Bow Shop Owners/Customers Help Me Understand?

[billysmals]

I'm looking for input from bow shop owners and customers.....

Disclaimer: My local shops are great. Good staff, knowledgable, lots of products and I use them when needed.....however

I have found that my local shops (2 of them) charge me extra to install products, even if purchased from them. For example one shop I bought an axcel landslyde direct mount base and carbon bar (over $400) and then was charged $15-25 dollars to set it into the bow. This is true for other purchases from what I can tell. I had a hamskea limb driven rest that I replaced the limb cord. The shop sold me the new cord, and installed it in a different location, and then charged me $15-20 to install it. I am not sure if I buy a new $1500-2000 bow, it may not include install and set up (that could be extra). If I buy a new $250 rest, I pay extra to have it installed.....even warranty work.....I had a warranty problem on a QAD: QAD told the shop to give me a new rest (they called QAD right then) so they walked over picked a new on off the shelf then charged $25 shop fee to install it.

My question: Is this typical from other shop owners, or from other shops? For clarity, I'm not complaining or saying this is wrong, I know business are business and have to make money. I have my own press and vice and do my own work as well. I usually have the shop do the initial install on products I buy, just to save me time from doing it myself at home, but I don't do this anymore.

I guess I'm not used to this practice. My old shop (before I moved) didn't charge extra to install products that I purchased from them. So if I bought whatever xxxx item (rest, sight, bow....) the install and set up was free. They didn't even charge to repair and fix/warranty products.

So I was just curious if this is typical? As I said, there are two pro shops here, and they both do this practice.

 

[ol490]

I haven’t seen this. I’ve also built my own shop and learned how to setup and tune myself so my data is limited to a couple of trips to a couple of shops over the last 5 years.
Who knows - maybe margins are thin, your shops don’t have enough volume, etc and they charge for tech time to stay afloat.
Prior to doing it myself, I would have gladly paid IF I knew the tech was excellent. I’ve seen the results of free work from tech’s that didn’t know what they were doing.

 

[wapitibob]

I've never seen that myself but from a strict business aspect, that tech is getting paid to install,, so his wages have to come from somewhere and margins are razor thin these days.
As noted, there's nothing magical about bows and setting them up. Buy a press, a saw, and a fletch jig and have at it.

 

[fatlander]

I’ve never seen a shop that charges full retail prices like you’re describing charge an additional fee to set up the things they sell.

I run a small archery service shop out of my garage. I stock/rep/distribute absolutely nothing. I will find things online for people and charge them the price of the item (obviously) and a set up and finders fee.

If you’re really passionate about archery, having everything you need to be your own shop is a very low barrier to entry. Press, arrow saw, bow vice, draw board and fletching jig is cheaper than buying a flagship bow these days.


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[billysmals]

Ya I have already set up my own shop. Have all the things for the bow install and also do my own arrows including cutting them. I had already owned half the items, but then after realizing I would pay for many things I could do myself, I just bought the rest. I was mostly curious if this was common practice? I do it all myself now.

 

[waspocrew]

It's been a while since I had my bow set up, but I don't recall being charged anything to install sight, rest, etc when I purchased from the shop. Only thing they'd charge for was cutting arrows and gluing inserts.

 

[mattmann]

I just purchased a PSE from a local bow shop in Missouri. I only paid for the bow and all of the accessories. He installed everything, tuned the bow and helped me sight it in all for the price of the bow and accessories. The way I look at it as I’m sure these guys are making a decent markup on the actual Bow and equipment so that’s probably paying for their time with a little profit. Could be wrong, but that’s the way I see it. He would charge me if I brought in accessories for him to install that I did not purchase through him. He also does it on the side. He is a farmer and owns a big agriculture store that happens to have a bow shop in it. Definitely not his main source of income.


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[blackveltbowhunter]

I have a complete in home setup. I also " regularly scheduled assist " our local pro shop in addition to my full time career. The shop does not charge for any install of products purchased in house. Including full bow setups, and new bow purchases include follow up tune as well. There is no charge for component swaps on new bow purchases either.
There is a charge for any tuning related to new component installs. For instance if purchasing a new rest, many customers also want to paper tune after. IF the nocking point is way off, which then means the peep needs moved, the rest is listing right because it was never yoke tuned, and the tech wants to make sure setup is good so they include draw board to set timing and twists to get the bow back to factory specs. Then expect to be charged for that.

 

[KBC]

The last bow I bought from a shop included set up and he checked the timing when I was back a couple months later looking for some parts for it.

Regarding mark up and how much the shops make on things, it’s way smaller than you think. I can order stuff from a wholesaler through my friend’s account. There’s a couple hundred bucks markup on a new bow. If they are setting it up for you, they are losing a bunch of that markup right off the bat.

 

[Billy Goat]

In charging for installing the sight, is this leveling out the axis, including 3rd?

Was the rest swap also tuning?

I can understand charging for that in addition. If it's putting a rest back on and checking center shot and out the door, I'd hope not to pay.

