Surly have got the right approach to customer service…

Quality! always love reading what Surly have to say…. exactly charliethebikemonger….. some grumpy moaning buggers on here! haha

………..Surly bikes….bikes for bikers 😀

As has been said before, they’re trying way too hard to be funny.

Maybe not a perfect way to get there message across but those points are all true IMO
And nothing thy needs ranting about

I think that some folk are forgetting this is STW – an irony free zone.

Brilliantly funny, and with a fair bit of truth thrown in. Hard to believe some folk are taking it so seriously though. In this day and age, when companies are so po-faced and serious about customer service, and when they come out with a load of bland corporate twaddle, it’s great to read something like this. Makes me inclined to point my dosh in their direction.

Christ, some on here really need to get a humour transplant, not that I’m pointing at anyone in particular; [cough] Grum, FeeFoo, justinbieber…[/cough], but I’m 100% with tazzy and Charlie. But then, I can understand irony and an oblique sense of humour. I utterly fail to get MacIntyre’s brand of humour, or Brand, for that matter. Maybe I just respond to a more… sophisticated type of humour.
And what type of user name is justinbieber, for heaven’s sake! What are you, ten or something? 🙄

Maybe I just respond to a more… sophisticated type of humour.

Perhaps you could use some of it every so often?

I couldn’t give two shits about the original blog, and I’ve found this thread amusing reading both different sides, but I dunno, are you trying to say that that blog was somehow funny in a sophisticated way?

Now, if you were, that would be funny, and in no way sophisticatedly so.

justinbieber – Member
As has been said before, they’re trying way too hard to be funny.

Oh the irony… 🙄

Maybe I just respond to a more… sophisticated type of humour.

Oh dear. [cough] pompous buffoon [/cough]

It’s funny how folk who are quick to point out that anyone who doesn’t find an unfunny blog funny is uptight can’t see past a funny forum name without getting all uptight about it. I must create an alternative log-in called onedirection.

So maybe you were considering a surly bike and ended up reading it, well maybe this is a filter to keep Boardman customers with Boardman, and keep surly, surly.

If that’s not meant to be ironic, then it’s the most pathetic statement I’ve ever read on STW.

But then, I can understand irony and an oblique sense of humour. I utterly fail to get MacIntyre’s brand of humour, or Brand, for that matter. Maybe I just respond to a more… sophisticated type of humour.

And that’s the second.

A brand is a personality for a business. Surly brand is pretty unique and not everyone will like it, or get it, or want it.

Then you have countless other brands that are nothing more than a word. Take cube for example, it’s a shape… And I have no other feelings about it or them. I don’t know who rides for them, who designs them, why the bikes are what they are, what is the design philosophy. Nothing, it’s just a lot of ok bikes.

Surly has a personality, there is a hole family of silly bikes, with silly names, in formats so distinctive that you won’t even find an alternative in the cube specialized boardman ranges. The guys who work there are themselves, they don’t assume a corporate controlled tone prescribed down from the top. Their warrantee and instructions talk straight with a whiff of fun, as if written by a human rather than a lawyer.

Warrantee

To compare the two brands cube (just an example, no hard feelings) and surly?… its a bit like buying a can of cola from a vending machine, or walking into a bar and having a laugh with the barman over a beer. In one experience you get what you need, job done. In the second scenario you get what you need, and some more, but there is always the risk you may think the barman is an immature silly boy.

I could of used the bands Big Fun Vs frank Zappa for that example.

There are an incredible number of bike brands, with 90% fighting over the same territory with near identical bikes, near identical brands…. Almost suffocating in the crowded market. I for one find it marvellous that there are bunch of guys making exceptional bikes in their own way. It’s a refreshing breeze of dirty air.

How many people that are having a moan at Surly would have bought a Surly product before seeing the blog?

Not many i bet.
Seems a little odd to moan about something you have no interest in to me.

I buy some stuff from Surly because they are the only people that make it.
Couldn’t give two hoots about what’s on their blog.

I for one find it marvellous that there are bunch of guys making exceptional bikes in their own way.

I agree on that point – what I don’t admire is the smug ‘cooler-than-thou’ attitude they seem to be adopting (which also seems to be shared by some on here).

And the ‘why do you care’ argument – well I don’t care that much, but are people really suggesting they only ever comment on things that directly affect them? I’ve vaguely thought about buying Surly stuff (LHT) before – can’t say their **** blog would affect my decision either way if they had something I wanted at a price I was willing to pay though.

And please tell me this was ‘irony’.

But then, I can understand irony and an oblique sense of humour. I utterly fail to get MacIntyre’s brand of humour, or Brand, for that matter. Maybe I just respond to a more… sophisticated type of humour.

what I don’t admire is the smug ‘cooler-than-thou’ attitude they seem to be adopting (which also seems to be shared by some on here).

Nerds envy right there 😉

Eh?

Let’s get something straight, I was not moaning about it, I just said it put me off, wether it is a joke or not. I’ll be honest I thought it was a joke from the beginning, but what people find funny is a view into their beliefs right?

Consider a racist joke, the Joker will say “It’s just meant as a joke, are you so uptight that you cannot laugh at my joke? ”

The subject of the joke reveals something about the joker.

The fact that somebody at surly with authourity to post on their blog finds this funny tells me that, yes the do get peeved by all of the things they moan about. Some are justified some are not.

