Another Evans/Chimps rant

TULETT · May 2007

I know Evans customer service has been going downhill of late, but last night just took the p*ss!!

Bought a bike from the Spitalfields shop about 6 weeks ago and took it in yesterday morning for their free 6 week tune up service. I specifically asked the guy to look at the rear brake as it wasn't working properly and the lever felt strange. I return to Evans approx 5.30pm to collect it, they are in the middle of taking a delivery and one of the staff looks at me and says you might aswell go downstairs and find someone unless I want to stand there and watch him take the delivery (not a good start). I wait downstairs as asked and no-one seems to want to deal with me, finally after 25mins of standing there like a kn*b the guy I spoke to originally comes to help.

He brings my bike up and imagine my surprise when the rear brake has the same problem. I mean what do they actually check on a 6 week service, surely the brakes are one of the fundamental parts on the bike and they couldn't sort that out, whether it's just damn laziness or shear incompetence of the mechanics I don't know.

I have a moan and they guy takes it back down to the mechanic, saying that he will get him to sort it out while I wait. And I wait, and I wait. I have a moan, they tell me it's a 5mins job and that the mechanics are dealing with it. Clearly they were too busy building new bikes for potential buyers to actually care about existing customers. I finally blow my top and start shouting at the guy in front of all the customers in the shop (bare in mind the time is now about 6.50pm), after this they finally decide to spend the two minutes lubing my brake cable!

Why couldn't they have just done the job properly in the first place? and if mistakes were made then rectify them asap, don't keep the customer waiting around for another hour!

Sorry for the long rant but I just want to give Evans as much bad publicity as possible, they are ignornat, incompetent and clueless. I will be writing to the manager and will take future business to Cycle Surgery!![:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!]

mr_x_plosion · May 2007

We went to Evans in Notts as I thought it would give us the chance to see lots of bikes and get some advice. We soon realised that no one there really seemed to know what they were talking about. In the end be brought bikes from lbs, much better service.

cupofteacp · May 2007

Evans => Halfords

15 * 2 * 5
* 46 = Happiness

A - W · May 2007

LBS all the way, they have a reputation they will want to keep and improve on.

BlackandBlue · May 2007

Does anyone know where the proposed Clapham branch of Evans is opening? I wonder how it will affect Apex cycles (which I have never particularly rated anyway).

stu20001 · May 2007

I'm going to be controversial here and say that I have found Evans in Wandsworth to be pretty good. I've not bought a bike from them but have had to pop in on more than one occasion with emergencies on my way to work (broken spokes and a snapped brake cable) and on each occasion they have fixed it there and then (obviously being there first thing in the morning is an advantage) and on one occasion sorted out another minor problem unasked and for free.

Its luck of the draw though isn't it - they have so many people working for them the law averages states there are bound to be some monkeys. But by the same token there are bound to be a few that know their stuff.

[INSERT SIGNATURE HERE]

ryderfreak · May 2007

I'm afraid I didn't get much better service from CycleSurgery (Spitalfields branch). When I bought a bike from them, they dragged their feet about when they'd get my bike ready for me. After I pushed them several times, they said they'd get it ready by X, I got there and ended up waiting around because the bike wasn't ready. When I did get the bike and rode it home, I found that the bell was missing a screw, fell of the handlebars, and the chain fell off every time I tried to switch gears. The front wheel was also not screwed on properly and I only found out when I got home and snapped off the QR to take the wheel off. Abysmal!!!! I'm not buying a bike from either Evans or CycleSurgery again...

rf

dondare · May 2007

If you really want to be patronised by some snotty gimp who doesn't want to bother looking at your old bike if you're not going to buy a new one from them; go to Bikefix in Lambs Conduit Street.

Baby elephants? Pah!!

Greenbank · May 2007

Evans in Wandsworth isn't bad for buying stuff, at least they acknowledge your presence in the shop.

But, personally, I'd either go to Strattons on East Hill or Putney Cycles depending on the route I was taking.

--
If I had a baby elephant signature, I'd use that.

BentMikey · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dondare

If you really want to be patronised by some snotty gimp who doesn't want to bother looking at your old bike if you're not going to buy a new one from them; go to Bikefix in Lambs Conduit Street.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yes, the workers there seem rather terrible to me too. Stuart himself, on the other hand, has given me quality service every time so far.

