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PBMA April Newsletter

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A little bit about certification
Some tidbits of information


How much information is too much or too little?  It's a real challenge to determine an answer to that very simple question.  If we share too much and it's not tested and verified the naysayers hit us hard.  If we detail it in full with full functionality we risk our hard thought and crafted ideas being used by others.

The cycling industry should be a well oiled slick functioning machine, unfortunately at times it simply isn't.  As mechanics in a larger shop we are set to our daily tasks from clock-in to clock-out without another worry in the world.  Perhaps our manager is smart and includes some training and education time but likely not.  Mostly everyone is worried about the bottom line, making as much money in the day and turning as many repair tickets as possible.  In the smaller shops the mechanic is tasked with way more and surely in most instances there is never time to sit down and do some training.  

Will certification and training fix that?  In some cases yes because through these pieces we are creating we will help the shop owner, the service manager and the mechanic understand the value of a well trained technician.  We already know that a dedicated service writer (in shops that have the need) will easily pay for themselves if given the opportunity to do that critical job.  Managing labor intake and eliminating disruptions to the technicians is critical to success in service.  Certification and training will definitely help you here.

We know from surveys that most shops charge an hourly rate of $60 to $80, we know that just over half utilize a dedicated service writer and we know that most shops we are evaluating service correctly are realizing 60% profitability.  Here is what we also know:
15% of shops provide free adjustments for life
70% do not provide the service team a bonus or incentive
38% still don't service suspension
86% don't bill the cost of building a bicycle to sales
88% view technical training as improtant
60% want more availability of training
​51% want a nationally recognized system of certification

​Why are those numbers important?  Giving away labor in free adjustments is a selling point and we understand that, but are you tracking it and billing it into sales?  The service department builds bicycles and absorbs the labor cost.  Imagine if you took those two pieces and assigned them to the correct department?  You'd probably realize an instant 10% or more increase in profitability in your service department.  You could provide your mechanics a bonus.  Mechanics and shops want training and education, they want it to be more easily accessible and affordable.

The PBMA will be producing a series of regional training events.  These events are ideally to be held on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday cycling and we are aiming to have a handful of technical partners providing hands on tech in addition to one or two professional development courses.  We want to help you as individuals, as managers and as owners make more money on the services you provide.  We will host these and there will be a cost, that cost however will be reduced for members and by moving these events to different locations we're able to hopefully cut down on travel costs for those attending.  These events will tie into certification by helping individuals fulfill the continuing education requirements to remain certified.

The PBMA is working hard as you read this to fund and detail scholarships to that those members who can't afford to travel, pay the tuition, pay for meals or pay for their lodging have options.  Tying it all together we are funding a hardship program for those instances when a member has a major life event and needs our help.

What does it all mean and why is it all so important?  It means that certification will help individuals prove their worth, it means individuals can say look I have X Y and Z and those are marketable qualities.  It means that a shop can advertise their certified staff.  It means those working on the bicycles consumers are riding have proof of the knowledge they possess.  It provides a consumer an understanding of why choose shop A over shop B.  It provides purpose for our existence as bicycle shops and sets us apart from those other places just slapping together and selling bicycles.

​Certification is a pathway to the change in consumerism.  It's a pathway to stability in what we all do.

- James Stanfill, President 

THE PROFESSIONAL BICYCLE MECHANICS ASSOCIATION'S MISSION IS TO PROMOTE, DEVELOP, AND ADVOCATE FOR THE PROFESSIONAL BICYCLE MECHANIC.
Professionalism: Part Two, Sharpening the Ax

Last month I discussed the basic premise of professionalism and how there are a number of industries where people are required by the terms of their industry or professional license to continually be upgrading their knowledge base to be better equipped for their role in their profession. 

This month’s installment is all about keeping your personal “ax” sharp and ways that you can continually be improving yourself to make sure that you’re not going to find yourself wondering where your next paycheck comes from. 

The origin of the term “sharpen your ax” is fairly well known. There is an old story about a  woodsman who challenged another woodcutter to a contest. “Chop as much wood as you can in a single day”, said the first woodsman. 

As the day went on, the first woodsman, while he was chopping as hard as he possibly could all day, was tickled to see that the other woodcutter kept taking breaks and walking away from his work throughout the day.

At the end of the day, the woodpiles were measured. Not only was the second cutter the winner, he’d won by a substantial margin. The first woodcutter was furious. “How could you possibly beat me?!? I’m the best, the fastest woodcutter in this area and I gave it my all, for every second of the day. You, on the other hand, kept walking away and taking breaks…how did you possibly best me?”

The second woodcutter simply replied “I never took a break. I simply took time out to sharpen my ax” 

Keeping your ax sharp is critical in today’s YouTube society. Formerly loyal clients now have the ability to learn just about anything they want to know about everything in our cycling world with just a few clicks of a mouse. 

And before you get all defensive and say that they’ll never learn the “right way” to do whatever repair they want to do, remember that they can also use that mouse to look up ratings on exactly what your former customers think about you and the service that you provided. 

Like it or not, we live in an age of instant information…and instant accountability…so it pays to be ahead of the curve and know both your own personal skill set as well as knowing your customer. 

Today’s cycling customer is looking for the best, for the least. They want excellent quality work, great reputations, ideal locations, clean shops and LOW cost. You can control a lot of those variables and simply out-work most of the rest, but to really have an advantage on the market, you need to know that you are the very best at what you do in your area…and that means constant learning.

Bikes, components and accessories are constantly changing and improving. Electronics are revising firmware on an almost daily basis. To stay in the know requires commitment, time and effort…and, in a lot of cases, the help of the Service Manager or Shop Owner. You need to make your case for continuing to learn about the industry, because a highly skilled technician is more valuable to the shop than someone who learned from the guy in the stall next to him. 

