Let’s face it – being laid off kinda totally stinks!
For the past 2 months I’ve worked on my
resume for hours on end. I’ve searched
LinkedIn high and low looking for jobs I’m interested in and qualified for and
submitted applications for many of those jobs.
I’ve read books and articles and tried to do whatever I can to keep a
positive attitude. I mean, who wants to
hire a negative sour puss?
No one –
that’s who!
I’ve reached a point where I realized that I needed to get
out of the house and do some kind of part time work while waiting for my career
to get moving again. In that vein I
decided to take a job at my Local Bike Shop (LBS). Why? There
are several great reasons.
For starters I’m a very strong Extrovert (per my
Myers-Briggs type profile – ENFP) and really need to be around people. Sitting at home by myself 3-4 days a week was
driving me a bit wacky. I was talking to
myself more than one should. Working in
the LBS gives me no end of people to talk to.
All the store employees and the owner/manager are great sources of
information and friendship.
Additionally, the customers are great!
I last worked in retail about 15 years ago and forgot how much I enjoyed
many aspects of this line of work. From
the minute I clock in to the minute I leave I am busily talking to employees
and customers and the time flies!
Secondly, a dream of mine is to do some bikepacking or at the
very least some very long rides (100 plus miles in one day). I’ve always been fairly mechanical but there
are some mysterious parts to a bicycle and I aim to master the ability to fix
anything and everything while on the trail.
My LBS is helping me with that as they have me wrenching on bikes all
day long. I am learning at the feet of
several master mechanics.
Learning AND earning – it can’t get much better
than that!
Speaking of earning - while I am extremely fortunate to be
receiving severance pay from my previous employer, that pay is taxed at a super
high rate. So making enough money to at
least cover the deficit is important.
Lastly, the LBS has its finger on the pulse of the community
and tries to support and inspire the community to take part in cycling. I’ve shopped the big box stores for bicycles
and cycling accessories and the lack of store employees knowledgeable in all
things cycling is staggering. In fact, most
times that I’ve ventured out to these stores I’ve never even seen nor heard
from a store employee, even after 20 minutes in the cycling department. My LBS doesn’t hound the customers walking
through the door, but every customer is acknowledged quickly. The employees are always there to assist
customers and have a great deal of knowledge and advise to offer. Every employee in the LBS is likely a cyclist
and is there because they have a true love of all things cycling related.
Now that I have almost one week down in the LBS world, I
want to share the thoughts that have been running through my head regarding customer
service.
I’d like to think I was a fairly conscientious customer in
the past. I popped in the my LBS almost
weekly for an adjustment or to look at the latest gear or just to discuss
riding strategies and riding war stories.
I made friends with the store staff, the mechanics and the manager. I now realize that the “pop-ins” were not
always at the best times. I popped in at
any given moment without considering how busy the LBS might have been. While they always welcomed me with open arms
and never turned me away, I also see I could have been more considerate of
their time. I hope in the future to be a
better customer.
Speaking of customers – I understand completely why the
people at the LBS are so accommodating.
They understand that there is no greater commodity than the customers walking
through the door. Every customer
interaction has the potential to be a sale not only for that person that walked
in the door, but all the potential people that customer might talk too
later. If a customer is treated poorly –
they will make sure the world knows about it.
And nowadays with the internet that can be very far reaching. Additionally, positive interactions can lead
to referral business. Advertising can’t
touch the value of word of mouth referrals. Think about it – ads are impersonal. On the other hand, if a friend or family
member (someone you know and trust) tells you how great a shop or restaurant
is, you generally believe it and will probably find yourself following their
recommendations to try the shop or restaurant eventually. If that same person tells you the place is
terrible and how horribly they were treated, you will remember that and likely
take your business elsewhere.
I think too many employees are too far detached from working
with customers. I think every company from
the smallest mom and pop operation to the largest corporation should require all
of their employees to spend a day or two every year working in a customer
facing capacity. Nothing would remind
employees that customers are of the highest value and the people in the
trenches every day serving those customers are to be valued and supported first
and foremost. Additionally, everyone
might become a better customer after gaining a new appreciation for those that
serve us.
So please support your Local Bike Shop for all your cycling
needs! You will not find better customer
service and will likely find friendships forming. At an LBS you are way more than just dollars
and commissions!
