There's an item you can buy from Amazon or direct from the manufacturer or distributor but there's a good chance it will need servicing or warranty at some point, and can be awkward to install.
So, you ask your LBS to order it in for you, even though it will cost you more, as (a) it's nice to support your LBS and (b) it's useful for warranty & service and (c) you want their expertise to install it anyway....
How many days/weeks/month of zero response from your LBS do you tolerate before eventually saying "f++k it, I'll sort it myself"...
Asking for a friend...
as in for an initial response? Or after the item is on order and you have paid a deposit/for it?
Are you communicating in person or via email?
Is it known the item is on back order or is it in stock with the distributor?
How quickly do you need the bike to be in working order? is the question I would be asking of myself. If you aren't getting any response just do it yourself straight away. A business not responding to enquiries? they deserve to lose your business.
2 weeks max, I reckon. After that, it's a case of fair enough, I'll get it myself
2 days max for a response to my request giving an indication of the time itll take.
It depends.
Has the LBS ordered the part? Is the part available to order? Has the LBS acknowledged that you’re a real customer? Have you brought biscuits? Has the owner been threatened with Bombers? Has the owner offered to fight you in the car park?
It sends on the LBS.
Bear in mind dates on manufacturers and distributors websites are changing weekly, currently so I'd take any dates as suggestions more than set in stone.
The initial ask of the bike shop was: "Here's two dropper posts plus a remote I'm interested in. Can you confirm you can get them, approx time frame and cost?"
Two personal visits to bike shop to ask those questions direct with the owner.
Neither currently in stock in LBS. He said he'd need to check with distributors.
No response so far. First discussion was about two weeks ago....
After two weeks I'd just order one myself. Really though I'd have done that in the first place.
I have multiple bike shops two weeks to get back to me via email with an additional query when buying my last bike. Two were deathly quiet, one was responsive within a few hours. They got my business after those two weeks (and several more queries)
They couldn't have been more helpful before, during, and after the bike arrived. Kudos to One Planet Adventure.
Regarding the 'oh, it was via email' excuse that some people use. That's frankly bollocks. If you're not going to respond to emails, don't publish an email address/contact form.
In many sectors emails are given the same importance as telephone/letter/sms. It's not a valid excuse.
After 2 or 3 goes just to get a price / yes we can get it I’d give up.
It’s just a dropper post - buy it online. Fitting isn’t that difficult in most cases - especially if the cable nipple is at the post end with the cut being made at the remote end. Those are really easy to fit as long as you haven’t got really daft internal cable routing.
My Transition was a bit of a faff getting the outer through the frame but easy after that.
If I'd gone to the shop and asked and not got an answer there and then, I'd be ordering myself.
It obviously isn't their core business. Tbh these kind of requests end up taking more time that they are worth - what's the net profit going to be to them? £60?
It probably just makes more sense to order it online and fit it. They're only going to have to do the same thing... google compatibility, cable routing and all that other guff.
If it' s not a bike they regularly sell, then you are probably already far more knowledgeable about it than them.
Went to buy from LBS once for pretty much the reasons you listed. Response was ‘well we get a delivery weekly but you’ve missed this weeks deadline so it’ll be here in eight days’. Went home and ordered online for next day delivery.
I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that most LBS want to sort out punctures and change cables on rim brakes. I don’t necessarily blame them for that - as Joe says if it’s not core business it’s likely more of a pita than it’s worth.
