If god made cycle shops I dont think he would shop in Halfords

[Rouge Penguin]

Halfords and pc world are both the same, staffed by kids from school or adults with the inability to breath with their mouth closed.

Why is anyone shocked? It's not like try were the pinnacle of bike shops and have suddenly become bad. They've always been shoot. If you want personal service, go to your lbs and pay the extra.

People don't work their for the love. Your lbs staff probably do

 

[cd365]

I bought my Carerra TDF off them, it struggled to get into top gear. Didn't think too much of it since it was going in for it's 6 week check up, they made it worse! I bought a workstand and did it myself. Lesson learnt.

 

[AuraTodd]

Halfords and pc world are both the same, staffed by kids from school or adults with the inability to breath with their mouth closed.

Why is anyone shocked? It's not like try were the pinnacle of bike shops and have suddenly become bad. They've always been shoot. If you want personal service, go to your lbs and pay the extra.

People don't work their for the love. Your lbs staff probably do

Helfords is ran by motorists trying to run a bike shop. You won't get any friendly customer service because half of them drive cars, and scorn cyclists like us.

 

[Adasta]

My local Evans is really friendly, but quite expensive, sometimes I try stuff on in there and then go online.

Isn't that a bit disingenuous?

 

[Deb13b]

I went to my local halfords to try some bikes for size. ( my other threads explain my short-arsedness and difficulty in finding a bike that fits ) I was ignored for almost 10 minutes by 3 staff members. When one of them finally said "yes?" I mumbled about trying to find my size. He barked "16" at me then went back to his paperwork. An assistant came over and saw me looking at the pashley and the real classic model they make and told me not to bother with their own make cos it wasn't very good.

 

[Rouge Penguin]

@ Aura

I wouldnt call people who drive a corsa that's been crashed backwards through the ripspeed section at staff rates, motorists.

I wouldn't be too surprised to discover that halfords had managed to re animate corpses from my experiences in stores.

 

[BlackPanther]

The only thing Hal(frauds) is good for is for sitting on a bike, then buying it on-line for 2/3rds the price. I did this when I bought my Dawes Tanami (£450.00 in the shop, £300 on-line!) It's a pity you can't do the same with the road bikes though. In the Doncaster branch, they're all up in the air, with cable locks though them. I suppose you're supposed to ask them to get them down for you....then they can give you their 'expert' advice.

 

[Itchyfeet]

I bought my Carerra TDF off them, it struggled to get into top gear. Didn't think too much of it since it was going in for it's 6 week check up, they made it worse! I bought a workstand and did it myself. Lesson learnt.

Much the same thing happened with my bike purchase from them. Read up a bit on how things should be and how to do it, result, a half decent bike that does what I want it to do. Will visit Halfords for winter screen wash for the car in future, the bike is being serviced and ongoing adjustments made by me.

Brian

 

[suecsi]

Isn't that a bit disingenuous?

Not really - I have bought a few bits in there (and from Evans Online) as I prefer to check fit on clothing first. But all the 3/4 tights I tried on barely came to my belly button and the cheapies from Tenn Outdoors are better.

I did buy my Altura Hi-Vis, Gore skull cap and Madison velcro trouser straps from there though, it is only shorts/leggings I buy elsewhere as the expensive brands they have in store just don't fit.

The Kingston branch near the station is very helpful and extremely convenient.

 

[Alan Whicker]

I was in the Mile End (London) branch on saturday. Got asked no fewer than three times if I wanted any help, which was an almighty surprise given past experiences in there. Maybe they read CC.

 

[festival]

I have worked in the cycle trade for 30 years and for some of that time at halfrauds. I managed to build a team comparable to any good LBS despite the constraints of everything the company did to make it almost impossible to achieve. All of us have left and are now working for leading cycle companies of some sort. They were happy to see us go because it saved them money in the short term. they haven't got a clue.
They are a shoot company with shoot management, a lot ( but not all ) shoot staff and we can all feel good about not spending our money there.

 

[Itchyfeet]

Halfords and pc world are both the same, staffed by kids from school or adults with the inability to breath with their mouth closed.

Why is anyone shocked? It's not like try were the pinnacle of bike shops and have suddenly become bad. They've always been shoot. If you want personal service, go to your lbs and pay the extra.

People don't work their for the love. Your lbs staff probably do

Sorry, being pedantic here, but they are not the same, Halfords sell what can loosely be described as automotive accessories, PC World selling computers and components, granted both with an inept disregard for what the customer has walked into the store to purchase or seek advise on.

Brian

 

[markharry66]

If you are going to try and get into or service the market place i.e cycling then you have to invest in the staff the products they have are actually okay. I remember them from over a decade ago their staff then seemed to know what they were talking about. Pay the money get the staff either you want to be taken seriously or not.

If not dont bother to sell bikes or Chris Boardman bikes. Carry on selling the cheap as shoot mountain bikes and kids bikes but dont pretend to be something your not and wonder why you get complaints.

I am thinking of setting up a website or blog on this subject as its annoyed me so much. I am thinking about reporting good stores and bads stores would anyone be interested in reporting on local stores and the types of service they have had some stores are really good this one is inept.

 

[Rouge Penguin]

Brian, if you're going to be pedantic, at least get pedantic over the right point. I didn't try to compare what they stocked, just who they were staffed by.

 

[Rouge Penguin]

Brian, if you're going to be pedantic, at least get pedantic over the right point. I didn't try to compare what they stocked, just who they were staffed by.