Another 150,000 Fix Your Bike vouchers released – after last batch went in 48 hours

Gkam84 wrote:

I wish they'd talked to the bicycle industry first. Look at the backlog waiting for repair because there is simply not enough stock of components right from shops down to distributors. If you look at some of the industry forums and Facebook groups. Many have now stopped accepting these vouchers. 1, because of the slow payout and hurdles put in the way, but also 2, to keep stock for their regular customers, with the severe lack of parts, you should be looking after your loyal customers.

I think it's incredibly short sighted of bike shops if they do not take part in the scheme. These are all potential customers for them. It's there to get people back into cycling, getting to their old bikes up and running and hopefully encouraging more people to get back into cycling and using active travel.

I also don't understand who regular customers are. I have a "go to" bike shop but what makes you a regular? A yearly service and the odd repair? How much more entitlement should that get you.

It seems bike snobbery also extends to bike maintenance.

As Gkam writes, they are snowed under anyway and they only have so many resources. I suspect if they had someone dropping their bike in once every 6 months for service regulalry or even bought their bike via the shop, yes,those customers might get priority over someone who has dug out a bike last used 5 years ago and will probably use twice and put back in the shed for another 5 years. 

Then you can have the issues of negative cash flow where they take these vouchers, do the work, order the parts in, pay their staff and business expenses and then don't get any money coming back from the government for several months. 

If a bike shop can do it then fine but if they haven't, I can undertstand why. I haven't claimed the vouchers myself as I can afford to have my bikes serviced / repaired and would prefer more needy people use them (although inrealise they are not means tested as such.)

As an aside, considering Halfords stating massive profits, the new one near me only open a few years closed the other week. They did initially have "competition" with Evans Cycles opening in the unit next door but that closed 6 months ago.

cyclefaster wrote:

I think it's incredibly short sighted of bike shops if they do not take part in the scheme. These are all potential customers for them. It's there to get people back into cycling, getting to their old bikes up and running and hopefully encouraging more people to get back into cycling and using active travel. I also don't understand who regular customers are. I have a "go to" bike shop but what makes you a regular? A yearly service and the odd repair? How much more entitlement should that get you. It seems bike snobbery also extends to bike maintenance.

Not short-sighted at all, the hassle to get the money from the government scheme, the time of explaining to customers that they can't get the world for £50 and that it covers some very basic things, if they want £50 of components, that it's likely to come with another £30 of labour. 

Then the problem with the shortage of almost all items you'll need to be refurbing those types of bikes. It really isn't worth it. Most people say, "Halfords are welcome to them". The types of people going to Halfords for bike repairs aren't the types of people you are going to talk around to having proper bike services at regular intervals. 

Regular customers, it's difficult to explain, as it really does mean different things depending on the customer. One might be someone who drops by every few weeks just for a chat, buys their lube, cleaning products. Does their own simple maintenance like cables and brakes, but puts their bike in for bigger things.

Another could be the one who comes in twice a year for a service/overhaul, but you never see at any other time.

There are many other examples, but the type of person you know by first name and are willing to spend time to help, rather than the person who turns up once a year for a chain link and bidon...

That's just more bike snobbery. I'm not quite sure what "type of person" goes to Halfords means.

People running the shop aren't your friend. They are being polite and doing their job, like most decent people.

Just because your bike is more expensive should not give you a sense of entitlement.

cyclefaster wrote:

That's just more bike snobbery. I'm not quite sure what "type of person" goes to Halfords means. People running the shop aren't your friend. They are being polite and doing their job, like most decent people. Just because your bike is more expensive should not give you a sense of entitlement.

Call it snobbery if you want, but it happens at every bike shop/workshop. We check over the bike and the customer before taking it in for repair and it is at the end of the day, our business to decide whether to accept or decline custom. If a junker turns up, most likely it will cost more to make it safe than it either cost in the first place or the customer is willing to spend. There are thousands of bikes left with bike shops every year that people put in for repair and never return for.

I'm not saying you have to be friends with your customers, I am saying you have to be friendly, part of that is knowing when to say no. 

It's not the price of the bike that represents any entitlement, it's the quality of the bike and where it was purchased. If I sold a bike for £650 let's say and then it comes back from repair, I'm going to take that in over a bike bought for £650 elsewhere. Similar to a £10,000 bike, sold by me, I'd want it serviced by me. If you are selling high-end kit, you want it to be coming back to you for things. Much more so than someone that buys a lower end from elsewhere and comes in once every five years of it sitting neglected. 

Now is the perfect time for bike shops and workshops to look at their business models, the market has never been so high for people wanting bikes and repairs. There is more demand than there is the stock of items to repair/sell. You have to pick and chose your customer base. Halfords know their market, they aren't pumping out £10k bikes and rightly so, they don't have the need to do that.

Gkam84 wrote:

I wish they'd talked to the bicycle industry first. Look at the backlog waiting for repair because there is simply not enough stock of components right from shops down to distributors. If you look at some of the industry forums and Facebook groups. Many have now stopped accepting these vouchers. 1, because of the slow payout and hurdles put in the way, but also 2, to keep stock for their regular customers, with the severe lack of parts, you should be looking after your loyal customers.

I didn't opt to join the scheme as a) I've not time to jump through hoops to get very little from being part of it.... parts are scarce and even worse now.....as you say...regular customers( mine are enthusiasts who are out there all year, sportive and challenge riders when they can plus the crit racers) as well as commuters. Stock on some 8 speed stuff is October delivery....yup...the top end carrera type bike stock.....in fact I had a voucher chap come to me, on recommendation as Halfords told him they could not get the parts he needed....I got them next day and he paid in full, knowing I wasn't on the scheme and he got 2 other bikes done by me too....his training bike and his Tri bike... and I'm booked until 3rd week in May....

I took what I thought was the ideal candidate bike along to my LBS. It's an old steel bike, still being ridden, but clearly in need of some maintenance. The guy just tugged a bit at the chain slack over the chain ring, sucked air between his teeth, and told me they would not touch the bike - too old. I'd bought the very chain from him. Won't be getting any of my business ever again. Went and bought an ebike shortly afterwards, from Halfords.