My bikes
My skates

If I had a baby elephant, I'd teach it to skate.

WyS · May 2007

the big spitalfields cycle surgery is great, the smaller one is not so.. but i never had a problem with the small one at all.

FrankM · May 2007

You get gimps in all the chains - both Cycle Surgery and Evans have their fair share.

cupofteacp · May 2007

If you want a good bike shop then

http://www.nirvanacycles.com/

There in westcott in the north downs

I don't work for them or live anywhere near them, but my brother and I have used them almost every week for 10 years, they are brilliant, if your a MTBer and want the best riding around London then try there guided rides on a Sunday.

They do a slow ride and a hard ride, expect to get dropped on the hard ride

I'm sorry but everytime I'm subjected to Evans, etc it really annoys me as I know what good service should be like.

15 * 2 * 5
* 46 = Happiness

Ale · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by TULETT

...after this they finally decide to spend the two minutes lubing my brake cable!

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You're not meant to lube modern brake cables [:)]

Black Keith · May 2007

http://sheldonbrown.com/diy/index.html

__________________________

Unknown · May 2007

Halfords once said my rear differential needed replacing - yeh, i dont know what either

the other day they said my cables needed tightening - count the hydrolic hoses for the disks

my gears are clicking because they need adjusting - count the cables, two hydrolic hoses fo the disks, no mechs, no gears.

and now they're one of few jobs i can apply for over the summer

Lysander · May 2007

Condor, can't beat there service.

Unknown · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">We are looking for an experienced bicycle mechanic.
Applicants must be accurate, skilled, diligent and have experience of working in busy bike shops to tight deadlines. Cytech (or equivalent) qualification would be an advantage, but is not essential.

* Starting from œ10,765 to œ13,650 pa pro rata. (Depending on experience).
* 24 days paid holiday per year.
* A company bonus scheme and an excellent staff discount scheme are also available. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

What do you expect? Wages are appallingly low in the cycle trade, nowhere near a true living wage. Anybody with half a brain and a bit of get up and go will have got up and gone. You get what you pay for.

Badly trained, badly paid and badly managed. And that's the managers.

I've been Thamed !!

Portnoy · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Lysander

Condor, can't beat there service.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

They are good but they are a little bit up their own arse and not overly friendly, in my experience.

dangerousjules · May 2007

i second portnoys post, it does'nt take much to smile!

dangerous jules.
VANILLA GORILLA

spasypaddy · October 2011

so how do you know the mechanic in the workshop wasn't the only one there and wasn't in the middle of a service that was also required for a certain time?

you can't expect everyone to drop everything because you have walked in.

the guy taking the delivery should have found someone to deal with you, that bit is bad service. but the expecting instant service when you dont know whats going on behind the door in the workshop is pretty silly.

If it was just a bit of lube needed on the cable why hadn't you done that yourself in the past 6 weeks? How do you know the issue wasn't bigger than that?

Yes customer service in chain shops can be poor, when i go to tesco at lunchtime i'm going to list all the bad customer service issues i have and im going to start a thread ranting about it.

pathetic.

notsoblue · October 2011

I've heard good things about Putney Cycles. A mate of mine took an old BSO there and they sorted him out without taking the piss.

Evans can be really variable, the one at St Paul's is pretty good. There are a few guys who work there that are pretty keen. The staff at Evans spitalfields are less good. I wouldn't take my bike for a service at Evans or Cycle Surgery, but their online price match is pretty handy if you need something and can't wait for delivery.

I've had three services for two different bikes at London Bicycle Workshop on Clerkenwell Road, and they've done a great job. Price isn't too bad either. Their stock is pretty limited, so Condor is the better bet for supplies.

Gallywomack · October 2011

I wasn't too happy when I went to collect a new MTB (Kona Steely) from the London Bridge Evans. They kept me waiting for bloomin ages before acknowledging me, and then for a ridiculously long time when they finally went off to get the bike, despite me having called them twice that day, once to enquire if the bike was in, and a second time to say I was on my way to get it. I naivey expected by giving them a heads up they might have got it in a reasonable state of readiness, but apparently not. Although it was basically put together OK, they left the valve caps and little locking nut thingies off the Presta valves, which I thought was shoddy. And I noticed when I got it home the frame was a bit scuffed around the top tube/seat tube junction area - I'm not really that fussy but it was a little bit annoying on a brand new bike. On the whole I got an excellent deal on it so I was still happy, but I don't really have any desire to use that branch for anything again.

