Poor service: Specialized Concept Cyclery, Waterfall.

[Marius]

The one in Stellenbosch is just as useless.

[Plentipotential]

OK, let me try here, my responses will be in red.

​It all depends what the derailleur was doing, if you were trying to get rid of that "scrape" in certain gears with a triple front, then you also need to help me find Atlantis on a unicorn.

Yes, something that happens quite often and often the agents won't have spares for all the models they keep especially not older models.

 

Grip shifter will take care of that problem, one twist at a time.

[Baracuda]

Lots of control mate, I would have started going nuts after paragraph 4. Shops have nice big glass windows....

[CASSIE1975]

Liewe aarde....how did you not petrol bomb the place

 

+1...EK STEM

[eelvio]

Not questioning your story but it appears you may not have spoken to the owner, Duane. Any service provider or retailer can have issues, it is how they resolve the issues that counts. In my experience Duane would not have let your issues go unresolved. I have been dealing with them since they opened and continue to do so. This type of complaint can be extremely damaging, I just hope you covered all reasonable options before posting it

 

All possible options or not the manager should be enough? If the owner was not there how would you know to contact him? Not the first Specialized store to be called up on bad service and not the last. Just wont support them anymore.

[eelvio]

Firstly, if your nipples weren't alloy, they would have been brass, I yet have to see brass nipples corrode so badly in such a short space of time where they just break.

Don't take my "uninformed" comment as an insult, rather embrace it and read up as much as you can, this will start helping you in the long run.

I don't expect my doctor to look after my body 24/7 without any knowledge about my own body.

 

I think one must take into context that when asking about a certain "feature", the go to explanations for 90% of LBS's is not enough to the newer/less informed rider. Not everyone can be a wealth of cycling information.

 

When asking about tubeless the info is always lighter and less punctures but no mention of other issues, whether tomorrow or in future, this is where, by going to 5 different bike shops you will eventually get all the information. Did the bike shop take the OP's needs into account and offer information based on that?

 

Bottom line is the OP probably expected more from tubeless, as he was not informed well enough. He didn't exactly have time to go off and do multiple searches to get the info before having to make a decision.

 

Sounds more like a rush job(read botch job) and excuses to not have to pay for repairs or the likes thereof. But then again maybe the wording of the conversation had with the OP is not quite the same, I know I forget particular wording when I lose my temper in that way.

Edited August 20, 2014 by eelvio

[Paul Ruinaard]

Specialized Concept Stores are like Mudguards.

 

All shiny on the outside, but the same sh*t underneath.

 

I have had my fair share of run ins with mine up in Cedar Square. Lets just leave it there.

 

Specialized's brand is suffering in country because of these guys and I cannot for the life of me work out why they don't do something.

[Bizkit031]

Specialized Concept Stores are like Mudguards.

 

All shiny on the outside, but the same sh*t underneath.

 

I have had my fair share of run ins with mine up in Cedar Square. Lets just leave it there.

 

Specialized's brand is suffering in country because of these guys and I cannot for the life of me work out why they don't do something.

Because they are the top selling brand in SA,so maybe the attitude is if you don't like go somewhere else,but maybe I'm wrong.

[L.T.G]

Specialized Concept Stores are like Mudguards.

 

All shiny on the outside, but the same sh*t underneath.

 

I have had my fair share of run ins with mine up in Cedar Square. Lets just leave it there.

 

Specialized's brand is suffering in country because of these guys and I cannot for the life of me work out why they don't do something.

 

I've been dealing with West Rand Cycles for MANY years now and since their transformation into a Spez Concept store, nothing has changed.

Their service is still outstanding! Friendly and efficient are not high on my list of compliments for them as it'll do no justice.. they're always going out of their way for me, always willing to help and offer advice!

Yes, there have been oopses here and there, they're human.. but always simple things and resolved in no time at all.

I don't get this service because I spend heaps of money with them,quite the contrary.... only bits and pieces and then all my bikes services etc. I bought my Camber from them last month, my first new bike and major purchase in 5 years... this after being given a Camber and Epic for numerous weekends on end to make sure I was happy with my choice!

So I completely disagree with all Spez stores being all shiny only on the outside....

Very unfortunate for the OP to have gone through what he has but not all Spez Concept stores are like that.

Edited August 20, 2014 by L.T.G

[exsanguinator]

I can assure you that we learn from our mistakes and continue to try and improve service across the board.

My opinion is,if you have been in the business long enough,there should me no mistakes

As you should know,mistakes can be costly in the long run

From what i have read, the whole issue went on far too long

 

reading through this post ...there are too many complaints against Spez from this forum alone,

which in my opinion,is a minority of actual customers out there,

which in turn tells me the odds could be against Specialized

Edited August 20, 2014 by exsanguinator

[Cat2forLife]

Ok I'm not really sure just how much I should share here, but I'm gonna say some stuff anyway.

