Saying Thanks to a Mechanic

[Sinister Proboscis]

I admire anyone who works on bikes for a living, and I always give the guys at my local shop a couple of extra bucks every time they do something. My question: How much should you tip a guy who's building a complete bike for you? Should it be related to the cost of the bike?

Any advice would be appreciated!

[RomanC]

Build the bikes yourself and save moneyz and time.

[Yurich]

Case of beer. Nothing beats it

[Sinister Proboscis]

Case of beer. Nothing beats it


I thought about that; I'm not sure he drinks, though . . .

How 'bout a puppy?

[Dekes]

I do all work on my bike myself. I don't know any professional mechanics.

[Oskar]

Yeah build your bikes yourself. Its not hard and its fun.

[Sethbomb]

I thought about that; I'm not sure he drinks, though . . .

How 'bout a puppy?


Yeah, nothing says, "I'm a homosexual" like gifting a puppy to another guy. Go with that one. Joke, joke. Bike mechanics want guy shit, like cash.

[WhiteRavenKS]

I do all work on my bike myself. I don't know any professional mechanics.

that's sure helpful. :bigthumb:

cash buys beer if he wants it. tip cash. tip whatever you think is appropriate becuase it's more than he was going to get anyways. i've never heard a mechianic in 5 years of working at shops say "that cheap shit only tipped me 10%" or anything like that.

[Dekes]

that's sure helpful. :bigthumb:

cash buys beer if he wants it. tip cash. tip whatever you think is appropriate becuase it's more than he was going to get anyways. i've never heard a mechianic in 5 years of working at shops say "that cheap shit only tipped me 10%" or anything like that.
just trying to motivate him doing his bikestuff by himself :sadwavey:

[WhiteRavenKS]

there are two kinds of people in this world- those who work on their own bikes and everyone else's too. and those who need people to work on their stuff because they are too busy, dont have the tools themselves, dont care, dont want to break their expensive new shit, etc.

[Tanner]

I got a gift basket full of nutrional supplements from a triathlete.

yeah, it was weird.

[TheGhost]

they were the flavors he didn't like. I must say getting a tip as a bike shop employee is kinda weird but get it quite a bit. for the most part lots of beer exchanges hands at our shop.

[psyber_0ptix]

gift card?





.....to his favorite liquor store?

[Rodmunch]

Anyone ever give a tip to a shoe store employee? This kid at a Footlocker helped me out with some running shoes. While I was trying them on, I overheard him talking to a friend about how he gets tipped all the time. He didn't really help me alot though, I asked for a few pairs of shoes in my size and he only brought out one pair. I had to keep asking for him to bring more out. So, I pay the guy at the register and as I'm leaving, the kid is standing near the doorway waiting for me, with this look like he's waiting for me to give him some $$$. I was like, "Thanks bro!", and walked out.

[[BMF] Chris]

i dont understand the concept of paying someone to do their job? espically when someone else is already paying them? i made the mistake of tipping the guy at my car wash place and now whenever i show up he like attaches himself to my leg, what ever was i thinking?

[Cryo-Cube]

fuck tipping

http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/pinkrd.jpg

[psyber_0ptix]

^^^
classic!

lol

[hophopsnap]

Tipping at a bike shop is nice, usually Id use the cash to get something to drink so I wouldn't die. One time a guy slipped me a benjamin for adjusting his brakes and cleaning the dust off his bike, he didn't understand our shop gives free tune-ups forever, and wanted to pay somebody. I didn't refuse.

[johnglazer]

Chris;416813']i dont understand the concept of paying someone to do their job? espically when someone else is already paying them? i made the mistake of tipping the guy at my car wash place and now whenever i show up he like attaches himself to my leg, what ever was i thinking?

When I first started riding trials, I found a mechanic at a bike shop that knew what trials is, and he would special order stuff for me, and did a fair amount of work on my bike, I tipped him a few times, maybe $10 total. After that, he wouldn't charge me for work he did on my bike, I would get stuff for really cheap/free, and he would do a good job when he worked on my bike instead of just getting it done. For me, my $10 in tips was well worth the couple hundred bucks I saved. It depends on the person and where they work.

[Rodmunch]

Chris;416813']i dont understand the concept of paying someone to do their job? espically when someone else is already paying them? i made the mistake of tipping the guy at my car wash place and now whenever i show up he like attaches himself to my leg, what ever was i thinking?

2 things:

1) Some jobs, like working in a restaurant, only pay minimum wage or near it. Those people live off tips, but this is an accepted thing in our society. A bike shop or shoe store employee most likely makes more money (I dunno since I never worked in either, but I did bus and wait tables for 7 years).

2) Tipping someone at a place you frequent will most likely make them remember you the next time you show up and they might be willing to go the extra mile for you. Like hump your leg lol.

[WhiteRavenKS]

i've never expected a tip working at a shop but when you squeeze someone in to work on their bike when they bring it to you the 20 minutes before they had to leave for a race or something like that... maybe a little monetary 'hey thanks' wouldn't be uncalled for.

[eturt9]

I put a tip jar up at my desk job, i've made about 27 cents so far.

I should get tipped for doing my work well shouldn't I?

[spoke2570]

Good food, beer, scotch, or a nice J are my faves.

[FDS2223]

I work at a gas station and i can make $60 in tips in an 8 hour shift, so i think its funny that a bike mechanic who actually has a heavy amount of responsibility dosent get any tips. I guess its eaiser for people to drop you a buck when they just bought their cigs and are happy instead of when they just droped a load of cash on a bike repair or something and probably have no money for cigs or anything left.

