My LBS Black List

[Gobbo]

I rate Dunkeld cycles , machie mike is awesome , he rebuilt my bike , replaced head set bearings , really on the ball only had awesome service from Mark ,Merlyn and Jaques all of which are cyclists and have a wealth of knowledge.

[KnobbyMech]

See, now here's the conundrum.

Going on my experience on just the four shops mentioned.

 

Cajees Boksburg, have had both good and bad service.

 

CycleLab Boksburg, only good service thus far.

 

Johnsons Edenvale, only mid to poor service.

 

Tour de Frans Benoni, have had both good and bad service.

 

No doubt others will have had differing experiences on varying levels, doesn't make any of them particularly bad outlets though.

 

Probably the most accurate response. Two of the "good" shops mentioned in this tread is on my black list. Once asked the shop owner of one of these shops if he keeps Specialized saddles. He told me Specialized do not make saddles, they just put their names on it! WTF!!! Then most bike makers don't make bikes right? I love my XYZ saddle with the Specialized badge man.

[ReserveChick]

I have had shocking service from Johnson's Cycle Works - they produced a fraudulent invoice and were paid by my insurance company last October for work done on my Trek Madone WSD after I was hit by a car. Funny cause the only work they have done to date is remove my cassette from my damaged back wheel, fit a loan fork to my frame and oh let the Cyclesure assessor through their front door last October. The invoice was for a new front fork, STI levers and rims - haven't received any of these to date! Well at least now I know why they didn't make an effort to keep me updated with the progress of parts etc from the USA...they were sitting pretty with money.

[The Drongo]

The room at the other end of my office.

 

I have to beat the Mechanic up all the time, lazy chap!

[Christopher Brunsdon]

My blacklist is:

 

- Helderberg Cycle World - rotten service and I've had a couple of PMs with other Hubbers who agree 100%

 

My greylist and I'm going to upset some Hubbers:

 

- Williams, yes thats right. I really like Keith and co but their telephone is incapable of making outgoing calls. I've yet to receive my call on the various chains I've inquired about. Goods that I want to buy but they did not have in stock. They take down my number in their big counter diary and thats it.

[Balsie]

Guy's count your blessings... I live in Dundee, I don't have an LBS to slate!

 

Nearest one is an hours drive. Spoilt rotten you guys are.

[Mojoman]

My blacklist is:

 

- Helderberg Cycle World - rotten service and I've had a couple of PMs with other Hubbers who agree 100%

 

My greylist and I'm going to upset some Hubbers:

 

- Williams, yes thats right. I really like Keith and co but their telephone is incapable of making outgoing calls. I've yet to receive my call on the various chains I've inquired about. Goods that I want to buy but they did not have in stock. They take down my number in their big counter diary and thats it.

I bet they would have phoned you if it was for a 50k bicycle!

[Tankman]

My blacklist is:

 

- Helderberg Cycle World - rotten service and I've had a couple of PMs with other Hubbers who agree 100%

 

My greylist and I'm going to upset some Hubbers:

 

- Williams, yes thats right. I really like Keith and co but their telephone is incapable of making outgoing calls. I've yet to receive my call on the various chains I've inquired about. Goods that I want to buy but they did not have in stock. They take down my number in their big counter diary and thats it.

 

Agree on Helderberg Cycle World

 

but not on Williams though.

 

Probably because I have learned over the years, when I walk into any LBS and they dont have what I am looking for right there and then, especially if it is something less than around R400, I dont even bother to leave my details cause I know the next LBS I walk into will probably have it in stock. (unless really specific goods, then CRC!)

 

When I order gear or take the bike for a service at William, he gets the goods or service done when he said he would.

 

Williams Bike Shop is my LBS, first point of contact, only place that service my bikes, just around the corner and makes a mean coffee before an early morning ride

[scuzzy]

Maybe there can be a trhead, not sure how one can do it properly, but where you just post your good, bad, grey service, not the whole sad story, just the name, once the shop has 3 mentions against it, it goes up ons a pole, or something like that, that way we'll know. Once one start a thread with the whole story, it just gets ugly.

 

Who knows, maybe the bicycle shops will go there themselves to have a look where they feature and do something about it.

 

Would something like this be possible, is it worth it?

[Underachiever]

See, now here's the conundrum.

Going on my experience on just the four shops mentioned.

 

Cajees Boksburg, have had both good and bad service.

 

CycleLab Boksburg, only good service thus far.

 

Johnsons Edenvale, only mid to poor service.

 

Tour de Frans Benoni, have had both good and bad service.

