halfords......unbelievable

[Brandane]

So obviously when Kevin on the till asked if I wanted the bulb fitting for just £2, I said yes.

I went to Halfords and bought a pair of wiper blades for the car today, and the helpful chap on the till asked if I would like them fitted.
Oh yes, said I; because it must be really difficult to un-clip the old ones and slot on the new ones.
A few minutes later, the Halfords fully qualified wiper fitter appeared in the car park, eager to help. "Where is your car?" he asked. 15 miles away outside my house, I replied, as I mounted my bike and pedaled away with the wiper blades in a rucksack. They really need to get a sense of humour!

 

[DRM]

By contrast I went into our local Halfords as I needed a thin stem spacer, after a quick look, I asked the lad on the bike counter if they had any, he had a look and said sorry no, then said just a minute and disappeared into the workshop where I could hear him going through the odd parts box, he came back with just what I was wanting, how much says I, nothing it was in the back in the back you can have it.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

If it's any consolation they're just as bad on the car side - our car once needed a headlight bulb, and on the car we had at the time you needed to remove several trims and have the arms of Mr Tickle combined with a triple jointed wrist and childlike fingers with the strength of Arnold Schwarzenegger and the dexterity of a concert pianist to change the bulb.

That'll teach you to buy a Renault Megane

 

[Pat "5mph"]

My local Halfords is actually good for bike stuff, because a hight miles club cyclist works there.
Stuff to pick up through click and collect has always been there after a text/email, they phone you as well.
Have only used their mechanics once, to remove a stubborn freewheel, so cannot comment on their abilities.

 

[NorthernDave]

That'll teach you to buy a Renault Megane

How rude!

It was a Citroen C3.
You can always tell who hasn't fitted their headlight bulbs correctly on the pre-2009 ones as the headlights start to fill with water if the seal isn't seated 100% properly...

 

[Deleted member 26715]

How rude!

Lad up road from us bought a new one in 2006 nearside headlight went just before a service so when he dropped it off he asked them change it. £129, £6 for the bulb, £123 fitting, they claimed all the front had to come off.

 

[NorthernDave]

Lad up road from us bought a new one in 2006 nearside headlight went just before a service so when he dropped it off he asked them change it. £129, £6 for the bulb, £123 fitting, they claimed all the front had to come off.

A lad at work had a Scenic that was the same. He also paid £120 for a headlight bulb changing. Two weeks later the bulb at the other side went...

 

[Jenkins]

I always use the reserve & collect system at my local Halfords (to get the British Cycling discount), but the problem is that the goods are placed in a locker and you need to go to the main tills (away from the cycling section) to collet any orders. These seem to be staffed by 3 regulars who have no cycling product knowledge. For example today I went in to collect a pair of GP 4 Seasons tyres that I'd had confirmation were ready to collect. The fisrt staff member went to the locker, spent a few minutes looking - nothing, went off to the store room out back - still nothing, checked code, gave details to second staff member who went to the locker for another rummage - still nothing. I went over and spotted them in seconds. "Oh - we were looking for tyres not boxes" was the response as they didn't realise they were folders and came packaged not loose.

 

[Kempstonian]

The Halfords in Bedford is ok. They have bar tape on display (and even showed me where it was when I asked). I have bought several items on the internet and collected them from there. Never a problem. They also helped me out a couple of times (removing a freewheel and on another occasion getting a rusted in BB free) and didn't even charge me for doing so.

 

[classic33]

I went to Halfords and bought a pair of wiper blades for the car today, and the helpful chap on the till asked if I would like them fitted.
Oh yes, said I; because it must be really difficult to un-clip the old ones and slot on the new ones.
A few minutes later, the Halfords fully qualified wiper fitter appeared in the car park, eager to help. "Where is your car?" he asked. 15 miles away outside my house, I replied, as I mounted my bike and pedaled away with the wiper blades in a rucksack. They really need to get a sense of humour!

How'd you fit the wiper mechanic in ypur rucksack?

 

[ozboz]

Halfords in Putney has closed , hardly surprising , it really is pot luck in Halfords , Cycle Repubilic and Evans with staff though ,

 

[Bazzer]

And apparently (at least in Warrington), they only stock spokes for the wheels on the bikes they sell. Never having built a wheel, or personally having changed a spoke for at least 40 years, I cannot comment. However that was the reason given for replacing a wheel of otherwise black spokes, with one which was unpainted.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

"Oh - we were looking for tyres not boxes" was the response as they didn't realise they were folders and came packaged not loose.

Sorry but you state that as though it was obvious

 

[Levo-Lon]

My line manager has just bought a C class 23k and as he seems to ask me questions about anything Car he said I'm thinking of getting a dash cam from halfords, they'll fit it for me..... I gave him my best Paddington Stare and then started to laugh.
I think i got through to him after a while.
He does make me laugh, buys a quality car and then looks to save money at Halfords...

Sent him to a guy near me for a professional fitting.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

My company uses DPD to courier tools around and I used to use the local Halfords for returns. Now the boxes are fairly large, 14"x14"x16" (I just checked) and well within DPD guidelines but every single time I walked through the door with up to 3 boxes I saw the faces of the staff behind the counter fall. They made it clear this wasn't worth the hassle to them and started pulling out measuring tapes and weighing the boxes. Finally, when one of them claimed the DPD driver was telling them not to take my boxes I snapped and very loudly started to harangue them. I have quite a strong voice without shouting and everyone in the store heard me and even though they immediately backed down, I've never used them again.

I'm usually pretty patient with shop staff, I've done it myself and know it isn't always easy but I cannot abide a stroppy attitude.