Halfords Rant

bails1310

Take the winter hack there as part of their 1 year care plan as I make no disguise I know nothing about repair.

I watched one lad struggle for 20 mins in one store trying to remove a chain!

Moved to another on a recommendation and everything they have done has been great, bike comes back cleaner than I leave it and always on time.

Think it depends on individual stores.

Would I send my best bike to either shop? Would I fcuk.

rich164h

Bullet1 wrote:

So really pissed off with their shite service and the fact they had my wheel for 2 days before anyone realised they had no spokes.

Not sure if I'm being too harsh but now likely to miss my mid week evening ride!

I think you are perhaps being a bit harsh, not overly so, but you have to think about what you are asking them to do. Two days to get around to checking if they had the part isn't great admittedly and if that had been me working there I'd have checked before I'd even taken the bike from you. On the other hand, and referring to the comment about car main dealers, whenever I've dropped my car into a main dealer without notice or an appointment it's always been 24-48 hours before I've ever been contacted to tell me that they've even managed to look at the car, and that's from a variety of different brands (VW, Audi, Renault, Subaru). It's different if I've had an appointment in advance, but when there's a busy workshop it's just not realistic to expect you to jump the queue and get an immediate response. As I said as the start, checking the availability of an identified part though is a bit different. If they aren't busy then this sort of delay is pretty unacceptable.

The thing to remember is that even if you had gone to your LBS you probably wouldn't have managed to get this solved any quicker and you would still have ended up missing your mid-week ride. This is the problem with factory build wheels. Spare parts aren't universal and normally have to be ordered in, and I'd assume that given that Halfords has better links to Boardman suppliers, that they might even manage to get the part faster!

Personally I'd have gone to the LBS and accepted the delay (and probably saved a bit of cash). At least you can be more confident that the quality of the repair for something that is more of an art that a science (I say this without knowing how buckled your wheels had become), and is likely to be done to a higher standard than by a random person in Halfords - that's not to say that there aren't some good people that work there but it is a bit of a lottery as to whether you get one of them or not.

Bustacapp

rich164h wrote:

I think you are perhaps being a bit harsh, not overly so, but you have to think about what you are asking them to do. Two days to get around to checking if they had the part isn't great admittedly and if that had been me working there I'd have checked before I'd even taken the bike from you. On the other hand, and referring to the comment about car main dealers, whenever I've dropped my car into a main dealer without notice or an appointment it's always been 24-48 hours before I've ever been contacted to tell me that they've even managed to look at the car, and that's from a variety of different brands (VW, Audi, Renault, Subaru). It's different if I've had an appointment in advance, but when there's a busy workshop it's just not realistic to expect you to jump the queue and get an immediate response. As I said as the start, checking the availability of an identified part though is a bit different. If they aren't busy then this sort of delay is pretty unacceptable.

The thing to remember is that even if you had gone to your LBS you probably wouldn't have managed to get this solved any quicker and you would still have ended up missing your mid-week ride. This is the problem with factory build wheels. Spare parts aren't universal and normally have to be ordered in, and I'd assume that given that Halfords has better links to Boardman suppliers, that they might even manage to get the part faster!

Personally I'd have gone to the LBS and accepted the delay (and probably saved a bit of cash). At least you can be more confident that the quality of the repair for something that is more of an art that a science (I say this without knowing how buckled your wheels had become), and is likely to be done to a higher standard than by a random person in Halfords - that's not to say that there aren't some good people that work there but it is a bit of a lottery as to whether you get one of them or not.

Oh look. A sensible response!!

team47b

can't be 'avin that!

I can't go to this Halfords of which you speak, they don't deal online in the big bit of Europe, so have no experience to bring to this debate.

