Doing my best...

have you ever gone into that bike shop, or music store, or perhaps a running shoe store, and just found the employees to have an eliteist attitude? In my opnion bike shop employees are the number one culprits in this. Such as when Dad, Eric and I went to that shop in Salt Lake. We were there for at least half an hour with almost no other customers in the shop. We looked at bikes, skis, boots, clothes...everything. The whole time we were there two employees sat at the front counter talking about things, that to one listening in, would think these guys are the s@%$ in the outdoors. But never once, was I asked if I had a question. Potentially, we could've been looking to buy a 1000 dollar bike (which is huge in an industry like this). Even though I wasn't going to spend any money, they didn't know that. A simple hello can I help you find something would have totally satisfied me. But nothing. I don't even remeber them saying something like thank you after Eric bought something. Honestly, I wont ever spend any money there if I ever go back. If I was their boss, I'd fire them.
Maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit on firing but it is often overlooked how important it is to make people feel welcome in a retail shop. I've been guilty of this too on occasion, but the more I'm on the other end, the more I try to never let that happen.
The more I deal with customers, put on that smiling face, and put myself into the customers position and understand why that piece of crap bike for 300 bucks is actually a sweet bike for them, I realize I feel much better when a customer leaves feeling on top of the world because they now own a bike. In my standards, I wouldn't be caught dead on the bike they bought, but to them, its their pride and joy....afterall, they can tell their friends this is a 300 dollar bike!!!!
Many customers who buy bikes from our shop say how great our customer service is. Especially people who have looked in other shops for bikes while trying to find that right one. So, although I work at the "Wally world" of the cycling industry, I feel good because someone who comes to buy a bike from me will honestly feel that they were helped w/ sincerity.