Had a customer bring in a bike with the chain completely rusted solid, swore it was my fault because I tuned it up 2 years ago

He stood in the shop for 45 minutes screaming at me while I held up the rusted link, and when I finally asked when he last oiled it he said 'oil is a scam, you just want my money,' so has anyone else had a customer blame you for basic wear and tear?

3 comments

3 Comments

terryh2023d ago

Man, that is brutal. 45 minutes of screaming over something that basic is just insane. People really don't get that chains are a wear item, especially if you never touch them with lube. Sounds like he was looking for someone to blame instead of just accepting he neglected it for two years. I've had similar stuff happen where folks think their cars or bikes should just run forever with zero maintenance. Did you end up just walking away from him or did he finally leave on his own?

park.robin23d ago

Neglected it for two years" is exactly it. That part kills me. People treat bikes and cars like they're indestructible just because they sit in the garage. Two years without touching the chain, then they're shocked when it snaps. I think some folks just refuse to accept that maintenance is part of ownership. They'd rather yell at someone else than admit they dropped the ball. Honestly, I would've walked away after the first 10 minutes. No amount of explaining is worth that much screaming.

carr.brooke22d ago

Oil is a scam" is a new one, I'll give him that. I've had people tell me their dog's nails just "don't grow" so I'm scamming them too. Honestly, I tell people upfront now - any machine with moving parts needs basic care, and if you can't handle that, don't come crying when it seizes up.