But I'd like to complain about their logo, what's with that wonky 'o' looks like a tyre that someone just kicked, you wouldn't trust them to true a wheel

southdownswolf

I bought a Boardman MTB from my local Halfords and was given a free three year service pack. I thought at the time that I wouldn't bother after the first service. However, I ended up using them for the whole three years as they did such a good job. I had brakes bled, drivetrain oiled etc all part of the service, costing me nothing. They even noticed when a circlip had come off my disc brakes, that I had not noticed, this was replaced without me having to pay a penny.
Not all Halfords are bad and not all Halfords employees are imbeciles.

(I do accept that there are a lot that are bad or imbeciles elsewhere though )

heez29

Bullet1 wrote:

So - went in to collect the wheel this morning..........and it came out minus cassette, skewer, tyre tube etc!

They then spent 15 minutes looking for all the stuff - and brought out the cassette 'it is a 9 speed?' - No a 10 speed, que another 5 minutes looking!

No store manager to speak to - Head Office called and awaiting a call back!

Bustacapp wrote:

Oh and I bet those 'spotty teenagers' could teach the majority of riders on here a thing or two about maintenance.

I'm sure they could - but no where near as much as most of us could teach them about attitude and customer service!

Being a Halfords Mechanic myself this boils my piss.

woodywmb

heez29 wrote:

Being a Halfords Mechanic myself this boils my wee-wee.

Well, fire back. Speak up for yourself. Halfords rightly or wrongly are criticised all over the web. They don't respond. They don't appear to even try and up the game. Of course they have some good staff. All companies do. But a few paragraphs to justify your anger would encourage the detractors to side up with you, at least to some extent. You're working for your wage, no doubt working hard and for long hours. For that alone, you deserve lots of credit.

robertsims

Judging by comments on here the service varies massively from shop to shop therefore showing lack of training otherwise service would be more consistent. My personal experience would be the guy wouldn't know a bike from a bus! I always compare them to Decathalon who are similar type of business. big warehouse type store but in my experience the service and knowledge of staff is superb and i always have walked away impressed.

Lycraboy_Andy

Carbonator wrote:

Am still in shock at what they did to Victoria Pendleton :shock:

There's a few things I'D like to do to Victoria Pendelton

Slo Mo Jones

bails1310 wrote:

Take the winter hack there as part of their 1 year care plan as I make no disguise I know nothing about repair.

I watched one lad struggle for 20 mins in one store trying to remove a chain!

Moved to another on a recommendation and everything they have done has been great, bike comes back cleaner than I leave it and always on time.

Think it depends on individual stores.

Would I send my best bike to either shop? Would I fcuk.

You sound like a massive c*nt.

smidsy

Slo Mo Jones wrote:

You sound like a massive c*nt.

and since joining you have added zero value

Slo Mo Jones

smidsy wrote:

Slo Mo Jones wrote:

You sound like a massive c*nt.

and since joining you have added zero value

You're wrong.

For a start, I educated you about iPads and your fundamental misunderstanding about the purpose of such a device.
Secondly, I have called bails1310 a c*nt. Which needed doing.

15 posts in and already I'm contributing valuable stuff.

Sorry if I can't match the value-add of 2000+ post members who contribute gems like this

smidsy wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

Halfords = McDonalds for Cars (and bikes).

Strangely they are often next to one another on the same retail estates and tend to be frequented by the same clientel too
I guess it is hard to see the shortcomings from under all the peaks on their baseball caps innit!

ROFL!

bazzer2

Woodywmb wrote:

heez29 wrote:

Being a Halfords Mechanic myself this boils my wee-wee.

Well, fire back. Speak up for yourself.

I disagree entirely. Why should he have to do this in his own free time. Why should he have to do this anyway - I'm presuming he's not a complete gibbon when twirling spanners, but the vast majority of people have a very dim view of Halfords customer service as a whole.

In my opinion he should be taking things like this as feedback to Halfords Head Office. Do it on work's time. Never mind the store managers - they're toothless yesmen who are beaten about the payscale by the regional or area management until they can't see straight anyway.

