I have worked in bike departments at three Halfords stores in the past and I agree with ‘angry-pirate’. Some stores have loads of really good staff and a few muppets where as in other places you have to explain to the bike staff which way round to put forks on. Halfords tends to rely on the price of its product to attract customers. They hope that cycling enthusiasts will be attracted to the job to ensure standards will be maintained. There are two problems really.
1. Lack of consumer knowledge as to what use the product (bike) is fit for. I don’t blame Halfords for selling cheap bikes, I blame the sales assistants for not making clear that a lot of the bikes they sell look nice on Christmas day but are essentially disposable items rather than a long-term easy efficient transport solution.
2. Halfords does not invest in its staff. For starters they believe that all people employed there are cycle enthusiasts and this simply isn’t true. They need to put ALL there employees through cytech to at least level 1 before letting them loose on a customers bike. Those who are bright enough not to make a mess of the job won’t stay because they aren’t paid enough. That is why I’m now an environmental consultant and don’t work at Halfords any more.
Halfords appeal to the low end of the market but no one within the market at this level whether it be consumer, mechanic or sales assistant can be relied upon for adequate knowledge to ensure that all parties are left happy.
SUMMARY: Its all about lack of knowledge.