Wrath Rob · October 2011

Evans Spittalfields are OK for buying a bike but I wouldn't use any of them for a service. And their rates are crazy, they tried to charge me £10 to swap some pedals over!

Evans Wandsworth are a bit pony, bought a kids bike from them, it wasn't ready when we arrived to collect it despite being told it was, and the pedals fell off when ridden as they'd been screwed in finger tight, not spannered.

Fortunately for me a LBS opened up in Southfields about 6 months ago so I've been using them ever since. Cycleworx on Replingham Road. The owner is a great guy and very chilled. Preped the bike that David Millar did the Richmond Park 13 min lap on too.

kelsen · October 2011

spasypaddy wrote:

so how do you know the mechanic in the workshop wasn't the only one there and wasn't in the middle of a service that was also required for a certain time?

you can't expect everyone to drop everything because you have walked in.

The OP doesn't know, but he did say he dropped in off in the morning so presumably would've been given a time as to when it'll be ready. So it's not unreasonable to expect the bike to be ready to be picked up when he walked in.

spasypaddy wrote:

the guy taking the delivery should have found someone to deal with you, that bit is bad service. but the expecting instant service when you dont know whats going on behind the door in the workshop is pretty silly.

Expecting the bike to be ready isn't that silly

spasypaddy wrote:

If it was just a bit of lube needed on the cable why hadn't you done that yourself in the past 6 weeks? How do you know the issue wasn't bigger than that?

It was an inclusive service for a 6 week old bike, so why should the OP need to self diagnose?

spasypaddy wrote:

Yes customer service in chain shops can be poor, when i go to tesco at lunchtime i'm going to list all the bad customer service issues i have and im going to start a thread ranting about it.

pathetic.

:roll:

Kieran_Burns · October 2011

You guys have noticed the date of the OP?

spasypaddy · October 2011

kelsen wrote:

The OP doesn't know, but he did say he dropped in off in the morning so presumably would've been given a time as to when it'll be ready. So it's not unreasonable to expect the bike to be ready to be picked up when he walked in.

It was ready but there was no member of staff to help him is my understanding of what i read there, which is why i mentioned later on that the bloke waiting for the delivery should have helped instantly.

Expecting the bike to be ready isn't that silly

well it was ready but not to the standard he was expecting.

It was an inclusive service for a 6 week old bike, so why should the OP need to self diagnose?

he has self diagnosed, he said all it needed was the cable lubing. If it really was that simple why didn't he do it himself? Now if my brakes weren't functioning as well as i liked i wouldnt wait for the free 6 week service if i didnt know what was wrong with it to get it fixed. That 6 weeks isnt set in stone remember.

spasypaddy · October 2011

Kieran_Burns wrote:

You guys have noticed the date of the OP?

yes im just bored and fancy an argument this morning

redvee · October 2011

The advice I got from Evans Spitafields when looking for some short fingered gloves was to buy full fingered and cut the fingers off :shock:

hfidgen · October 2011

Blimey - 2007!

Wonder if samuelsss is some sort of CycleSurgery SEO troll

In any case - I agree with spasypaddy, it was a bit shit, but going into one of the busiest Evans stores in London at early evening peak time is never going to be about joy and happiness.

Monkeypump · October 2011

cupofteacp wrote:

If you want a good bike shop then

http://www.nirvanacycles.com/

There in westcott in the north downs

I don't work for them or live anywhere near them, but my brother and I have used them almost every week for 10 years, they are brilliant, if your a MTBer and want the best riding around London then try there guided rides on a Sunday.

They do a slow ride and a hard ride, expect to get dropped on the hard ride

I'm sorry but everytime I'm subjected to Evans, etc it really annoys me as I know what good service should be like.

15 * 2 * 5
* 46 = Happiness

Every week? For 10 years? For what? Don't you do anything yourself?

Another Evans/Chimps rant

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