Not my regular bicycle shop but in this case, Finnigan's were the closest.

Expert service, very helpful with fitting etc, and I was on my way again very quickly.

Approximate cost: $50

I went to Streetwise when my Macbook failed. it was four years old (I'd bought it from Streetwise, as I had the one before that) and I knew I needed a new machine.

I only wanted a basic Macbook, and extended warranty (I'm hard on laptops).

The person who talked to me was pleasant, but when it came time to talking about price, there was no movement away from RRP - at all, not one cent. The mantra was "We're not a big reseller, and we can't discount."

I was a bit nonplussed, but tried to find a way where we could still do a deal, but where i wouldn't feel that I'd paid too much.

The previous time I had bought a machine from Streetwise, they transferred the data from my old Mac to the new one for $60. So I asked - if I buy the Macbook at $1349 RRP and I buy extended warranty at $270 RRP, will you throw in the cost of transferring the data?

- No, sorry. You'll have to talk to the service people to get an idea of the price.

I didn't want to walk, but I did. I bought my machine with 10% discount elsewhere (so saving $135) and went to a high street computer repair shop to transfer the data - it cost me $25, another $35 saved (I'm guessing - I didn't check the current price with the Streetwise service people).

I can't imagine most people would share my experience of a non-negotiating sales person, or at least I hope they don't - if you're in the market for a new Apple product, I still suggest you try them. I figure maybe I had such an unsatisfying experience because the person who talked to me had no authority to negotiate. Sad, though.

Approximate cost: $1620

A clean, well run workshop, with fair rates (cheaper than the dealer's service). I like being able to see my bike as it's worked on. I also liked having everything explained to me at the end. Plus, the place is friendly, there's a waiting area with comfortable seating and heaps of motorcycle magazines.
The best service experience I've had.

Approximate cost: $235

I haven't bought a bike from them, but I do take my bike there regularly for service and for parts. The manager looks after regular customers - if you just need something minor, and you are a regular, it'll be cheap or no charge. His parts aren't that cheap, although he will give small discounts, but I go back there because he's convenient to where I live, and the service is friendly and reliable.

I go there every now and then for coffee and a snack. I'm not a coffee snob, so am not qualified to talk about the coffee, but it always seems good to me. The service is friendly, and regardless of whether I want something savoury (a beef pie, for instance, with a yummy home made tomato sauce) or something sweet (a sensational lime lemon merengue tart last time) I know I'm going to enjoy it.

I have used three or four other dog groomers in this area but my regular groomer was on holidays. I called Peterazzi on a Monday, presumably their day off, and got a call back on the Tuesday morning. I got an appointment for the following day. I dropped her off, they called me back three or four hours later when she was ready, and then I was able to pick her up at my leisure. These guys are a bit more expensive, but as other posters have noted, the service is friendly, and the results are great. She looked very schmick when I picked her up, a perfect cut.

Approximate cost: $80

Woolleys are authorised repairers for some manufacturers - I was referred by the manufacturer of my appliance. The call centre left me on hold for five minutes or more both times I called, but in the case of the actual service call, everything worked as promised - Woolleys even sent SMS reminding me of the appointment, and the serviceman called 1/2 an hour before he arrived. It's not cheap - 20 minutes pulling apart a piece and putting it together again cost $121 ($77 flag fall, plus $22 per 15 minutes). But the bottom line is - the guy arrived on the day I had agreed on, he was courteous and professional, and I now have a functioning appliance.

Approximate cost: $121

I take my dog there, the people are friendly and I like the way the male vet checks my dog's shiatsu points! It's not just western medicine, even in the animal world. Prices are reasonable.

Approximate cost: $75

Opens around 6 am, and goes to the early evening. Many different breads, buns, cakes etc. I like the multigrain loaves ($3.60) which are good value, and the sesame shell rolls (4 for $1.60). It's not artisan bread, but it's quite tasty for a hot bread shop. Plus they do have some involvement helping others in the local community.

Their address is in Kew, but from my knowledge of that area appears to be an office building with serviced offices and I doubt that address is their workshop or storage area. They came and quoted on a job for the gutter on my roof. The price was more expensive than the last guy, but the last guy didn't fix it properly - hence the need to have it repaired again. These people came on time, did the job, and the gutter is obviously better secured now than it was. I was very happy with the repair, but in future I would also get a quote from another roofer - that's just good practice.

Approximate cost: $200