[Closed] Bike Park Wales - Great place but beware of vouchers not being honoured

The cafe staff cocking off down the jobcentre comments bring up some intriguing thoughts.

The jobcentre isn't what it used to be, it's not where you go to find work anymore, but where you face punishment for being out of work. They are forcing folk under threat of destitution to take any job, suitable for the individuals or not.
Another thought, what is the payscale for these workers? If it's minimum wage combined with the jobcentre / benefits agency attitude, it could be a reason for the long faces. (I've a bit of experience with this, the mrs was a head cheese at Poundworld until dealing with what the jobcentre constantly sent over even when there were no vacancies on top of other corporate bulldust nearly sent her doolally.I encouraged her to quit and take a paycut, best move ever, we're skint but happy )

It's not throttling, it's a single track road with long stretches where you can't pass so they run to a sort of timetable to keep it all flowing

It doesn't seem to be an issue at other places though.

Some leniency on cancellations and postponements due to other life activities , would go a long way without causing the place to become unprofitable.They could , with a little more training of staff , and awareness , that paying customers want and expect more than just good trails.This would turn a reasonably good place into somewhere first class.

This and andywoodhall's comments sum it up for me, in basic form it's tremendous, the trails are great the uplift is fine, but there's a bunch of stuff that needs to be addressed, from a custom care perspective, that they could do to make it a "must tell everyone how great it is" destination.

edit: this has reminded me of a recent visit to a DR Martin store. My son has some boggo 8 hole DMs that had split at the heel, they were 18months old, we had the receipt but didn't have high hopes with regards to a repair or some money off a new pair. In short we arrived, and the shop assistant (not the manager) looked at my son's shoes, and said words to the effect of "that's a bit shit, what size are you, I'll get you some new ones". No ifs buts, just replaced. We were all pretty gobsmacked, and I've told loads of folk about it since (The whole idea of the policy I assume) This is the lesson that BPW need to learn

It's a shame they can't get their shit together when it comes to the uplift, as I said earlier I haven't been in over a year and I have a gift voucher which will run out mid-Jan. Can't do anything about it as it's booked solid......

I have always had great experiences with the uplift at BPW.

I accept that I won't get ten runs in as it is quite a long descent especially when running with a large group of mates (10 of us last time).

The drivers are friendly and conscientious, they ensure the bikes are secure and are paying attention in the van, they told off a young lad for sticking his head out the window which given how much the van bounces about is sound advice.

The Cafe isn't great food but its acceptable, it would be good if there was more than one pay point for those not wanting to faff about ordering hot food.

The toilets/showers could do with being open later especially in the summer.

Overall I like the place and have always found it a pleasure to visit.

I have also been to:

Triscombe - landrover and a trailer with wheel holes cut in it!

FOD - great service, bit steep for parking on top of the uplift.

Cwm Carn - quick enough given the distance they have to travel.

UKBikepark - shut down now, lot more waiting and you got battered by the uplift.

BMCC - Good uplift, non existent services.

Swinley - terrible cafe, average facilities.

Is the grumpy tall guy still working in the shop area there?
Probably the most miserable, rudest employee i've ever met.

he was still there when i went in March....proper ray of sunshine he is

i get that they are within their rights to refuse but it is very poor customer relations to not honour the voucher as they already have the money for a service they havent provided.
i get the feeling from the times that ive been there that the staff in the bike shop and the main counter arent the best at dealing with customers. the ones in the restaurant are quite good and the drivers are a really good bunch

The thread title implies that a valid voucher wasn't honoured, so is misleading. Probably not legally actionable, but I would venture to suggest it is a [i]dishonourable[/i] way of describing the actual issue.

It's a shame they can't get their shit together when it comes to the uplift, as I said earlier I haven't been in over a year and I have a gift vouvher which will run out mid-jan. Can't do anything about it as it's booked solid......

Surely you just have to redeem the voucher before mid-Jan, not actually attend an uplift day before then? A quick look on the website shows plenty of spaces running into mid-March so not sure what you mean.

BPW seems to be one of those "love-to-hate" places when it comes to internet moaning. Surely the fact that the uplift is always booked and the cafe is busy etc means that they're doing something right to draw that many people in?

I've been going since not long after they opened and have had a few bad customer experiences mixed in with the good ones, but ever think that perhaps they're real humans who might be having a bad day? Especially when having to deal with the entitled attitudes that come along with the SC-riding Audi-driving stereotypical bikers?

