PBMA March Newsletter

We're a Year Old
A recap of what we've accomplished​ and the reasons to join now

We never for a second thought we would have an industry organization so strong a year ago when this all began.  We had an idea, it's developed into a focused and functional industry organization that is affecting positive change.

We launched a membership program at Interbike, we successfully assisted in hosting The Interbike Mechanics Challenge; we pushed the needle by talking about certification.  Here we are now a year later and what do we have to show for it some ask?

In case you've never started a non-profit from scratch, it's not necessarily an easy road.  We have tens of thousands of volunteer hours.  We have a Facebook following of somewhere north of 8,000 people.  Our social media reach is vast and wide when you combine Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Email.  Some say how does that measure in success... we say people willing to listen equal people interested in the topic of professionalism and mechanics equal winning.  We're continually building membership benefits and by September we'll be glad to say that the benefit of being a member dollar for dollar will be far more impactful than any other organization for mechanics or shops.  Presently as a member you gain access to some discounts which already outweigh the cost of joining.  By September by combining those discounts with access to training and certification you'll realize somewhere around triple the value.  

Speaking of certification you'll want to tune in next month for an important reveal regarding the certification project.  The PBMA isn't here to put out information that has no meaning or only to grab a spotlight.  We're here to change our future... change the future for mechanics, IBD's and the cycling industry with regards to getting consumers to shops for service and expertise.  The Internet has changed everyones life so let's use that to our advantage.  Certification is a piece of it all and some will gripe and argue... we can assure you the focus and goal aren't to complicate lives, the goals are simply to create something consumers can understand the value of.  ASE isn't perfect but it works, so lets find something that works for our industry inside and outside and use that to affect our future.

By the numbers:
The PBMA has around 500 paid members, this is a mix of companies, shops and individuals.  We'd like to see 1,000 or more individual members by years end and we'd like to see more shops join so their technicians can join at a reduced rate, that shop membership fee is meant to simply offset the cost of individual membership.  We'd like to call on the industry to have your organization join. Voices and insight must come from within to shape the future of what we do, we do not simply want to dictate how it should be, this is a community of cycling and industry and we aren't asking for much when it comes to corporate dollars.

We're taking a portion of every dollar incoming to the PBMA to build scholarship funds for those seeking help, we're taking a portion and applying to a hardship fund to help our fellow mechanics who are in trouble.  We take a portion and direct it to the World Bicycle Relief program Mechanics for Mechanics.  We anticipate publishing full details on these programs by June of this year.

The PBMA since inception has focused on attending industry events.  We want to be present to answer your questions and hear your concerns.  We aren't a threat to any environment or business model, to the contrary we want to ensure there are avenues for mechanics to grow and to be employed.  In 2017 we're focused on being accessible and available to our members, to those who are curious.  We have no ivory tower - we are mechanics, just like you.

So why join?
Discounts on products mechanics need and use
A growing forum which we hope manufacturers will begin to utilize as a place to answer tech questions
Streamlined access to Certification (once available members will have advanced access)
Discounts on regional training (PBMA mechanic members will not only have first access to register but also discounted fees)
An all inclusive directory connecting consumers to the best mechanics and shops (coming soon)
Insurance (products specific for our members as well as potential discounts and more coming soon)
​Private member only events at select industry events

Service is the future - have your place in ensuring your success by being a member.

- James Stanfill, President 

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THE PROFESSIONAL BICYCLE MECHANICS ASSOCIATION'S MISSION IS TO PROMOTE, DEVELOP, AND ADVOCATE FOR THE PROFESSIONAL BICYCLE MECHANIC.

Professionalism and Bike Mechanics

What is the one skill that doctors, nurses, engineers, architects, interior designers, contractors, airline pilots and a number of other career fields all must have in common in order to do their jobs?

In one word: Professionalism. 