There are many outlets available to help you keep your ax sharp. Manufacturers like Shimano offer lots of online options, allowing you to pick up some new skills and information from the convenience of your smart phone. If you’ve got the desire and resources to take it up a notch, major events like SRAM Technical University allow you to immerse yourself in all the education you can handle in a power-packed few days. I’ve even known seasoned, experienced mechanics who still invested the time and money to attend UBI later in life, just because they were looking for an edge in the marketplace or wanted to work their way up the ladder to a Service Management position. 

Also, remember the “big ticket” education opportunities…like all of the content offered at Interbike. This year, the PBMA is going to be presenting a huge technical program, intended to up the bar for LBS mechanics. You can pick up a huge amount of industry insider info in just a few days by hitting the education area.

Don’t just focus on the bike, either…in our industry, it really pays to be well rounded. Do some business education or similar skill upgrades. And don’t forget that your customers are humans with interests other than cycling. Keep up with your local news and sports. Listen to your customers, especially when they’re just chatting. You’ll quickly learn where the sweet spots are.

The key is that you can’t ever stop learning. You simply can’t…this industry will blow past you in a heartbeat and leave you wondering how you ended up so far behind. The good news is that there are plenty of resources out there and we are here to help. The PBMA is, in it’s simplest form, professional bike mechanics helping other professional bike mechanics.

- B. Williams

THOUGHTS ON SELLING SERVICE IN THE BICYCLE INDUSTRY
Jenny Kallista of APPALACHIAN BICYCLE INSTITUTE

PART TWO: MAKING THE SERVICE UNDERSTANDABLE
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As the mechanic, it is important to understand that you are the expert. You are the one who must convey the necessity of the work to be done, so that the
customer can easily understand… with easily being the very operable word. It is not helpful to explain things in terms the customer does not understand,
with terminology they are not familiar with. Saying, "well, your rear derailleur limit screws are not adjusted properly" or "your bottom bracket bearings need
to be replaced" to someone who does not know what these parts are on their bike (which many people do not), can befuddle the customer and lose their
trust in you, because again, it is your job to explain things in a way they can understand. Then there are some folks who simply do not care about the
details, and just want the bike fixed, with no desire for lengthy explanations as to the specifics of the repairs required. I once had a dear co-worker who felt
the need to explain in great detail what was going to be done for a customer. Once one of our regular customers, after being subjected to such a lengthy
session about her rear shock, turned to me and said, "gosh, I just did not have time for all that, and I just wanted to tell him to shut up and just fix my f#
$king bike!". So reading your customer is critical for knowing which direction to go; often it is picking up on the customer's use of terminology (or lack
thereof) which will be an easy indicator on which way to go.


Once the mechanic determines the best course of action, it can be helpful to offer the customer various options for service. Sometimes there is a
significant amount of work that needs to be done, but it may be able to get broken down into a series of repairs rather than one big one, which can make
the blow of the total cost a bit more digestible, as sometimes folks don't have the money for the full repair. I once had a rather burly customer who loved
trail riding, but was always a bit on the broke side of things financially. He started breaking spokes on his OE rear wheel, and of course after a couple of
visits of one broken spoke each, I recommended a rebuild/replacement of the wheel, as it was clear that the spokes would continue to break… at $25 labor
+ $2/spoke for each broken spoke, "it would make fiscal sense", I explained. However, this dude simply could not shell out the $150-250 at once for a new
or rebuilt (and much better quality) wheel, and was perfectly happy to shell out the ~$25 every few weeks. Halfway through the year, we had replaced
nearly half the spokes, and so despite having spent well over what it would have cost all at once, that was what made more sense to him, at the time.
Sometimes that's just how the customer sees it. And so without making him feel like a dummy for doing so, we obliged and took his money and hobbled his
wheel along so he could keep riding. He knew it would work out better in the long run to get the better wheel, but he just couldn't afford it. Most people
won't see it this way, and will find a way to fund a necessary costly repair, but there's always the exception.


Now of course, some customers are getting savvier and savvier, and so some customers want all the details (or maybe want to learn more… more on this
later). These customers are great subjects for selling service, as they will better appreciate the service in terms of performance, and what can be done for
them to improve their experience on their bicycle. These customers are more willing to upgrade, and may be more receptive to prescribed service intervals
(such as for suspension or hydraulic brakes). As customers become savvier, it is imperative that the mechanics are keeping up with technology. It is rather
embarrassing when the customer knows more than the person behind the counter, but it does happen (with increasing frequency); use these instances as
reminders to keep staff up to date.


Check in next month for part three of this ongoing series

On the PBMA Interwebs

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PBMA Corporate Partners
​An important part of being able to maneuver the cycling industry landscape

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Focus on Women
A week ago we produced a series of featured interviews and commentary, click the image to view all the articles.

Final Words 

Visits to Bay Area partners, The Bicycle Leadership Conference, and Sea Otter have expanded our partnerships and reaffirmed our direction and progress.  The PBMA continues to be a factor in the industry that all parties agree on, and every part of the industry wants more involvement from the PBMA.  Regional Summit planning continues apace, and membership at all levels is growing.  The forum and jobs posting pages on the site gain traction every month, and enjoy far less “noise in the channel” than the lively but often off-topic Facebook group.

Thank you for being a part of the conversation and a part of the growth of the Professional Bicycle Mechanics Association.

proudly supporting the mission:

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© 2022 Professional Bicycle Mechanics Association
  • PBMA Home
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