Why are some shop mechanics so arrogant?

Mathers

Well-Known Member
I’m in the service industry in technology and I am constantly pitted against the brother or son or someone on the internet that knows more. You just have to handle it the right way which isn’t always easy.
 

serviceguy

Well-Known Member
cusmech.JPG


1 out of 4 chances the customer/mechanic exchange may work. Factor in the probability that a person is a a-hole out of the entire population of [insert country, state, town etc.] to determine your actual chance of having a pleasant exchange at your LBS. Do you know the percentage of a-hole in your area? Results may vary with time of the day, weather, election results etc...
 

thegock

Well-Known Member
Johnny,

@FFT got nothing on u.

tah


Hmmm......I wrenched for a bit and feel I can chime in here (plus I have a lovely attitude at times).

I firmly believe the Burger King method of "having it your way" has ruined humanity.
While most customers are great and yes the lifeblood of the shop, the amount of annoying questions, comments, observations etc. can be irritating to say the least (any industry).....it has become our culture in the modern internet society. This is elevated when a customer has a tiny bit of knowledge in a world where everyone on the internet wants to change your beliefs that their product/service/knowledge is the best and everyone else is wrong.......... But in modern times retail partners (which the wrench can be at times) have to smile and nod in excitement to some mooks banter. This is especially tough as the bike shop is a place for the customer to get away and enjoy their passion. For most at the shops they enjoy what they do, but it is a still a job. Here are a couple of sample customers as I remember:

The Quick Fix:
It is almost bro time to get your shred on with the boys at the local park, but your gears are out of whack and not shifting right. Time to stop by the local LBS for a quick fix on Friday at 5PM. When asked to come back you become irate as you don't understand why they cannot do a quick cable tune to get you running. Only issue is your cable is frayed to turd, hanger bent and your pulleys barely have any teeth left but in your mind none of that matters. You pride yourself in getting "the maximum" mileage out of your gear by covering it in oil which you do not clean off prior to your quick fix stop in. In your mind people that leave their bikes for days don't ride (and you ride so you are not leaving your junk for repair), and the shop doesn't need to stand up to their commitment and get those tags done in time as well as build several bikes for the Miller kids that Mr. Miller just purchased five minutes ago to have home for the weekend so he can be dad of the year (and make up for the comments he made to Mrs. Miller) then go back to going out to work dinner five days a week and not being home. Not to mention, you have to be the only one that came in for a quick fix today because no one else is bro's with the shop like you #fistpound

The Wheel:
That sick Carbon dream machine is finally hitting 1K, you are killing the Strava game and can be the next Richie Rude, only without the drugs. Only thing is this beast squeals like a pig when you cut through the long travel. Of course you have bought your wrench dude a six of some good IPA, of which you drank four while he rebuilt your suspension. It's cool though because you told him all about your racing year and you know he looks up to you. You guys stayed late and closed the shop, all good now. But he had the audacity to hit you with a $180 bill.......STAN: He snaps two bolts in the process of not torqueing everything down right (because he needs to use his sick new Milwaukee power wrench). After cursing your bike as a POS and telling you to go to Any Town Cycle and buy the latest and greatest as that is the only place Stan would go you proceed to delete Stan's contact info. As you pull into your driveway you seen your neighbor Tim working on his pro street car and remember he has a set of tool like no other. So you ask him to fix your snapped bolts, after some quick knee slappers about how your skinny ass should grow a up and ride a bike with a motor

The Window Shopper
Your local shop has just got in two of the absolute sickest demo fleets in the world. Guess what else......you just got your bonus for being the best at sales.....(after you pay off the Visa bill). Today is your day, you are an Internet hero...you re the only one that knows how to drive the Parkway every morning as you head to Metro Park... F**king genius, this is why you got that bonus in the first place! You kindly thank Kim for her time and let her know you will be seeing her soon. Kim's co-workers are thrilled because she can now go back to assisting the line of customers as well as eat the bagel she brought in for breakfast six hours ago. #thatguy

The Champ:
Your mamm or sir are a beast. Quads like no other, everyone in the shop knows you by name, and those that don't soon will. You have dropped considerable coin at the shop. Races, yep, you've done them. And owned them. Krispy at Anytown is your wrench, they know you, they know your bike and they know your style. Every Friday in the summer your CPA firm closes at 2PM and you rage on your carbon death machine ...#smellofvictory

I have to go back to work now
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
View attachment 96357

1 out of 4 chances the customer/mechanic exchange may work. Factor in the probability that a person is a a-hole out of the entire population of [insert country, state, town etc.] to determine your actual chance of having a pleasant exchange at your LBS. Do you know the percentage of a-hole in your area? Results may vary with time of the day, weather, election results etc...

