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3K views 29 replies 17 participants last post by  eatdrinkride 
#1 ·
just had a simple question to ask these guys. why do the mechs. at performance always have to make a guy seem like an idiot before they will answer a question. i think i may need a new cassette, so i ask the guy there how to tell when it is time, his answer. "What gear do you use the most?" well thank you for not helping, I reply, "i dont know, middle maybe" him: "Your lyin to me" Me: "what does that have to do with anything" him: "How often do you replace your chain?" Me:"six months ago was the third time, and the bike is an 05" Him:"then youll need to replace the cassette"

is this guy for real? i asked a simple question, maybe he could help and not try to look smart i mean come on, whats keeping me from getting the tools myself and buying everything online from pricepoint and not paying his wage. why would i want an arrogant snob to work on my bike when the guys at SMC do it and are more than helpful. sorry for the rant everyone, you know how it is. am i out of line?
 
G
#2 ·
Naw, they all hate their jobs there. It's pretty much hit or miss with the mechanics there, but I've found that that seems to be the case at most bike shops these days. The crappy thing is that their prices are too good. They price match AND let you use their % discounts. Oh the humanity. I just buy the parts/gear there and do it myself.

The guy did sound like an ass. Did he read your palm to find out how much tire tread you have left on your tires? lol
 
#5 ·
i dont know what his name was but he has a job, and its not my place to rat him out or anything. i dont want him geting fired because he was being a moron. maybe he thought i was a buddy of his or something, but performance in general has about the absolute worst service i have ever dealt with. rude is a nice way to put it. each and every time im in there i have to deal with no service, i have questions and$ to spend there and they act like im a burden. they probably just need to hold a meeting or something where this thread is the topic.
 
#6 ·
I dun gone typed a book.....

pwrtrainer said:
i dont know what his name was but he has a job, and its not my place to rat him out or anything. i dont want him geting fired because he was being a moron. maybe he thought i was a buddy of his or something, but performance in general has about the absolute worst service i have ever dealt with. rude is a nice way to put it. each and every time im in there i have to deal with no service, i have questions and$ to spend there and they act like im a burden. they probably just need to hold a meeting or something where this thread is the topic.
Well next time you are in there ask for Brian:yesnod: (that would be me:ihih: :ciappa: ). See I am a firm believer in treating people the way that they treat me:madman: I can't garantee that I will know the answer to what ever question it is that you may have but I am sure I can come up with something retarded to say(people have told me that I am good at that and you know I think they are right:eekster: ). Please understand that even though I work for Performance I am human, I do have hangovers from time to time(do you think that they could be related to drinking?), there are a lot of stupid people in this world and I deal with a lot of them every day(some at work some not at work) (that statement is meant to piss off anyone that is sober btw:thumbsup: ), I don't know everything (I do think that I do a good job at fakeing it though:cornut: ), and I can't spell at times:smallviolin: .

PLEASE NOTE THE NEXT STATEMENT IS NOT DIRECTED TOWARDS PWRTRAINER NOR ANYONE IN PARTICULAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not trying to make excuses for the actions of my co-worker but something that I wish people could understand about working retail especialy bike shop retail. There are some people that come into Performance thinking that everyone in the shop should and has to bow down to them and that we need to do what ever they want us to do right then and there and that we have to drop what ever it is that we are doing or working on and take care of them at the drop of a hat. They want to treat us like sh1t because they think that they are better than us. Now unfortunately when something like this happens it pisses us off sometimes for a couple of minnutes sometimes for the rest of the day. Now what makes this even more unfortunate is when someone treates one of us like sh1t and it puts us in a pissed off mood and we not intentionaly take it out on someone else (we are human after all). Now I know that someone reading this is thinking or saying "well then quit and get a different job if you can't handle it" well why should I have quit a job because someone else is an imaiture pompus a$$. Another thing and this is aimed at the people that go into Performance or any other store for that matter.... Why do you feel that you have to treat someone that is trying to do their job like sh1t??????? WHY? I see and deal with so many people like this it makes me realy wonder. I mean you are in a bike shop buying bike stuff for *gasp* a sport that you enjoy, why do you have to be a dick?? If you are being a dick to me because I am asking you something at the register ringing up your purchase, I am just doing my job. Do you think I really enjoy asking some of the questions that I do? I do it because it is part of my job!! Also when something is purchased and your name is attached to the transaction and you need a copy of that recipt for some reason like maybe warranty or someone breaks into you home and steals a couple thousand dollars worth of bike stuff that you bought from Performance, we can reprint those recipts so you can present them to your insurance company and be properly compensated instead of more screwed than you could be. This is a benifit to having your name attached to a transaction (btw I personaly have reprinted recipts many times and made the day of many people that have had their home or garage robed).

