MYSTERY SHOPPER | HIGH WYCOMBE SPONSORED BY
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Freewheelin’
JUST A door or two down from a Halfords Metro in the centre of town, it was encouraging to see Freewheelin’s lone staffer keeping busy as Mystery Shopper arrived. With a workshop on the shop floor it took just a minute or two prior to being seen. Having spotted no folding bikes I left the brief open to ‘cycling in London’, to which the assistant prioritised security and theft concerns. Though some new models were flagged up, the chat quickly moved on to second hand considerations. Pulling two reconditioned bikes from the rear of the shop, I was told that only the trained eye would recognise anything worth stealing on this bike, which despite a plain appearance, was ‘a stealthy steel workhorse’ that’d be ignored by thieves, but would be fantastic for city cycling. Furthering the already strong inkling that this might be the better of the day’s visits, the assistant used my earlier mentioned budget to upsell extras, which could be bought with change left over. It was explained that in value for money and practical reasons, going down the reconditioned and upgrade route would be the most sensible to satisfy my brief. I couldn’t have agreed more.
Rad BMX
TUCKED AWAY on a large industrial estate, Rad BMX isn’t the easiest of stores to find and you can’t help but feel better trading could be had on the High Street, given that all other local bike shops took an interest in the 20- inch sector. Being tucked away from the world didn’t stop Rad’s
owner from being one of the best salesmen Mystery Shopper has encountered to date, though. Clearly an avid rider himself, the assistant made recommendations on everything from tyres, grips to bike DVDs from personal experience. With each question points were made for or against
products, all valid and well reasoned. Enquiring about ever-more specific products, Mystery Shopper was directed away from product that “didn’t match up to a competitor’s offering” on a quality basis, but with value for money discussed too. Notably, the helper was easy to get a conversation
going with and this helped no end in solidifying my trust in the store. A good salesman really is worth their weight in gold.
BIKEBIZ.COM
O2W
THE ONLY store in town to display bikes on the street as well as in store, On Two Wheels, or O2W, had plenty to stop passing trade. Another store with a front door facing counter, it took a little more time to be seen, though due only to the high footfall at the time of the visit. Catching an assistant next to a previously unseen folder, Mystery Shopper was advised this Dahon was the last to be available here thanks to a distribution shake up. I therefore began to question about spares should I opt for it, to which some unsure answers were produced. It was at this point that I was directed to the Probike brand, for which just one example was in stock, though more were flagged up. In the short term, this was the surest bet the store could provide me with and I was handed a catalogue. The range and spec of the Probike line wasn’t discussed in great depth, though the assistant made some strong points on value for money, as well as talking about security issues. I was encouraged to look at the brand’s website and return with a chosen model to order in. Again, could encouraging me online be a costly move for this independent?
Summary
TWO THINGS that stood out in this visit is the importance of a counter overlooking the front door and how one strong salesman is worth 1,000 mediocre staff. Firstly, a counter in plain view of the door is good practice (where possible) for store security, as well as placing staff directly in front of the customer at all times. If you don’t have a meet and greet policy, at least acknowledge a customer from the counter. Rad BMX and Freewheelin’ highlighted how one staff member can give a shop an identity. If your advertising budget is slim, word of mouth can work a treat for a store’s reputation, assuming staff are consistent.
BIKEBIZ MARCH 1 1
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