One of my only pet peeves about this job is that RARE customer who has a beef! It doesn't happen often around here, but when it does I feel a pit open in my stomach! I know the old adage "you can't make everyone happy" but we really do try very diligently around here to do just that. Case in point; In the beginning of January this year a semi regular of ours brought a couple of wheels in to be trued. I knew from the get go, given how badly they were bent up, that it would be a futile effort, but he stated to just do what I could. I tried. But in some cases a wheel is so far gone that when truing you are only "Chasing The Bend". A couple days later I called him to tell him "no good". I got no answer. Here's the trouble. Nowadays, most folks have a phone in their pocket at all times, but it seems that it's harder and harder to get in touch with anyone! I can remember back in my youth, the phone was nailed to the kitchen wall, and I could STILL reach people easier! So after a couple tries, I moved on with my life. Fast forward to last week. As I have mentioned before, we have been getting busier and busier and have been endeavoring to keep the shop clean. To that end, anything NOT viable had to be scrapped. So on Friday, Terry came by for a scrap run, and the wheels went with him.
Yesterday the gentleman showed up, after three months fuming that his wheels were not here!
ARRGH!!
Now here's where I have to step in and take some responsibility. I should have called him one last time at least to find out if he still wanted them, but I failed to do so. And that's on me! SOOO, I had to start making some calls! The wheels of course are outdated, and specific to his bike only! It appears that I will have to scrounge the parts and have them custom strung. Oh joy. It's not the money mind you, we want to make it right, it's the fact that some folks (a rare few) seem to think we have a "Self Storage" under our shop name! Angela, who for full discloser IS the owner AND boss of this shop, has the attitude that I shouldn't take it personally, as every attempt was made when I made the first string of phone calls. I know she's right, but of course I lament anyways! I do appreciate her attempts to make me feel better last night!
ANYWAY!
Other then that debacle, yesterday was a real hoot! Started the day off with new builds but as the day progressed it quickly became a scramble to get repairs done! We did have one odd repair come in though. Gent had a newer hybrid that he got whacked on by a malicious automobile driver and bent up his front wheel. We were thankful that we were able to straighten it out. When he came back to pick it up he was very happy not only that we could fix it but that we could do so very quickly. As we talked he thanked us for being here and was complimentary while at the same time commented that we were so much better then that "Other" shop. Curious (and a sucker for dirt) I asked which one. With venom he said "the place that used to be up on Sunset Point Road"
??????
Well, I didn't want to reveal and at the same time insult his memory, by telling him "that was us". I bade he go on and tell me more. Apparently he had a bad experience with another bike he had brought in and stated that the person who worked on his bike was very arrogant and insulting of his choice in bikes and came off as pompous and aloof. Well....I can, at times, be accused of being arrogant, but usually in fun and most folks get it. But in this case I worried perhaps I went to far. Then, he revealed it was few years ago. That would have been around the same time we had several "employees". After a little coaxing I got a physical description out of him and soon discovered the individual he was speaking of was a young gent we had to let go for pretty much the same reasons he was mentioning! NOW, you know why we don't hire anyone!
All in all it was a good day, as many more wonderful folks came in to visit. And thanks to the wonderful Snowbird couple who brought in the remaining contents of their refrigerator before they headed out! I LOVE the fact that they had a HUGE tub of Pesto and a box of Melba Toast!!! A little sour cream later and that was my TV snack last night! (although Angela insisted I brush my teeth EXTRA good before bed!)
Garlic.
Yummmmmmmmmmm!
I think I was an Italian in my past life!
We managed to put out three newbies before the flood of repairs (pic below) and have so much more to go!
With that, I bid you all a good day!
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Today is a new day!
I'll see yer puny bent wheels and raise ya a whole trashed bike:
ReplyDeleteSo I opened the garage door here one day, and lo and behold, there was a bicycle lying in the middle of the driveway. Looked as though it had fallen from the sky. (Insert Maylasian Airline joke here if you dare.) I dragged its sorry carcass into the garage, and over the course of a day or so, got it running. That's what I do.
But here's the thing: There was no note or anything taped to the bike. Nothing in the milk box, I looked. No one had told me they would be dropping off their bike, no phone call, no letter, no email, no telegram, no carrier pigeon, NOTHING. Ok, fine. I gave it a few days and then gave the bike away. I do that a lot, too. People give me junk bikes to fix up and give away. No biggie.
So of course about THREE WEEKS LATER a total stranger pulls up in my driveway and asks: "Is my bike done?"
Yes. Yes it is.