When I was growing up, my grandfather used to refer to some people by saying, “he was a good guy”. I’m not sure what lead me to understanding what he was referring to, but somehow I inherently knew what that meant. It had something to do with being nice, honest, genuine, and truly caring about people around him. Being a “good guy” was about the person’s character, not just about their performance.
This weekend, Fitzgerald’s is losing one of our “good guys”, Micheal Woodruff. We are so happy for the opportunity in front of him, and are thankful we’ll still get to see him regularly up at Grand Targhee as he takes on his new role as the Summer and Winter rental shop manager. This is a great professional move for Michael and we’re here cheering him on!
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been celebrating the lives of friend’s we’ve lost all too soon. Well, I want to take a minute to celebrate one of the “good guys” we still have right in front of us. If you’ve been in Fitzy’s over the last 3 years, you have certainly been affected by the big smile, and welcoming laugh of Micheal. You’ve probably walked away from the shop feeling a bit more stoked for having interacted with a bike mechanic who might have acted a little different than his outward appearance lead you to expect. A rough and tumble exterior can’t mask his jovial nature more than a second or two!
Over my 20 years in the retail bike business, I’ve come across a lot of mechanics and developed a pretty strong idea of what makes someone a “pro” mechanic and not just a “good” mechanic. A pro mechanic of course has deep technical knowledge and can trouble shoot everything from a coaster brake to the latest electronic shifting parts. But a good mechanic can do that too. What separates the good, from the pro, in my humble opinion, is the ability to connect with customers. In the heat of battle, when a mechanic’s back is against the wall and the pressure is on to fix more bikes than hours in the day allow, the pro mechanic continues to greet each customer with genuine enthusiasm and concern for their situation. The laughs and smiles come just as easy, and the customer walks away feeling that their problems are now truly the mechanics problems too. You can train for the technical knowledge, but it takes being a “good guy” at heart to reach the pro status.
Micheal is the definition of the pro mechanic. Greeting most customers by name (even if he hasn’t worked with them in years), remembering little details about their bikes, staying late to get someone out of town for a road trip, coming in on days off to tie up loose ends, and sharing a belly laugh along with bike maintenance advice are just a few of the things he does with ease. Does he get frustrated like the rest of us? Sure, how could you be human and not be frustrated as a bike mechanic from time to time? But having the ability to keep the customer stoked and happy amidst the frustration is what matters. Micheal has that skill down to a T!
This weekend is the last time we’ll have Mr. Woodruff spinning wrenches and cracking jokes behind the service counter at Fitzy’s. Come by and let him know how much he means to you if you get the chance. Take a minute to celebrate the awesomeness of someone right in front of you! Reflect on what it means to be a good guy, and give some stoke back to the one who delivers it more than anyone.
Thanks for the years of awesome service Micheal!
