Dealing with a LBS (bad service content within – pitchforks provided)…..

My lbs actually charges you storage if you don’t pick up the bike / part a few days after they have done the repair, they are not great at phoning to say it’s complete either!

I raised my eyesbrows reading this. Why is it your ‘LBS’?

Jeez, I thought Alfines were supposed to be the hassle free option…

I think I know which shop it is. It’s quite large, so the service depends on the member staff you talk to on any given day.

My tip for good workshop service in a bike shop is to try and talk to the oldest guy in there, or the beardy/hairy bloke with questionable hygiene. They care about your bike, the hipster youth with the fancy jeans does not, and probably doesn’t know what 2×10 X9 means, let alone how to index them.

Tell them you’re not happy. If they still don’t resolve the situation to your satisfaction, you need to find a different shop.

hora – Member
My lbs actually charges you storage if you don’t pick up the bike / part a few days after they have done the repair, they are not great at phoning to say it’s complete either!
I raised my eyesbrows reading this. Why is it your ‘LBS’?
POSTED 3 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

Not sure I understand what your getting at?
I’m talking about the bike shop closest to where I live (different to OP’s)
Hence it is my local bike shop

I raised my eyesbrows reading this. Why is it your ‘LBS’?

Because it’s in his locality rather than yours?

I thought to start with it sounded just like that bloke from the shop nearest to your work he is a right misery

Hi Jase 😉 Never had a problem with Terry’s…. but you are correct about occassional grumpiness! How are those forks going BTW?

Anyway……

UPDATE TIME: Quite clearly, words had been exchanged internally and someone senior had decided things had been handled badly at their end.

Whilst riding home last night I missed three calls from the shop – by the time I got home it was too late to call back. So, I popped in there this morning to pick the wheel up, and when the assistant on the desk saw the service card I was immediately directed to the senior workshop spanner-er who first handed me my wheel, talking through the service and the findings, and then apologising profusely for a communication failure, both internally and with me (it would appear that any non-collected service BIKES are picked up in the system after three days of the work being finished via their work book – there is – currently – no system for WHEELS….. so mine just sat there…. and sat there….). Without any prompting all parts and labour costs were waved for the service and I recieved a £25 voucher by way of compensation. Have to say, I’m pretty happy with that and how it was (finally) handled (…even if I didn’t get to vent my spleen at the rude spanner-er from yesterday!! 😉 ) – an apology, an update to their inventory procedures and a free service.

So, to the good folks of Bike UK in Bristol – I will be back. For those interested, I did ask how much the service would actually cost for future reference and the feeling was it would be £20/£30 – consisting of about 1/2 hour of spannering, plus a contribution to the cost of the (snake)oil for these hubs.

maybe i an a cynic, but I do wonder if you would have had such a result without this thread………

thats how to sort out a issue with a customer…i would expect any decent shop to do the same…

hope the scroat with the attitude got a dressing down…

Ha! I knew it was BikeUK! Think at least one of the guys is on here a fair amount….

maybe i an a cynic, but I do wonder if you would have had such a result without this thread………

Ha! I knew it was BikeUK! Think at least one of the guys is on here a fair amount….

you may well be right (in which case this thread simply served as a ‘virtual’ letter to the manager) but, TBH, I don’t really care – from my point of view a problem occured, it has ultimately been dealt with to my satisfaction, no-one needed to get shouty and I’ll be back in the shop buying stuff again. Result all round me’thinks.

I think everyone kind of knew it was Bike UK. Looks like they came good in the end – I thought they would as they are decent in there unlike a couple of Bristol bike shops I won’t use ever again. I also see a fair few Alfine 8 bikes from them parked up around town so they would be my choice for such servicing but I guess they got a bit caught out by the newer 11 speed. Everyone has to learn somewhere.

I think everyone kind of knew it was Bike UK

I was kind of hoping they did….. 😉

Good result, well handled by the shop. As you say, it doesn’t matter how they found out, but their actions in resolving the issue have spoken

There you go. Everyone cocks up now and again – it’s how you respond that matters.

Shocker… STW person & LBS do the right thing! It’s a rare thing, but a nice thing. 😉

Never had a problem with Terry’s…. but you are correct about occassional grumpiness!

Its funny as I am not really a fan of many of the bike shops in Bristol, but Terrys is the one I always find a pleasure to deal with. I also think Cadence in Bath is a good shop.

Shocker… STW person & LBS do the right thing! It’s a rare thing, but a nice thing.

*whines* but what am I to pitchfork?

Its funny as I am not really a fan of many of the bike shops in Bristol, but Terrys is the one I always find a pleasure to deal with.

In all fairness, they are gernally a very nice bunch to deal with – they are local to my office so I use them quite a bit for small bits and pieces (and the occasional big spend). My only real quibble is that their prices are quite high, perhaps because they are a well stocked small shop out in the sticks (relatively)?

*whines* but what am I to pitchfork?

Simmer down at the back – I’m sure a suitably incendiary thread will be along at the moment, complete with Daily Mail levels of righteous indignation, knashing of teeth and mouth foaming.

Its funny as I am not really a fan of many of the bike shops in Bristol, but Terrys is the one I always find a pleasure to deal with

That’s my local too, tried all the others that are in biking distance, and Terry’s is the one I always seem to go back to. Friendly, do a good job, wheel work is out of this world. My only gripe is they aren’t open Sundays, 3 bike shops in the town and none are open on a Sunday, surely they must be missing out on a fair bit of trade?

… I do like these threads.

And a happy ending. That is rare.

Do you think if I do a thread about my LBS I might be able to get a free bike out of them?

Good bit of bribary skills there by the OP 🙂

ransos – Member

There you go. Everyone cocks up now and again – it’s how you respond that matters.

Indeed

And a happy ending. That is rare.

I know they waved the servicing costs, but that really is above and beyond!

😉