 

I work at a bike shop. Quite a large bike shop. On the issue of the tubeless conversion, we NEVER do free conversions, simply because 90% of bikes do not come as standard with tubeless tires and that is what i think happened here. I've heard numerous horror stories of people telling me: "Well I can get a free tubeless conversion at shop A or B" and it always ends up the same. We don't do free conversions simply because we'd lose at least R600 on a tire and we will under no circumstances try and do a halfarsed job just to get a sale.

 

If the other parts of the conversion was done correctly, you should've had no issues with the nipples corroding etc. So either the mechanic had no idea what he was doing, or you have had some REALLY bad luck. I'm not sure I'm sold on the corrosion story.

 

With regards to the wheel/s they built for you, that seems like another story in itself. I find it very strange that they have no one in their shop who can build a wheel properly. We have at least 3 in our shop. Maybe that is something they should look at.

 

Not to be rude, but if you are a big guy, maybe you should do a little more research when looking at wheels and stuff. I know it's already been mentioned, but people at bike shops can say whatever they want to a customer to get a sale. Especially customers who know very little about what they're buying. It's sad, but it's true.

 

Doing some research on a product (especially an expensive one like a bike or wheelset) will only do YOU good. I will feel absolutely no different if a customer I'm selling something to knew what he was talking about. In fact, I'd be the first to admit that one or two of my customers have taught me a lot. I understand that us who employed and make a living with the knowledge we have of cycling should always be able to help, but we're only human. But should I not be able to help someone, I can confidently say as a collective, in our shop we have more than enough knowledge to be able to help someone.

 

Anyway, I hope some of my rambling helped a little or at least gave a little perspective.

[G e r h a r d Odendaal]

Did Contador also buy his bike for this guys?

 

That was not Contadors bike, it was a bike on the Saxon Tinkoff team car that got hooked on another bike of another team car

Edited August 20, 2014 by Gerhard Odendaal

[No Hare]

Oy Errol, you are a student and on a whim you buy a bike that cost a hell of a lot.

.

Are you one of those child geniuses that made a mil before your 16th birthday?

Do you have a sugar -mommy or daddy that support you?

Your parents?

Trust fund?

News Paper delivery?

[Off_da_brakes]

Oy Errol, you are a student and on a whim you buy a bike that cost a hell of a lot.

.

Are you one of those child geniuses that made a mil before your 16th birthday?

Do you have a sugar -mommy or daddy that support you?

Your parents?

Trust fund?

News Paper delivery?

And your point is?

[Paul Ruinaard]

I've been dealing with West Rand Cycles for MANY years now and since their transformation into a Spez Concept store, nothing has changed.

Their service is still outstanding! Friendly and efficient are not high on my list of compliments for them as it'll do no justice.. they're always going out of their way for me, always willing to help and offer advice!

Yes, there're have been oopses here and there, they're human.. but always simple things and resolved in no time at all.

I don't get this service because I spend heaps of money with them,quite the contrary.... only bits and pieces and then all my bikes services etc. I bought my Camber from them last month, my first new bike and major purchase in 5 years... this after being given a Camber and Epic for numerous weekends on end to make sure I was happy with my choice!

So I completely disagree with all Spez stores being all shiny only on the outside....

Very unfortunate for the OP to have gone through what he has but not all Spez Concept stores are like that.

 

Hmm - as I said I have had my issues. Concept Store Melrose Arch and at Cedar Square. I have posted here on the hub.

 

West Rand is not my area but in the old days i travelled all the way there to get services (on my Specialized when they did Ventana) because they were so good - so i have no issues with them.

 

And i am an out and out Specialized fan: Bikes x 2, shoes, seats, gloves, jackets.

 

I love their stuff. SO TBH for me to say that the stores are not working is from the heart (of a brand fan) not an idle quote and a snipe at them. Its the same story with the same type of sloppy service.

 

You just need to do some looking on this forum and see the posts - so three of the stores (that i know of) have had issues.

 

Oopsies: Oopsies are what takes you out of business and are what are commonly referred to as good customer service. We as Saffers are too tolerant of lousy servcie and are willing to forgive. Go to a shop in the USA and see what service is about. There is a dealership in Dallas where I spent about 30 minutes getting help, with a pair of cycling socks.

 

After that I came back two days later and spent hundreds of dollars there. And I felt great doing it, because I was king in their world. No amount of trouble was too much, getting me the correct sizes etc.

[No Hare]

And your point is?

need to find out with whom I should make friends