Ok I think I am done please ignore any smelling; gramatical errors^ or punctuation errors that are present.

If anyone here needs help or wants to talk to someone at Performance that has good bike knowledge, come and see me my name is Brian and I would be happy to help you or even just shoot the sh1t with you. Please understand that I don't know everything, and there are times when I am hungover so please be gentle. If you treat me with respect I will treat you with respect. If you do need help with something that may take time to figure out please try to avoid the weekend, Sat. and Sun. are usualy the busiest days of the week so it can make it very difficult to dedicate the time that it may take to take care of what ever it is that brought you in.

Wow:yikes: I kinda got long winded.
 
#7 ·
Which Shop, Chandler or Scottsdale? I have had good luck with the shop in Scottsdale,they have always took care of me and dont seem to be bothered at all by my endless stream of stupid questions, had a wierd chain problem once that they solved for me, took some time , no charge, I would give a shout out to the young mechs that helped me but I am an old man and they say the memory is the 2nd thing to go so I cant recall there names.........................
 
#8 ·
Maybe the guy is a mechanic because he likes bicycles but not people. I would never hire a mechanic to do anything I couldn't do for myself, because it would deprive me of the pleasure of working on my bike. So when I do get a mechanic to work on my bike I try to be appropriately respectful and grateful -- otherwise I'd be walking. A job is never just about the money.

You don't need to take the time of a mechanic to ask questions at Performance -- the guys working on the sales floor, at least at Ray Road, know a lot about bikes and can answer lots of questions about what parts to buy. If you don't like Performance, South Mountain Cycles and Landis are both good shops, IMHO.
 
G
#9 ·
Performance is a huge chain, not a LBS. They have good prices on some stuff, but I too have found their service to be consitantly meh :rolleyes: If you know what your looking for and they have it, its fine but I went in there looking for a specific part for one of their house brand "forte" products. They said they would check about it. I gave them my number and they said they would call me that week... 5, yes 5 weeks later they called me out of the blue and said they were looking into it. By that time I had tried 2 other LBS's and a slew of online stores and actually found something that worked. If you want good service and a good vibe, check out Cactus Bikes. Yes I know they are the "Downhill Shop" but they know their stuff, won't dick you around and love bikes. You can usually find a bunch of people just hanging out talking shop either pre or post ride from the 48th St. trailhead and while they may not stock everything Performance does, I would much rather know my support is going to a true LBS than a mega chain. Just a FYI, the Cactus on 51st is moving to Elliot and 48th at the end of the month.
 
#10 ·
AzSpeedfreek said:
Well next time you are in there ask for Brian:yesnod: (that would be me:ihih: :ciappa: ). See I am a firm believer in treating people the way that they treat me:madman: I can't garantee that I will know the answer to what ever question it is that you may have but I am sure I can come up with something retarded to say(people have told me that I am good at that and you know I think they are right:eekster: ). Please understand that even though I work for Performance I am human, I do have hangovers from time to time(do you think that they could be related to drinking?), there are a lot of stupid people in this world and I deal with a lot of them every day(some at work some not at work) (that statement is meant to piss off anyone that is sober btw:thumbsup: ), I don't know everything (I do think that I do a good job at fakeing it though:cornut: ), and I can't spell at times:smallviolin: .

