to tell me what I need. I get it, there’s like 98% normies coming in and buying bike shit that they have no clue about, but I just want to grab a tube and be on my way.
/rant.[/quote]
That ‘guru’ is the one that fucks it up for the next intelligent and honest mechanic. I’m currently fixing four years of this bullshit at my shop. His wheel building ‘expertise’ has allowed me to practice my wheel rebuilding skills as he used the incorrect spoke lengths, nipples, and general component selection for his ‘custom builds’. No one questioned him because he built his first wheel at 15 or something.
So far I’m at 9 or 10 wheelset rebuilds in 6 months, and it’s only going to keep happening as I run into these rebuild scenarios when I’m pulling rimstrips to replace broken spokes or nipples on his famous ‘custom builds’.
The “tubes behind the counter” rationale I got from the shops I worked at was that tubes take up a ton of space on the floor (unless you only keep a few out and constantly restock). Since hardly anyone needs to browse tubes, there is no reason to take up the space that could be filled with tools, clothes or other crap that people will impulse buy. Definitely a trade-off since an employee needs to take time to get one for every customer.
Also, instead of either stocking tubes in two places or sending mechs to the floor every time they need one, the tubes are kept where they are most needed, next to the mechanics.
[quote=TimArchyLime]The “tubes behind the counter” rationale I got from the shops I worked at was that tubes take up a ton of space on the floor (unless you only keep a few out and constantly restock). Since hardly anyone needs to browse tubes, there is no reason to take up the space that could be filled with tools, clothes or other crap that people will impulse buy. Definitely a trade-off since an employee needs to take time to get one for every customer.
Also, instead of either stocking tubes in two places or sending mechs to the floor every time they need one, the tubes are kept where they are most needed, next to the mechanics.[/quote]
This makes a lot of sense. This particular shop would probably benefit from even the most basic of makeovers.
well in that case, someone needs to create a simple app that has every tube option. customer presses tube option and a trap door opens from the ceiling where a robot arm grabs the right tube and drops it right in the customer’s waiting arms.
You mean a vending machine?
Personally, I think that a claw machine game would be better. If you’re really good, your tube is only $.50. If you really suck, it’s like $10.50, or it’s a 26x1" tube and you needed 29+.
cigarette vending machine full of tubes!
One of our LBS has a vending maching outside of the shop so that people can buy tubes/lubes/chainz/bits 24h
I’ve also seen the vending machine option before. ATMO it seems like way more of a pain to keep it stocked/opperational than any of the tube sales methods mentioned above. Unless it’s outside of a shop that still sees high volume after closing.
I’m pretty sure actual vending machines only stay profitable when what is being sold has a 2-300% markup or something like that. And when they sell a lot of it.
looks like a vending machine is $600 locally. if you have a slight markup on things from it it would probably pay off in a year or two. Without the compressor etc running I am sure the electrical cost would be minimal. And if it was not in direct weather that would help.