Quality of Bike Service from Bike Shops

[Patchelicious]

I am not at all telling him to change his view. I did, however, take offence at the fact that he considered my remark stupid. I was merely stating that perhaps being considerate towards the staff who don't want to be there late on a Saturday afternoon. But maybe I am the only one that thinks like this. Maybe it's because I used to work in retail that I have a different perspective. Perhaps some people who have never worked in retail will never have that perspective.

 

And fair enough, it is there job and they get paid to do it, but I find it very difficult to believe that no one on this forum has never done a half arsed job because they didn't feel like working on a particular day. Some of us are just in a better position to get away with, because perhaps we do not directly deal with customers or we can carry on tomorrow or whatever. I know I have been misluk at work plenty. It's human. We are not robots. And therefor I take into consideration that the mechanic at the shop will probably do a bad job late on a Saturday afternoon. And I don't particularly blame him. So I either fix it myself or take it early.

I used to work in retail too, retail in a mall of all things, 8am - 8pm 7 days a week for 2 years. There is nothing as *** as somebody coming in at ay 19:50 and wanting to get service, but it was part of our jobs so we did it. 

 

If we were unable to do it, we would communicate this to the client. We would certainly not take the clients money then tell him afterwards that we cannot service their needs because of the timeing.

 

Point is, the shop has the prerogative to either take on the job, get paid, and do it properly or not. Upfront communication is key, but greedy little paws often leads to people taking on too much work and then they have to compromise on delivery.

 

Edit: Now go take your Slaapstad day off, we can argue again on Tuesday

Edited March 29, 2018 by Patchelicious

[Kalahari Vegmot]

If I pay someone to do something that they said they would, and they did not do it, I will complain. Not because it will change anything, but to make sure noone else gets caught by the same fraudster(and yes, that is most definately what it is, FRAUD)

 

It should be a criminal offence.

 

No different to when I advertise, say, a 2011 Giant mtb; and then you pay, and when it's delivered, you get a 2009 Giant mtb. IT IS FRAUD!!!

[Cat2forLife]

I used to work in retail too, retail in a mall of all things, 8am - 8pm 7 days a week for 2 years. There is nothing as *** as somebody coming in at ay 19:50 and wanting to get service, but it was part of our jobs so we did it. 

 

If we were unable to do it, we would communicate this to the client. We would certainly not take the clients money then tell him afterwards that we cannot service their needs because of the timeing.

 

Point is, the shop has the prerogative to either take on the job, get paid, and do it properly or not. Upfront communication is key, but greedy little paws often leads to people taking on too much work and then they have to compromise on delivery.

 

Edit: Now go take your Slaapstad day off, we can argue again on Tuesday

 

I agree that in this case, with Cycle Lab, by taking the money they shot themselves in the foot and opened up the door. But on a different note, could you imagine the **** storm you would get from the boss if you HAD told the customer no? Or how the customer would've blown it out of perspective on social media? So sometimes you take the job on because you have to.

 

And I get it. I get that it's their job and they have to do it. I get it. But the point I'm making is that people are people. They only do things because they have to sometimes. And it can all be avoided if everyone is just a little bit more considerate.

 

I think also maybe I'm just tired of people jumping onto social media or online forums, instead of having the stones to confront the people right then and there. Not saying this is what the OP did, just in general.

 

It's very easy to be a keyboard ninja, but most of these ninjas are scared little lambs when they have to actually speak to some one.

 

Anyway, I think at this point I'm just ranting more than anything else. Just ignore me and carry on with your lives.

[eddy]

I wonder if the OP was even charged for quickly grabbing a key and tightening up 49 stem bolts.

[Cat2forLife]

If I pay someone to do something that they said they would, and they did not do it, I will complain. Not because it will change anything, but to make sure noone else gets caught by the same fraudster(and yes, that is most definately what it is, FRAUD)

 

It should be a criminal offence.

 

No different to when I advertise, say, a 2011 Giant mtb; and then you pay, and when it's delivered, you get a 2009 Giant mtb. IT IS FRAUD!!!

 

I think you may be slightly missing the point.. Complain to his face then. Not on the internet.

[Cat2forLife]

I wonder if the OP was even charged for quickly grabbing a key and tightening up 49 stem bolts.

 

He claims he was, but I'm not too sure..

 

Can't really imagine what one would charge some one to do that.

 

We used to do it for free.

 

But perhaps not every shop does.

Edited March 29, 2018 by Jetstar500

[Kalahari Vegmot]

I think you may be slightly missing the point.. Complain to his face then. Not on the internet.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

This guy........

 

"Don't try and tell other members of Bikehub, or any other sort of online community about fraudsters"

 

I am in awe of your intellect.

[Patchelicious]

This is why I dont try and do it myself anymore...

 

[Cat2forLife]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

This guy........

 

"Don't try and tell other members of Bikehub, or any other sort of online community about fraudsters"

 

I am in awe of your intellect.