BPW seems to be one of those "love-to-hate" places when it comes to internet moaning.

I want to love it, and I've enjoyed the riding there. They do however need to make sure that the staff understand that the ongoing viability has very much got to do with people wanting to go back (its a motorway drive for most folk) They are consistently failing to do that, and customer service is a pretty easy and straightforward thing to do right.

but ever think that perhaps they're real humans who might be having a bad day? Especially when having to deal with the entitled attitudes that come along with the SC-riding Audi-driving stereotypical bikers?

The world they live in is one of high customer expectation (for better or worse) that's the world that EVERY business is in that deals with customers. I don't care if the staff are having a bad day, they shouldn't be bringing that to the job, they should be as a minimum courteous and professional, and while they get that right, as this thread shows, they don't always.

Especially when having to deal with the entitled attitudes that come along with the SC-riding Audi-driving stereotypical bikers?

Only been once but all seemed fine to me. Pleasant enough staff, decent enough food and a good days riding was had.

The cafe staff cocking off down the jobcentre comments bring up some intriguing thoughts.

The jobcentre isn't what it used to be, it's not where you go to find work anymore, but where you face punishment for being out of work. They are forcing folk under threat of destitution to take any job, suitable for the individuals or not.

Perhaps I was being too glib, you are quite correct (I also have dealings with the Job Centre), I meant in a general sense of finding a new direction suited to their skill sets. 🙂

I'd be surprised if the staff / management aren't looking at this thread.

The feedback is a mixed bag really.

Any business that wants to succeed and maintain their customer base needs to listen to what the customers want.

Hopefully, they can address some of the easier issues quickly, I want to see them succeed being a local.
Status quo and not improving the satisfaction levels to us is a sure way to end up being unprofitable.

cba

I just think it's a real shame that somewhere with so much potential that is getting it right or almost right in so many ways is being let down by some pretty fundamental basics.

I remember the first time I went, I wrote a FB post that went along the lines of if I woke up with Freida Pinto in the Seychelles with a copy of my winning lottery ticket on the wall it still wouldn't top today as the best-day-ever day (to be honest, I was a bit hasty there 😉 )

But suffice to say, I loved the place and it could be fantastic but the way they treat their customers combined with the slow uplift (which admittedly is no easy fix) means I can't see myself ever returning.

Like I say, a real shame.

Incidentally UK Bike Park's venue reopened earlier this year as Okeford Hill Bike Park. They have a Landrover + trailer for uplift and run at quite a lot of weekends plus Wed evenings in the summer. And have had a couple of DH races there this year.

Maybe I have a rose-tinted view of BPW because I'm so bloody cheerful that I'm getting to spend a whole day just riding my bike downhill, so being grumpy at me would be like kicking a puppy? 😉

I was just looking back through Strava and I've been to BPW four times, the first time in autumn 2013, the last time ten days ago. I managed 9, 11, 10 and 10 uplifts. And none of those visits were when the days were long, so the uplift was curtailed early due to lack of light. I'm not slow but I'm not super fast (as my enduro racing confirmed!)

The Pilot - Member

I just think it's a real shame that somewhere with so much potential

Potential to do what though? Fill up all spaces 3 months in advance?

My opinion of it is that it's fine for an uplifted trail centre. The uplift being so far from the car park is a bit crap, the food was crap (hot stuff not being served hot and a massive queue were my over-whelming memories) but otherwise it's just fine.

Better facilities than Innerleithen mind, although Inners does have the best trailers

Are people that sensitive that a great days riding can be spoilt by someone being miserable in a cafe 😀

Potential to give people a good day out without pissing them off!
Sure, they are fully booked up now but carry on as they are and they will run out of customers eventually.

the food was crap (hot stuff not being served hot and a massive queue were my over-whelming memories)

Even doing that I still always get at least 10 runs in. I find going full chat down the trails is pretty knackering, wouldn't want to do any more runs really and run the risk of losing focus & doing something silly.

Often go on my own so chat to people in the queue or on the bus. Literally never spoken to anyone who had anything bad to say about the place, everyone just raves about how awesome it is (which it is!) Obviously just this place that attracts the moaners 🙂

I got 12 uplifts in the last time I went. I was solo so not waiting for people and had no mechanicals. I thought that was good, and there was a bit of waiting for van involved at times.

