[Closed] 6 days to build a bike!!!!

If they already have 5 days worked booked, then 6 days.

Whose job would you like to delay so yours can be done quicker?

that's not much of a rant the spelling, punctuation, grammar and capitalisation are all too good.

phone back and threaten to name and shame 😉

Edit:
[i]
Whose job would you like to delay so yours can be done quicker? [/i]

well, if they knew it woudl arrive today you'd think they'd have booked some workshop time for it?

What's more important to them, selling new bikes or truing wheels???

Probably more profit in truing wheels.....

[i]What's more important to them, selling new bikes or truing wheels??? [/i]

If you've done a good enough deal, then truing wheels?

First come, first served, innit? Join the back of the queue, sonny!

That said, I ordered a bike about 4.30pm on a Friday, and it was built and ready to collect by Monday evening, and they had to get one from Genesis first!

That was East Street Cycles, in Farnham, Surrey, if you need a recommendation! Great shop.

There is a little bit more to it than fitting wheels and reflectors.

(Yes, I know it's not rocket surgery, but still...)

LOL! Actually - think about time spent v money earnt - bike sale is perhaps more profitable.

Perhaps learn to do it yourself????

Bigyinn: I'd never let a bike leave here in a box for a customer to build themselves. The potential warrenty/liability issues aren't worth thinking about.
I usually budget about an hour to properly build a proper mountain bike from the box.

I had to wait nearly 2 weeks just for my LBS to do a PDI on a bike and tighten a couple of bolts. I offered to do it myself (as I'd do it anyway - they're not the best), even offering to sign some kind of waiver, but they wouldn't go for it.

I think that's pretty poor, we always put new bikes to the front of the queue, and generally get them built within a day or two of them coming in!

That was East Street Cycles, in Farnham, Surrey, if you need a recommendation! Great shop.

First positive recommendation I've heard. East St in Walton is down the road from me and I'd say 80% of the time they're totally unhelpful. The rest of the time they're decent enough but I only go there in emergencies.

I'm with the OP - For a regular boxed bike, if they knew it was coming, then it should be a same or next day turnaround.

An illustrative example - So I order a wheel in to be built. Parts and labour - £120, assume 10% "profit" so £12 for the shop. Today is booked solid, so will be built tomorrow, pick up tomorrow PM.
An hour later man walks in and orders a £2500 bike (10% profit again = £250 for shop), but in a size not built up but in stock. Shop says, oh we can build that that for you in the AM, pick up after lunch. So my wheel is not now built until tomorrow PM. They kindly phone me and say - sorry but we won't have your wheel ready for collection until day after tomorrow, sorry.
Day 2 another fella walks in and orders a £1000 bike that is built up but wants to swap out some bits which are agreed at another £100 plus another half day to do the work. He can pick up day 3 and 10% profit again so another £110 for shop.

Question - assuming people keep buying more expensive stuff that needs workshop input, how long do the shop keep putting off building my wheel? How many put backs do I put up with before telling em to stuff it and go elsewhere never to return. What happens to shop when it's that time of year when new bike sales drop off and now there is no work for the workshop as all the after sales customers have gone elsewhere cos the shop only want to do that work when it suits them.

I believe it's called prioritising? And that doesn't necessarily mean that the highest paying jobs are always done first. Customer care?

I can do it myself that's what's annoying but for warranty reasons they have to do it!!

1961Bikie - but this was a bike that they knew woudl be arriving yesterday and had said would be built up and ready to collect today...

Customer service means having things ready when you said you would, not mucking people about and going from Thursday to 'next Tuesday' with no explanation?

I agree about priorities, but this has been on order for 4 weeks and they've know the delivery date for well over a week.

When I phoned up why did they say Today when they couldn't do it until Tuesday!

Sounds a bit poor, especially if they knew it was coming.

Did you do somethign to upset them?

Not that I know of. 😕

I've had my eye on it since June time and for various stock reasons haven't been able to get one until now - just frustrated thats its almost here...

I usually budget about an hour to properly build a proper mountain bike from the box.

Very true - a good build at the shop is the difference between a reliable bike and one which has persistent problems. Sure, you can slap it together in 10 minutes as it comes from the factory, but this is just going to cause more hassles down the line. Of course, if the shop doesn't offer a free servicing period after sale this can just generate more work for them (yes there are those out there which operate like this...).

To the crux of the matter though, if they ordered it last week, knew it was coming today, you'd think they could have scheduled the time to get it built today. Unless of course they have a two week back log.

As to whether it's more profitable to build a bike or true a wheel - it's a moot point - got to keep the customer satisfied. Clearly he's not.

bushwacked, just chill out 🙂

this is simple stuff for a bike shop, you have a mechanic to do servicing and repairs and you have other fully qualified/experienced staff member who can build a bike up in another wokrstand/area.

turn it into a learning project and build it yourself. Give it to a mate to test ride it.

I ordered my new bike last Friday, it arrived Monday afternoon, I took it home Tuesday morning. Get yourself a better bike shop. 🙄
Edit: I could have had it on Monday but I went out for a ride on the Quantocks instead. 😛

Jedi - Not having a good day! Beer in hand - let the chilling commence!

All - Just gutted I'm having to wait but have been waiting since June so another few days isn't going to kill me - but it was such a nice day today 🙂

Pah. Lightweights. I paid a deposit on a custom Lynskey at the beginning of March. After several delays the frame was finally shipped on the 29th June. It took a couple of weeks to get to my (no longer local) shop but I STILL haven't received the bike.

12 weeks to build a bike!

Dry yer eyes...

Not good, but myself have never taken abike to them and never would.The best mechanic they had left years ago.