I've previously told their 'head office' about occasions when I've visited their stores and been woefully let down by poor displays and simply bad service in store. All they seem to do is say 'we've made the manager aware of your comments' and they're happy that's the end of it. Never mind the fact that every time I set foot in a shop I fully expect to be let down from receiving even a mediocre level of service, AGAIN. Surely the board of directors must do some bloody DIRECTING now and then and take note of the frankly SH*T name the place has got for itself.

And yes, before you ask - for all of 5 years I did used to work as the cycles supervisor in a Halfords store, many years ago (remember when the uniforms first dropped those ties?). Back then, there were many more bodies in store and you were allowed and encouraged to care. I think not so now.

slowbike

Slo Mo Jones wrote:

bails1310 wrote:

Take the winter hack there as part of their 1 year care plan as I make no disguise I know nothing about repair.

I watched one lad struggle for 20 mins in one store trying to remove a chain!

Moved to another on a recommendation and everything they have done has been great, bike comes back cleaner than I leave it and always on time.

Think it depends on individual stores.

Would I send my best bike to either shop? Would I fcuk.

You sound like a massive c*nt.

Why? Can you not see the reasoning? Take your bike to a Halfords store and take pot luck on getting an employee who knows what they're doing. One store is recommended and so far everything done to a (assumed low value) winter bike has been fine - would you trust them with the best bike? well, he wouldn't ... and TBH nor would I - because how do you know they won't swap out the employee to a different store - or (s)he's left the role? Halfords get a very mixed review when it comes to staff knowledge and they don't seem to be doing anything to rectify it. If they did they could easily put a lot of LBS's out of business ...

At least with an LBS you mostly get knowledgeable owners, although you've still got to rely on reputation you can surmise they must be at least reasonable at their core work as they're still in business - and their core work is selling & maintaining bikes ...

Would I trust my local Halfords with my bikes? No ... I wouldn't ... does that make me a c*nt too?

cookeeemonster

I love the fact that a major store like Halfords only bothers to have a bike mechanic in on certain days at certain times - even for their bigger stores.

I find that pretty amazing...and means that you have a 50-50 chance or less that your bike will be assembled or repaired by someone who knows what the hell they are doing (happened twice to my brother...and yes they did an awful job)

team47b

Slo Mo Jones wrote:

bails1310 wrote:

Take the winter hack there as part of their 1 year care plan as I make no disguise I know nothing about repair.

I watched one lad struggle for 20 mins in one store trying to remove a chain!

Moved to another on a recommendation and everything they have done has been great, bike comes back cleaner than I leave it and always on time.

Think it depends on individual stores.

Would I send my best bike to either shop? Would I fcuk.

You sound like a massive c*nt.

So, a couple of questions spring to mind, as you seem quite a knowledgeable chap/chapess...

When you say 'massive' how big are we talking, is there a sliding scale, I thought they were all pretty much the same size, probably Cleat could help out here?

Or why would you call a massive bloke a cnut?

If you think he sounds like a massive cnut, what sound does a massive cnut make?

bazzer2

team47b wrote:

If you think he sounds like a massive cnut, what sound does a massive cnut make?

Well, I might put forth the argument that things don't need to be a source of sound to have an audible property. Ergo, a canyon.

team47b

bazzer2 wrote:

team47b wrote:

If you think he sounds like a massive cnut, what sound does a massive cnut make?

Well, I might put forth the argument that things don't need to be a source of sound to have an audible property. Ergo, a canyon.

Ergo my good fellow you are indeed most correct, if slightly archaic in your use of English, yes as sound is a vibration of air molecules, at a frequency we can hear then the air is set into vibration by 'something else' that is vibrating, oo er :shock:

you are indeed vibrating like a massive cnut would be more accurate

woodywmb

bazzer2 wrote:

Woodywmb wrote:

heez29 wrote:

Being a Halfords Mechanic myself this boils my wee-wee.

Well, fire back. Speak up for yourself.

