A certain bike shop experience in Galway

stunt_penguin

Ugh, I don't know where to begin on this one - so I take my old mountain bike for repair to a certain bike shop (Edit: West Ireland Cycling) in Galway. I've never been here before, but since Mountain Trail were closed for a stocktake I though 'meh, let's see'.

I need a new chain and freewheel as they've both worn down to the point where I'm skipping links when riding.

While I'm there I decide that I could ask about getting a new set of wheels to replace my ageing, cheap mountain bike bought 5 years ago.

• They didn't have any prices for *any* of the bikes in stock as the sheet had gone walkies. I could have been looking at €2,000 bikes rather than within my €700 budget
• They did, however repeatedly mention to me me about buying one of their ex-rental touring bikes that above my price range and not meeting my spec at all. They talked and hinted about that bike ad-nauseum, even though they said it was out on rental that day and couldn't show it to me. Oh, and it was white (not going to happen).
• Whenever I was looking through the catalog, the older guy running the shop pulled out, lit and proceeded to smoke a cigarette in front of me, in the shop while serving me. Not just rude, outright illegal.
• When I was talking to the younger lad at the counter the older guy who was also chipping into the conversation proceeded to nip across to the kebab shop and come back with a big smelly kebab that he sloppily ate with his hands (much licking of fingers and slurping) on the counter 3 feet from where I was browsing a Merida catalog. Ugh.
  
• One of the junior staff was embarassed and admonished in front of me for messing up a cleanup of an oil spil.... "have ye ever seen the likes of that..... stupid, stupid"

So I pick up the bike today, all's well, new chain and freewheel sprocket. I leave the shop, hop on and.........
the front fell off the back wheel falls off.
this is as I'm hopping onto the road on Dominick St (oh, did I give away the shop location and therefore name, there... sorry!). After collecting myself off of the road I took it back in and never even got a sincere apology for it, just a tightening of the back wheels.

I'm now going to have to do what I should have done in the first place and take the bike to be checked out at mountain trail, just in case the bike is now a *total* deathtrap (as opposed to the minor hazard I had on my hands before... it *is* quite an old bike).

flickerx

Why dont you just name the shop? If what you said is completely true then there's no problem.

stunt_penguin

Wasn't sure if that was the done thing but wanted to give a vague hint..... West Ireland Cycling is the name of the place. Post edited.

Victor

Have you done the decent things and written a letter to the shop?

Lumen

Victor wrote: »

Have you done the decent things and written a letter to the shop?

Write a what?

flickerx

He means an email.

Lumen

flickerx wrote: »

He means an email.

Ah, gotcha. They even have a website with contact details (warning: may cause dizziness and should be avoided by people with rotation-sensitive epilepsy).

stunt_penguin

Victor wrote: »

Have you done the decent things and written a letter to the shop?

This was the *owner* of the place that smoked the cigarette, ate the kebab and berated the young lad. I fear actual physical violence if I even open my mouth.

kippy

Lumen wrote: »

Ah, gotcha. They even have a website with contact details (warning: may cause dizziness and should be avoided by people with rotation-sensitive epilepsy).

Just shows ya,
You can have all the professional looking flashy, relatively well presented sites you want that make your business look ultra professional, and still have a business that is anything but.

heybaby

stunt_penguin wrote: »

Ugh, I don't know where to begin on this one - so I take my old mountain bike for repair to a certain bike shop (Edit: West Ireland Cycling) in Galway. I've never been here before, but since Mountain Trail were closed for a stocktake I though 'meh, let's see'.

I need a new chain and freewheel as they've both worn down to the point where I'm skipping links when riding.

While I'm there I decide that I could ask about getting a new set of wheels to replace my ageing, cheap mountain bike bought 5 years ago.

• They didn't have any prices for *any* of the bikes in stock as the sheet had gone walkies. I could have been looking at €2,000 bikes rather than within my €700 budget
• They did, however repeatedly mention to me me about buying one of their ex-rental touring bikes that above my price range and not meeting my spec at all. They talked and hinted about that bike ad-nauseum, even though they said it was out on rental that day and couldn't show it to me. Oh, and it was white (not going to happen).
• Whenever I was looking through the catalog, the older guy running the shop pulled out, lit and proceeded to smoke a cigarette in front of me, in the shop while serving me. Not just rude, outright illegal.
• When I was talking to the younger lad at the counter the older guy who was also chipping into the conversation proceeded to nip across to the kebab shop and come back with a big smelly kebab that he sloppily ate with his hands (much licking of fingers and slurping) on the counter 3 feet from where I was browsing a Merida catalog. Ugh.
• One of the junior staff was embarassed and admonished in front of me for messing up a cleanup of an oil spil.... "have ye ever seen the likes of that..... stupid, stupid"

So I pick up the bike today, all's well, new chain and freewheel sprocket. I leave the shop, hop on and.........
the front fell off the back wheel falls off.
this is as I'm hopping onto the road on Dominick St (oh, did I give away the shop location and therefore name, there... sorry!). After collecting myself off of the road I took it back in and never even got a sincere apology for it, just a tightening of the back wheels.

I'm now going to have to do what I should have done in the first place and take the bike to be checked out at mountain trail, just in case the bike is now a *total* deathtrap (as opposed to the minor hazard I had on my hands before... it *is* quite an old bike).