We have a lead time of up to a week at the minute for building new bikes because we have so many to build. I walk in at 8.30am, and don't stop building til 5. We're building a lot of bikes everyday, and doing it faster would mean a substandard build.

Sometimes shops get busy I'm afraid.

Well I never. After weeks of waiting, the day I post on here with a slight whinge, I get an email saying the bike's ready.

Dobie - I know...

Nice one Nicknoxx! we'll need the obligatory pics 😉

I'm chilled about it, was having a bad day when I posted this and being told something but something else happening didn't help.

OP - sorry you ar eright. My responce was more in reply to others comments. Did you ask for an explanation? It does eem ludicrous in your situation, but who knows, maybe their spanner is off ill or something, or maybe the bike has arrived minus a part which won't come for 5 days. But the shop should explain why this job has suddenly gone out to 6 days. If they can't have you got the bottle to cancel? Have they had a deposit/card details? I'd be tempted to ask for an explanation and ask for a pair of tyres/cycle top/whatever (within reason) as compensation. If they can't improve the delivery or are not willing to compensate you then if you're in a position to do so, walk away. I know that's easier said than done especially if you have already waited weeks for delivery, but it's the only way I can see that the will be educated in custoimer service.

Best of luck fella.

I've had my eye on it since June time and for various stock reasons haven't been able to get one until now - just frustrated thats its almost here

You mean their account was on hold with that distributor due to aged-invoices/overdue.

Hora - Nah - stock on 2010 models went out the door very fast and they sold out across the globe within months. I heard of a guy getting one in June from Germany but that was an exception. Had to wait till 2011 models have arrived.

1961bikie - Gonna wait - will have a chat to them when I go in to pick it up.

To the op, you are not the only person with jobs booked in.

An illustrative example - So I order a wheel in to be built. Parts and labour - £120, assume 10% "profit" so £12 for the shop. Today is booked solid, so will be built tomorrow, pick up tomorrow PM.
An hour later man walks in and orders a £2500 bike (10% profit again = £250 for shop), but in a size not built up but in stock. Shop says, oh we can build that that for you in the AM, pick up after lunch. So my wheel is not now built until tomorrow PM. They kindly phone me and say - sorry but we won't have your wheel ready for collection until day after tomorrow, sorry.
Day 2 another fella walks in and orders a £1000 bike that is built up but wants to swap out some bits which are agreed at another £100 plus another half day to do the work. He can pick up day 3 and 10% profit again so another £110 for shop.

Question - assuming people keep buying more expensive stuff that needs workshop input, how long do the shop keep putting off building my wheel? How many put backs do I put up with before telling em to stuff it and go elsewhere never to return. What happens to shop when it's that time of year when new bike sales drop off and now there is no work for the workshop as all the after sales customers have gone elsewhere cos the shop only want to do that work when it suits them.

I believe it's called prioritising? And that doesn't necessarily mean that the highest paying jobs are always done first. Customer care?

A wheel build take a lot longer than building a bike. Add to the fact that if a customer is there on top of you so to speak then it's a question of immediacy.

Yeah just wait a few weeks. The bikeshop owner will be sweating abit and more than happy to turn around things quickly.....then he'll go all quie t on you again in a couple of months pushing you off 😉

If a bikes not in the shop ready to ride, why would you not just order it youself online.
Surely that's the advantage of an Lbs.

TheBrick - you really are a brick! 😉 If you read my comments - I was advised my bike would be ready on a certain day, then when i call to find out what time I can pick it up that day I get told it won't be ready for another 6 days because the workshop is full... Its not about priorities [b]its about customer service[/b].

joe@brookscycles - Member

Bigyinn: I'd never let a bike leave here in a box for a customer to build themselves. The potential warrenty/liability issues aren't worth thinking about.

this is bobbins. If the customer builds it the shop has no responsibility / liability for anything that could be wrong because of the build.

Me - I ( at least partially) strip and rebuild a new bike to ensure it is done properly.

TJ - many suppliers have a clause that shops are not permitted to send out an un PDI'd bike.

Failure to adhere MAY result in loss of account/dealership of that brand.

To ensure all bikes are PDI'd in shop means there is a procedure to help minimise responsibilty/liability issues etc.

You are of course perfectly free to partially strip and rebuild as you see fit afterwards but bikes simply can't leave shops in boxes un-tested.

TBC - thats different to what joe@brookscycles said. If the importer puts such a clause in the contract the shop has to honour it.

A shop would still have no liability for something the customer did.

B - wouldn't happen to be a certain shop just off the high street would it?

Pete - yep - Just had a text (no call - just an SMS) from them saying its built but sods law I've got no easy way of picking it up until Monday 🙁

But at least I know when i can pick it up.

B - remember I've got the van mate. If you want to go get it, I don't mind helping you get it back home.

Thanks but I've Got wheels, just got two young kids all weekend too 🙁 gonna see if I can get someone to look after them for 30mins while I go get it. Sod it I'll take them with me and bribe them to be good in the shop.

Managed to sort it and the LBS went out their way to help me out - so I take back all my earlier cursing as I'm a satisfied customer - just can't wait to ride it now 🙂

this is bobbins. If the customer builds it the shop has no responsibility / liability for anything that could be wrong because of the build.

That's not my point. Quite a number of bikes come out of the box with 'issues'. Stripped threads, scratches/scuffs to the frame, marginally incorrect spec etc. These can be warrentied quickly and easily by a shop worker. If a customer comes to me and says 'I took it out of the box, and it had this massive dent in the top tube', how do I know he hasn't just dropped his hammer on it?

Who do I side with, the customer or the bike firm?

Not worth the hassle.