PLEASE NOTE THE NEXT STATEMENT IS NOT DIRECTED TOWARDS PWRTRAINER NOR ANYONE IN PARTICULAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not trying to make excuses for the actions of my co-worker but something that I wish people could understand about working retail especialy bike shop retail. There are some people that come into Performance thinking that everyone in the shop should and has to bow down to them and that we need to do what ever they want us to do right then and there and that we have to drop what ever it is that we are doing or working on and take care of them at the drop of a hat. They want to treat us like sh1t because they think that they are better than us. Now unfortunately when something like this happens it pisses us off sometimes for a couple of minnutes sometimes for the rest of the day. Now what makes this even more unfortunate is when someone treates one of us like sh1t and it puts us in a pissed off mood and we not intentionaly take it out on someone else (we are human after all). Now I know that someone reading this is thinking or saying "well then quit and get a different job if you can't handle it" well why should I have quit a job because someone else is an imaiture pompus a$$. Another thing and this is aimed at the people that go into Performance or any other store for that matter.... Why do you feel that you have to treat someone that is trying to do their job like sh1t??????? WHY? I see and deal with so many people like this it makes me realy wonder. I mean you are in a bike shop buying bike stuff for *gasp* a sport that you enjoy, why do you have to be a dick?? If you are being a dick to me because I am asking you something at the register ringing up your purchase, I am just doing my job. Do you think I really enjoy asking some of the questions that I do? I do it because it is part of my job!! Also when something is purchased and your name is attached to the transaction and you need a copy of that recipt for some reason like maybe warranty or someone breaks into you home and steals a couple thousand dollars worth of bike stuff that you bought from Performance, we can reprint those recipts so you can present them to your insurance company and be properly compensated instead of more screwed than you could be. This is a benifit to having your name attached to a transaction (btw I personaly have reprinted recipts many times and made the day of many people that have had their home or garage robed).

Ok I think I am done please ignore any smelling; gramatical errors^ or punctuation errors that are present.

If anyone here needs help or wants to talk to someone at Performance that has good bike knowledge, come and see me my name is Brian and I would be happy to help you or even just shoot the sh1t with you. Please understand that I don't know everything, and there are times when I am hungover so please be gentle. If you treat me with respect I will treat you with respect. If you do need help with something that may take time to figure out please try to avoid the weekend, Sat. and Sun. are usualy the busiest days of the week so it can make it very difficult to dedicate the time that it may take to take care of what ever it is that brought you in.

Wow:yikes: I kinda got long winded.
Why do you even work there if Customer Service is such a pain in the ass for you?
 
#11 · (Edited)
sixsixtysix said:
Just a FYI, the Cactus on 51st is moving to Elliot and 48th at the end of the month.
That's a great location for an lbs!

BTW I agree, Performance is not an lbs but a big box store, and the atmosphere in there supports that, at least to me. But I, like many, will go there to save money.
The salepeople seem more like car salesman than bike salesmen. When I happen to hear the advice and conversations between prospective new bike owners and the salesperson I often cringe and want to step in to give my advice, but bite my lip and go buy my $2 tube and my $4 'factory blemish' socks.

I must say, the Ray rd. site seems better since they changed the name from Superblow. There is one big dude, the sales manager I think, who is always helpful. I do like that guy.
 
#13 ·
Sideknob said:
Nothing!

So do it!

