How a release (waiver) can protect your customers and your business

Whether demoing a bike, renting bikes, sponsoring rides or races, or leading a store ride, you are possibly increasing your liability beyond fixing and selling bikes. At the same time, those acts increase your store’s visibility and keep loyal customers coming back. There are three things you can do to decrease or eliminate your liability for these and other actions.

Educate your riders
Use a release (waiver) to inform them of the risks and stop lawsuits or claims
Deal with injuries or accidents the way you want to be treated

The first issue is to use your store’s website, flyers, and information to inform your patrons of the risks of the activity they may be undertaking. Tell a beginner that a 20-mile mountain bike ride might not be for them. Put on your website the good, the bad, and the ugly. Websites that only show happy successful riders, might help market your store, but also mislead your patrons into believing all cycling is safe.

A release (or waiver) is a written document effective in 40+ states that identifies in advance of any injury who is going to be responsible for their damages. A well-written release stops claims and lawsuits.

The last thing is you work hard at bringing customers into your store. When one is injured or hurt, are they still not your customers? Treat them like a customer, help them out, follow up, and keep them happy with you.

Of the three ideas, the one most stores do not get right is the second one. A release is a contract between you and your customer. It must be written properly for the activities you are going to undertake and meet the requirements of the law in your state. You can’t accomplish this by finding one on the net or filling out a form and changing whitewater rafting to cycling in the release. There are very few chances of drowning riding a bike.

To assist you in preparing a release the NBDA has negotiated a $500 discount on releases. Instead of $2950 for a release, your price is only $2450. This will include:

Review of your present release
Creation of a Release(s) or Assumption of the Risk Agreement for your store and all the activities you undertake
Information on using the release
Information on making the release electronic for using the release online
Your questions answered concerning the release created
Any updates needed for one year
Review your website for conflicts or problems that may void your release.

Why the last point? Because Marketing makes Promises Risk Management has to pay for.

If you want to learn more about me or releases you can visit these sites: