Bike service poll

[SimpleDom]

I took my bike in for a service. Full service, including new bearings all round, new BB, new cables, fork and shock service. Cost me R3700. Ouch. It came back with the chain incorrectly threaded through the rear derailleur, the back brake calliper not even tightened onto the frame properly, and a creaky headset.

 

Do I :

 

A ) Sort it all out myself and never go back

B ) Go and complain and let them touch my bike again (sort out the issues)

C ) Let the know that it's happened but still fix things myself

 

I'm seriously pissed off, but don't feel like being a shouty customer. I'll also give them the opportunity to respond before I throw the name out there..... Just wondering what the hubber feeling is on the pricing and type of service....

Edited February 23, 2014 by DomP

[TopFuel]

Honestly, for R3700 the answer is obvious. D) Fix it yourself after demanding your money back.

 

Jokes aside though, you should bring this to their attention, especially considering how much money you have paid. It is unacceptable to get things back in such a condition.

 

Thereafter, it is up to you, but I think self-service (to a point) is a much more fun and cheaper endeavour. Bikes are simple creatures and really aren't intimidating given the right combo of Youtube and correct tools.

 

EDIT: typo

Edited February 23, 2014 by TopFuel

[BarHugger]

Use the Baseball rule....3 missed pitches.......YOU ARE OUT!!!! (iow, name and shame).

 

My wife took her bike in for major service at one of the more respectable cycle service centres in Pretoria (due to rave reviews on the HUB and the capabilities of hubby apparently not up to same standard). Quoted her R650....final bill approx R1800. Got her bike back the Friday afternoon before MTN Dullstroom. All I can say is that she struggled, front derailleur stopped functioning when the race started, this resulted in her breaking shifter lever (tight cabling), chain kept jumping 2 and more gears on rear sproket, and also some other problems. This after a major service......she was not a happy dolly after the race. Took the bike back, gave the shop a proper grilling (after the front desk occupier tried to convince her that all her problems was due to the mud and that it was her responsibility to have made sure that the bike was in good working order).....they agreed to fix it......at an extra R650 for parts. The bike (R8000 in total value) is atleast now back to a normal condition.

 

Note, I have not named the shop in question.....that I leave to my wife.....needless to say she will NEVER take her bike back to the specific shop. Some of the nuts weren't even TORQUED properly........hubby is BACK ON DUTY!

Edited February 23, 2014 by BarHugger

[Mojoman]

I took my bike in for a service. Full service, including new bearings all round, new BB, new cables, fork and shock service. Cost me R3700. Ouch. It came back with the chain incorrectly threaded through the rear derailleur, the back brake calliper not even tightened onto the frame properly, and a creaky headset.

 

Do I :

 

A ) Sort it all out myself and never go back

B ) Go and complain and let them touch my bike again (sort out the issues)

C ) Let the know that it's happened but still fix things myself

 

I'm seriously pissed off, but don't feel like being a shouty customer. I'll also give them the opportunity to respond before I throw the name out there..... Just wondering what the hubber feeling is on the pricing and type of service....

Whats the breakdown on that R3700 out of interest?

[Maximis]

That's a shocker! I would go back and complain. If your bill was under a grand or so then ya maybe you get what you pay for. But for what you payed, your bike should spotless, perfect, and race ready. I would be furious!

 

I serviced my bike about a month ago, did most of my bike ( the areas I was familiar with ) except fork service and new cables. Was relatively quick, easy, and affordable. I then had the piece of mind that my bike was sorted!

 

 

[TopFuel]

That's a shocker! I would go back and complain. If your bill was under a grand or so then ya maybe you get what you pay for. But for what you payed, your bike should spotless, perfect, and race ready. I would be furious!

 

I serviced my bike about a month ago, did most of my bike ( the areas I was familiar with ) except fork service and new cables. Was relatively quick, easy, and affordable. I then had the piece of mind that my bike was sorted!

 

I disagree. You quoted me a price for a job, the results of which must be to the customers satisfaction. Why does good quality service depend on how much you pay a guy? If you say to me x price for a job and then don't do that job, you can't turn around and say well what did you expect for x price.

 

Which is why I agree (and you seem to too) that servicing you own bike is much better, cause you'll by-and-large do a better and more thorough job. I agree that fork/shock servicing and press-fitting things is much better left to specialist services.

[kosmonooit]

You are going to continue to be shafted until you learn to do your own basic servicing. You can still get specialist work like shock servicing done elsewhere, but all this "full service" is very dodgy and gives the shop the license to replace every moving part, even if its not necessary.

[Brian Fantana]

If I take my Intense as an example (parts only):

 

Suspension bearings(Enduro): R750

Mounting Hardware (Fox): R350

Fork service: R400 (wiper and oil seals only)

Shock service: R300 (Air can service kit only)

Cables F&R : R250

BB: R350

 

This brings you to R2400.

 

Add a full service of R700, and you end up with R3100 in parts and service only.

 

Now you still need to add the labour of fitting the above mentioned parts. Let's say 2 hours minimum at R400 per hour, and you end up with a total of R3900.

 

So for the work done the price seems very reasonable.

 

However your lbs really need to check bikes and take them for a spin around the block before the customer collects. They also need to fix all the issues you have experienced after the service.

 

 

 

[Capricorn]

errm, i see the questions, but where's teh poll?

 

fwiw, take it back. Get them to finish the job to your satisfaction. You didn't short change them did you? Well, neither should they.

Edited February 23, 2014 by Capricorn

[SimpleDom]

Whats the breakdown on that R3700 out of interest?

 

-Pro tune service R 1568 (Full strip down and re-build, including new gear cables and brake bleed)

-Front suspension service R 855

-ABEC-3 BEARINGS 15X28X7MM/6902 x2 R 114

-BRG ENDURO BEARINGS 15 X 24 X x3 R 366

- SHM SM-BB91-42A MTB P-FIT 42MM R 545

-HEADSET BEARING CC 52MM 1.5X45 R 231

Edited February 23, 2014 by DomP

[christopher scott]

excluding the parts fitted...the service comes down to just that, the service. I am a bike mechanic and particularly when there are races in quick succession and the bike shops get bogged down, it does happen that a bike or two may "slip" through the cracks, it is no excuse i know, but in future, one should check your bike before leaving the store, make the time to do so. i do my best to ensure that every bike i do has been serviced to the best of my ability. i know what my work rate is and i would rather turn away a customer knowing that i may not have time do his bike properly, rather than think of my cash draw. Take the bike back, give them the opportunity to sort it out. if they get stroppy, thank them for their time and go somewhere else or do it yourself then let us know and then tell us who it is.

[SimpleDom]

errm, i see the questions, but where's teh poll?

 

fwiw, take it back. Get them to finish the job to your satisfaction. You didn't short change them did you? Well, neither should they.

 

Sorry, I didn't mean actual forum poll...

[scotty]

If it were me i would take it back, they need to fix their stuff up. Service cost seems extremely inflated, a complete strip and rebuild is only R600 at my LBS.

[christopher scott]

Use the Baseball rule....3 missed pitches.......YOU ARE OUT!!!! (iow, name and shame).

 

My wife took her bike in for major service at one of the more respectable cycle service centres in Pretoria (due to rave reviews on the HUB and the capabilities of hubby apparently not up to same standard). Quoted her R650....final bill approx R1800. Got her bike back the Friday afternoon before MTN Dullstroom. All I can say is that she struggled, front derailleur stopped functioning when the race started, this resulted in her breaking shifter lever (tight cabling), chain kept jumping 2 and more gears on rear sproket, and also some other problems. This after a major service......she was not a happy dolly after the race. Took the bike back, gave the shop a proper grilling (after the front desk occupier tried to convince her that all her problems was due to the mud and that it was her responsibility to have made sure that the bike was in good working order).....they agreed to fix it......at an extra R650 for parts. The bike (R8000 in total value) is atleast now back to a normal condition.

 

Note, I have not named the shop in question.....that I leave to my wife.....needless to say she will NEVER take her bike back to the specific shop. Some of the nuts weren't even TORQUED properly........hubby is BACK ON DUTY!

something i have noticed and that is there are bike shops that take the piss (pardon my french) out of people that they assume don't know any better and rip them off and then blame them for not riding properly. get to know your bike and the components. for an R8000 bike you should be getting components that can shift in muddy conditions,.

[BarHugger]

something i have noticed and that is there are bike shops that take the piss (pardon my french) out of people that they assume don't know any better and rip them off and then blame them for not riding properly. get to know your bike and the components. for an R8000 bike you should be getting components that can shift in muddy conditions,.

 

Precisely.....new middle chain ring, new chain, new sproket, new cables.....Shimano SLX and XT components serviced......crappy race after major service.

[fabs]

Hi. for that amount of money, bring the bike back and make a list of your issues.

They get one chance to fix everything to your satisfaction.

 

Failing this, please let us know who it is?

I would not want to bring my bike there