halfords: crap service! Choice phrases for complaint?

[bonj2]

I've sent the letter by the way, I'll post their response when they send it (if they send it.)

Love or hate Halfords, the cycle industry would be f**cked without them.

no - on the contrary - the cycle industry would take off without them!

Why didn't you just go to B&Q like everybody else? Or do you actually believe that Halfrauds cable cutters are special "bicycle" cable cutters for special "bicycle" cables?

had a look in homebase but all they sold were things like tinsnips, wire strippers and pliers. No actual cable cutters. I imagine b&q would have been the same, in fact b&q have got worse for tools recently as they seem to be all devoted to fitted kitchens and bathrooms rather than low-order stuff.

Bullshit

You think bike shops could just pick up a 25% increase in trade?

It would take months for shops to increase staffing, stock, storage, cash flow etc just to cope.

And then there would be supply chain problems

They'd find a way ...

Seriously, cable cutters are the one tool you really must go for quality, which is abit of a bugger really as thay don't get used all that aften.

I only needed to cut inner. If i needed to cut outer i'd test them on an inconspicuous end bit to make sure they were up to the job and if not get some park ones.

I know you were stiffed on a Saturday night, (bad planning?) but considering the cost, it would be cheaper to let your LBS do the job.

take it to the lbs for a shifter and rear mech change?! er... no. So many reasons why not, to name a few: (a) they weren't open on sunday ( i wouldn't trust them to do it right (c) I wouldn't trust them to do it by when they said they were going to do it (d) they'd have a waiting list and I'd have to book it in (e) which means i may well have to take a day off work to take it there and/or pick it up again, or not have it ready by next weekend (f) I'd still have to faff around with the controls' position on the bars as they wouldn't know my preference (g) The only things i take my bike to LBS for on principle would be chase 'n' face/crank installation, headset removal/installation, and possibly mech hanger realignment.

Across the lot of them, no problem.

You're not just talking about little specialised bike shops. Places like JJB Sports, LIDL, supermarkets, loads of places would sell more bikes at the bottom end of the market, which is where most of Halfords trade is anyway. Specialised bike shops probably wouldn't sell anything like 25% more, and even if they did I'm sure they'd soon gear up for it. Maybe not all of them, but some would and would grow. I've never heard of a shop going under because they're selling too much!

I don't know what you're talking about, 'supply chain'. It's all made in Taiwan crap. The same manufactures would just ship their bikes to different retailers but you can bet your backside that if someone in this country wants to buy a bike someone else in this country will figure out a way to sell them it pretty quickly. It doesn't matter how big Halfords is. If they shut up shop others would fill the gap.

Your forgetting about Halfords ability to 'create a market need' (as any big national does).

Collective LBS do not have the same marketing clout, so even if it was logistically possible, sales would still be down.

It would be far better for the market that halfords occupies to just vanish. About half the people realise they still want a bike and just go to a proper bike shop and get a good one, and the other half don't get a bike at all. But best of all, people wouldn't assume that because 'halfords is a bike shop' and trust them to do bike related work.
Better situation all round. Yep, I think overall in terms of total forces for good and bad of humanity, halfords net effect is a negative impact on the world.

 

[Hilldodger]

A little knowledge is a very bad thing

 

[Smeggers]

It would be far better for the market that halfords occupies to just vanish. About half the people realise they still want a bike and just go to a proper bike shop and get a good one, and the other half don't get a bike at all. But best of all, people wouldn't assume that because 'halfords is a bike shop' and trust them to do bike related work.
Better situation all round. Yep, I think overall in terms of total forces for good and bad of humanity, halfords net effect is a negative impact on the world.

tis true enough.