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<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">Took my bike in to the local bike shop after calling them and being advised to drop it straight in. Told the mechanic that I had a creaking noise from bottom bracket, that rear shock needs a yearly service and please check pivot bearings. Asked how long and rough cost. They couldn't give me a cost or time scale until it had been assessed.</span>
Left it a week and called them as hadn't heard anything. Spoke to an assistant who said still waiting for parts and mechanic will call you with cost and timescale soon as possible but should be done by end of week, no one was currently in workshop. Waited until end of week no call. Tried calling but no one would answer phone lots of times and just assumed the shop must be busy. Called yesterday to be told still waiting for parts and mechanic would call with cost and time scale but isn't in. It also turns out my wife called a few days earlier to try and pay for it as a suprise for my birthday for me and was told same. It's been 2 weeks now!
So, how long is too long to wait for repairs ?
Two weeks does seem like a long time to have had no contact at all. Have you tried going in to the shop to ask in person? It might be harder to brush you off if you're physically standing there.
I'd be tempted to go in and say you need the bike by such and such time (probably Friday this week) as you want to ride and if it's not done by then they've lost the work.
If they've ordered the parts then they must know the final cost. Go in and get your bike
Crap service - you'd hope this didn't happen any more!
Go in for sure, if the bike was all in one piece and no one could give me a proper time frame or price I'd take it home with me. Nothing you describe as needing doing sounds "to" urgent. Perhaps a new BB, shocks don't really need servicing every year and the pivot bearings either have play or they don't.
Get riding and perhaps find another LBS. Better still learn how to do as many jobs as you can yourself.
I'd have collected it a week ago and taken somewhere else.
Go in, get bike, don't take any bs, go to another shop in future.
The fact they haven't even quoted or given you a concrete timescale would set alarm bells ringing. Not that I think they're trying to scam you or anything, just a badly run business.
If they're this pants on just dealing with basic stuff like timing, pricing or keeping you informed, then I wouldn't trust any work they carried out.
I’d agree, sadly.
If parts have been ordered then they know what they cost and should know what they will charge for fitting. Caveat here that some shops charge actual time in the stand and not a la carte or estimated time so there may be something there but that should have been made clear.
Charitable suggestions include possibilities like they’ve sent shock off for service and are waiting for someone else but I’d have expected this to be made clear too.
At the least they seem poorly run and disorganised and the issues could be anything up to cash flow problems and trouble paying suppliers but mechanic availability and attitude to customers is the strong possibility.
I’d be going round and wanting answers on the spot or be taking my bike elsewhere too.
They could have given you a few scenarios over what might be wrong with the bike giving you a rough idea of timescales and costs before starting the work?
If they are waiting for parts they surely that means they have assessed the bike? In my opinion they should've have called you once assessment was made. Giving you a better idea of costs and timescales and checked if you still want to continue.
I agree with others, go get your bike and go somewhere else. Local to me there are lots of independent bike mechanics who beat the shops hands down, maybe ask some other riders for a recommendation.
It's made slightly more complicated because my family have bought me gift vouchers as a birthday present from the shop to pay towards the work, so I don't want to waste them and the shop is in the city center which is a p.i.t.a to get to on a whim. I will try and pop through on the way home if I still haven't heard anything. I was promised a call back today.
If the mechanic isn't available to talk then tell them you can wait, just leave you on the line until he can, if that isn't working then suggest that they ask the mechanic what the situation is, write it down and call you back.
If your ordering parts then you know what needs doing, sounds like a breakdown in comms shop side there. I can't tell you how much it will cost until we do it vs give me a ball park of and list of things your going to do.
Oh and timescales are either we can do that today or bring it back on this day and we will book it in. No point in not having a bike
Currently booked up in our workshop until mid July so we don't do "just drop it in" work as inevitably it takes longer than the customer expects. But even so it's a bit naughty to not have heard anything after two weeks unless the customer is originally told it could take that long. We give regular updates especially if parts are out of stock or the bike throws up extra work not seen on the original assessment. I'd be visiting and speaking to someone face to face.