We asked some of the world’s leading cycling shops what they were doing to improve their shops and whether there was any way they could be more effective in improving their customer experience.
The answers were mixed.
The majority of shops that we spoke to were still focused on providing excellent customer service and were trying to maintain that as they were growing and investing in new products.
However, some were opening up their shops to provide a more inclusive environment.
For example, London-based bike shop Bike-on-Bike decided to open its new shop in the heart of the city in September 2019 and opened the doors for bike repair and repair workshops.
Bike-on – an independent bike shop in London with more than 300 bikes in stock – has recently been expanding its business to include all types of bikes, from sport to touring and commuting.
Its founder, Mike, said: “I was surprised at how many of my customers were cycling to work, and I thought, ‘This is a really good idea.
Why don’t we offer all the different types of bike repairs in the shop?'””
We’ve had a huge response and we’ve had people come in who have been riding bikes for years and are still cycling and don’t feel comfortable coming into our shop, so we wanted to change that.
We have a full range of bikes that we can repair, and it’s just easier for people to find them.”
Bike repair in the shopsBike shop owners say that a key to improving their customers’ experience is providing them with a range of services, from bike maintenance to bike repair.
Bike owners are also asked to keep up to date on their shop’s latest product releases, which will help to improve the quality of the shop’s services.
“We always look to introduce new and exciting new products to our shop to keep our customers engaged, so our customer experience is always a priority,” said Dave.
“We try to have a variety of different types and sizes of bikes available, so you can have a range from a bike for a young lad who is new to bikes to a bike to someone who is experienced with bikes.”
Bicycle shops are also often looking to improve customer service to ensure they are offering a better experience.
In one of Bike-On’s previous cycles, Dave noticed that some customers were waiting to pick up a new bike from a shop when they got to the shop.
“As we were leaving the shop, I saw a young lady waiting in the front, so I decided to offer her a new bicycle for free,” he said.
Dave says that he was able to get a new and improved bike for his customers as a result.
He added: “The fact that we offered her a free bike was a huge boost to her cycling experience and we have had a great customer experience.”
Bikes and accessoriesBike shops are often in the market for new or refurbished bikes, as well as accessories and other accessories.
For example, Cycle-Biz sells bicycles, racks, bags and frames for hire.
Cycle-Rental provides cycling gear and accessories.
“Cycle-Rotation, who we are part-owned by, offer a wide range of cycling accessories and bikes for hire from brands like Shimano, SRAM and Bontrager,” said Bike-Riz founder Andrew, who is based in Wales.
“They are a great shop and we know our customers enjoy cycling and they are very keen to provide the right bike for them.”
“They have a large range of accessories, and we offer a full online shop with a huge range of brands,” said Cycle-On founder Dave.
“There are bikes, bikes, bike bags, bikes and bikes.”
Dave added: “Our customers have been really supportive and I have been able to help them find the perfect bike for their needs.
It is fantastic for the cycling community to have such a great range of choices available for customers to choose from.”
Bicycles, bikesAnd more bikesWe asked bike shops to tell us what they had been doing to better their customer service, with some saying they were adding a range to their shop that included a bike repair service, bike storage, bike rental, bike repair, bike maintenance and a bike-sharing service.
Some shops were looking to increase their sales of cycling equipment, including bikes, racks and bags, which they were keen to share with customers.
One shop, Bike- on Bike, has been a bike shop for years, with more bikes and racks in stock than there are in the entire shop.
It’s hoping that this will help it to attract more customers.
Dave said: We don’t have a lot of bikes.
The shop is quite limited in the amount of bikes it has, so having more bikes in the store will help us attract customers.
We’re also looking to add a bike storage and bike repair area.
We do have bikes that are not used