 

[Jakeb]

When you think about it, I’m not sure a shop makes enough off bow accessories to come out ahead while paying the bills on the shop and also the tech installing it. Do you expect auto zone to install your brake pads for free? Yes it’s nice when a shop will do it for free, but in my opinion it should not be expected though.

 

[billysmals]

I appreciate everyone's perspectives and experienes. I don't think it's totally unreasonable to charge for technical skill or knowledge. I understand the need to pay for item installation, especially if purchased elsewhere. I think I was a little more surprised about the warranty I had with my rest. I did all the initial setup and paper tune myself. When it failed, and I got a warranty new one, the shop made note of my settings, then reinstalled the new rest matching my settings and sent me out the door. They may have offered a paper tune to confirm, but I can't recall, and I don't know what they would have done if I needed the paper tuner...I only know I was charged for the warranty install. Which is fine, but when my car breaks and its under warranty I don't pay for warranty work. But this may not be the industary standard for archery pro shops, which is understandable.

 

[gumbl3]

I'm not defending one way or another but it costs a lot to keep inventory, tools, presses, rent if they have it, insurance all that and to keep good people on staff. I understand if they have to have a charge a little for stuff like this.

 

[LostArra]

Pay cash for everything at the archery shop. That extra 2.5-3% for the owner might get you "free" install and adjustments. It's worked for me.

 

[TaperPin]

This question only comes up in trades that have a large amount of markup and lots of free time to tinker. Everyone has a computer in the pocket that will order the same part with one click, so brick and mortar prices have to be as lean as possible on top of that.

More than free installation just being free, you’re actually slowly going broke if the goodwill produced doesn't more than cover the time and risk, and there is a change in society where nobody appreciates free. Free shipping, free returns, free this, free that.

People that are good at what they do shouldn’t have to work for free.

 

[Beendare]

It totally makes sense for them to charge for their time. Someone might want to buy and put it on themselves- should they add labor to those people? No

OP, Do you work for free?

When you go to your Truck dealer to buy a part, do they put it on for free?

 

[billysmals]

I can honestly understand both sides to it. Of the 3 shops I've visited, 1 gave everything to me for free, all of the installation and even tuning was free with the purchase, including warranty work. The other 2 shops now charge for it. Either is really fine and I get reasons to charge for knowledge.

I see examples of both ideas in many industries. It's true if I buy something from my truck dealer they charge to install it, but that same truck dealer isn't charging me for the recall/warranty work on my vehicle. That's also because the Truck dealer made the product and is responsible for said product. The bow shop charged me for the warranty work. But If I'm the bow shop also I didn't make the product that's under warranty, so in my mind why should I fix someone else mistake for free? So I get it.

However:
When I buy a set of 4 tires from Discount tire/Costco/Les Shwab (local place), they don't charge to install the tires (maybe they do and it's hidden in the cost of the tire?), but it doesn't appear it's an extra cost. They don't even charge to service those tires for the life of the tire. Every rotation, tire pressure check, and evaluation is free, once I have purchased the tire from them.

So I can see both and understand both.

 

[blackveltbowhunter]

Les Schwab certainly builds their pricing to include the cost of their service.

 

[sndmn11]

However:
When I buy a set of 4 tires from Discount tire/Costco/Les Shwab (local place), they don't charge to install the tires (maybe they do and it's hidden in the cost of the tire?), but it doesn't appear it's an extra cost. They don't even charge to service those tires for the life of the tire. Every rotation, tire pressure check, and evaluation is free, once I have purchased the tire from them.

So I can see both and understand both.

It is a line item from DT, but not terrible.



I want to pay for expertise, and I want to be on the good side of those experts. Outside of bows, there isn't much repeat purchase value in an archery setup. A quality rest and sight will last a lifetime, strings are a 1-3 year purchase, arrows can last for as long as you choose to put them on target. The bow itself has become a turnover item simply due to the car dealership model. So, there needs to be revenue for the shop in order to keep top employees around.

When I need their labor, it's because I don't know how to do something. You mentioned warranty work; I've never replaced limbs, so I would expect to pay for their expertise in doing that for me. I'd expect the bow brand to pay for the parts. I've had my favorite shop show me how to shim cams for bow reviews here on Rokslide, and I paid them for that expertise. I can install a rest/sight/peep/etc, so I do that myself so as to not take their time (is money) away from them.

In your example of the warranty QAD, I'd have been wildly thankful they called QAD on the spot and squared me away with no hassle. Then said, let me get out of your way", and slapped that thing on there myself. Like others have said, if anything involves setup time that requires more than a few minutes or expertise, I don't bat an eye to value that with my dollars.

 

[fatlander]

I think a lot of guys commenting “shops should charge for their time” are missing the point that the time cost is built into the high MSRP shops charge for products.

Example: QAD HDX rests at an archery shop is going to run you somewhere between 150 and 175 + tax. You can have one on your doorstep tomorrow morning for 119 + tax from Amazon. Amazon isn’t selling that rest at a loss, and I doubt QAD has a drastically different cost to distributors. So, that brings me back to my original point, the cost to set up and tune the rest is already baked into the shop’s pricing.