If you think about it, all of these professions involve performing tasks that, if done anything less than totally professionally, could cause injuries or potentially cost multiple people their lives. In these career fields, there is zero room for a "tiny little oops" of any kind due to the risk of injury or death that might come with a poorly done activity, a lazy attitude, careless thought or impulsive action. If you think about it, working on a bike holds the same risk...you can literally kill someone if you're not on top of your game.

When James, others and myself were first discussing the process of forming this professional association, one of the very first points of that discussion (which actually continues to this very day) was "what, precisely, does it mean to be professional?". We've asked this question in surveys, posted it up on the Facebook pages and tried to encourage conversations about that topic wherever we see the opportunity.

Sadly, the resounding response that we've received back from a majority of our mechanic community is simply "Being a professional mechanic means I get paid". I'm assuming that the only comparison being made here is that a "home garage mechanic" is not a professional because they don't get paid. Even when we try to stimulate more conversation and inject discussion about what professionalism really stands for, the discussion kept coming back to "but I get paid". 

The problem with this thought process is that it's both short-sighted and self destructive to your career as a mechanic. I know people that are paid very well who completely suck at their jobs and people who work for little or nothing and excel at what they do. Professionalism has almost nothing to do with earning a paycheck...yet it does have a lot to do with how much you can get paid. 

Let me be totally blunt about this...professionalism has absolutely zero to do with whether you get a paycheck or not. Zero. Nada. Zilch. Professionalism is entirely about how you approach your work and how the world perceives you, as a person in that field. Simply stated, professionalism is an attitude, not a job status. 

I travel a lot for my day job...a lot. I also spend time, on every trip I make, visiting bike shops on behalf of the PBMA. Surprisingly, the large majority of shops that I visit have never even heard of our Association (what rock are you living under, folks??). Of those few that have, most of those show major signs of a lack of professionalism in their shop. Disorganized stock, shelves covered in old parts and dust, cluttered workbenches, empty (or partially empty) beer bottles visible, harsh/rude/condescending language, zero customer attention...the list goes on. 

I'm truly surprised at how many of these shop wrenches/owners complain to me, once they know who I am and why I'm there, about how "bad" business is. They talk about how they used to have a waiting list for service, how they couldn't keep enough bikes in stock. Now, they have surplus inventory running out their ears, no real parts inventory and they struggle to keep staff on during the off season. Yet they show every sign to a walk-in retail customer, that they don't want any more business. 

Don't get me wrong. I know plenty of mechanics that are the pinnacle of professionalism in our field. Professional men and women who simply ooze professionalism every second of every day. I've been both in the trenches with these professionals and been around them after work, when no one is around but friends. At those times, you'd think they would let their guard down, go a little crazy, be "unprofessional"...but you'd be totally wrong. They have fun, but they still operate on a principal of how they act is fundamentally a part of who they are. Our industry does have professionals, but they seem to be in the minority. 

This discussion of professionalism is necessary because a working bike mechanic falls under the same risk as all of those previously mentioned careers...if you make a single careless or lazy mistake during your work, you could be at risk for serious legal trouble. The problem is that a significant number of working bike mechanics don't know what it really means to be a professional and there is no mechanism in place right now to try to fix that. 

If you are a student pilot, from day one, you are expected to show some level of professionalism. You've got to be attentive, respect your instructor, do your homework 
and practice the skills that are being taught. Tight, disciplined communication with Air Traffic Control is a must, because there is a lot going on in the air and you can't afford to be casual or lazy. All instructions from ATC must be repeated back, in a proper format...so that they KNOW you heard them correctly. Again, make a mistake, someone, maybe MANY someones, could die. If you are an instructor, you're equally expected to model professionalism every second that you are seen by the public and, especially, when you are with your students.  

In all of these fields, you have 4+ years of college or other education to learn how to be a professional. Your instructors model professionalism and expect it in return from you. In the medical field, you have internships. In legal, post-graduate education. In architecture, internship and a professional licensing exam...which, by the way, requires a 5+ year architecture degree plus a minimum of 3 years working in the field before you're even allowed to take the exam. Don't even start whining to me about how hard an entry-level bike mechanic test would be. For some of these skills (Pilots and A/P Mechanics), the skills required are acquired in the military...where they teach you how to act every second of every day, much less during your work day.