 

Sarcasm is the lowest form of whit, is it not? So right back at you.

 

Tell all your friends, by all means. If that makes you feel better.

 

But do so only after you have had the stones to take on the staff or owner at the store and tried to get to an amicable solution.

 

If it's a shop or private seller or whatever that repeatedly tries to scam people, they deserve it. But sometimes, it's just a guy who's had a long day. They don't deserve it.

 

Oh and seeing as we're getting personal, your name is stupid.

Edited March 29, 2018 by Jetstar500

[alleyne]

HI All

 

This is not a rant, but an effort to understand whether my expectations of Bike Shop work on my bicycle are not to high.

 

Here is a summary of my experience over the last 2 years

 

1 - Full Service to get a Bike 70.3 Race Ready (this fact was stated at check in) > Chain never re-lubed. I was still a bit of a bike novice and only realized this when the umpteenth person told me to urgently get that lubed as I struggled up the hill in East London (Stellenbosch Shop)

 

2 - Ceased Rear Mountain Bike Disc (my doing) > Advice was to replace rear caliper. This was done and I was called to come and collect. But as I walked out of the shop the rear wheel dragged behind me, worst than when dropped off (different Stellenbosch shop)

 

3 - Loose Handle Bar Bolts > Quick Pop In into a Cycle Lab before closing the day before 94.7. I flew in and wanted a cycle shop to check all nuts and bolts as I took some of it apart for flying. I observed how they quickly went over all of the bolts, without a torque wrench. I specifically said I was here for it to be done correctly as I could have done it by hand as well (I did not own a torque wrench then). Manager said his guys can feel the torque. I insisted on the wrench, which they then did, only to discover that 2 of the 4 handle bar bolts was not fastened at all back home

 

4 - Fit new Tyres to Mountain Bike (Tubeless) - R375. > Due to injury I did not ride immediately. A month or so later, discovered that I cannot even pump the wheels beyond 2 bar before they explode of the rims with Stans all over the show.  Take bike to 4th Stellenbosch shop only to be pointed out how extremely wavy the rim type was fixed to the rim, prevented proper seating.

 

5 - Last shop in Stellenbosch fixing the above problem, put tyre on in wrong rotational direction (but this guy did the job for me for free, so I am not to disappointing)

 

Is this just normal and the level of quality I should expect from bike shops, or what? I went to 5 shops! I am trying to understand what expectations I should have?

 

PS, I went back to Shop 1 and 2 and they just blamed the guy working in the back. That why I did not take the bike back as I hate owners who do that

 

Hi Daniemare

 

Just out of interest why is Cycle Lab the only shop that gets named?

[slickandtyred]

Hi Daniemare

 

Just out of interest why is Cycle Lab the only shop that gets named?

So as not to name drop, and to afford other readers the opportunity to add their chosen store names (as they did)

[emoji48]

Just a joke...

 

Sent from my VIE-L09 using Tapatalk

[thisismyotherbike]

Hi Daniemare

 

Just out of interest why is Cycle Lab the only shop that gets named?

Excellent question, but I guess it's easier to shame a large outfit vs the smaller shop where somebody actually knows your name

[daniemare]

Couple of catch up points

 

- Started my post saying it’s not a rant but an effort to understand what my expectations should be

 

- Addressed each issue with the shop in question, except for the tubeless tyre one as it was almost 2 monrhs on when I discovered it

 

- On Naming the shops, my bad and an oversight on my part only naming cycle lab. Thats not fair.

> No lube - BMT

> Brake Issue - Flandria

> Tubeless Tyre Issue - Specialized

> Cycle Lab Pretoria ( Lynwood area)

> Wheel rotation - New shop, do not know the name. As I said went there through a favour

 

- was charged R100 for the bolts thing, which at first I thought was fair. I, at that point, did not own a torque wrench due to the cost of the tool, so it’s only right to be charged by someone who did invest in one. But the use it

[eddy]

If I pay someone to do something that they said they would, and they did not do it, I will complain. Not because it will change anything, but to make sure noone else gets caught by the same fraudster(and yes, that is most definately what it is, FRAUD)

It should be a criminal offence.

No different to when I advertise, say, a 2011 Giant mtb; and then you pay, and when it's delivered, you get a 2009 Giant mtb. IT IS FRAUD!!!

Shoddy service is NOT fraud.

[ChrisF]

Totally disagree if you're a rookie. I must confess, I can't adjust my derailleurs, so I will never pretend to understand how it works and will always leave it up to my LBS to do that for me. 

 

That's a better way of putting it. Everyone who rides a bicycle on a semi- to regular occasion should be able to do the basics. Change a tube, learn to use a CO2 bomb, replace a chain that's come off the top chainring, learning to use clipless pedals, and NOT TO WEAR UNDERWEAR under your cycling shorts.

 

No thanks to the clipless pedals .... but at least I can and do set adjust the derailures on my bikes.  Actually one of the easier things to do

[Vloot]

Atleast I have mastered this!