With almost any social situation, people will mirror whoever's in front of them. A mechanic like myself that works in Summit and deals with folks from Short Hills and such, I get an attitude from most customers right out of the box. None of these people have ever been told no before and basically berate you for the entire interaction. They're rich and important, and look down on any retail employee because we're peasants. As a result, I will usually skip mountain bikers and people that are nice straight to the front of the queue. Hence our reputation for super fast turnarounds. Pretty much anyone here is in the straight to the front list. The guy that shows up with his Canyon Tri bike at 5pm demanding I "help him" install some shit he got on the internet for free? 2 weeks.
 

mattybfat

The Opinion Police
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Johnny,

@FFT got nothing on u.

tah
For real?
Problem is @FFT has been away too long that you forget. Just go to his post page. He makes @Fire Marshal Max look like gnome.

[IMG]https://www.mtbnj.com/forum/data/avatars/m/0/785.jpg?1425691733[/IMG]
FFT
Gay & Stuffy

May 12, 2015
#72

Words can really describe the latest sales pitch Ive been working on. I almost feel like Walter White stripped down to tighty whities while abandoned in the desert, Im so confused on how to get this down on 'paper'. So here goes.........


You own the biggest mistake, the biggest bike company, ever produced and brought to market. A super slack boat anchor that sits on a tiny little wheel that you cant even get tires for anymore. It fell on its face the very moment it came to market, it was not a "Big Hit" by any means. But heck, lets tinker around with it for a bit and see what happens. Easiest way to make that pig climb better it to increase the head tube angle a bit, like 20 degrees. After prying and pulling, smashing with hammers, a dozen bandaids and a 2x4, you got that pesky 26" wheel in that little triangle. Two hours with a razor knife and you've shaved off all those little side treads and even saved a few grams. Then, remove the 8" fork and toss on a sixer, steepening the HTA a bit more, as close to 90 degrees as possible. Looks good right? Wrong! Looks like the biggest fuck up, the second biggest bike maker ever made, the ever so unpopular Y11 from Trek. No big deal, lets get this abortion down under say 40lbs, were gonna ride it cross county after all.

The eight inches of travel and 90 degree head tube angle should make this can opener pedal like a wet dream. There is no single way to build leg muscles like riding the wrong bike, uphill, bobbing like Jenna Jameson on Blackzilla. Yup, blackzilla...and you will be equally as sore afterwards. Upon reaching the top on this analizer of a rig you can now point this beauty downhill, kinda. You see when you change the geometry of a bike it can no longer perform as it was designed, and death becomes an imminent concern. Luckily, your smart enough to put a slick up front on this xc, fr, dh, beast. Now dont get going to fast, because there is no front brake.

We all know what happens when you get a 40lb heap of mix matched parts flying down a steep hill, right? The crank arm falls of and gets stuck in the spokes, the rear wheel binds up in the frame because it was never designed to go there, and you get catapulted into poison ivy, but no big deal. This bike comes equipped with tools for trailside repairs, lots of them. After pissing on your own leg to calm the burn from the poison ivy and repairing the bike with a leathermen your ready to ride out. Whose got lights? You do, because they came as an extra incentive at the time of purchase. YES!! Finally, something has gone right with this bike.

Now for the question that everyone has been waiting for. "Are you fucking kidding me".
 

Johnny Utah

Well-Known Member
For real?
Problem is @FFT has been away too long that you forget. Just go to his post page. He makes @Fire Marshal Max look like gnome.

[IMG]https://www.mtbnj.com/forum/data/avatars/m/0/785.jpg?1425691733[/IMG]
FFT
Gay & Stuffy

May 12, 2015
#72

Words can really describe the latest sales pitch Ive been working on. I almost feel like Walter White stripped down to tighty whities while abandoned in the desert, Im so confused on how to get this down on 'paper'. So here goes.........