Much more satisfying to DIY and it's so easy.
i am and ironically i ordered a new cassette and chain from performance.com,cheaper and didnt have to deal with a snobby ass. i usually do business with SMC but they quoted me like 190 for all the stuff i needed. im a college kid first bike spender second, textbooks arent getting any cheaper. the store i was at was the chandler loc. everyone there is usually ok except for the prick with the limey accent (sorry just got a really weird visual) and the guy in the mech. section. i know not to always ask the mechs if they are busy, but i was a mechanic on recon planes and hated it when pilots would ask the wrong guy for an answer, usually they would make some dumb answer up and the pilot would be misinformed. if this guy is a REAL mechanic he would rather i ask him so as not to interfere with the retail portion of the store, nothing like some stinky meathead asking about a 70 dollar cassette when your prospect is asking about a 1000 dollar bike. i mean its not as if they are in a customer service industry or anything>
 
#14 · (Edited)
In my experience, it ALL depends on the person you are working with. I agree, Performance is the place to go for the deals - not the customer service. However, there are some people that work there that are very good at customer service and know what they are talking about. At the Ray store - Brian, Marc, Norm and Al.

I have been going to Landis on Rural & Warner (error fixed) for years for the great customer service and knowledge. However, the customer service has gone out the door since some new employees were hired orver the last year. Again no matter which LBS you go to, it ALL depends on the individual you are dealing with. If you find an individual you like dealing with, stick with him (or her to be PC). :)
 
#15 ·
There is a guy at Performance Chandler that has what I think is an Australian accent. Very friendly, very helpful guy. Bought my k2 from him, and have had good experiences with everyone in the store.

The last time I was at Performance Scottsdale, I was the only person in the store and after 20 minutes no one there said a word to me. I finally went up to the front to some kid reading a magazine and asked him where I could find a certain bike rack that was on the website (and showed him a printout). He pointed to a completely different thing and said its right there. He insisted that was it, even though it was a different brand, different price, and looked completely different. Told me 'sometimes things look different in pictures'.

Last time I'll ever shop at that shithole again.


Oh yeah, I've tried shopping at all the actual local bike shops too. Slippery Pig and Landis both had awful customer service. Bike Barn is great, but they don't have much of a selection.
 
#16 ·
Does it need to be mentioned again?

Probably not, but I'll say it anyway...
Performance is not an LBS... they are a chain.
They're not only a chain... they're a mega-chain store.... not only are they a mega chain... they're like the Wal Mart of the bike Industry... not that there is anything wrong with that. i just don't expect helpful and friendly service at Wal mart.
 
#17 ·
Brian has gone above and beyond for me more than once with a new rig back in the Supergo days. Just do your research before you go into a shop, online manuals ect. I suck at working on my own bike but I read up as much as I can so I can tell somebody what I want. Pwrtrainer your rant is valid. Maybe call the management. You don't have to rat somebody out but maybe it will help them with their training or maybe a discussion during one of their future meetings.
 
#18 ·
mcoplea said:
I have been going to Landis on Dobson & Warner for years for the great customer service and knowledge...
Since you've been going there for years, have you noticed that they are at the corner of RURAL & Warner, not Dobson & Warner??? ;)
 
#19 ·
Well, Performance is 1/2 mile away from my office and 1 mile away from my home, and is therefore my local bike shop.

I'll check Cactus out when they move around, but so far I really like South Mountain Cycles, where I bought my cyclocross bike. Their repair service is amazing -- they schedule the work quickly and you get the bike quickly. The owner is a good guy -- I chatted with him a bit when they weren't busy (a rare event).
 
#20 ·
pwrtrainer said:
i am and ironically i ordered a new cassette and chain from performance.com,cheaper and didnt have to deal with a snobby ass. i usually do business with SMC but they quoted me like 190 for all the stuff i needed. im a college kid first bike spender second, textbooks arent getting any cheaper. the store i was at was the chandler loc. everyone there is usually ok except for the prick with the limey accent (sorry just got a really weird visual) and the guy in the mech. section. i know not to always ask the mechs if they are busy, but i was a mechanic on recon planes and hated it when pilots would ask the wrong guy for an answer, usually they would make some dumb answer up and the pilot would be misinformed. if this guy is a REAL mechanic he would rather i ask him so as not to interfere with the retail portion of the store, nothing like some stinky meathead asking about a 70 dollar cassette when your prospect is asking about a 1000 dollar bike. i mean its not as if they are in a customer service industry or anything>
When you get your parts, let me know and I will grab my tools and help you install them and show/teach you how to tune them in. You supply the beer, and I will supply the tools:thumbsup: .

