(not original ) Customer Relations

[Don Walker]

Hey all, this is an odd question, but its one I've never dealt with until now.

If someone contacts you regarding a frame of yours that they bought second hand needing a "replacement value" invoice because they were hit by a car, yet they arent interested in buying another one of your bikes do you;

1. tell them to piss off
2. give them a replacement value invoice, but charge them for your time
3. tell them the only way to get one is to put down a deposit on a new bike

He's NOT the original customer, so do I make it for what the bike sold for back in 2003, or replacement value for my current prices?
Again, he doesnt want one of mine...

thoughts? opinions?

DW

[e-RICHIE]

Hey all, this is an odd question, but its one I've never dealt with until now.

If someone contacts you regarding a frame of yours that they bought second hand needing a "replacement value" invoice because they were hit by a car, yet they arent interested in buying another one of your bikes do you;

1. tell them to piss off
2. give them a replacement value invoice, but charge them for your time
3. tell them the only way to get one is to put down a deposit on a new bike

He's NOT the original customer, so do I make it for what the bike sold for back in 2003, or replacement value for my current prices?
Again, he doesnt want one of mine...

thoughts? opinions?

DW

1 800 take a hike

[steve garro]

Hey all, this is an odd question, but its one I've never dealt with until now.

thoughts? opinions?

DW

I think you are all good: Don Walker Cycles offers a 5 year warranty, to the original owner, on all of our handcrafted bicycles frames. This warranty is limited to failures and damage cause by defect in material and workmanship and does not cover damage caused by crash, misuse or unusual wear.

I don't see anything about non-original owners. either he's paying you to fix it, or he's buying a new one. - Garro.

[Jonathan]

I like option 2, because you'll look like an ass when he complains on the serotta forum that you told him to piss off.

[e-RICHIE]

he gets a price list (2011), an estimate for a new frame, and a bill for 1 hour's labor for the meeting.
if he orders, he goes to the back of the queue and pays the current price.

get paid for the consultation; lord know the lawyers and insurance agents will atmo.

[jerk]

dw-
most bike shops around here charge 60 bucks for an insurance estimate which includes a quote usually in the form of a pdf as well as contact information for the insurance company to contact with any questions. in general, it is a huge waste of time for a frame builder or even a shop unless there is a reasonable reason to provide this degree of customer service. to me, this would include helping out a client or a potential client. i always tell insurance companies that my expertise does not include valuing used bicycles but i am more than happy to provide them with "replacement cost" of a new equivalent. they always dig for the "yeah but what was the thing worth". to which i normally reply, like a tailored suit, it is priceless to it's owner, utterly worthless to the rest of the world and the only value that can be assigned to it is either replacement cost or a bunch of zeros.

hope this helps.

[Carl S]

If it were me I'd put together a quick estimate that listed out the replacement cost of the bike straight off my price list. My guess is that it would take a couple minutes to produce and email using Quickbooks. It's an easy way to create some goodwill and takes little to no time. If there were any followups asking for more info or detail then I'd tell them to take a hike...politely

[Dave Anderson]

dw-
most bike shops around here charge 60 bucks for an insurance estimate which includes a quote usually in the form of a pdf as well as contact information for the insurance company to contact with any questions. in general, it is a huge waste of time for a frame builder or even a shop unless there is a reasonable reason to provide this degree of customer service. to me, this would include helping out a client or a potential client. i always tell insurance companies that my expertise does not include valuing used bicycles but i am more than happy to provide them with "replacement cost" of a new equivalent. they always dig for the "yeah but what was the thing worth". to which i normally reply, like a tailored suit, it is priceless to it's owner, utterly worthless to the rest of the world and the only value that can be assigned to it is either replacement cost or a bunch of zeros.

hope this helps.

+1 .....Charge for and provide a replacement cost quote at today's dollars for a LKQ (Like, Kind, & Quality) frameset or bike. Given the unique nature of the product, you are the only one who can and without one, he'll be at a distinct disadvantage with the Insurance Company. If the Company represents the driver of the car, and assuming there is no question with respect to fault, they will offer the bike's Actual Cash Value to the rider, and, as Justin notes, they may, therefore, also ask for input on the bikes "value", which I would shy away from big time. Let them figure that one out on their own....unless, perhaps, they also want to pay you an appraisal fee!

Frankly, if the rider has their own homeowner's insurance they may be better off going through their own carrier because most homeowners policy's provide coverage for "Personal Property" (which would include bicycles) on a Replacement Cost Basis and would, therefore, potentially have coverage for the full cost of replacing the bike....provided the bike is actually replaced (hint, hint).

Dave

[anthonymaietta]

It'll take 5 minutes to make an invoice at current pricing.

Do it, create good will, forget about it 10 minutes after you send it. Maybe you'll get an order down the road.

Name me another industry that charges for a quote?

Tony

[Andrew R Stewart]

At the shop I had we'd estimate for what ever equivelent bike we handled for what ever brand the customer had lost or damaged. Our letter said we couldn't quote prices for what we didn't sell but the performance and grade of what we quoted for was matched with the lost bike. We charged for this at a token rate, hoping for the replacement business.

Now Don's situation is different in that he IS the horses mouth. So I would quote for current new replacement and let the insurance co figure out the used adjustment. Charge the customer for the time and tell him to include the esimate charge in his claim as well. Don't forget that the ins co might call you and ask for a defence of your quote and that too takes a bit of time and skill.

[Thylacine Cycles]

Do all insurance companies in the US make the cheque out to the claimant, rather then the entity who furnished the quote for the replacement?

[Andrew R Stewart]

Do all insurance companies in the US make the cheque out to the claimant, rather then the entity who furnished the quote for the replacement?

This always burned me. It was the claimant who bought the coverage not the shop who provided the estimate. So why would the shop belong on the pay out check? (I knoe why. Just think it's not right. The claimant should have the right to do what ever they want with the $. Including not repair/replace the item).

[Thylacine Cycles]

It's a sticky point, isn't it.

The counter argument to that, is that it was the goods that were insured, not the capital investment in the goods. If it's the capital locked up in the goods, then if someone say has their five year old laptop insured and it's depreciated to zero, then if it was stolen you'd theoretically be entitled to zero.

I'm glad I'm not in the insurance biz!

I think if I was in Don's situation I'd probably just go the goodwill route and write out a quote for a new frame. It would take all of 5 minutes and you'd win brownie points with the karma police.

[Andrew R Stewart]

That's why i like replacement cost insurance not depreaciating kind. (Possible bad spelling and lack of really knowing what i write about).