Mobile bike mechanics - should you tip them????

[Soul Reputation]

They work out of their pickup truck or Fed-Ex type van. They come to where you live or work. They do tuneups, replace crankshafts, cassettes, cables, etc, etc.

Should you tip a mobile bicycle mechanic when the job is done?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I'd probably tip them so they make sure to do a good job when you get services done. I'm sure they're not making very much and it's a good-will gesture to keep the maintenance top notch.

 

[Soul Reputation]

I don't like the idea of tipping someone in order to insure quality service. That borders on extortion. Call it a silent form of virtual extortion. I dunno, would a customer be compelled to tip a mobile auto mechanic? And what about a bicycle mechanic who works in a shop. I don't think anyone tips an in-house bicycle mechanic. Fact is the mobile bike mechanic performed the work for almost a hundred bucks less than what I would have paid for the same job at a store front, I know, cause I price checked several bike shops. But when the mobile bike mechanic left I realized he did not put air in my tires which he should have done. I had to take time out of my day to go down to the bike shop where they have an air hose to put air in my tires. Glad I didn't tip him cause of that. Either way it was an awkward moment when I paid him with my credit card cause I wasn't sure if I should tip him - a mobile bike mechanic is an occupation I had never seen before until only a couple of days ago.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

The difference? He takes half of his time driving from place to place, rather than working on bikes all day. People who come to you to provide you a maintenance service get a tip. If my mechanic came to my house to work on my car, I'd sure as hell tip him.

 

[MiniDoom]

The mechanic at my lbs has a can on the counter that says beer money. I've thrown a few bucks in before and has come to pay off. He's changed a broken spoke or trued up my wheels for free whenever i needed something on the fly. It's good to be friends with those guys. never used a mobile one as i usually fix my own bike if it's planned.

 

[edcarman]

Is the guy self-employed? Surely, if he's already charging you a call-out fee and a service fee, it's unnecessary to tip him too?