... for all of 5 years I (did) used to work as the cycles supervisor in a Halfords store.

Thanks. At long last one view from within, if not from the Halfords mechanic who posted earlier, the anonymous PR manager, any of the otherwise-engaged directors or even a concerned shareholder with a big stake in the business, but from a former disheartened employee.

bazzer2

Woodywmb wrote:

Thanks. At long last one view from within, if not from the Halfords mechanic who posted earlier, the anonymous PR manager, any of the otherwise-engaged directors or even a concerned shareholder with a big stake in the business, but from a former disheartened employee.

I remember feeling like I was the only one in the company that actually liked bikes at the time! And that was the good ol days too, where Halfords was owned by Boots. Since then it seems they employ borderline manimals who simply don't have the capacity to think. Not only store staff, but right up to the top. Of course the are exceptions, and I hate generalisations. There are precious few people who know about bikes and they can't be valued or they would be paid properly.

woodywmb

Halfords is one of many big companies that suffers from SBS, Sick Business Syndrome. The top man receives £500,000 a year (and probably deserves it). However, his bonus is £750,000 on top of that providing he meets targets. The bonus is purposely generous so that he is encouraged to do everything in his power to achieve healthy profits which in turn will attract investment and reward shareholders. That will mean hacking costs back to the bone. That's why there's a dearth of staff and know-how. People and people development cost money - and trimming both is the quickest way to increasing returns. Sad. Now, when it comes time to take stock of the business the chief executive will move on, say after three years, having trousered £3million or more. A new man or woman will emerge, ready to chase the millions, guaranteed by yet another round of cost-cutting, tightening up on staff earnings and reducing suppliers' terms. These directors are also likely to hold positions on the boards of other companies, earning them more pocket money for a few meetings a month. Some day the shutters will go up. SBS is terminal.

wellbeloved747

Since when did halfods sell pinarelo??

thefd

wellbeloved747 wrote:

Since when did halfods sell pinarelo??

They started the end of last year or the start of this year. Just recently!

Bullet1

So here is the latest.

Took my wheel to the LBS - going to be Monday before its ready - not ideal but provided they deliver on expectations - ok.

Took from Wednesday morning calling 'customer service' to Friday evening for anyone other than 'a key holder' (not the manager) to come back to me.

Apologised and said the spokes in my wheel are an 'unusual' length (the chap in the LBS also said this) and hence they didn't realise they didn't have that size in stock until then. That said, it's the wheel off a Boardman which they exclusively stock! I was then asked what could he do to make it right? Well, nothing really - wheel gone elsewhere. He then asked if I'd bring the reciept in from the LBS and her would pay for it.

So, I've got it repaired free, but would rather have paid and got it right first time.

I totally agree with the general consensus - it depends which store you go to depends on the service. Like most big retailers, I'm sure they have some sort of head office customer service charter. What they need to work on is how that is delivered in store. Also, how to you motivate the individuals who don't want to be there and don't give a hoot about customer service - I guess it takes a strong manager to either give them a kick up the ass or fire them.

As with most things it's the incompetent 5% or so that could bring the company down and f#%k up their aim of becoming a higher end bike retailer

heez29

Woodywmb wrote:

heez29 wrote:

Being a Halfords Mechanic myself this boils my wee-wee.

Well, fire back. Speak up for yourself. Halfords rightly or wrongly are criticised all over the web. They don't respond. They don't appear to even try and up the game. Of course they have some good staff. All companies do. But a few paragraphs to justify your anger would encourage the detractors to side up with you, at least to some extent. You're working for your wage, no doubt working hard and for long hours. For that alone, you deserve lots of credit.

They're rightly criticised. I'm pissed off with the shoddy service the OP has received when he went to pick his wheel up.

I do my best when I can. If you speak to me (rarely) then I'd hope I'd be instilling confidence in purchasing with Halfords. Problem is 9/10 times you see the face of somebody who is just working. Not somebody passionate about the job.