Went on Yelp to put up a review (realized I tend to get on there when I’m not happy, so finished up a few happy ones…)

This one was for the bike shop where I bought a bike recently, Buy My Bikes in San Juan Capistrano, CA.  There were nothing but good reviews, which is why I went there in the first place.  There was only one bad review – someone walked in and was “ignored.”  So they left.  I addressed that in my own review, because although I had a similar experience, I had a completely different take on it.

The shop is small, an old shop in an old building in San Juan Capistrano. There are bikes outside.  There are bikes just inside the door along with all kinds of goodies you can buy to upgrade or fix your bike.  To the right, in another room, is a place to repair bikes with at least three stands.  There are people working on bikes in there.  To the left is another room, jammed with bikes lined up on the ground against the wall and just as many on top of those on a “second story” rack as well as another island of two story bikes and a counter with more goodies that are probably too expensive and not necessary for my casual riding.  There are clothes, shoes, you name it.

This may sound like chaos, but it is not.  It is a well thought out puzzle of bike-iness.  There is even a little pathway around the island for little kids who were having a blast testing out bikes while mom and dad shopped.  There was just enough room to skirt around them as they giggled and “raced.”

I made some eye contact with the guys in the repair room.  It was clear they were not going to help me.  It is my guess that they are either “repair only” guys (like auto techs versus salepeople at a car dealer),or they may have even been regulars who were allowed to come use the facilities to fix their bikes.  It seemed like that kind of place.

The other two gentlemen in the retail section of the shop were busy with other customers.  So I meandered around, smiling at the kids, looking at price tags.  I had done my homework online and the prices were comparable to anything I had seen.  This and the sign in front that said they’d match a lower price convinced me I had nothing to lose.

I found myself beginning to get irritated that no one was jumping at me trying to “help” me and then I realized – hadn’t I always said that was a pet peeve, being attacked when I walked into a store?  Did I not write a blog post on that subject?  Did I actually have to open my mouth like an adult and say “I would like to buy a bike and I have some questions?”

Yes.  That’s what I had to do, at which point I had the full, undivided and knowledgeable attention of Eric.  He asked me a few questions about my needs and price range, and within minutes I was taking a bike for a spin in the surrounding neighborhood (take your time, he said).  The final question was “what color” which was the most difficult question for me but I finally decided on coral.  The better to see me with, my dear.

It took me back to the Minnesota fishing trip in August when I had to go to the bait shop to get fishing licenses.  The people behind the counter were talking to a local about wild rice harvesting and all kinds of subjects not related to selling or asking me if I found everything all right or even why was I standing there listening to their conversation.  I was forced to amble around the shop looking at fishing lures, (those would make cool earrings!), witty signs for the fishing cabin, and my favorite – live bait swimming around in aerated tubs.

Slowly but surely they wrapped up their conversation.  Even more slowly but surely the owner helped us fill out the paperwork and took our money and gave us our fishing licenses.  It took a good 20 minutes longer than it “should have” in a normal day in the life of a 21st century American.  By the time I left I had moved slowly but surely into the state that would persist all week.  Relaxed.  Unhurried.  Undemanding.  Un-“I need it yesterday.”

I now feel sorry for the person who left the bike shop in a huff and felt compelled to write about the lack of service.  They missed an opportunity to stop for a moment, to look around them at the quaint surroundings of a 34 year old local business.  They missed the opportunity to listen to the conversations of the regulars and the bike repair dudes, about the bike trip someone’s wife was taking and why he couldn’t go but where he was going in the future.  They missed taking a moment out of their apparently crazy busy lives to take a step back in time and into a haven of sanity, where robots are not jumping on them asking them if everything is all right and are you sure you’re finding everything ok.   I’m sure they got what they wanted at a big box store or at another bike store where someone talked down to them despite the tone of the review which sounded like they “knew” bikes.  It made me sad for them.

Support your local small businesses if at all possible.  They are us.