GM Steve Torbeck and his team talk to their customers to determine the bike rack that’s best for them.
Steve Torbeck, general manager at U-Haul Moving and Storage at Beechmont Avenue in Cincinnati, knows there is a lot of demand for bike racks.
His location is one of the top three U-Haul Stores in terms of selling bike racks. This is especially impressive because Torbeck leads a team of six Team Members, while the other top stores have at least twice as many Team Members.
So, what’s their secret?
“It’s all about talking to your customers to meet their needs,” Torbeck stressed. “Many customers don’t even know U-Haul sells bike racks. So, if they call to ask about getting a hitch installed, the first thing we ask is, ‘Are you using it for a bike rack?’ If they say yes, we encourage them to stop in to see all of the bike racks we offer.”
Talk to your customers
Frank Grau, U-Haul Company of Fort Lauderdale president, also can attest to how bike racks sell themselves if you simply spark up a conversation with your customers. He was at U-Haul of North Miami Beach recently and noticed a police officer in the waiting area.
“As I always do with police officers, I shook his hand and thanked him for his service,” Grau said. “I asked if he was having a hitch put on his police cruiser, and he said he was. Because he had shorts on, I asked if he was on the bike patrol, which he was. So I asked if he had a bike rack. He said his sergeant ordered him one, but it was just a single bike rack.”
Sensing an opportunity to better meet the officer’s needs, Grau showed him some options, including bike racks to carry multiple bikes.
U-Haul offers a variety of bike racks and will even sell the display bike, as well!
“He said the Thule bike rack that carries four bikes was a night-and-day difference from what he had,” Grau said. “He loved the prospects of that because he would be able to carry stolen bikes that he confiscates, rather than calling dispatch and having another vehicle come to get them.”
Finding a solution
Grau gave the officer his phone number and more information about the bike rack. Two days later, the officer returned to the store and bought two of them.
“It’s all about communicating with your customers,” Grau declared. “This officer was having a hitch installed and had already looked at our bike racks. But me demonstrating how easy they are to use is what really sold him.”
Did you know that U-Haul not only sells and installs bike racks, but even the bikes displayed on them? Stop in to your nearest U-Haul-owned and -operated store today to see our selection of biking equipment.
