I like those type of shops.
They've never been on a customer service course, never use two words when one will do, know what you need before you're halfway through a sentance, has the part in stock, have oily hands and a wooden floor, wear brown coats with grease marks on, writes using a pencil or biro on a piece cardboard, takes the piss out of you at every opportunity, have a mug of cold tea on the counter with a skin on top (once they know you you'll even be offered a mug of tea, in a chipped grubby mug which is an unspoken honour not to be taken lightly) , no fancy packaging or shop branding bollox, not a computer screen in sight.
So much better for your soul than visiting a non descript shiney emporium where every member of staff is dressed the same, with the same false smile, where an enquiry for a rubber grommit leads to an introduction to a salesmen keen to sell you a new bike on a tailored financial deal, where other customers line up to buy the corporate bike clothing and be spoken to like 10 year olds, a "free" latte in a polystyrene cup from machine in the corner, with a rich tea biscuit, a self opening and closing door leading into the emporium as they want to show how much they care about you by saving you the effort of opening it yourself, big oversized plastic carrier bags emblazoned with the name of the shop to carry away your purchase of a keyring with a picture of your model of bike on it or a set of branded biker cufflinks, no one takes the piss out of you, they "care" about you from behind their trendy desks, the parts man wearing a white shirt doesn't have a clue what you're talking about and just looks at his computer while asking if you have the part number, if you're lucky and after 20 minutes when he's worked out what you need he'll then tell you it isn't in stock ......
One of the best known real shops around here was Hamraxs, in ladbroke grove, known as "happy hamrax", and a visit for a young lad was a right of passage. But they looked after and educated you from a young lad, and over time any attempts from others at taking the piss would be water off a ducks back to a hamrax customer.
My local harley independant, Jeff at riverside harleydavidson, follows a similar line to the hamrax route and it can be a very intimidating visit for the typical main dealer "Hog" member who needs their arse wiping and credit card emptying......
