LBS Service Experiences

[rabobank89]

I'm curious to hear everyone's opinion on the matter... (Perhaps I'm just being silly?)

When you drop your bike off to your LBS for a service of some sort do you expect to receive it fairly dirty?

I only ask because I dropped off one of my bikes to a bike shop that I don't normally visit but thought I give a chance.. When I dropped off my bike it was in brand new condition (If any of you guys know me, my bikes look like there never ridden) So I got them to do a simple job as I didn't have time to do it. When I picked the bike up and had a look once home, the entire bike was soiled in black grease.

I wouldn't make a fuss normally as its fairly simple to clean the crap off with a wet cloth however my brand new white carbon saddle was stained and creased..

I thought a LBS would take more care of a $10k roadie...

[greyhoundtom]

That is extremely disappointing.

I guess if it was my bike I would have been upset enough to take it right back and the manager would have been on a "please explain".

[newie]

My bike usually comes back to me cleaner than when I dropped it off....

[AUbicycles]

Your bike should not be dirtier, the mechanic should have cleaned it up. If there is a next time then kindly ask them to keep it clean - refering to this experience - but otherwise get your rag out, not worth following up with the shop.

[R12RT]

My bike usually comes back to me cleaner than when I dropped it off....

So does mine.

The mechanics at my LBS don't like working on dirty bikes.

[greyhoundtom]

I wouldn't make a fuss normally as its fairly simple to clean the crap off with a wet cloth however my brand new white carbon saddle was stained and creased..

^^^^^^ This is the bit that would have seen me take the bike straight back to the LBS.............NOT GOOD ENOUGH

[DentedHead]

I would certainly have been all WT??? As clean as I dropped it off is the minimum I would expect, and I would not have paid 'till it WAS clean.

Talk with your wallet if you've already left the store, just don't go back there.

That said, my FLBS is great. Great advice, and they understand I have a tight budget, and have made several suggestions that would have lowered the profit they made from me (such as "Sure, you can lace wheels yourself. I'll email you some links for spoke length calculators, and once you've cut the spokes, just drop them in and I'll roll the thread on for you" or, "Oh, those dual brake levers you asked if we could get? We can get them, but these ones here (shows me a pic) are the same, and less than half the price...""). For that reason, I go there even if I could get the same thing cheaper elsewhere (admittedly, I wouldn't know if I could get something cheaper elsewhere, as I'd only look elsewhere if they can't get what I want, and that hasn't yet happened).

Plus, they have a cafe in the shop

Dent.

[AUbicycles]

Admit that I missed the bit about the white saddle - now that is really annoying.
If you returned to the I would be surprised if you had a satisfactory solution (which is most likely a replacement), at best you would an an apology and gesture of goodwill (like a free service... doh!) but you could get indifference or denial.

If it's a leather bike seat you have a chance of saving it, for suede or similar it is scarred.

[MarkG]

Rabo will sell that bike next week, so its not a real big issue

[eeksll]

what idiots, give the man willing to spend 10k on a bike a average service

I certainly wouldn't be happy but I am sure they would squirm out of paying for your saddle, I mean thats gonna cost a lot on a 10k bike !!!

I had a LBS saddle incident, bike a few month old, the leather on seat starts becoming unstuck at te bottom. LBS glue it back down and there is a big patch of dried glue on top of the seat when I get it back. I point it out and they say, I can't see how that was us, we just glued the bottom. I just stood there and stared at the guy. End up getting warranty for the seat and never gone back there.

[rabobank89]

Thanks guys for your feedback on the matter...

At the end of the day I don't really want to go back. This thread was never to bad mouth the bike store in any manner, just wanted clarification with others. I'm happy to buy another saddle and stick to a bike shop that I can trust, despite the distance.. ( Good old Aldo at Quantum Bicycles in North Perth )

Perhaps the mechanic didn't like me

(I didn't know changing handlebars required the bottom bracket to be taken out )

For anyone curious to the managers response;

"Thank you for your feedback, I’m sorry to hear that our service was sub-standard and this is not acceptable to me. I have addressed this issue with our staff as we strive to do best possible service with every customers bike.
Our staff member has told us it was a messy job with the bottom bracket being removed however I can well appreciate your disappointment but again I thank you for letting me know as without this information we can’t pick up these mistakes that happen from time to time.
I have noted your bikes are in pristine condition when they come in and I’m disappointed that your bike has been returned soiled. Is it possible to bring your bike back so we can clean it and make sure the marks come off. As a way of an apology I’d like to offer 20% off your next repair."

[jasonc]

(I didn't know changing handlebars required the bottom bracket to be taken out )

I'd call BS on the manager. send him a copy of the receipt and explain what the service was for...

That's a fob off

[bychosis]

White seats are bound to get marks. Lesson for me out of this is either throw an old seat on, or cover it with something, but then I'll never deliberately own a white saddle, or grips, or bar tape.

[ozzymac]

White seats are bound to get marks. Lesson for me out of this is either throw an old seat on, or cover it with something, but then I'll never deliberately own a white saddle, or grips, or bar tape.

A bit of a silly answer to a problem that shouldn't happen.

That's the same as having to take of my sheepskin car seat covers in case the mechanics make a mess of them.

I am pretty sure the bike should come back as clean as it was when it went in.

As for a white seat are bound to get marks, depends how you look after your bike I guess, mine is fine after 2 years.

Cheers

[Crowz]

(I didn't know changing handlebars required the bottom bracket to be taken out )

For anyone curious to the managers response;
"As a way of an apology I’d like to offer 20% off your next repair."

This just gets better and better! Oh goody, they're offering to cut possibly $2 off your next cable change! The least they should even be offering here is a free service. Ruining a saddle on a 10k bike is bound to be pricey. Also the fact that he doesn't even acknowledge that taking the bottom bracket out wasn't what the owner wanted just screams amateur. Wouldn't be going back there in a hurry...

[biker jk]

So let me get this straight. You took your bike in to have the handle bar swapped and they removed the bottom bracket? I would be ringing them and asking why they removed the bottom bracket. In any case, it's not a messy job at all.