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just phoned a bike shop to see if they've got a demo bike and if it's available this afternoon. they have one but it's not available. i was a bit surprised so i asked him if it was a popular service, it is he replied and then added that the bike i want isn't booked out today, someone has it booked for the weekend so they won't let it go out today in case it gets damaged. wtf? they offer half and whole day demos but presumably, going from what he's saying, they won't accept bookings until the bike is back and everything is ok!
In the true words of a Peep Show legend
"DIS IS BOLLOCKS MARK"
Yup had that to - as a guy was interested in buying the demo bike so they said yes then no - I have NEVER gone back there to buy a bike - I have bought one stem in desperation about 9 months ago.
just phoned again, spoke to a different chap who confirmed the policy, tried to book it for next thursday, it's booked out so i've got it booked for sunday morning. but how can i book it for sunday when they're not going to know whether it's gonna be damaged or not? and presumably no-one can book it for saturday now because i've got it sunday!
surely it'd be better to just let it go out when it's available, service it when it comes back and if it's irreparable then just phone the next booking and tell them! simples!
I don't see the difference between someone taking it this weekend and damaging it so its not available for next week and you borrowing it today and damaging it. If they were that worried about it being damaged, whats the point in having a demo!!?? idiots
I had arranged a demo through Orange years back - they agreed to send it to a well known Lake District shop for me to try over a weekend (free of charge). Travelled up there (couple of hours as I wanted to try it on good hills) and was promptly told they wanted 40 odd quid and I could only have it for a few hours! They had already booked it out to someone else for the rest of the time. Needless to say, my two grand was spent elsewhere...
Its their demo and they can decide who and when it goes out. If you have a problem with that then go elsewhere.
Trouble with demo's is that its open to abuse and trust. They may have a history of customers not bringing them back when they are due or bringing them back with issues. They may want to give a 1st class service and never ever let a customer down. By making their rules so strict i presume you are confident that the demo bike will be there for you on sunday. Its about making promises and keeping them.
I loan out my demo vans on a regular basis and have a few rules of my own.
I dont have to justify them to my customers and i do it to ensure i can maintain a proffessional service for genuine customers.
Regarding the same day issues. Not saying its the reason but i wont lend a demo van to a customer the same day either. The reason being that its usually to cover a breakdown of their existing vehicle or becuase they want something a little different that day rather than to actually buy.
You could say this is an oppertunity to demo the bike/vehicle and keep the customer happy. Unfortunately in my experience its an oppertunity to lend someone a van FOC and never speak to them again.
TheLittlestHobo, it's a mountain bike, it's not rocket science or even a van. if the bike gets damaged beyond repair before next sunday, i expect a phone call and accept the situation, if it just needs a part that they haven't got then they could nick it off a showroom bike or from stock.... i'm sure they wouldn't be the first to do that!
they're not lending and it's not FOC, it's one of their demo fleet advertised on their website that you book for 3 or 6 hours and pay accordingly.
as for abuse, these are top line bikes from an experienced dealer based at a well known trail centre, they know exactly what the bikes will be put through and in any case you leave a £100 deposit.
rules are fine, but they should at least have some constructive basis to them! 🙂
Just saw the thread title for this, and before I saw who the topic author was, I just KNEW it would be you Stu! 😉
Anyway... Renting a bike on Sunday morning... Does that mean you can come out to play instead of going for a silly paddle in the sea? 8)
nah mate still going for a paddle, bike is booked for 0900 sunday 30th. i'd say come along but you've got 2 hopes of getting your arse out of bed and up to cannock by 9 😆
...and one of them is Bob...?
Cheeky git!
To be fair though think I've already got plans that Sunday... Surprised you're not going away for the bank holiday! Anyway... What you up to Sunday 6th?
Let people demo the bike, and if it gets damaged cancel the next demo.
This makes far more sense to me than not letting people demo the bike *in case* it gets damaged before the next one.
Well, thats the way I swing anyway.
it's still a shit rule but fair play it was there waiting for me at 0900 this morning, [s]thrashed[/s] tested it on ftd and the monkey, did some cheeky trails and even a couple of runs at stile cop before returning it as received albeit with a bit of dirt splattered here and there, 30 quid well spent.
what was it?
giant trance