Archived Building Bikes to On-line Order?

[Parker51]

So, the weekly ads have been touting ordering bikes on-line and having them ready for pickup assembled.

I'm curious how this will work out, or is working out. Sure, if your bike builder is scheduled enough hours to assemble enough bikes in advance as they come in, and the supply chain replenishes them shortly after they are sold, the store will have sellable inventory available on demand. But what if your bike builder is scheduled only a day week, or even less, and bikes off the truck queue up, remaining unassembled in boxes for weeks at a time? What if some bikes are back-ordered from the distribution center (or even from overseas suppliers) for long periods of time?

Some builders working another work center that day could get LOD permission to build a bike to-order, for either an in-store guest or an on-line order. But what if your store has only one bike builder who doesn't work very many days at all and isn't in when an order is received? I don't see that person getting called in just to build a bike or two, or being expected to come in at a drop of a hat for a short shift. A backup builder could be trained, but might not build often enough to stay proficient, and they might not have enough schedule coverage or willingness to come in at short notice. Backup builders might not stay long enough at Target to make an impact on productivity, anyway. Having someone untrained build a bike just to fulfill an order isn't really a good solution, either.

Any speculation, or better, any actual experience with this?

 

[commiecorvus]

That would be one way to pick up hours.
Have a friend order a couple dozen bikes, then cancel the order after you had built them.

I'm sure there are all kinds of ways that wouldn't work but it's a thought.

 

[mrknownothing]

Whenever we have a SPU order for an unbuilt bike and there's no bike builder present, we have to partner with the LOD and contact the guest to let them know the bike hasn't been built yet (but still complete the order so we don't hurt the on time %). When a TM has finished building the ordered bike, they have to contact the guest and tell them it's ready for pick-up.

 

[LegendaryVKickr]

Wierd, I'm still in training period as a bike builder, but me nor my trainer have heard nothing of this. Considering they pulled him away for RFID training and I'm not fully trained myself, I have no idea how we'd be able to cater to this. Though on occasion we do build bikes on request, and when completed, call the guest to let them know, so I'd assume we'd do it similar to that.

Whether it can be done timely, that's the real question. My learning curve currently has me at 2-4 bikes per shift, but my 2+ year trainee can easily crank out twice as many. All depends on hours and who is scheduled to work.

knownothing, are you suggesting LOD and a TM would work to build the bike if the builder was unavailable? Or just that the guest would be informed to when the bike builder Tm would be in to build it?

and commie, might be a good way to get my second training day in or some extra hours when I need. I'll have a friend call in for a large order for a triathlon and see what happens. If he orders easy bikes, I can double my count and impress the team lead who placed me on top of an extra shift

 

[mrknownothing]

knownothing, are you suggesting LOD and a TM would work to build the bike if the builder was unavailable? Or just that the guest would be informed to when the bike builder Tm would be in to build it?

The latter. Only a trained bike builder may assemble a bike.

The LOD would contact the guest to let them know that the bike hasn't been built yet (and won't be until the next time a bike builder is scheduled), but we still complete the SPU order (pick the bike and scan it into a hold location) so it won't hurt our scores. Even though the guest will get an email saying their order is ready for pick-up, it won't actually be ready until the bike builder calls them after building the bike.

 

[SnorlaxTM]

We just get told to cancel the order or at least used to

 

[BoxCutter]

That would be one way to pick up hours.
Have a friend order a couple dozen bikes, then cancel the order after you had built them.

I'm sure there are all kinds of ways that wouldn't work but it's a thought.

Just be sure they order ones you need on the sales floor. One way to get that bike wall filled!

 

[Bosch]

The 10hrs a week we get for bike building.. Yeah that will work out.. NOT.. Our guests will not put up with that. "I don't understand why I can order something you can't build, or can I just take it in box, I can't believe you would take my money but not deliver the order." That is the nice version I will be hearing at guest service.

 

[SFSFun]

We don't sell too many bikes, so we usually have everything built already. Our bike builder currently only gets 4 hours per week (spread over 2 days). On the rare occasion that we get an SPU for a bike that's not built, we will partner with the bike builder and the LOD to determine how to proceed. If the bike builder isn't working, the LOD will usually have us cancel the order.

 

[Shadowski]

I end up building most bikes as the TL. I just make it part of my week. Other then that, my builder gets the 10 hours to do it.

The few that have come in, I've just taken to the back and built them.

If we have it in the store, I just swap it out with the built one.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

I have not seen any bikes on flex, yet. I wonder if we can sell unbuild at the store level? Guests order bikes online that are in a box.

 

[SFSFun]

I have not seen any bikes on flex, yet. I wonder if we can sell unbuild at the store level? Guests order bikes online that are in a box.

Yes, we get SPU orders for bikes occasionally. The system has no way of knowing it it's built or not, just that we have it in stock.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Yes, we get SPU orders for bikes occasionally. The system has no way of knowing it it's built or not, just that we have it in stock.

Same thing at my store. What is the best option?

 

[Yetive]

I have not seen any bikes on flex, yet. I wonder if we can sell unbuild at the store level? Guests order bikes online that are in a box.

We are not allowed at my store. I had a flex for an unbuilt bike and decided to fill it. A bike builder was working the next morning, and it was about 9 at night, so I figured it wouldn't be a problem. Of course, he came in that night . When I explained that the only other option was to cancel, he understood.

 

[mrknownothing]

The 10hrs a week we get for bike building.. Yeah that will work out.. NOT.. Our guests will not put up with that. "I don't understand why I can order something you can't build, or can I just take it in box, I can't believe you would take my money but not deliver the order." That is the nice version I will be hearing at guest service.

We don't get many bike hours either, but the turnaround isn't too long most of the time. We have a couple TLs that can build bikes in a pinch.

Also, that's why we partner with the LOD. If the guest is pissed, the LOD can deal with them.

 

[Bosch]

Our LODs for the most part are terrified of actually working. And the one who would do it, is an admitted fumble thumbs when it comes to building stuff.

He sends me out to jump start cars when needed.

 

[Backroom81]

The 10hrs a week we get for bike building..

You get 10? We've been stuck with 4 hours a week for months now.

 

[Bosch]

You get 10? We've been stuck with 4 hours a week for months now.

We are a high volume store. A lot of weeks some of those hours go unused since our builder has another job that pays her bills.

 

[theanimal]

You get 10? We've been stuck with 4 hours a week for months now.

you both are lucky, we have 0 hours for bikes, and worse is we only have 1 bike builder and that's a TL

 

[Backroom81]

We are a high volume store. A lot of weeks some of those hours go unused since our builder has another job that pays her bills.

What volume? Ours is an A+. We bounce between A+ and AA quite a bit.

 

[Bosch]

AA to AA+ 2nd biggest in our district.

 

[mrknownothing]

You get 10? We've been stuck with 4 hours a week for months now.

you both are lucky, we have 0 hours for bikes, and worse is we only have 1 bike builder and that's a TL

How are bike sales at your stores? I've noticed that during the seasons when we tend to sell more bikes, there are more bike building hours.

 

[theanimal]

How are bike sales at your stores? I've noticed that during the seasons when we tend to sell more bikes, there are more bike building hours.

Half our wall is empty and everything is in back new just screaming to get built

 

[LegendaryVKickr]

10? 4? We get sixteen. Damn. If I got two 2 hour shifts for bike building I'd riot.