A few weeks ago a bike shop mentioned that there was some play in my rear shock and I should consider new bushings to fix this. I subsequently bought the bushings but found I lacked the tool to remove and replace so took them to a bike shop near work. They quoted a fiver and said "we have the tool it will be a quick job" so i dropped off the shock and picked it up the following day.
Fast forward to this morning, roils the bike into the garden to fit the new shock only to find that it won't fit back on the bike, closer inspection showed that the new parts were not flush and looked like they had been fitted with a hammer and a screwdriver and possible abused by an angle grinder in the process.
At this point i am totally fed up, it's not often i get a long weekend and time to ride as well as carry out the family fun stuff but this weekend was going to get me out at least twice, not anymore though. After a few childish tantrums i decided to phone the LBS on the off chance they could help but knowing from experience that they have a long waiting list for repairs. I was right, they were booking for May. I explained the predicament and that I was looking forward to a ride or two this weekend and they said to bring the shock in and if they could do something quickly they would.
I arrived with the shock and the look on their faces when they saw it said a lot, "WTF has happened here" was basically what their faces were saying. I explained the situation and they sent me home to get the frame as well.
I then spent about 3hrs in the workshop with them as they tried various tools to remove the beat up parts. Chap called Si/Cy did the majority of the work and we had time to talk music, bikes, thai boxing, and various other stuff while the botched parts stayed firmly lodged in the shock. Eventually we agreed that the only way this was coming out was with a hack saw and eventually, and with a degree of uncomfortableness from Si, he got the bushing out.
He fitted the old ones back in and got it back into the frame after a bit of a struggle due to other damage caused by the previous cack handed mechanic and I finally left with a bike I can use this weekend.
I cannot thank them enough, I will be in soon bearing gifts of tea, chocolate, biscuits and other goodies and I made a purchase from the shop as well just because it felt right. That is the best customer service I have had from anywhere in a long time and they now have a lifelong customer.
Thanks mainly goes to Si/Cy but also his manager and the other guys for not taking him off the job as the work in the shop piled up.
Bet I am the only person riding this weekend with hacksaw blade marks in their shock 🙂
John, also found the guys in there and Southampton are a good bunch.
Was the bodged original work also done locally?
Was the bushings fitted by the same shop?
No, not fitted by the same shop. Not comfortable flaming a shop for bad work so not saying who but they were not near Fareham.
I asked for a LBS recommendation on the Hampshire thread so I have my answer now. Thanks
Hi Jambalaya, would be good if you mentioned the recommendation if for no other reason than for them to see the benefits of the good customer service. Dropped you a mail about tomorrow morning.
So how does a thread about leg tatoos go for pages and pages and a good news story gets 6 posts? Sad times 🙂
Well the bike survived todays ride, not looking forward to the conversation with the other bike shop next week.