The thing I enjoy most about the company is the people. It has been a joy to work with such a dedicated hard working crew trying to find better ways of making bikes and serving our customers. At the same time, it has been a real pleasure to interact with our customers. While we certainly have been blessed with some very kind reviews and comments on social media, we also get some interesting comments on the phone and written on our warranties.
I would like to share a few of my favorite so you can see how much fun we have!
The first one that comes to mind goes back to when we first started shipping Cruiser Bikes. We knew we had built a good product, and we really hoped people would love it, so we were really working to get reviews on the site to prove our product! In fact, I was calling people on the phone, asking how they liked the bike, and then begging them for a review.
One of my first few calls was Mariann. An east-coaster, Mariann had a fun and bubbly personality and LOVED life. It was great to talk to her about how she was getting out a ton because of her new ride. She liked EVERYTHING about it. In fact, she admitted that she never knew she could be such a “fan-girl” of a product, but she was of ours. Since then I have talked with Mariann a handful of times, she sent a picture for our website, tried a new product we were considering, and even sent me an email about an ad that we were running that she didn’t care for…… Glad we met Mariann! We took your advice and dropped the ad.
Not too long after that, we got a VERY special review. Brenda loved her cruiser so much she took the time on her own to send us a very kind review. Not only was the review kind, but it was very detailed. When I read it, I thought, “people are going to think we are making these up”. Fortunately, we got a great picture of Brenda, her bike, and her super cute riding buddy. Since then Brenda has been very active on our social media and has been a regular contributor to our Facebook group (check it out here.) Thanks, Brenda! The level of effort you offered to help us is truly humbling. We are very grateful for customers like you!
As we started to get warranty cards back in the mail, we would get handwritten notes. One came from Jennifer. Jennifer and I had talked quite a bit before she purchased her bike as she had some reservations about buying online, site unseen. What finally sealed the deal was when she realized she could keep up and probably outdo her “biker shorts-wearing” husband. She ended up being very happy with our bike and was able to get out and about more. She sent us a very nice note that became the Genesis of our “wall of fame.” Thanks, Jennifer – what fun!
We can’t forget our local customers. As 2020 got into full swing and we started thinking Spring, we would occasionally get drop-ins to check out our bike. One of the folks that stopped by in late winter was John. John and I automatically hit it off. He laughed at all my jokes (this is a very easy way to make me into a friend) and we had a blast talking bikes. John was also one of the first to ask in person about a “men’s bike.” He was a bit skeptical when I explained that the step-through was unisex stepthrough, but when I explained how easy it was to get on and off, and that he would never want a bike with a bar in “that place” again, he came around. He liked our bikes so much he brought a few friends over and even his wife. As a follow-up, he now agrees about the step-through design being far superior and being "man enough" to take advantage of a great feature. John thanks for being such a great advocate.
I have laughed so hard I almost cried. I have seen so many people get back to being active and outside. I have worked hard unloading trucks and typed a million emails. I am so thankful for this opportunity and appreciate all the great folks that make it work.
Thanks again everyone, keep calling / mailing / emailing and stopping by. We’d love to have a story with you.