At Antur I've had 17 runs in a day, which is ridiculous efficiency. I also had a downlift as I'd punctured and not noticed until I took my bike off the trailer.

I've had good food at both, the welcome at Antur is very friendly.

The trick with any of these venues (FoD, Antur, BPW etc) is to go midweek...i know this is difficult for some people but it's so much nicer, quieter and efficient....shift worker here so I always book midweek when I'm off.

In my opinion BPW can get away with poor customer service as the trails are so much fun, I personally think FoD is more natural and challenging but the runs are short and not clearly marked....it's easy to go off piste and get lost coming down, no bad thing as the unridden stuff there is great too.....but BPW is longer and easier to navigate down and you can link up the trails, the riding is appealing enough that moody drivers, rude cafe staff and monosyllabic work shop staff are easy enough to forget and just enjoy the trails.

I understand the OPs frustration but it could have been sorted with much earlier communication...as I said early in this thread I've never had a problem with BPW (or the others) when moving bookings when I can't make a particular date.
Maybe it's because I ride midweek but they've always helped me out.

The uplift being so far from the car park is a bit crap,

eh ❓ seriously?

Not experienced workshop staff as never needed them, all other staff have been fine. We always jump in the front of the bus and have a natter/craic with the drivers, leave the cowabunga dudes to discuss strava in the back.

As above - break just before the last lunch uplift have lunch early then go sit in the lift queue ready for them starting again.

IIRC they cant tarmac the road as its a fire break (?)

Stiniog is awesome for uplift, always have a good day there

RustyNissanPrairie - Member

The uplift being so far from the car park is a bit crap,

eh seriously?

Yup. Inners, Antur, etc you go to the top, smash your way down, grab a quick drink/snack, jump on bus, repeat. BPWs setup is rubbish compared to that.

I actually like the swooping, fast, short trail to the uplift at BPW, the slight uphill ride or push at the actual uplift start is a bit of a ballache but it wouldn't put me of going there...in fact I think the trail with its humps, berms and drops is a nice warm up for the actual DH trails

Especially when having to deal with the entitled attitudes that come along with the SC-riding Audi-driving stereotypical bikers?

Yup. Inners, Antur, etc you go to the top, smash your way down, grab a quick drink/snack, jump on bus, repeat.

At both Cwmcarn and Revolution BP injured myself the day before and could not ride. Was with mates away for weekend so was at both venues killing time. Asked if I could get a credit note for another visit, a no was the answer from both. No matter what their reasons are, it has soured me against both. A bit of flexibility goes a long way in customer service.

With the uplift I think part of the problem has been trying to deal with it by chucking more busses at it. It's no use when they're out of sync and two or three arrive at the same time. Plus the timing is difficult with so many different routes and a couple of different end points.

Stiniog has it spot on. Guaranteed that you get to the bottom and bus is just arriving, everyone gets on, back to the top and other bus is coming down. Simple. FoD is fairly similar and that's considering there's more of a variety of routes and some can take a fair bit longer. Always seems to be a bus to get onto at the bottom whenever you get there. Doesn't need more than a couple. But then there's a tiny amount of people there compared to BPW.

BPW, with the long term possibility of a much wider area as they've got permission for I believe, maybe it would be better to have multiple uplift bases to cover different zones. Bit like a ski resort. A ski resort with one base lift everyone descends to ends up with massive queues. With multiple base points it spreads the load out.

Of course the ultimate solution could be ski lifts 😉

I wonder how much one of those costs compared to the cost of running 8 busses.

If we hadn't voted for Brexit, they could probably get an EU grant for one 😉

I have seen it packed and running brilliantly before. They ran the buses in pairs and it was very good. A couple of weeks later it was shit again, drivers stood around half way up or waiting.
They can do it, I have seen it with my own eyes. I can only surmise that they don't want to.

You seem to be forgetting about the push up from the dropoff point at Inners.
That really is a pain in the ass.

Nope I'm not, as it doesn't have anything to do with having a quick snack/drink/repair/fettle between runs at the bottom

But obviously it is a shitter if you're doing a run from the top

A ski lift would cost an utter fortune - it was mentioned before they opened. I recently heard that if they tarmac the uplift road the buses won't be able to get up the steepest bits when it's icy. They could add more passing places but it's a fair bit of earth moving on that hillside. Both Antur and FoD use an actual two lane road for some of the uplift which speeds things up.

