Price for carbon steer cut and crown race install

[dddd]

It does seem like today's $45 is like yesterday's $20.

[nesteel]

Originally Posted by dddd

It does seem like today's $45 is like yesterday's $20.

Except on your paycheck.......

[adub]

Honestly, this is over the top. You're complaining about paying a shop $35.00 to do something that takes some skill and a specialized tool. $35...

[nmrt]

Dunno about specialization. I know a guy who is a PhD in Math from Duke. He charges $35 for half an hour of math tutoring. In my mind, he is way more specialized than the skill and the tool needed to cut a carbon steer.

In the end, it is not about only about specialization. It is about what the market will bear.

Originally Posted by adub

Honestly, this is over the top. You're complaining about paying a shop $35.00 to do something that takes some skill and a specialized tool. $35...

[adub]

Originally Posted by nmrt

Dunno about specialization. I know a guy who is a PhD in Math from Duke. He charges $35 for half an hour of math tutoring. In my mind, he is way more specialized than the skill and the tool needed to cut a carbon steer.

In the end, it is not about only about specialization. It is about what the market will bear.

Exactly. A PhD is definitely not required to be a math tutor. $70/hr sounds about right. LOL!!

[Shane4XC]

Originally Posted by nesteel

You're not paying them for how long it took them. You're paying them for the years they have into ensuring its done right.
We've worked in the same shop together; you know this

I’ve had shops mess up cutting the steerer, causing the tube to flake really bad. Hard concur on paying people to do it right, and be accountable when they do it wrong

[tv_vt]

Does OP support any non-profit charities who do work he believes in?

I ask because sometimes if I think I've been a little overcharged, I'll think what might've been a reasonable charge for the service, and then think, OK, the rest is my charitable contribution to this LBS non-profit to help keep it in business, cuz it's worth something to me to have it open in my town.

Or this: what if it cost what you thought it should cost (which is what amount exactly?), but they told you it would be done by next week. Would you be OK with that? How much is making one trip to the LBS worth versus having to make another second trip back to pick it up in a week? You walked in and they did it on the spot for you, yes? They just dropped whatever they were doing and did it for you, yes?

So how much do you think you should've had to pay? 10 bucks? $25?

I think you know what I think about how they treated you. Bring 'em a box of donuts next time you stop in.

[Talrand]

Originally Posted by tv_vt

Does OP support any non-profit charities who do work he believes in?

I ask because sometimes if I think I've been a little overcharged, I'll think what might've been a reasonable charge for the service, and then think, OK, the rest is my charitable contribution to this LBS non-profit to help keep it in business, cuz it's worth something to me to have it open in my town.

Sounds like a coping mechanism for being ripped off. Bike shops are not non-profit charities, no need to treat them as such.

OP's main problem is complaining about the price after not asking beforehand, everyone wants to act like they're well off enough not to ask and then...

[JMT3]

I would say pretty cheap considering if you screwed it up and had to buy a new fork. I do my own and have the tools to do it. If you have the right tools it’s very easy to do. Don’t measure twice before cutting measure 3 or 4 times. If they screwed it up they would be buying you a new fork. Besides doing the job they take on the liability of the cost should they do it wrong. Experiences helps getting it right but they are human and those humans sometimes make mistakes.

[Blown Reek]

.

[Duvivr6]

OT but somewhat related:

I visited a coffee shop in Orlando a while back ordered 2 coffee and stood there waiting for a price. The young lady behind the counter said we don't have set prices, you can pay what you think the service is worth. I was completely blown away, I had to think what to pay for something I ordered and gauge value on my own. You could also just not pay, there was nothing stopping you. So my brain goes into calculation mode comparing prices for a cappuccino, which I included Starbucks in the calculation. A place I know I will not visit, but I thought well people pay 5 or 7 dollars for a crappy coffee in Starbucks, I gladly pay 5 to 7 dollars for a nice espresso and these folks are just letting me choose. So I went with 10 for each because it was a decent coffee and service plus I would 100 percent support this type of operation.

All of this to say, service is worth what you get in return. If they did a good job, seems they took care of you on the spot, didn't screw it up and you left happy. I would say 35 is a good price. Otherwise you could buy the tools for not much more and do it yourself, or get a wrench friend and buy him a coffee.

Duvi

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by jbreebs

What would you expect to pay for this service? I just had one cut down and was charged $35 for 5 minutes worth of work. I get that tools are expensive, but I feel like this was a bit excessive given how straightforward a task it is. Am I just out of the loop on shop prices these days?

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

I think that's about right..'Maybe about $5 too high. Also doubt it took '5 minutes tho....if the guy was thorough about it, used the proper tools, smoothed the edges of the cut steerer, etc..it would take me about 15 minutes.....

[StressStrain]

$35 is entirely reasonable. These are safety-critical parts that require a level of experience to get right. You're paying for that.

And personally I think any bike shop that gets the job done deserves my $35.

[saab2000]

I’m in the ‘reasonable’ camp here. Gotta pay the light bill. Do we want shops to continue to exist? If so, we can’t expect them to do work that isn’t profitable for them.

[SpeedyChix]

Having owned a business for years that's a very fair price. Cut the fork and install the race while you waited? Can the online discount place cut that? Labor rate (everything that goes into paying for an employee) and the business costs (again everything that goes into rent/mortgage, insurance, etc.) and a small profit. IBDs aren't getting rich.