I'm sorry it's so hard to special order stuff through your local shop. I've similar experiences as a customer and do sympathize.
As the lead buyer at our shop, I can tell you that if a shop is left holding the bag too many times on a non-stock part they can't easily sell to someone else, they may become more skittish about special orders in general, and orders for non-stock items in particular. We do our best to manage special orders where I work, but we make sure the customer is committed by asking for half down, advising that we give no refunds on non-stock items, and advising that delivery times are usually beyond the control of one small retailer (we estimate 7-10 days unless they want to pay for expedited shipping). We also advise the customer that if an order will not fulfill our minimum required dollar amount to place an order from a distributor we may have to wait until we have enough other stuff to order from that distributor before placing the order. This is a reality for a small retailer; we just don't have the buying power of a mail-order house and we are often required to educate customers to that effect. I would also add that we (and I'd guess most LBS's) are happy to special order anything the customer is willing to pay for, but that many times the culprit is the manufacturer who has suddenly discontinued a still-popular item without warning (Shimano 8-speed fans out there take note: 8 speed IS going away and Shimano is unapologetic, even cocky, about it). The last time I had this discussion (okay, argument) with Shimano-USA about a suddenly-extinct component or group I was asked, "why do you people insist on supporting outdated technologies? You should be trying to sell your customers the new stuff! It's better, and it's in stock." Just so you know what your LBS may be up against. What a mail-order house can offer -- often -- is better supply through greater variety and deeper stockwells of items. What your local shop can offer -- almost always -- is excellent and direct customer service. We can't compete against mail-order houses and generally don't try. Instead we focus on what we can do best, which is to fix your bike expertly and get you on the road quickly and with a genuine smile. Happy riding! --Beth On Jan 7, 11:46 am, cyclotourist <[email protected]> wrote: > I figure special order is a bit of a pain, but then I consider it's just a > couple clicks on a keyboard, and decide that no, it's really not that > difficult. I'm pissed that SRAM won't send/sell the $5 part directly to me > and make me involve my LBS in it. But seeing that they are involved, it is > their JOB to do that.
-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
