Is it ok to be bent over and ........

[DJ84]

As an aside to this - what is the purpose of a quote? To get an indication of the cost or to get the actual cost that you can hold the company to?

 

Is this not the difference between a pro forma and a quote?

 

On the other hand, if quoted a price, and things start to go way over the quote, a phone call to said customer usually helps smooth things over. Communication and managing expectations !

 

 

A quote is a legal binding document. Once agreed upon the value must be adhered to based on the specifications mentioned.

This protects both parties from various issues.

An order overrides a quote unless the tender and policies are mentioned in the order.

 

A Pro-Forma is generally a document given for payment process when the work has not yet been completed.

 

As to the original mentioned,

if they carried out work stated and nothing else based on inspection, i would pay the R 800 and tell them to go pull the rest out of their arse.

[Grebel]

As an aside to this - what is the purpose of a quote? To get an indication of the cost or to get the actual cost that you can hold the company to?

 

Is this not the difference between a pro forma and a quote?

 

On the other hand, if quoted a price, and things start to go way over the quote, a phone call to said customer usually helps smooth things over. Communication and managing expectations !

 

As Smimby said, if you quoted to do a job, you are bound by that quote (Read the bottom fine print. Most quotes hold good for 30 days and also state that they are subject to stock availability as well as current exchange rates). You generally will not quote without seeing the item in question. If you do that then you have estimated the costs. At the same time you inform the client that your price is an estimate and that you can only quote once you have seen the item.

 

If you have underquoted, then sorry for you. School fees.

[rouxtjie]

Rule of thumb for me, if a lbs starts talking about major service this and minor service that, when I want something specifically done...walk away.

[Wyatt Earp]

 

Surprise surprise when a week later half the spokes came loose.

 

A few things I have learnt over the years.

 

1. People like shopping at flashy shops, it makes them feel good and they perceive they are getting top service.

2. People are lazy to travel a little only to save a bit of time and then they get burnt where it hits them the hardest .

3. The internet is full of experts, especially wheel builders, nowadays anyone can become a "good wheel builder" especially now that we have the itterwep, they can talk a really good game and become known as "legends" overnight, this normally by a gullible uninformed group of followers.

4. All bike shops are full of mistakes and errors, they never get everything 110 % correct.

5. Not all bike shops appear to be honest. 

[Gnarly]

This is why you should never let girls take their bikes or cars in for a service, mechanics just rip them off.

[NotSoBigBen]

As Smimby said, if you quoted to do a job, you are bound by that quote (Read the bottom fine print. Most quotes hold good for 30 days and also state that they are subject to stock availability as well as current exchange rates). You generally will not quote without seeing the item in question. If you do that then you have estimated the costs. At the same time you inform the client that your price is an estimate and that you can only quote once you have seen the item.

 

If you have underquoted, then sorry for you. School fees.

'print' being the crux here Greb? I have seen very few official written quotes (unless it was for an insurance replacement or something) from an LBS with fine print etc. ......

[jcmeyerSS]

This is why you should never let girls take their bikes or cars in for a service, mechanics just rip them off.

Hahahaha

I'll let John know that for next time

[jcmeyerSS]

Hahahaha

I'll let John know that for next time

Maybe send Barbs and he would get it for fwee

[rouxtjie]

Maybe send Barbs and he would get it for fwee

Now there is a plan....two winks and flick of hair and jonno would have had change after being charged buggerall

[Grebel]

'print' being the crux here Greb? I have seen very few official written quotes (unless it was for an insurance replacement or something) from an LBS with fine print etc. ......

 

Agreed. Maybe asking too much (Thinking too corporate here...). Business transactions seem to be far too relaxed when it comes to bike shops though. A service that is offered (Bike service, wheel build, fork service etc) should be a set price including relevant parts and consumables relevant to the item (HT, DS, road/mtb wheel etc). Any extras should be approved by the customer like rim tape, tubeless valves and the like.

 

The responsibility lies with the LBS as well to inform the customer that they charge X amount for a wheel build but that doesn't include replacement spokes, rim tape etc. At least the customer can expect additional charges. To be blindsided with a R500 additional bill when you bring R800 to collect your wheels is a bit offside IMO

[Pieterg]

Not nice

[eelvio]

Rule of thumb for me, if a lbs starts talking about major service this and minor service that, when I want something specifically done...walk away.

 

Obviously hasn't done over 1000 specific things and has to resort to service fees. 

[TheV]

my 2 cents

 

think there is a difference when someone actually charges you for something that actually had to be replaced, fixed, services or used.... yes, it's not nice to be presented with an unexpected charge but the fact still remains - its a valid charge.

 

So in this case, who's responsibility is it to calculate or request a worst case cost?

 

for example: should the shop have quoted a full rebuild price on 100% spoke replacement and then calculated a lower the price on final usage?

 

Or should the customer have asked what the worst case cost would be if 50% of spokes needed replacement?

[rouxtjie]

Obviously hasn't done over 1000 specific things and has to resort to service fees. 

Assumption is the mother of all ********

 

What is in a major / minor service.

 

The reason it works for cars is that there is a detailed checklist of things to be done for your model of car, not so for a bike and hence people being disappointed.

[rouxtjie]

my 2 cents

 

think there is a difference when someone actually charges you for something that actually had to be replaced, fixed, services or used.... yes, it's not nice to be presented with an unexpected charge but the fact still remains - its a valid charge.

 

So in this case, who's responsibility is it to calculate or request a worst case cost?

 

for example: should the shop have quoted a full rebuild price on 100% spoke replacement and then calculated a lower the price on final usage?

 

Or should the customer have asked what the worst case cost would be if 50% of spokes needed replacement?

Maybe call the customer after knowing exactly how much it will cost and ask him if he wants to proceed.

[Dubber]

 

I just don't understand why people find to so hard to actually support the more honest shops.

Because the honest shop will say R1000 for the job where as the other guys will say R500 but charge R1200 when you collect?

 

I guess there are enough customers to keep going?