To the OP: you have in forensic detail outlined all the customer service flaws and deficiencies experienced during your trip to your local bike shop, armed with the knowledge that they are nothing but a shower of cowboys you proceed to leave your bike with them so they can repair it, then you are surprised when the wheel falls off. There is a saying, it goes something along the lines: What should you expect from a horse? only a kick!!

stunt_penguin

Er, yea I'd already left the bike in and he'd started working on it by the time I started asking about the sales bit (which is where things started going wrong). It'd have been a really obviously embarassing move to just suddenly go 'okay I don't trust ye' and yank my bike out of there. Anyway, sloppy customer service vs *acutally ****ing up my repair* is a whole other level of cowboydom.

el tel

Are they primarily a bike shop or a bike hire/tour shop? Sould like amateurs anyway.

blorg

Lumen wrote: »

Ah, gotcha. They even have a website with contact details (warning: may cause dizziness and should be avoided by people with rotation-sensitive epilepsy).

I was disappointed by that website, there was no sound.

SerialComplaint

You could let these guys know about his smoking habits http://www.otc.ie/smokefree_locall.asp

stunt_penguin

SerialComplaint wrote: »

You could let these guys know about his smoking habits http://www.otc.ie/smokefree_locall.asp

Done

brianthebard

el tel wrote: »

Are they primarily a bike shop or a bike hire/tour shop? Sould like amateurs anyway.

They are both afaik, but most of the bikes they sell would be former rentals, I suppose with the student population of the town they can pass them on fairly easily. Tbh I didn't like the place much when I was in it either, the old lad was pretty rude (but left almost immediately) and the rest of the staff weren't very helpful or interested. I think I've been in most of the Galway cycle shops at this stage, there's only one that I like and even then you could be left standing around for ages.

Mr Velo

brianthebard wrote: »

They are both afaik, but most of the bikes they sell would be former rentals, I suppose with the student population of the town they can pass them on fairly easily. Tbh I didn't like the place much when I was in it either, the old lad was pretty rude (but left almost immediately) and the rest of the staff weren't very helpful or interested. I think I've been in most of the Galway cycle shops at this stage, there's only one that I like and even then you could be left standing around for ages.

+1
Obviously the recession hasn't focused the minds of these cycle shop owners in any way.

Seaneh

Nigels, FTW, himself and the wife are very polite and I've never had to wait more than a day on a repair and he is a very good mechanic.

brianthebard

Didn't find them very polite when I was there tbh,and they had helmets on sale for twice the price as the same ones in a different shop. He seems to have a decent rep overall but the shop seemed very expensive.

Sniipe

I like Kearney cycles; in fact buying a bike there sometime this week.

As for the shop you were at; we all know now not to bother with them. Thanks for the heads up.

superrdave

still, it could be worse.

i brought my knacked up old mountain bike (cost: free; from: back of a skip) in to a shop in dublin which shall remain nameless for a new chain (the last one actually snapped as i was riding along the quays) and asked for a new chain. bog standard and it cost 25 EURO! Cycled out of there feeling pretty pissed off. I mean, 25 euro, baby! It literally took the dude two minutes to put it on.

blorg

superrdave wrote: »

still, it could be worse.

i brought my knacked up old mountain bike (cost: free; from: back of a skip) in to a shop in dublin which shall remain nameless for a new chain (the last one actually snapped as i was riding along the quays) and asked for a new chain. bog standard and it cost 25 EURO! Cycled out of there feeling pretty pissed off. I mean, 25 euro, baby! It literally took the dude two minutes to put it on.

That's not an outrageous price for a new chain, fitted.

superrdave

blorg wrote: »

That's not an outrageous price for a new chain, fitted.

when he said he wasn't charging for the labour, i thought it was. this is a bog standard chain, remember. I appreciate the free labour but i still thought 25 was a little steep for a chain. I got one in the north two years ago for 8 pounds.

projectmayhem

blorg wrote: »

I was disappointed by that website, there was no sound.

...and not nearly enough javascript. I mean, my mouse cursor didn't even change colour and stream pixie dust from it!

C@t

stunt_penguin wrote: »

... but since Mountain Trail were closed for a stocktake ...

Does anyone know when Mountain Trail might be open again? I was in last week looking to buy a bike and I went back the next day to buy it but they've been closed everyday since then. They're not answering the phone either

kinetic1

I just bought a new bike in Nigels,and found the lads sound in there.

at1withmyself

Sniipe wrote: »

I like Kearney cycles; in fact buying a bike there sometime this week.

As for the shop you were at; we all know now not to bother with them. Thanks for the heads up.

Kearney's is prabably the best shop in Galway although I don't like your man's attitude at all but they are definitely one of the most competetive price wise.

Nigel's does seem to have a good rep but for the life of me I can't understand why as his prices are too expensive. I have rang around looking for parts and his price is always a lot higher then any other shop so I don't bother with it any more.

snubbleste

Galway needs a centrally located student price friendly bike/repair shop. I'm suprised Polish bike mechanics have not spotted
a business opportunity and opened one.

Mr Velo

at1withmyself wrote: »

Kearney's is prabably the best shop in Galway although I don't like your man's attitude at all but they are definitely one of the most competetive price wise.

Nigel's does seem to have a good rep but for the life of me I can't understand why as his prices are too expensive. I have rang around looking for parts and his price is always a lot higher then any other shop so I don't bother with it any more.

Dead right.
How Mr K himself has been a business man for all these years totally baffles me. He certainly didn't go to any classes in good customer relations.

Nigel has a good rep as he's a cyclist and has his clique that will always go to him no matter what - but his prices are excessively expensive - especially in comparison with online stores.

brianthebard

kinetic1 wrote: »

I just bought a new bike in Nigels,and found the lads sound in there.

Is that you Nigel Jr?

kinetic1

How'd you guess?