[hophopsnap]

Tips aren't for doing your job, tips are for going 'above and beyond' your normal job. Showing their titties while refilling your soda, not wiping their cunt on your pizza, all worthy of a tip. Although some might tip for that sort of thing done to their pizza..coughrushcough.

[stefan]

nice from you to tip the guy

do it and he will probably work better for you, that's sure.

I think that if you spent 1000USD, you could reward him 20 USD : but I may be too generous

[CriPPle]

Society just teaches people to tip workers in some professions and not in others. Don't know what the LBS scene is like in the US, but here in Aus every man and his dog expects a discount on every single thing they buy, and are completely outraged whenever you charge for labour. It sucks ATM.

We don't exactly get humongous wages either, so even if customers don't tip they could at least show a little appreciation, especially if you do go "above and beyond".

[WhiteRavenKS]

that's just the cycling industry in general. everyone wants a bro-deal and a hand out. they want cost plus 10% becuase they are 5th overall in the sport mens 29-34 age class at the local xc race series. they just got these cranks online and they want you to put them on at a discounted labor rate. they dont want to pay for videos becuase they are online for free. they want you to price match mail order companies and then bend over backwards to have it on their bike by tomorrow. balh blah blah blah. people suck everywhere.

[Tanner]

Agreed. When I worked at a shop a guy asked how much it would be for a set of the new dura-ace cranks. I gave him our price and he just went off on how he could get a better deal online. I said fine and he left. He came back a week later with the box from performancebike and his bike and told us to put the cranks on and he would be back later that evening to get his bike up. This was in the middle of summer so our repairs were a few days back. I kindly told him to call performance bike and have them install the cranks.

[carnagr]

To what Rodmunch was saying about wages, I am a tech in a bike shop and I make a grand total of minimum wage.

[eturt9]

I kindly told him to call performance bike and have them install the cranks.

burn

[Sinister Proboscis]

I didn't expect so much attention!

The way I see it, bike mechanics are skilled professionals who are underpaid. (Should I mention that I'm a high school English teacher?)

The last time I had a bike built for me from the ground up, the mechanic talked with me for at least 45 minutes; he asked detailed questions and made suggestions. When I got the complete bike, I tipped him. A lot. (More than $100.) This is a guy (I suspect this is true for all bike guys) who doesn't do his job for the money; he does it because he loves biking and spreading the sport.

Props to all bike mechanics!

[afrobot]

Agreed. I kindly told him to call performance bike and have them install the cranks.
Thats just fucking stupid! You will always get people like that coming in .if you had given good service you could have gotten yourself a new customer. :nuts:
Long time ago I broke my PX before a comp. Working in a shop ,I got spoiled on the bro deal life .No wholesalers had frames. I called web cycleryand mean todd hooked me up very fairly. I sent him an $80 bottle of single malt.

[Tanner]

If you would have seen him after we gave him the price on the Dura-ace cranks, you wouldn't have wanted to deal with him either. I've installed plenty of parts bought online for people. We had a guy come in with a Leader frame and fork and we built it up for him using the parts he bought off performance. It's no big deal where you bought the parts, but it's a big deal if you're going to be an asshole about the whole thing.

[mikeyr89]

I work at a bikeshop and I've gotten tipped once in the past... hmm year and a half? It was really sweet. I'd say if you tip, anything is awesome. I think I got $2, and it was for changing a flat after they already paid $15.... I don't understand people but I'm not complaining. Yea, tips are really nice. It made my day.

[[BMF] Chris]

Tips aren't for doing your job, tips are for going 'above and beyond' your normal job.


last time i check going above and beyond your job description was grounds for a raise, not a tip. i work in a restaurant for near to nothing under a french master chef whos a prick. if i DONT, go above and beyond my job its my ass on a platter, and you think some person is gonna walk back into our kitchen just because i aranged the tomatoes on their plate perfectly? yea right? everynight i work in a 100 degree plus kitchen while i have to listen to bitch waiters complain about how they only got a 20% tip, and i just remind them how they make more than me in one night than i make in a week. then i go home and cry because i actually have student loans to pay off for a crappy culinary degree while the waitstaff, who barely made it outa highschool just goes home and rolls around in a big pile of cash on their bed. and dont even get me started on those pricks at star bucks charging me 13.50 for a grande latte and then having the BALLS to even think about setting out a tip jar.......

[Rodmunch]

Hey your decision, you put yourself in that situation. Go cry me a river. =P

[AndyT]

You use tips to get things.


You give him a tip, he has 12 repairs- give him a tip and he'll do yours right away...

Tip your bar tender a lot, next time you'll get a few free drinks.

Tip your whore a lot, some times you'll get a freebie before work.



If you can't understand this...you might be a nerdy trials rider.

[AndyT]

Chris;417678']last time i check going above and beyond your job description was grounds for a raise, not a tip. i work in a restaurant for near to nothing under a french master chef whos a prick. if i DONT, go above and beyond my job its my ass on a platter, and you think some person is gonna walk back into our kitchen just because i aranged the tomatoes on their plate perfectly? yea right? everynight i work in a 100 degree plus kitchen while i have to listen to bitch waiters complain about how they only got a 20% tip, and i just remind them how they make more than me in one night than i make in a week. then i go home and cry because i actually have student loans to pay off for a crappy culinary degree while the waitstaff, who barely made it outa highschool just goes home and rolls around in a big pile of cash on their bed. and dont even get me started on those pricks at star bucks charging me 13.50 for a grande latte and then having the BALLS to even think about setting out a tip jar.......



That is your choice for choosing that career. You can go farther though, if you have any talent..while the wait staff can't. Unless they are smart/good looking and go to LA and make $500-1000 a night working at a real restaurant, not that hick shit where you live.