You own the biggest mistake, the biggest bike company, ever produced and brought to market. A super slack boat anchor that sits on a tiny little wheel that you cant even get tires for anymore. It fell on its face the very moment it came to market, it was not a "Big Hit" by any means. But heck, lets tinker around with it for a bit and see what happens. Easiest way to make that pig climb better it to increase the head tube angle a bit, like 20 degrees. After prying and pulling, smashing with hammers, a dozen bandaids and a 2x4, you got that pesky 26" wheel in that little triangle. Two hours with a razor knife and you've shaved off all those little side treads and even saved a few grams. Then, remove the 8" fork and toss on a sixer, steepening the HTA a bit more, as close to 90 degrees as possible. Looks good right? Wrong! Looks like the biggest fuck up, the second biggest bike maker ever made, the ever so unpopular Y11 from Trek. No big deal, lets get this abortion down under say 40lbs, were gonna ride it cross county after all.

The eight inches of travel and 90 degree head tube angle should make this can opener pedal like a wet dream. There is no single way to build leg muscles like riding the wrong bike, uphill, bobbing like Jenna Jameson on Blackzilla. Yup, blackzilla...and you will be equally as sore afterwards. Upon reaching the top on this analizer of a rig you can now point this beauty downhill, kinda. You see when you change the geometry of a bike it can no longer perform as it was designed, and death becomes an imminent concern. Luckily, your smart enough to put a slick up front on this xc, fr, dh, beast. Now dont get going to fast, because there is no front brake.

We all know what happens when you get a 40lb heap of mix matched parts flying down a steep hill, right? The crank arm falls of and gets stuck in the spokes, the rear wheel binds up in the frame because it was never designed to go there, and you get catapulted into poison ivy, but no big deal. This bike comes equipped with tools for trailside repairs, lots of them. After pissing on your own leg to calm the burn from the poison ivy and repairing the bike with a leathermen your ready to ride out. Whose got lights? You do, because they came as an extra incentive at the time of purchase. YES!! Finally, something has gone right with this bike.

Now for the question that everyone has been waiting for. "Are you fucking kidding me".
I just peed myself laughing, I always enjoy a good @FFT.
 

Dingo

Well-Known Member
With almost any social situation, people will mirror whoever's in front of them. A mechanic like myself that works in Summit and deals with folks from Short Hills and such, I get an attitude from most customers right out of the box. None of these people have ever been told no before and basically berate you for the entire interaction. They're rich and important, and look down on any retail employee because we're peasants. As a result, I will usually skip mountain bikers and people that are nice straight to the front of the queue. Hence our reputation for super fast turnarounds. Pretty much anyone here is in the straight to the front list. The guy that shows up with his Canyon Tri bike at 5pm demanding I "help him" install some shit he got on the internet for free? 2 weeks.

Yeah, I know that attitude. I grew up in NP. Worked for years in the Summit area. Those kind of people think they are more important than the next guy.

Now that I'm older, wiser, and simply do not put up with A-holes. I just do my job fixing GM vehicles. Your problem is not my problem, I did not build it, buy it, or lease the 80K pile of chit.

As for customers in the shop, Now your on my turf, you do not belong back here, go back up to the cozy waiting area. Is that being gruff? Hell yea, I only get paid to fix mechanical problems, I'm not a psychiatrist. If you need medication, look elsewhere.
 

jdog

Shop: Halter's Cycles
Shop Keep
Hmmm......I wrenched for a bit and feel I can chime in here (plus I have a lovely attitude at times).

I firmly believe the Burger King method of "having it your way" has ruined humanity.
While most customers are great and yes the lifeblood of the shop, the amount of annoying questions, comments, observations etc. can be irritating to say the least (any industry).....it has become our culture in the modern internet society. This is elevated when a customer has a tiny bit of knowledge in a world where everyone on the internet wants to change your beliefs that their product/service/knowledge is the best and everyone else is wrong.......... But in modern times retail partners (which the wrench can be at times) have to smile and nod in excitement to some mooks banter. This is especially tough as the bike shop is a place for the customer to get away and enjoy their passion. For most at the shops they enjoy what they do, but it is a still a job. Just like everyone else they would like to go home, relax and enjoy some quiet time. While many wrenches are very personable, they get just are irritated but know to keep their mouth shut as it pays the bills. Here are a couple of sample customers as I remember:

The Quick Fix:
It is almost bro time to get your shred on with the boys at the local park, but your gears are out of whack and not shifting right. Time to stop by the local LBS for a quick fix on Friday at 5PM. When asked to come back you become irate as you don't understand why they cannot do a quick cable tune to get you running. Only issue is your cable is frayed to turd, hanger bent and your pulleys barely have any teeth left but in your mind none of that matters. You pride yourself in getting "the maximum" mileage out of your gear by covering it in oil which you do not clean off prior to your quick fix stop in. In your mind people that leave their bikes for days don't ride (and you ride so you are not leaving your junk for repair), and the shop doesn't need to stand up to their commitment and get those tags done in time as well as build several bikes for the Miller kids that Mr. Miller just purchased five minutes ago to have home for the weekend so he can be dad of the year (and make up for the comments he made to Mrs. Miller) then go back to going out to work dinner five days a week and not being home. Not to mention, you have to be the only one that came in for a quick fix today because no one else is bro's with the shop like you #fistpound

The Wheel:
That sick Carbon dream machine is finally hitting 1K, you are killing the Strava game and can be the next Richie Rude, only without the drugs. Only thing is this beast squeals like a pig when you cut through the long travel. Of course you have bought your wrench dude a six of some good IPA, of which you drank four while he rebuilt your suspension. It's cool though because you told him all about your racing year and you know he looks up to you. You guys stayed late and closed the shop, all good now. But he had the audacity to hit you with a $180 bill....... No worry, cause Stan your riding buddy is just as equally appalled by the bill as he does all his work himself. After your ride with Stan the next day there are some issues with your headset, and Stan (eager to prove his wrenching skills) is on point to adjust it. He gets those bearings PUR-FECT! Upon your satisfaction he also has to let you know that the shop that installed your suspension bearing probably didn't use the right grease on the pivots (only he is very wrong)......but he has you covered. Stan tears that beast down and gets you ready for the smoothest ride that bike has ever seen.......only it's not. He snaps two bolts in the process of not torqueing everything down right (because he needs to use his sick new Milwaukee power wrench). After cursing your bike as a POS and telling you to go to Any Town Cycle and buy the latest and greatest as that is the only place Stan would go you proceed to delete Stan's contact info. As you pull into your driveway you seen your neighbor Tim working on his pro street car and remember he has a set of tool like to other. So you ask him to fix your snapped bolts, after some quick knee slappers about how your skinny ass should grow a up and ride a bike with a motor he is quick to extract the bolts and get your pivots all greased up with the good stuff, Valvoline Wheel Bearing grease......good to go, now you owe Tim a lobster lunch at Clancy's for all the trouble he saved you. Fast forward several weeks and the bearing are covered in dirt, slow as shit, with the hardware backing off. You know you can't afford another lobster dinner at Clancy's with Tim, and you no longer have Stan's number.......next best thing....drop it back off at the bike shop and ask why the mechanic work all went to shit after the $180 you spent on the work......

The Window Shopper
Your local shop has just got in two of the absolute sickest demo fleets in the world. Guess what else......you just got your bonus for being the best at sales.....your significant other is so product they have told you to frost yourself with a new toy (after you pay off the Visa bill). The kids are off with your significant other for the day and they have told you to head to Anytown Cycle and figure out which one of those carbon beauties you are taking home. 9am Saturday you roll into Anytown Cycle with a fist full of peso's and a ten thousand dollar smile knowing you are the salesmen's dream. After a lengthy discussion about how it is time for a new machine with several of the employees Kim decides she will help you out. She sets up several bikes for you, and after five hours of demoing your legs are fried. Your friends are loving your Strava feed as they see new PR's and some pictures of one of the many bikes you may buy. Today is your day, you are an internet hero. You still have plenty of time to head home and have a glass of vino and respond to all of the attention.....which bike are you heading home with....they will all have to wait and be surprised! As you suit up Donny, an old high school buddy rolls in to pick up his kids beach cruiser that should have been done three days ago but kept being delayed (please see previous two scenarios) and he tells you about the new intake kit he put on his Audi, man does it have some pickup now.......your ears perk as you have the same Audi and dreamed about racing cars.....after all you re the only one that knows how to drive the Parkway every morning as you head to Metro Park. When you ask him how much the mod was you are astounded, it's $500 for the kit and takes an hour or two to install if you have the tools........The wheels are turning, how can you make this work with the bike and not have the significant other frown on the purchase. WAIT, you can buy the bike online and save a couple of hundred, once you factor in all the accessories you had Kim show you the savings will easily ad up to $500. F**king genius, this is why you got that bonus in the first place! You kindly thank Kim for her time and let her know you will be seeing her soon. Kim's co-workers are thrilled because she can now go back to assisting the line of customers as well as eat the bagel she brought in for breakfast six hours ago. You roll in, pour a glass of the Kendal J and order your favorite bike from the day. As you sit back and answer all the social media comments you dream of your new ride. Three days later the bike arrives! Time to load the box up and bring it to Kim at Anytown Cycle so she can set it up just like your demo..........you make sure to remind her you need it by the end of the day and double check she will still be able to take care of the warranty if there is issue, after all Anytown sells the same Carbon Master you purchased. You are #thatguy