 

No doubt others will have had differing experiences on varying levels, doesn't make any of them particularly bad outlets though.

 

+1, but TdF is most of the time 50:50. Expensive!!

 

I bought some of my best bargains at Cajees, but you need to know your stuff.

 

Love Finish Line, but what a drive to get to them!!

 

I found Impey Cycles a bit snobbish.

[Kona Kula]

Wrong, I think they should care and offer the customer the best possible solution for his buck, I work in a boat store and if a customer asks for a certain thing I will show him the range of different options find out what yacht its for and recommend the best possible soultion for his price range, Not just "oh buy the Harken one because its 3x the price of the local one and I get more commision",,,Sorry the customer comes first.

 

Yeah they should, but they won't. You can't complain about their service casue there isn't any. If you want service go somewhere else.

[Tankman]

Maybe there can be a trhead, not sure how one can do it properly, but where you just post your good, bad, grey service, not the whole sad story, just the name, once the shop has 3 mentions against it, it goes up ons a pole, or something like that, that way we'll know. Once one start a thread with the whole story, it just gets ugly.

 

Who knows, maybe the bicycle shops will go there themselves to have a look where they feature and do something about it.

 

Would something like this be possible, is it worth it?

 

The service you get from anyone, be it a bike shop or the lady behind the till at checkers, largely depends on your attitude towards others and the relationship you have with that person. Some guys are just idiots and without the whole sad story ... We Hubbers wont be able to point that fact out to them (and we love doing that!)

 

 

The sad stories are sometimes necessary to get behind the real story.

[scuzzy]

Yes, you probably need the sad story, but just imagine, a shop get 10 mentions at bad service and 10 at good service, I am sure that'll happen.

[Slowbee]

Agree on Helderberg Cycle World

 

but not on Williams though.

 

Probably because I have learned over the years, when I walk into any LBS and they dont have what I am looking for right there and then, especially if it is something less than around R400, I dont even bother to leave my details cause I know the next LBS I walk into will probably have it in stock. (unless really specific goods, then CRC!)

 

When I order gear or take the bike for a service at William, he gets the goods or service done when he said he would.

 

Williams Bike Shop is my LBS, first point of contact, only place that service my bikes, just around the corner and makes a mean coffee before an early morning ride

 

it has been discussed ages before, but its about relationship. Yes there is the whole money arguement, but sometimes with going to one or two shops on a regular basis you get to know the guys and so pricing can be discussed.

 

Williams does service my bike, he does a great job. I get loads of advice - he doesnt mind when I just want to look at the bikes, talk nonsense, etc. I dont mind paying his prices and show a bit of loyaltly. Yes sometimes he has said he was busy and did not get to it, meaning waiting a day or three - but then he knows when its urgent and when not. I once dropped in after a ride and said the gears dont feel right. He put the bike on the stand and got it sorted then and their with no charge. He has often let me walk out of his shop with stuff unpaid, and doesnt mind when I say I will do it via EFT. When I did the DD I was not sure if I was going to use some stuff. He said take the goods, if you open it you pay for it, or else bring it back and put it back on the shelf.

 

I am sure loads of other guys have stories like this, but it comes from relationship that involves a bit of give and take. And its that which is important.

[Nobody]

You cant fault Williams for a service. The amount of knowledge sharing is just awesome. I cannot walk in and out of that shop in under an hour. You ask him a question and he gives a straight answer. And I cannot forget to mention the bike porn in his shop from time to time. If his son is around he will gladly treat you like a human being and you would not know he is an X-terra champion.

 

Great after sales contact via e-mail.

Product knowledge is some of the best I have encountered.

Pricing may be steep for some but I equate him to a ferrari mechanic, I am paying for his knowledge and experience. Have not had a single mechanical yet.

Negative is he is far from the CBD so have to rely on weekends to see him or ask friends to drop off bikes and fetch them from his shop.

[benadeja]

+1, but TdF is most of the time 50:50. Expensive!!

 

I bought some of my best bargains at Cajees, but you need to know your stuff.

 

Love Finish Line, but what a drive to get to them!!

 

I found Impey Cycles a bit snobbish.

 

I agree here , we had a issue where my fiance's chain keeps on dropping on the climbs , and there is a cycle shop in Kempton Park which tried to sell us a new chain ring claiming the teeth are worn , they even have a snotty 18 year old working there thinking the world of himself trying to sell us all sorts of unnecessary stuff , then we took the bike to Finish Line and they laughed when we told them we think we might need to replace the chain rings , they only set the gears properly and problem solved so far ...