Don't be afraid to ask for me if you need help with parts, I think I actualy get more pleasure out of selling someone the right parts these days, so don't think that you are pulling me away from selling a bike. Besides I would rather help out someone who appreciates my help than someone who doesn't.
 
#22 ·
i too am a performance regular. I like the sales and the team card.

The last 3 or 4 times I have been in there, I have been really treated like crap. One time, I stood at the register for 10 minutes. I had to wander the store to find someone to check me out. the store was quite busy, and no employees. The guy I did find, was very irritated about ringing up my $200+ sale.

I usually have the most problems with newer guys there. I know the 2 or 3 guys who have been there a long time always take care of me. The new guys really come off as pricks. I spend an average of $150 every time im there. Especially if I bring my wife and she finds clothes on sale.
 
#23 ·
yetisurly said:
Why do you even work there if Customer Service is such a pain in the ass for you?
Have you ever worked much in retail? I used to have this attitude also, and then I spent 3 years running my own retail business. I loved helping people, and enjoy customer service in general. I would never have imagined the downright awful people that one has to deal with. I have never in my life been treated like such dirt, even when trying very hard to be friendly and helpful. I was a waitress once, and since that time I always give big tips, because I know that job is thankless and underpaid. Now after working in retail, I always give salespeople the benefit of the doubt if they are at least trying, as Brian is right. The number of completely unreasonable, rude, obnoxious, entitled customers is much higher than one would suspect, and it only takes a few hundred of those before you start to lose faith in humanity. So whether it's Performance or Wal-Mart or Starbucks, I always keep in mind that the job is a lot harder than it looks from the outside, because I know what that person has to deal with.
 
#24 ·
one the same point, I too worked retail, for 4 years, in electronics sales. I too dealt with "difficult" customers.

I can tell when a person is not cut out for retail. I know a few of the guys at performance are great. I know if its just a bad day, or a rude punk. Some of the newer guys at performance seem to be just cocky a holes.
 
#25 ·
Couple things to toss in...

What a lot of knowledgeable customers don't realize is that THEY come into the shops with attitudes and a chip on their shoulders. So often, if one of my guys would happen to mention something that the customer already knew, the customer would get offended that my guy didn't show them proper "respect" or "talked down to them." I think a lot of cyclists need to relax when they go into the LBS, I know bikes up and down and yet the other day I went into a shop to buy some clipless pedals for my wife's bike and the guy started explaining to me how to install pedals. I could have gotten offended that he assumed I don' t know how to install pedals, but instead I humored him and politely listened to his advice, remembering all the customers I've come across who get pissy if THEY can't prove to you how much they know.

The other 90% of bike shop customers are wonderful. :)

And yet, it is very true that bike shops all over the world are too often manned by young people without enough knowledge to properly help the customers. And that will continue for as long as bike shops are only willing to pay their staff $9/hr. Trust me, it's really difficult to find quality, talented people willing to work for peanuts for more than a few months.

And why can't the bike shop pay it's staff better? Because profit margins in the bike industry are pretty damn low. So if you're gonna be the customer who complains about a shop's prices being 20% higher than mail order, then DON'T be the customer who complains about not getting good, knowledgeable customer service at your local LBS.
 
#26 ·
Cactus ~ good prices, good service
SMC ~ sometimes good prices, good service...pricey
Performance ~ cheap parts, sometimes good service

I'm the evil retail customer. The one that WILL return everything that doesn't work as advertised. So I flipped when a guy actually sat down in front of the sunglass dresser and proceed to spend 20 minutes opening/closing/opening/closing and more opening/closing of boxes. It was absurd. And I've had Sean from Cactus install more than a few parts within hours notice. Unbelievablely good times I've had w/ Cactus here in Tukee.
 
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