But sadly, bicycle mechanics are held to the same standards of skill and experience, as all of these other professions, yet paid almost nothing. Why is that?

The sad truth is that our field is very easy to get into and has no industry-wide standards for what constitutes a "pro mechanic". Anyone with a few bucks for some tools, Calvin Jones' book, Sheldon Browns website and perhaps even a few hours watching YouTube videos and, like magic, they "possess" skills that make them a "pro bike mechanic"...or at least they think they do. Many shops hire kids out of high school with a desire to work and the ability to shut up and listen. If you can push a broom, you're good potential mechanic material. They "train their own", which isn't a bad policy...unless your shop is already operating at a less than professional standard. Add to that the typical public perception that bike shops only sell overpriced bikes and are only inhabited by bike snobs that don't want to do business with "outsiders". 

Currently, an independent bike shop is closing about once a day, depending on your definition of "independent shop". Whatever your current opinion on the industry, it is undergoing a rapid change in retail model and that change is only going to accelerate in the coming years. Purchasers today prefer to do business online, for myriad reasons...no haggling, no attitudes, no sneers because you like SRAM more than Campy. The product at times is cheaper than you can get it anywhere else and it arrives, on your very own doorstep, in just a day or two...potentially even faster than the LBS could get it. Never mind the fact that you're taking your own life in your hands by installing that new carbon fork yourself, you saved $50 freakin' bucks!! 

If we are going to preserve our way of life, we've got to make radical changes in our internal dialogue...and fast.

This article is merely a starting point for an ongoing discussion on professionalism. I've run both retail and B2B businesses for over 35 years and I know that we're not going to spin this supertanker on a dime and take off in an entirely different direction. But we can, with some effort, eduction, discussion and passion, make the changes to our entire industry that need to happen for the general public to realize that there is a professional mechanic working just down the street/block, etc...and that cycling is a safe, inexpensive and fun way to pass some time, get fit and get out and about. We will be continuing this discussion in the following months, as growing professionalism goes hand in hand with growing cycling itself...and growing cycling is the key to all of our futures. 

- B. Williams

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

PART ONE: TRUST
Service is becoming a much more important part of the LBS than ever before. Technology races forward constantly, challenging mechanics to keep up with
the new and improved mechanisms and systems. With this, as salaries continue to stay stagnant for many mechanics, the added challenge for any shop is
retention of qualified, experienced mechanics. So the service that is sold, is that much more critical to the health of the retail shop. So let's look at selling
service in the most effective ways possible, and the reasons why emphasis needs to be placed on this aspect of the shop's offerings.


Folks who ride bicycles come in a huge spectrum of variety. Understanding the customer and their needs is paramount to begin thinking about what and
how to sell to them. The very first hurdle for most shops is gaining the trust of the customer. So often, customers feel a level of intimidation as soon as they
walk into a shop, as they are aware that they don't know a lot about their bikes. They just know that they like to ride. So placing trust in a mechanic to let
them know what they need, is a huge leap for lots of people. Getting taken advantage of is one fear that folks have, as they are not in the best position of
understanding their bikes or what it may need. So taking the time to kindly educate and inform customers is one way of gaining the customer's trust, that
their bike will be (and thus they will be) well taken-care-of. Using metaphors or analogies of seeing the dentist to ensure healthy teeth, seeing the car
mechanic to ensure long-life and trouble-free driving, and so on sometimes helps people understand that service is important, especially for the higher tech
items, such as suspension and disc brakes.


