How do I train a buyer on my bike shop’s special-order and supplier process?

Start with a single special order from request to pickup. Show the buyer the form or screen where it begins, where the deposit is recorded, which supplier gets the order and how the customer is told it has arrived. Real orders teach more than a general description, so pick a frame, a wheelset and a small part, because each travels a different path.

Next, cover the supplier side. List each supplier, who your contact is, how orders are placed, what the usual lead times feel like and how you handle backorders, damaged goods and returns. Note which suppliers hold shop-specific terms or dealer status, and ask your lawyer whether any of those terms can pass to a buyer without the supplier’s consent.

Plan the training in stages, and put dates on it. Let the buyer shadow you for a stretch, then take the orders while you watch, then check in after you step back. Keep a shared binder or document of open orders and unpaid deposits so no customer is left waiting when the keys change hands. Tell regular special-order customers who their contact will be, so the change feels planned rather than sudden, and ask the buyer which questions they still have after the first fortnight of running orders alone.

Key takeaways

• Teach with real orders from request to pickup, not a general description.
• Introduce the buyer to each supplier contact before closing, and confirm terms carry over.
• List every open order and deposit so no customer is lost in the handover.