Brake repairs

[Overlord]

So I took my bike in for some brake related problem a while ago. Received the call telling me that the internals needs to be replaced. Approve the repairs and get my bike back sans a few problems. Phone them and they tell me it will be rectified. Some of it gets done but they brakes stay very spongy. New brake hose gets done and after 2 rides no brakes. Took the bike back today and was told that the internals they fitted is not working. But in the same sentence I get told they not charging me. Ok cool so far. You messed my brake up to start with so try and charge me. Then the best news is they are going to replace the brake. O sorry no brakes available. Will order a service kit again but it will take a week to get to them. Now Cape Cycle Systems is in the same town as the shop. A week to get the part? Then I get told they are sending the brake to Cape Cycle Systems. Now I will wait and see. No bike by the end of this week and I will name and shame the shop. If it gets done and I am satisfied I will name the shop as well. Three times this brake has been worked on. Lets see the outcome of this one.

Brake I question is a Elixer7.

I know the specific shop monitors the hub.

Fair warning and fair chance given.

Time for the shop to show it's metal.

[Pants Boy]

*sans - preposition

literaryhumorous

• 
   
  1.
  
  
  
  without.
  
  
  "a picture of Maughan sans specs"
  
  

 

*mettle - noun

• 
   
  1.
  
  
  
  a person's ability to cope well with difficulties; spirit and resilience
  
  

 

Nice try though.

[Overlord]

Thank you Mr Coetzee. Will work on my writing skills and use of the correct words.

 

Feel free to make any corrections here as well.

 

Regards

Onetime

[Reg Lizard]

Ek kan die frustrasie in jou skryf agterkom...en vir jou om van die bike af te wees, is soos om jou hart uit te ruk...so gee hulle gas maat

[porqui]

Repaired my Elixir 5's just 2 weeks ago - no issues - done promptly - no charge.

 

 

One small niggle was the insinuation that it was my style of braking that caused the problem - really??

[The MTBer]

Dis nog niks, ekt het 'n ruk terug 'n nuwe fiets gekoop en hy het 2 keer in 7 dae gebreek, toe gee ek hom terug. Toe wag ek 3weke toe kry ek 'n nuwe fiets, na 60 km en hy breek weer, hy is nou al langer by my LBS as wat ek hom het, hy is op die oomblik nog steeds by my LBS en ek het hom nou eers 2 weke....

[Surv0MTB]

All these horror stories from bike shops leads me to think that we need some sort of Hello Peter for the cycling community. There are too many "LBS's" around that seem to take advantage of customers, that and the poor skilled mechanics screwing everything up. Ive had my fair share of dodgy experiences and now deal with different shops for different things. One shop for goods, one shop for specialised work, and one shop for general services. Seems to work well.

 

But having a site where bike shops can register and comment against threads started by unhappy customers, will do wonders to save face and actually build better relationships. We all know things go wrong, but its all about how those issues get handled etc. If Bike shops were made aware that the community is now using a central system to notify others of bad experiences, they will jump at the opportunity to defend themselves.. I hope. If not, they will lose customers.

[Grebel]

All these horror stories from bike shops leads me to think that we need some sort of Hello Peter for the cycling community. There are too many "LBS's" around that seem to take advantage of customers, that and the poor skilled mechanics screwing everything up. Ive had my fair share of dodgy experiences and now deal with different shops for different things. One shop for goods, one shop for specialised work, and one shop for general services. Seems to work well.

 

But having a site where bike shops can register and comment against threads started by unhappy customers, will do wonders to save face and actually build better relationships. We all know things go wrong, but its all about how those issues get handled etc. If Bike shops were made aware that the community is now using a central system to notify others of bad experiences, they will jump at the opportunity to defend themselves.. I hope. If not, they will lose customers.

 

The biggest problem is that people are too quick to turn to social media to slate a shop of individual without exploring all the avenues available. If you have a problem with a shop, approach them first. See if you can get the problem resolved. If you are not able to reach an amicable agreement with them and you feel like you truly have been screwed by arrogance or bad service, THEN start a thread.

 

DON'T start a thread slating someone while you are still in negotiations and giving the interwebs a play by play based on YOUR opinion. If the situation is resolved by whatever means at the end of the day there may have been some unnecessary things said in cyber space that will certainly damage them as a business more than you as an individual.

 

I think discretion is the key here.

[Surv0MTB]

The biggest problem is that people are too quick to turn to social media to slate a shop of individual without exploring all the avenues available. If you have a problem with a shop, approach them first. See if you can get the problem resolved. If you are not able to reach an amicable agreement with them and you feel like you truly have been screwed by arrogance or bad service, THEN start a thread.

 

DON'T start a thread slating someone while you are still in negotiations and giving the interwebs a play by play based on YOUR opinion. If the situation is resolved by whatever means at the end of the day there may have been some unnecessary things said in cyber space that will certainly damage them as a business more than you as an individual.

 

I think discretion is the key here.

 

Completely, various steps need to have been taken before highlighting the issue, at least giving the shop a chance. I think there is also the topic of defamation and/or slander? One needs to be careful

[Reg Lizard]

The biggest problem is that people are too quick to turn to social media to slate a shop of individual without exploring all the avenues available. If you have a problem with a shop, approach them first. See if you can get the problem resolved. If you are not able to reach an amicable agreement with them and you feel like you truly have been screwed by arrogance or bad service, THEN start a thread.

 

DON'T start a thread slating someone while you are still in negotiations and giving the interwebs a play by play based on YOUR opinion. If the situation is resolved by whatever means at the end of the day there may have been some unnecessary things said in cyber space that will certainly damage them as a business more than you as an individual.

 

I think discretion is the key here.

 

Point taken, but surely it is the responsibility of the LBS to ensure that the bike they sell/repair is 100% when they give it to the customer! Where is the quality assurance in the process? So what you are saying is it's ok that the bike is not 100% when you get it, you must just accept it like that! I still think it is our responsibility to warn fellow bikers against buying from these LBS' and/or utilising the services they offer.

[Pants Boy]

Thank you Mr Coetzee. Will work on my writing skills and use of the correct words.

 

Feel free to make any corrections here as well.

 

Regards

Onetime

Hey OneTime, it was in jest. It was better than posting my original thoughts, which was "Oh no not another effing thread about a LBS that has to deal with crap components, shitty parts delivery, irrational customers and one-sided complaints"

 

 

Hope your brakes gets sorted.

[divernick]

So I took my bike in for some brake related problem a while ago.

Brake in question is a Elixer7.

 

 

There's your problem.

[flyluis]

Looks like the hub is becoming a "hello peter" for cyclists.....

[porqui]

There's your problem.

 

Here we go again.

 

XT's are giving problems too.

 

Avid Avid user

[divernick]

Here we go again.

 

XT's are giving problems too.

 

Avid Avid user

 

Must be user error......

[Grebel]

Point taken, but surely it is the responsibility of the LBS to ensure that the bike they sell/repair is 100% when they give it to the customer! Where is the quality assurance in the process? So what you are saying is it's ok that the bike is not 100% when you get it, you must just accept it like that! I still think it is our responsibility to warn fellow bikers against buying from these LBS' and/or utilising the services they offer.

 

I said nothing of the sort.. Go read my post again. What I did say was that you should try and resolve your issues directly with the LBS BEFORE you come to social media and run your mouth.

 

The issue of quality control is an in house issue that is the responsibility of all shops. No bike should leave without being 100%. Problem is that the responsibility lies on the mechanic to check and not the owner, however it becomes the owner's responsibility at the end of the day because that's who takes all the complaint calls.

 

If you end up with an unresolved issue and you do bring it here, chances are that the LBS in question has no idea about it and it will be a one sided story and we all know that there are three sides to every story. Theirs, yours and the truth...