The ocean of change is here, Do you know how to ride the first wave?

Trek, IBDA, Barnett's and others are changing the professional level of training in service centers. Some change for the Good, some for the Bad, and some for the Ugly. We can all understand the good and bad, the ugly is a mess of trying what they think are new ideas with out knowing the history of the technology. 

I have worked in continuous improvement processes (CIP) for over 30 years, seeing amazing improvements in quality and reductions in time by 10 and 20 units. I was talking with one lead instructor about continuous improvement process root causes, and he asked why are root causes important? His school is stuck in historically slow processes that are not the best quality results. This is the ugly that will prevail for a while until CIP and mechanics Knowledge base improves. 

Shops will have Certified Mechanic, and measurable procedures, new tools, and with a bit of work , Profitable too.

How do you choose the right wave to surf? That is the exciting part, Many are good, some are great. Have fun surfing.  

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Permalink Reply by mike w. on October 16, 2015 at 3:35pm

You're marvelously incoherent... 

Permalink Reply by Marcus Moore on October 16, 2015 at 6:34pm

have you seen Donny Perry's book Leading Out Retail?  http://www.amazon.com/Leading-Out-Retail-Creative-Retailers/dp/0996...

"When it comes to retail, is there a method to the madness? In this report Donny Perry answers with a definitive, “yes”. In Leading Out Retail, Perry combines hundreds of hours of research, a rich trove of social science, and his counterintuitive insights as he explains a paradigm shift in the industry of bicycle retail. Within this paradigm shift Perry teaches retailers simple strategies on how to increase profit through service, what the most important question to ask every customer is, and how to manage the dreaded Timmy Factor. Perry believes the future belongs to a different kind of retailer with a different mindset. In this book he offers a provocative and urgent new way of thinking about the future of retail; a future that may have already arrived."

Permalink Reply by Christopher Wallace on October 18, 2015 at 2:00pm
To many bike shops that focus on the voice of the business instead of the voice of the customer. There are shops that have treated cyclist very poorly as they walk into their business , this is going to change dramatically in some businesses as they compete successfully with the internet because modern shops can take care of peoples cycling needs, where the Internet can take care of people's bicycle wants.

Better Shop will learn how to sell their services effectively to meet the needs of the cyclist vs meeting the needs of the bicycle. All of us can face a bottom bracket shell , how many of us can explain to a cyclist why it's important to their cycling experience? If you can do a process and you can't explain the wisdom as to why it needs to be done, then how can a customer buy that service from you?

How many services can you perform on a bicycle that you never do because you don't have the words in your mouth to sell the value to the cyclist?

This knowledge base is changing people are learning why these services are important to cyclists and how they improve cyclist life, when they can do that , then a cyclist can purchase those services from local bicycl dealers, but not from the internet.

We can listen to the voice of the customer and respond in real time to their needs, and let them know about important things that haven't even thought about yet.

There is a wave change from being indifferent to cyclists to really being their partner in cycling. There is lots to learn and lots to work on it is a new wave then we can all get on many different ways.
Permalink Reply by Waymond Smith on October 17, 2015 at 9:06am

What ARE you writing about????????????????????

Permalink Reply by Elwood Gruschow on October 19, 2015 at 4:45pm

I think Christopher Wallace was advancing the thought below, but I may have digressed 10 units. 

 

Learn better Shop how to sell their services effectively to meet the needs of the bicycle vs meet the needs of the bike. All of us can face the opposite bracket down how much of that we can explain to the cyclist's why it's important to experience their bike? If you can process and you can not explain the discretion as to why it needs to be done and how can customers buy it you do?

How many services can you do on the bike you can not do because you do not have the words in your mouth to get the value out of the cyclist?

The knowledge base around this country and learn why it is important to bike these services and how they improve the life cycle, they can do that, and cyclists can purchase those services locator bicycle, but are not online bike.

We can hear the voice of the customer and respond in real time to their needs and let them know about the important things that have not even thought about yet.

A change in the wave indifference to the bike so their friends in the bicycle. A lot to learn and a lot to work on it and the new wave and we can all get on many different ways.

Permalink Reply by Christopher Wallace on October 21, 2015 at 2:38pm

As a consumer does your bike need to have frame bearing surfaces faced?  Is it ok that your wheel spoke tension is 50 to 75 Kgf , and uneven, when for the longest spoke life it should be even in tension and 100 to 120 Kgf. Would it be nice if mechanics just did this to your bike, or would this be considered and unnecessary upgrade?

If your mechanic talked to you about why facing the frame reduces the bearing wear by five times, then you would be and educated consumer. Then you could choose to have this labor done or not.  

Sadly your mechanic never talked with you about the benefits of labor you have not heard of , and you do not have a knowledge base to make a choice. 

Certified mechanics will be trained on how to do a procedure and how to tell the cyclist how this procedure will benefit the cyclist. An educated consumer can make choices if they need or do not need this service.  

Are these the unnecessary upgrades you talk about, or are they something new to you?

90% of all bike front derailleurs are not set 1 mm above the large chainring. Is that correct adjustment an unnecessary upgrade? Yes I agree it should have been done right when it was assembled, but mechanics say it takes too long to do everything. 

Did your shop teach you how to release your brake cable, release your quick release, pull your derailleur "A" knuckle back to remove your rear wheel? Did they show you how to adjust your quick release lever to have the correct clamping force? Did they adjust your hub bearings for the clamping force of your QR? Trust me, Most did not know how to test for this force, and this makes any adjustment a guess or not done. Yes your bearing have unintended force creating excessive wear right now.

If you were a knowledgeable consumer would you choose to have additional labor performed to make your bike more reliable, last longer, cost you less over time, and work better? Or is this the same as a gold plated water bottle cages, an unnecessary upgrade? I know this knowledge will change cycling for the better, 

The certification process increases productivity 4X while reducing fatigue to the mechainc. Certified mechanic can explain to cyclist on how procedures benefit their ride experience.  Educated consumers can choose to buy or not to buy service.

Mechanics can do more work in less time, and cyclist can have choices they seldom had with uncertified service staff.  

My goal is to have better ride experiences for cyclist and a living wage for mechanics. Without unnecessary upgrades. 

Permalink Reply by Mike Schwab on October 19, 2015 at 7:07pm

 http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/support/ Didn't see any repair manuals.

 http://nbda.com/ National (not independent) Bicycle Dealer Association. 

 http://www.bbinstitute.com/ Barnetts Bicycle Institute / Manual. 

Permalink Reply by Christopher Wallace on October 21, 2015 at 2:42pm

There are concepts that are in the planning stages of large business. A few of us are part of the conversation that are not public yet. Yes you will not find it on the net pages yet. 

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on October 20, 2015 at 3:49am

Are these the new instructions for using chopsticks?

Permalink Reply by Christopher Wallace on October 21, 2015 at 2:43pm

I have not seen those plans yet, although Houdini could use them with his toes.  I did hear he had athletes mouth after eating that way.

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