There is also a safety issue - BPW's blue runs are very accessible but also very fast. How many more crashes would be caused by rider fatigue if novices were getting 15+ runs in? At the end of the day last time I finished with Dai Hard (no I didn't send the road gap) because I knew it would be safer than hooning down Sixtapod.

It's not too bad a drive from Bristol, but when you get there first thing and they won't let you use the loo until the cafe opens at 8.30....

Well. I wasn't best pleased and certainly didn't want to get my biff out and wee in the car park 😆 🙁

Another of their customer-friendly policies! They left me standing outside in the rain once (I'd come by train because I didn't have a car so had nowhere else to wait) and wouldn't allow me to wait in the cafe because their insurance wouldn't let them.
Just the most petty little jobsworths you'll ever meet.
This thread is making me realise how much I dislike that place!

At both Cwmcarn and Revolution BP injured myself [b]the day before[/b] and could not ride. Was with mates away for weekend so was at both venues killing time. Asked if I could get a credit note for another visit, a no was the answer from both. No matter what their reasons are, it has soured me against both. A bit of flexibility goes a long way in customer service.

The day before is pushing it. You can't expect them to do that. They have to run a business after all.

BPW, if you drop out day before or even same day, someone will snap the place up in an instant if it's a weekend. No loss to them. But they'll still say no and basically pocket two lots of uplift fees for you dropping out.

As an aside, it's something that's wrong with the airline industry also with certain airlines having a flat refusal to accommodate changing or cancelling bookings no matter what reason and yet can resell the seat no problem and thus cash in twice. This is being investigated at the moment by the EU I think.

BPW, if you drop out day before or even same day, someone will snap the place up in an instant if it's a weekend. No loss to them. But they'll still say no and basically pocket two lots of uplift fees for you dropping out.

But that's in their terms and conditions. We also get that with motorbike trackdays, no refund/swap within 7 days of the event, before that you pay a fee, before that, no fee.

It's not like BPW have hidden this, it's there and clear when you book.

Reading this makes me realise that there really are some miserable ****ers in the world, mostly moaning about other people being miserable.

Oh the ironing.

I get the wife to do my ironing..

It's not like BPW have hidden this, it's there and clear when you book.

Absolutely. That's why I've just written it off, but on asking nicely and if demand is high with people on the lookout for drop outs and so likely to not lose money, it's good customer service to be a bit accommodating, especially if you've had to cancel for unforeseen circumstances.

Not a moan as such. BPW is still a great place. Just flexibility goes a long way. Bit like warranties and support with bikes & bike parts. The companies that are held in high regard tend to be the ones that do the upmost to satisfy the customer even if it's technically bending their T&Cs.

I think it's an ace place. Never had a problem with the uplift, I've been a fair few times now, always at weekends and at different times of the year. Only complaint is that it was bloody cold when we went in January. Maybe I should moan about that?

If I had a voucher, I'd probably just think to myself 'Oh, it's run out...that was silly of me' and that'd be that.

I must just be easily pleased...but for every one moaner on here there's probably 10 people who think it's great. As always STW isn't the be all and end all of the mountain biking community 😉

Paul B - Member

Only complaint is that it was bloody cold when we went in January. Maybe I should moan about that?

Aye, it's shocking that they haven't done something about the January weather, especially at £7 a pop.

Just park by the roundabout and ride up and down all day on an e-bike. What's all the fuss about?

[img] [/img]

When we went a few months ago a mate came at the last minute on his ebike (knackered ankle means it's the only way he can get out for more than an hour) & had a day pass with single uplifts, whilst we had full uplift passes.
It did mean we didn't get too many runs together due to the queues but he got as many runs as us, we got 8 uplifts & he got 4 uplifts & rode up 4?times before his battery got really low.
We were mainly hitting Hot Stepper/Terry's Belly and one guy had about 6 punctures which slowed us down somewhat but the ebike on the uplift track seemed to be about as quick as queueing and then getting the bus.
Think the drivers all had a little play on his bike which may or may not have helped him jump the queue once or twice, probably worked out even with the battery they all used!
I reckon an ebike is perfect for that place if you haven't got a full day pass, helps conserve energy on the climb so you get to use it on the descents.