A recent sketch by the comedian Dave Durkan should make for uncomfortable viewing for anyone working in the cycling industry.
The sketch outlines, with uncanny accuracy, a not atypical interaction in a bike shop, where a mechanic patronises a customer over their lack of knowledge about bikes.
Among other choice lines, our fictional mechanic retorts to the customer’s suggestions over what the issue could be with: “The world could do with some pedestrians, maybe you could do that, yeah?”
I don't want to appear too po-faced or sanctimonious about this. It is fundamentally just a funny, exaggerated sketch, and by no means representative of the whole cycling industry.
But it is a bit clearly borne out of relatable experience.
“This is a documentary”, reads one comment. Another says: “[mechanics are] always raging, like they don’t know there’s other jobs out there.” Someone else states, bluntly: “The guy who fixes my bike absolutely hates my guts.”
I'm pretty confident many BikeRadar readers will be quick to highlight similar experiences.
A 2022 survey conducted by our friends at Bicycling found “60 per cent of 718 respondents say they’ve had at least one negative experience with a bike shop employee that made them feel unwelcome. 38 per cent say this has happened more than once, or ‘often’.”
A quick survey of BikeRadar staff certainly suggests abrasive or patronising customer service in bike shops is not uncommon.
Last month, I hosted a live Q&A with Park Tool mechanic, Calvin Jones. During the session, I asked him for the best thing shops could do to make them a welcoming space. His answer was succinct: “Don't be a jerk.”
He went on to outline specifics – don’t use jargon as a form of gatekeeping, be professional and courteous, and simply be nice – but if those four words aren’t a tacit admission many bike shops have a problem with customer service, I don’t know what is.
- More from Calvin Jones: "Buy a good workstand and don’t fear failure" – plus more wisdom from cycling’s most famous mechanic
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In defence of bike shops – to a point
I’ll go to some lengths to defend bike shops and those who work in them. Their frustrations are often borne out of real issues.
The pressure from online stores, increased business rates, a lack of support for traditional retail, decreased margins and the general turmoil in the cycling industry should not be overlooked. I worked in bike shops for a number of years and I recognise a lot of those issues.
Equally, I could highlight other, similar experiences I’ve had in camera, climbing, or other specialist shops. This is not a cycling-specific problem.
Regardless of industry, retail employees are often exploited with precarious contracts and poor pay. It’s reasonable to expect someone to be frustrated, or at least hardly enthusiastic, working in those conditions.
Still, I found myself nodding along to Durkan’s observations – I’ve witnessed and experienced enough toe-curling interactions in bike shops over the years.
It’s a specialist profession, but running a bike shop or working as a mechanic is, fundamentally, customer service.
At the very least, people who walk through the door should expect to be treated with respect and kindness, regardless of whether they know everything there is to know about their bike, or nothing at all.
Although I’m relieved few have sided with Durkan’s fictional mechanic in the comments, if you work in the industry and find yourself rushing to defend him, ask yourself if you’re getting the fundamentals right.
If you don’t, customers will vote with their wallets.
