Pair of wheels ordered on 22nd of May. Emailed and was told would be dispatched 26th of May. Phoned today - still not been processed. Have promised I'll be emailed today when they're dispatched. Quite annoyed as SO agreed to get them shipped to her work and now it's half term ajnd I could have taken them in the first place.Was asked today if I still wanrt the wheels - said yes but unless they're here quickly I won't be buying the fork from them. I get the feeling they have grown bigger than their operation can acutally cope with.
TODAY they tell me it is now out of stock. It wasn't when I placed the order! What a uselss bunch or *******! I'm closing my account today.
Yes I wrote that after I lost my bargain pair of Sun Ringle wheels. I have been waiting over a week but to be fair here are some things they have done very right -
1) When I emailed ata bout half seven on the 26th I got a reply within 21 minutes. Not an automated reply but one typed by a real human. I know beacuse he rang me (see below).
2) When I rang earlier to cancel the order I got a very apologetic and helpful assitant (Mandy I think)who didn't try to make excuses for the company but got it all done very efficently and sent me the voucher. I know lots of people whinge about the 'token £5 voucher' but they don't have to do that.
3) Mandy arranged for her manager (the same individual who emailed me mid-week) to ring me back by half three which he did, he listened fairly and offered to order in a pair of wheels for me. Unfortunately by then I was standing in my LBS typing in the PIN for a pair of hope hoops...
Yes their dispatch rate has gone up the swanny but the people I spoke to admitted that and said they did want to try and solve it as it was affecting their international orders as well. They were polite, professional and as helpful as they could be under the circumstances. My LBS said there are things they will never be able to beat them on for prioce like brake pads, consumables and spares but from now on I will buy big components from my LBS (Freewheel in Exeter FYI) as they've always done me well, delaing with my cunning uppy-downy seatpost when it had to be returned under warranty very well.
So on relfection I will NOT close my CRC account yet but I will think with more than just my wallet when buying things, patricularluy more expensive things. Both the LBS and online retailer have a place and a roll and there are good and bad exmaples of both. My LBS has had some truly shocking moments but like CRC they have always owned up and tried to do the best they can.
