Thursday, 28 March 2024
NewsWorkshop

Shimano’s 1,000th Service Centre marks surge in workshop trade

Shimano has opened up its 1,000th Service Centre in Europe with the licensing of Cycle Revolution of Colchester and Ipswich.

The workshop has been a flourishing area for the bicycle retailer for some time, with stores increasingly adding weight to their service offerings. Darren Thomas, CEO of Cycle Revolution, is no exception.

He said: “We believe in excellent customer service as the best way to boost trade so Shimano’s Service Center concept fully suited our business model.

“Becoming part of such a large network gives us and the other Service Centres around the world a brand name and a reputation that stands for quality. We recently completed a workshop makeover and we are actively training staff in Shimano’s certified technical training courses [S-T.E.C] on topics such as e-bike systems and Di2 to help us meet the highest quality standards, all of which gives our customers a really positive service experience.”

In responding to CI.N’s own Independent Retail Study recently, stores overwhelmingly responded in favour of investing in high-profit workshop trade, many adjusting their prices to better reflect the higher degree of skill now required to service the incoming e-Bike boom; of which Shimano plays a part with its STEPS system.

Shimano Europe Retail Services Manager, Martijn Vallen, added: “The Shimano Service Centre concept is all about helping customers create the ultimate cycling experience. It’s about helping riders to reach their goals and enjoy their rides with a bike that’s performing perfectly. So to reach a milestone like this is significant in terms of the care we are providing to riders.

“In the coming years we will focus on putting Shimano certified mechanics on the pedestal they deserve. They are the heroes of Shimano Service Centres. They really make the difference because they know everything about all our latest technologies, such as Di2 and e-bikes. They are the best ambassadors we could wish for because they are the first and most important contact for customers in making the choice for products from Shimano.”

The Service Centre proposition will form part of UK distributor Madison’s up-coming IceBike event, where stores interested in developing their service work can register an interest. You can register for the Arena: MK event here.

Businesses interested in the direction of bike retail in the UK can now purchase the CI.N report by enquiring by email here.