My new bike search began with my fingertips furiously typing the names of different bike manufacturers in a Google search: Specialized, Giant, Kona, Trek, and more. I studied geometries, suspension, and components, and watched different bikes zipping along trails in YouTube videos.
After a couple more weeks of pedaling my old Giant NRS 1 around Rockland Lake, I was getting eager to hit the trails on a new bike. What happened next, which lead me to the bike of my dreams, is revealed in the letter I wrote to the district manager of Trek. It was quite a series of events, and nothing says it better than what I wrote to Trek!
“December 5, 2022
Dear John Burke,
Compelled by the stellar customer service I received while purchasing a new bike from Trek Bicycle – Closter in Bergen County, New Jersey, I felt a strong need to convey my experience to you. I write this not only as a life-long mountain biker and consumer, but also as a business owner. My husband and I own Westwood Music Studios, a private music school located only five miles from the Trek store, so we share the same customer base, and I fully understand the dynamics of doing business in the area.
It is important to first give you a brief synopsis of my cycling background, as it has great significance to Trek, the bike industry, and my recent experience. My first mountain bike, purchased in 1989, was a Trek 7000, fully rigid bike. At the time, I thought it was the greatest thing ever created, and that together, my bike and I were invincible – able to ride over anything and anywhere, and so we did! We did …. until my beloved Trek 7000 was stolen from my home. Fortunately, the police found the bike unscathed, arrested the thief, and returned it to me. Yes, my Trek came back to me, so I named it, Boomerang! After years of grinding and pounding through the rough, rocky terrain of northern New Jersey, Boomerang was grinding to a halt. When discussing marriage with my future husband, who I had introduced to mountain biking, he asked if I wanted a diamond engagement ring, to which I replied, “No, I’d prefer a new mountain bike.”
Deviating from Trek, my next bike, my “wedding ring,” was a Kona Explosif hardtail, sporting the latest development, a front shock. Following our mountain biking honeymoon in Maine, I continued riding the Kona but eventually kept up with the times and bought a full suspension Giant NRS 1 Carbon (2005) bike, which I rode until life got in the way, causing it to sit dormant for years. This past summer, I dusted off my saddle, hopped back on and started pedaling again. It wasn’t long before I realized it was time to get off such an outdated bike, and thus my research and shopping began.
My bike shopping excursion began by first going to the same local shop my original Trek, Kona, and Giant were from. No longer a Trek dealer, they now offered Specialized, Giant, and a few other brands. However, they didn’t have any of the higher end full suspension bikes in size small for me to test ride. I was considering the Specialized Stumpjumper Comp Alloy and the Giant Trance X. When I asked how I can go about buying a bike, being there is nothing to test ride, the manager told me, “You plunk down your money on the one you think you want and then we’ll order it.” I went back to the shop two weeks later after scouting out a few other stores and asked the manager what the policy was if the bike, ordered sight unseen, didn’t fit me, and was told, “It’s yours. There is no return policy.” I pressed him further, asking if it could be returned to the warehouse with a restocking fee if I didn’t take it out of the store, and was again told, “No. You own it”! I certainly couldn’t take such a gamble and wondered if this was becoming an industry norm. The next several stores I went to had somewhat informative salespeople but none seemed overly interested in their products or even in selling me a bike. Relaying this story to a friend who recently purchased a Trek in New York City, she suggested I go to my local Trek store.
I called the store in Closter and had a conversation with Victoria Baumgartner, who spoke with such an amazingly high degree of enthusiasm and professionalism. She listened carefully to my many questions, responding to all with clear, knowledgeable answers, and invited me to come to the store to test ride the bikes. A few days later, when I walked into the store, I was greeted by Kevin, one of the salespeople. Explaining I was interested in the Fuel EX 8 in a size small that I had spoken to Victoria about, he immediately pulled the bike from its rack to show it to me and proceeded to go over all the details. Having studied the bike online, I fired off numerous questions, and Kevin patiently and kindly answered each one. Victoria had been working with another customer at the time, and when she finished, she came over, smiling, to meet me. Since it was getting dark, too late for a test ride, I put a deposit on the bike and returned a few days later to ride it.
Ross, one on the techs, put the proper pressure in the shocks and adjusted the dropper post and seat height so that I would be test riding the bike set up the way I would ride it if it were my own. Ross took great care in his work, making sure everything was just right. Victoria, Kevin, and Ross cheered me out the door for my test ride, and to be honest, what I was thinking was, I hope this bike fits me because these people are so nice; I definitely want to buy my new bike from them.
The good news was the bike fit and handled like a dream – I felt as though the geometry was custom made for my body. Following my brief ride, Victoria and Ross discussed the bike and mountain biking in general with me. They were not only enthusiastic, pleasant, and professional, but most importantly, genuine. It was clear to me, a person who deals with the general public, as both a business owner and consumer, that they truly take pride in their work and care about the customer. Victoria then helped me with my pedal choices, again leading me down the right path.
A week later I had my old Giant NRS serviced for my husband to ride until we can work another new bike into our budget. Mary was the one overseeing the process, and like the others in the store, exhibited elite professionalism. After being serviced, the Giant looked better than when it was new, so much so, that I was stunned.
This experience made me reflect upon my past retail dealings, and I came to the conclusion that this was perhaps the best retail experience of my life. Living in Bergen County, known for its rough, hardball ways, complete with demanding, elitist customers, and salespeople who simply don’t care about doing their job, I have had more negative experiences than positive ones, especially lately. Having said that, we do purchase our vehicles from a local Mercedes dealership, where we are, indeed, treated very well. However, the people at Trek went the extra mile and then some, and I can honestly say they outdid the Mercedes dealer in all respects!
Another example of this is, until we can get a trailer hitch attached to our SUV, we considered a basic bike rack. Kevin took so much time and care assembling the rack and attaching it to our vehicle, just to test if it was a good fit or not. We didn’t buy the rack, at least not yet, as we are exploring other, more permanent options. I was beyond impressed by how patient and kind Kevin was when helping us.
Owning a business in this community, I know how difficult it is to find and hire quality workers. The employees at your Closter location, led by Victoria, are outstanding and exemplary role models. They have set the bar high and can be looked upon as an industry standard for others to aspire to.
I found the need to relay all of this to you because, not only is it something important for business managers, owners, and executives to be aware of, but also, after having been treated so well and respectfully, I felt the need to reciprocate and give accolades to those truly deserving of it. Also, in today’s world, it is usually the negative things that get reported, while those who do good are left in the shadows, so I wanted to shine light on those positive individuals.
In conclusion, just like my first Trek, “Boomerang” returned to me, I have returned to Trek! I have come full circle due to your quality products and outstanding professionals at the store. I hope to take my bike to Europe to ride in the Alps, Dolomites, and other backwoods regions of Austria and northern Italy. I also look forward to a long and continued relationship with Trek.
Sincerely,
PS … I named him, “Sparky”!