The Champ:
Your mamm or sir are a beast. Quads like no other, everyone in the shop knows you by name, and those that don't soon will. You have dropped considerable coin at the shop, and you (and everyone else) knows it (mostly because you don't stop talking about it). Mechanical......not a problem. You are willing to wait, and want everything to be JUST. RIGHT. I mean perfect, because if your shift, spoke tension or tire pressure isn't just right......you can feel it. Races, yep, you've done them. And owned them. Krispy at Anytown is your wrench, they know you, they know your bike and they know your style. You tag them and Anytown on any and every post you make online, why? Because just like you, they are the best. Every Friday in the summer your CPA firm closes at 2PM and you rage on your carbon death machine. I mean like 29mph average down to the shore against the wind.....what's the hurry? You need to catch a slice and a Yerba at the pizza joint next to Anytown Cycle. Not only do you grace them with your presence, but you grab them a pie to have during conversation on this 98 degree full sun day. Your not selfish, so you also share your body fluid all over the perfectly clean display case that houses the same Dura Ace drivetrain you preach about online. You make yourself at home, and can't figure out why no one wants to sit down or get within ten feet of you........a hotshot salesmen quickly makes a joke about your Yerba, like why wouldn't you have a soda, they go great with pizza. But you don't get to be a beast by putting garbage in your body on a regular basis, that includes aluminum based deodorants. #smellofvictory

I have to go back to work now
This sir is an amazing collection of words. Great work.
 

Mathers

Well-Known Member
With almost any social situation, people will mirror whoever's in front of them. A mechanic like myself that works in Summit and deals with folks from Short Hills and such, I get an attitude from most customers right out of the box. None of these people have ever been told no before and basically berate you for the entire interaction. They're rich and important, and look down on any retail employee because we're peasants. As a result, I will usually skip mountain bikers and people that are nice straight to the front of the queue. Hence our reputation for super fast turnarounds. Pretty much anyone here is in the straight to the front list. The guy that shows up with his Canyon Tri bike at 5pm demanding I "help him" install some shit he got on the internet for free? 2 weeks.
We have the same clients.
 

A Potted Plant

Honorary Sod
That video was worse than watching Bruce Jenner try to blow himself.

@mattybfat whole lee chit!! @Norm I didn't know the line was so far away I got miles to go!

anyways. My wife has a vitamix on the kitchen counter. It irritates me beyond belief, it's like having a lawn mower, in the kitchen, and is equally as loud and as difficult to clean. So, on a daily basis I use this piece of lawn equipment to prepare my frozen jack Daniels and xanax, then I wrestle it into the sink and clean the 55 gallon drum plastic thing.

like good shit, can someone summon him back?
 

rxpxskier

Active Member
For the record I didn't have an argument or disagreement with said mechanic, he just always has a crap attitude when I've asked questions in the past. I genuinely want to learn about wrenching on my own bike. The vibe was always "look it up on your own or don't ask." What put me over the top was letting me walk out with the wrong part when I showed him a photo of what I was replacing requiring me to come back to the store and then saying "I knew you didnt have it right" when I came back. Jerk move on his part, if he didnt want to be bothered 10 mins later say "I think you might have the wrong number, this is what you need." I would have taken his advice since he's the pro and I'm learning.
 

Rocksrgood4u

Well-Known Member
I read mechanics posting about rich, arrogant customers and I appreciate the honesty. Sadly, I can’t help but think that most shops essentially need demanding a-holes who will blow $10k on a bike. The economics of the industry almost require these clients.

It sucks for the shop when you’re hanging on such personalities. Part of me gets it when I roll in with a dope bike I built from parts off the internet and the shop staff are turned off. Doesn’t matter how considerate I am.

I will excuse this to a degree- but whose fault is this?

Let’s be honest, the pressure is on shops economically and that may make the relationship worse with the buying public.

If everyone who visits your shop must be sized up based on their perceived ability to drop coin on something new, your view of the public is skewed.

I think rather than blame lousy customers or rude mechanics for these probs, we might benefit from taking a step back to examine what is unsustainable about the industry. Two more cents...
 
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