I don’t really care as I have a cargo bike which is really good, but I kind of fantasized about the surly as it seems so accomplished. But the jokey attitude makes me wonder how any potential customer service operative might treat a potential issue.

It isn’t the end of the world, but the feeling you get about a brand is what makes you buy, and my feeling is that despite having an outward policy of good customer service, some people in Surly treat/consider customers with contempt. Which put’s me off. That’s all, no big deal, I don’t care what they post, but they have educated me as to how they percieve their customers.

Perhaps they don’t want fat middle aged git’s who search for quality and service. It makes you slightly suspicious that perhaps they do not offer quality and service and cover this up with cool/surly/fashionable. Fine, if it works for them and their customers then happy days. I was just making the point that it put me off.

I buy some stuff from Surly because they are the only people that make it.
Couldn’t give two hoots about what’s on their blog.

Well I see your point, but what if the blog makes you wonder if the product is all that you thought it was?

but what if the blog makes you wonder if the product is all that you thought it was?

*looks at surly nates on bikes*….. ***k me, he’s right! they’re not tyres at all but german sexytime gimps strapped to my wheels…so that’s how they get them so fat…..maybe that wasn’t stans leaking from that “valve” either 😯

german sexytime gimps

You wish, dreamer!

Anybody remember when a certain (rather similar…) British bike company posted an email conversation/argument they’d had with one of their customers on their website? It was, ohh, 4 years or so ago? I seem to remember a similar thread about it at the time on here. They lost customers permanently because of that, I know that for a fact.

If this was a customer service “joke” from BT or Sky or Virgin or whoever, you’d be incensed.
But because it’s from a company who you think makes you look young and cool, you can’t wait to kiss their arses.

Pitiful hypocrisy.

If this was a customer service “joke” from BT or Sky or Virgin or whoever, you’d be incensed.

ACE! I don’t think I’ve ever been incensed, I used to smell of patchouli oil a bit though.

and no I really wouldn’t be..life is way too short to waste getting faux upset over something so silly.
If the surly thing really has caused some sort of outrage or upset, I politely suggest that you take a look at your life and be grateful that you have it so easy that you can afford to waste energy on such pish. 😀

Anybody remember when a certain (rather similar…) British bike company posted an email conversation/argument they’d had with one of their customers on their website?

no, linky?

Feefoo I really think you need to lighten up, quite frankly your boring me

🙂

I’m as light as a feather. Had a sooper-dooper day.

The weight of your faux-coolness must be a burden though. 😀

Aye it is 😉

Very good. Whilst you are all debating the pro’s and con’s of whether their approach is right or wrong, this thread remains on the first page of the forum. The more times I see the word ‘Surly’ the more accustomed to it I become and the more my mind accepts it as a ‘safe’ thing. I become comfortable with it and it is easier for me to believe they are a trustworthy company, somewhat regardless to the content of this discussion.
There is a very solid neurological basis behind the statement ‘Any press is good press.’

There is a very solid neurological basis behind the statement ‘Any press is good press.’

really? Do you think all the furore around jon venables is good for him? Or Pistorious, or remember the England Rugby “good press” during the 2011 world cup, Gatland doesn’t think it’s good. Or Ratners?

Sorry but it does not hold water.

That’s so true. Ask any of the recent Jimmy Savile-gate celebs. They more than welcome the press.
And Findus. And Tesco.
And Ratners.
And etc…..

or Edwina currys effect on sales of eggs, or foot and mouth, or Bse..

I own a few of there caps they fit well the rest of it is for people that ride bikes far too much for my liking, and one of the surly blokes I met at ssec drank far too much beer, and had a huge beard ,quite frankly he scared me 🙂

really?

Exposure for a brand is a positive thing. For an individual or group of individuals the concept of a brand doesn’t apply, therefore your examples aren’t so relevant.

I had forgotten about Findus’ crispy pancakes, now I will buy them once said horse scandal blows over. 😆

It’s a bike company not a **** peado

Don’t forget to get your jewellery from Ratners…. Oh no, wait a minute….
😉

What monkey says

For an individual or group of individuals the concept of a brand doesn’t apply,

I’m sorry I don’t agree, individuals use their brand to sell products:
beckhams
jade goody
any model or actress or crappy celeb you care to think of, including all of the examples listed above, are all “brands”

no, linky?

I wish I could. They plastered it on their homepage at the time, it’s long gone now. It was disgraceful IMO, I read it through absolutely slack-jawed TBH, and I’ve never knowingly bought from the man in charge (responsible) at the time since, nor has my brother.

which brand? email me if you wanna keep it secret…

mechmonkey – Member

Very good. Whilst you are all debating the pro’s and con’s of whether their approach is right or wrong, this thread remains on the first page of the forum. The more times I see the word ‘Surly’ the more accustomed to it I become and the more my mind accepts it as a ‘safe’ thing. I become comfortable with it and it is easier for me to believe they are a trustworthy company, somewhat regardless to the content of this discussion.
There is a very solid neurological basis behind the statement ‘Any press is good press.’

Other way round here – the more I read of this thread, the less I want to be associated with people who think they’re special because they’ve bought a into a minority brand.
I’d still love a Disc Trucker, but I’d take the stickers off, just in case anyone stopped me to chat about my sophisticated humour, or how great I was ‘cos I didn’t buy a Boardman.