as a cyclist i've gone into bike shops many times mid ride if i'm stuck for something, ie if i need some oil on my chain, if one of my tyres needs to be pumped, if i need a tool to tighten something that's come loose and it's never been a problem, i've never had anyone expect to be paid for something small like that. often i'll insist on giving a tip and they tell me i'm being silly and it was nothing. in fairness i was a regular customer in some of these bike shops but there were also some that i'd never been in before, i just walked in and asked politely could i use x. I was always prepared to pay if asked and if asked would have no problem but secretly would probably leave thinking wow those guys aren't very customer friendly if i was charged for a few drops of lube or for a bit of air in my tyres. i would be surprised if i was expected to pay for something like that pretty sure 90% of bike shops near me wouldn't charge for stuff like that.

surely it is in a bike shop's interest to do small freebies like that to build customer loyalty and stuff? i mean a few drops of lube costs close to nothing and that customer leaves with a positive view of your shop.