Hey, I'm working at the Community Cycling Center in Portland Oregon and we have been trying to brainstorm how to keep track of customers and tool stand users in the melee of the summer season. People come into our shop and line up out the door. Some people have "a quick question" and some need to consult about building their bike. It is hard to maintain a sense of order when one mechanic may be with a patron for 1 hour or more.
Has anyone come up with a system to manage customers? We become overwhelmed trying to manage customers making purchases, consulting on repairs that they want to do themselves or have us do, or consulting about bike sizing, test riding, etc.
We tried a "take a number" system last season that proved ineffective and just as confusing. We also tried having some people doing customer shuffling while mechanics answered questions, but still we would like to be more efficient.
I'd love to hear any suggestions anyone may have or tactics you find work to maintain a steady pace of work and address needs in an organized way!
Please feel free to ask me questions if i have been unclear. I am looking forward to hearing different problem solving tactics.
Andrea Chiotti
I learned during Bici! Bici! (California's Bike! Bike!) last year that the Bici Cocina in L.A. does a reservation system. They'll take drop-ins if they can squeeze them in, but yeah. Reservation system. Or open a satellite?
From their website:
Appointments:
Appointments are available for 6:30pm on Monday - Thursday and 12pm on Monday, Saturday, and Sunday - just call in advance, during open hours or come in to schedule yourself. Note: Monday nights (the 6:30pm slot) are reserved for Bicycle Bitchen which is for women and transgendered only.
We only take 6 appointments (we have six stands,) per business day. All other clients must come in person to be placed on a First Come/First Served Waitlist.
Only clients with an appointment are guaranteed standtime. If you are 15 minutes late, you forfeit your spot to the next person in line on the Waitlist.
On Fri, May 17, 2013 at 4:19 PM, Andrea Chiotti drazzy7@yahoo.com wrote:
Hey, I'm working at the Community Cycling Center in Portland Oregon and we have been trying to brainstorm how to keep track of customers and tool stand users in the melee of the summer season. People come into our shop and line up out the door. Some people have "a quick question" and some need to consult about building their bike. It is hard to maintain a sense of order when one mechanic may be with a patron for 1 hour or more.
Has anyone come up with a system to manage customers? We become overwhelmed trying to manage customers making purchases, consulting on repairs that they want to do themselves or have us do, or consulting about bike sizing, test riding, etc.
We tried a "take a number" system last season that proved ineffective and just as confusing. We also tried having some people doing customer shuffling while mechanics answered questions, but still we would like to be more efficient.
I'd love to hear any suggestions anyone may have or tactics you find work to maintain a steady pace of work and address needs in an organized way!
Please feel free to ask me questions if i have been unclear. I am looking forward to hearing different problem solving tactics.
Andrea Chiotti
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What has been working well at our shop is for our shop manager and myself to greet the people coming in the front door. When there is a line, it's typically hard to direct patrons to the right person, program, or form, without having a strong knowledge of the organization's programs and of bike mechanics.
For instance, it is quick and easy to tell someone their wheel is damaged and can't be trued and where they can look to purchase one, then explain to the next person the difference between dropping a bike off for service and using the shop's tools, then going onto the next person who needs to donate something.
It is easy to stagger when you can tell people their options and give them time to deliberate while you help someone else with a more "quick" question. And two people make this easier, provided they know all the answers to customers' questions.
I'm curious why a mechanic would be with someone for an hour or more. Either the mechanic should be checking in a bike for service and inspecting what it needs for about 7 minutes, or s/he should be performing a quick spot repair. Selling a bike is a little different, but it helps to have a designated person to help with that, so the person directing patrons knows they can help and the patron doesn't have to explain twice what kind of bike they are looking for.
Brett Schager Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator Community Cycles brett@communitycycles.org
On Fri, May 17, 2013 at 5:19 PM, Andrea Chiotti drazzy7@yahoo.com wrote:
Hey, I'm working at the Community Cycling Center in Portland Oregon and we have been trying to brainstorm how to keep track of customers and tool stand users in the melee of the summer season. People come into our shop and line up out the door. Some people have "a quick question" and some need to consult about building their bike. It is hard to maintain a sense of order when one mechanic may be with a patron for 1 hour or more.
Has anyone come up with a system to manage customers? We become overwhelmed trying to manage customers making purchases, consulting on repairs that they want to do themselves or have us do, or consulting about bike sizing, test riding, etc.
We tried a "take a number" system last season that proved ineffective and just as confusing. We also tried having some people doing customer shuffling while mechanics answered questions, but still we would like to be more efficient.
I'd love to hear any suggestions anyone may have or tactics you find work to maintain a steady pace of work and address needs in an organized way!
Please feel free to ask me questions if i have been unclear. I am looking forward to hearing different problem solving tactics.
Andrea Chiotti
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Sounds like you need to hire more support staff (customer service people) to help-- if it's in the budget. Keeping customers happy is important to the bottom line and keeping everyone happy. Customers walking away= lost sales. Volunteers walking away= loss of making a difference and serving the need.
On Sat, May 18, 2013 at 10:32 PM, Brett Schager < volunteer@communitycycles.org> wrote:
What has been working well at our shop is for our shop manager and myself to greet the people coming in the front door. When there is a line, it's typically hard to direct patrons to the right person, program, or form, without having a strong knowledge of the organization's programs and of bike mechanics.
For instance, it is quick and easy to tell someone their wheel is damaged and can't be trued and where they can look to purchase one, then explain to the next person the difference between dropping a bike off for service and using the shop's tools, then going onto the next person who needs to donate something.
It is easy to stagger when you can tell people their options and give them time to deliberate while you help someone else with a more "quick" question. And two people make this easier, provided they know all the answers to customers' questions.
I'm curious why a mechanic would be with someone for an hour or more. Either the mechanic should be checking in a bike for service and inspecting what it needs for about 7 minutes, or s/he should be performing a quick spot repair. Selling a bike is a little different, but it helps to have a designated person to help with that, so the person directing patrons knows they can help and the patron doesn't have to explain twice what kind of bike they are looking for.
Brett Schager Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator Community Cycles brett@communitycycles.org
On Fri, May 17, 2013 at 5:19 PM, Andrea Chiotti drazzy7@yahoo.com wrote:
Hey, I'm working at the Community Cycling Center in Portland Oregon and we have been trying to brainstorm how to keep track of customers and tool stand users in the melee of the summer season. People come into our shop and line up out the door. Some people have "a quick question" and some need to consult about building their bike. It is hard to maintain a sense of order when one mechanic may be with a patron for 1 hour or more.
Has anyone come up with a system to manage customers? We become overwhelmed trying to manage customers making purchases, consulting on repairs that they want to do themselves or have us do, or consulting about bike sizing, test riding, etc.
We tried a "take a number" system last season that proved ineffective and just as confusing. We also tried having some people doing customer shuffling while mechanics answered questions, but still we would like to be more efficient.
I'd love to hear any suggestions anyone may have or tactics you find work to maintain a steady pace of work and address needs in an organized way!
Please feel free to ask me questions if i have been unclear. I am looking forward to hearing different problem solving tactics.
Andrea Chiotti
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit:
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Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit:
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Andrea Chiotti -
Angel York -
Brett Schager -
Chauncey Tudhope-Locklear