A phone call from a customer whose bike was stolen
A customer rings. Their bike was stolen from outside the station last night. The police and their insurer both want the frame number and proof of purchase. They bought it from you two years ago and have no idea what the frame number is. Can you help?
Someone searches the till by name and finds the sale. The receipt says the model and size, but no frame number. The bike's box and paperwork went in the recycling long ago. Perhaps the delivery note from the distributor listed serial numbers, but finding it means going through a box file. The customer is upset and the answer is 'we will try'.
Frame numbers are not part of the sale
Tills record products, not serial numbers, unless someone sets them up to. At the moment of sale the counter is busy, the customer is excited to take the bike, and the frame number is under the bottom bracket, often behind a sticker or dirt from the stockroom.
- The EPOS sale line records the model, not the individual bike.
- Frame numbers on distributor delivery notes are not transferred anywhere.
- Serials for e-bike batteries and motors are not recorded at all.
- Customers are not prompted to register their bike with a register.
- Receipts are reprinted without the details the police or an insurer ask for.
Why it matters to the shop
Being able to answer that call is a service that customers remember. Being unable to answer it, when you were the one who sold the bike, is disappointing for them. A stolen bike is also often the start of a new bike sale. The customer who gets their frame number and receipt quickly from you is more likely to buy the replacement from you.
A clear record also helps the shop itself. If a bike you sold is ever questioned, you can show exactly which frame number left the shop, when and with whom.
Frame numbers captured at the moment of sale
We add a frame number step to your bike sales.
- When a bike arrives from the distributor, its frame number is recorded at booking-in, from the delivery note or by photographing the frame, and linked to the stock item.
- At sale, the counter scans or selects the stock item, and the frame number is attached to the sale automatically. If it was not recorded at delivery, the screen asks for a photo before the sale completes.
- For e-bikes, battery and motor serials are recorded in the same step.
- The customer is offered registration with a bike register you choose, and their consent is recorded.
- The customer's receipt, by email, includes the frame number, and a copy is kept against their record.
- Staff can search by customer name, phone, email or frame number and reissue a receipt with all the details in seconds.
| Request after a theft | Without records | With records |
|---|---|---|
| Frame number | Search box files | On the sale |
| Proof of purchase | Reprint basic receipt | Receipt with frame number |
| E-bike battery serial | Not known | Recorded at sale |
| Registered? | Unknown | Consent and registration recorded |
A call you can answer in a minute
When a customer rings after a theft, the counter finds the sale, reissues the receipt with the frame number and emails it while they are on the phone. Frame numbers are recorded as stock arrives, so the extra step at sale is short. And e-bike serials are there for warranty and service history as well.
The frame number also becomes the key to the bike's service history, so everything the workshop does later is linked to the same bike.
Could you give a customer their frame number today?
- Frame numbers are not recorded at sale.
- Distributor delivery notes with serials are filed and forgotten.
- E-bike battery and motor serials are never taken.
- Customers are not offered bike registration.
- Finding an old sale takes a search through the till and paper files.