Had a customer yell at me over a loose spoke in Minneapolis last week

Guy comes in furious his wheel was wobbly after I built it. Turns out he'd been hitting potholes at 25 mph for two months. I showed him the dent in the rim and he just walked out. Anyone else deal with folks who blame you for basic wear and tear?

2 comments

2 Comments

davis.ivan1mo ago

People like that just want a scapegoat for their own abuse.

amymason1mo ago

Oh, "scapegoat for their own abuse" is a bit strong in my experience. I mean yeah, the guy was probably embarrassed he'd been riding a dented rim for two months without noticing, but calling it abuse feels like it's putting too much blame on the customer's normal riding habits. Potholes at 25 mph isn't exactly abuse, it's just city commuting in a place with rough roads. I've seen plenty of rims that get hairline cracks from that kind of stuff over time, and it's not always the rider's fault if they didn't know to check for damage. But also, walking out without saying anything is pretty cowardly, so maybe I'm being too generous with the benefit of the doubt. Your mileage may vary on how much slack you want to cut someone who just yelled at you.