A number one complaint heard by customers, is that the mechanic talks down to them. They don't like being treated poorly, and so avoid going in for
service, sometimes attempting to do work themselves or getting a friend who claims to know what they're doing to help out… often with poor results. So
again, the job of the shop is to gain and continue to generate trust, and that starts with the overall attitude and culture of the bike shop itself. Sure, those of
us in the industry who have been in it a long time know lots about our sport and the equipment we use, but it is crucial to convey that knowledge with a
large degree of joyful openness. Assure the customer that "it's okay to not know, that's why we're here!" We are here to SERVE YOU. It is important to
convey humility from the position of the mechanic, and the culture of the shop needs to convey that being a humble servant is a good position to be in. Not
the holier-than-thou-you-need-me-because-you're-a-lowly-know-nothing. This helps enormously in generating trust.


Some folks only need a little service now-and-then. Others seem to need constant service. Understanding your customers and the way they ride, and also
critically why they ride, is a skill that not all mechanics have. The Service Writer needs to be this person. The Service Writer needs to be an affable people
person, very skilled as a mechanic, and very good at time management. Many repairs coming through the shop doors should be done on a while-u-wait
basis, because they often can, and so the SW needs to appropriate which repairs can be handled on the spot and which need to be put in rotation, as per
the customers needs as well… some folks want to just drop the bike off, others are on the way to a ride, and so on.
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Understanding the customer is crucial to knowing how to sell service. The point of any shop is of course to make money, but it shouldn't come at the
expense of sacrificing the customer's trust to "make the sale". A bike shop exists to SERVE. To share the passion we have for bikes, to keep people riding
safely, to boost the rider's confidence in the product and thus in themselves. Ideally, it is a self-feeding loop. When people come in and are treated well,
they can see happy and enthusiastic employees busily working (but pausing for a hearty "hello!" when customers enter), the environment speaks for itself
immediately, and fosters a level of comfort for the customer. It should continue as they head to the service counter, and thus the trust becomes easier to gain.

Check in next month for part two of this ongoing series

On the PBMA Interwebs

PBMA Corporate Partners
These industry organizations are supporting the PBMA and are actively part of the conversation.  
Welcoming this month:
CeramicSpeed
Orange Bikes
Raleigh Electric
Winterborne Bicycle Institute

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Check out this video from last years Interbike Mechanic Challenge, hosted by Park Tool Company and staffed by the PBMA!  Thanks to PBMA Member and Judge Alex Laursen for putting this together.
100% The PBMA will be back at Interbike this year, if it's not already on your calendar you might want to look into it.

Closing Thoughts - Beat the Bias

As a life-long bike mechanic and industry hitch hiker, I’ve had customers tell me, “you’re so lucky to have a job that’s your hobby.” Heard that before? I resist the temptation to say, “you couldn’t be more wrong.”

These well intentioned souls don’t appreciate that in order to earn and retain a reputation, one must behave professionally, which knocks serious fun out of a hobby. A hallmark of professionalism is a high degree of impartiality: all customers served without prejudice, all bikes and components judged without favoritism, all cycling goals treated seriously. It takes a bit of acting at times but is key to winning the confidence of strangers.

There’s just no place for bias in the professional mechanic world. As hobbyists (our customers are) passion is key to the fun. Opinions, even rumors, about brands or champions are welcome. Bias about entire systems (disk v. rim, carbon v. steel) is fuel for argument and advertising. Banded together in cliques, like weight weenies or dirt jumpers, the rest of the world are losers. F**k ‘em, blow off steam, and have fun. Just don’t forget, this is poison at the workplace.

If you bring your car to a BMW shop and they show disdain for you and your non-BMW, you take your work elsewhere. The experience might even incline you not to buy a BMW in the future. Disdain is toxic. Beat yours back as a pro. Reserve it for pub time with peers. Don’t let marketing, reviews, and unprofessional sales people drag you down the bias road. 

In race mechanics, to cite an extreme example, bias is nearly a capital offense. The level of professionalism required in race support is not easily transferred to a shop environment but intolerance to bias is key to succeeding in competition with its hectic pace and high expectations. 

You can keep and cultivate your biases, please just make sure they stay hidden away when you’re on the job. Your customers couldn't do your job. So don't act like them!

- R. Hjertberg