Evans Cycles

How odd, puncture labour usually a good source of profit at times.

Right you are. Alas, it's all going tits up after a company 'reshuffle'.

I think they blagged a grant from somewhere.

Anyone got discounts for Evans?

i got a tenner off the other day...

oh

That doesnt sound good. Whats the gossip?

Not still valid then I take it?

Got a shop soiled Hoy meadowbank via the internet, no pictures and it came with no pedals which wasn't in description.

Sent a friendly email they'll post me some pedals for free. So not too bad :)

I went to the St Paul's Evans this morning, it's great, really fast and polite service, but they're all a bit buzzy, like they've just polished off a line of something. A bit like talking to someone at 5am in a house party when you're sober. I mean, it's fine, and the service is good and fast, but it's a bit odd. It's always like that too.

but they're all a bit buzzy, like they've just polished off a line of something.

Hah, yeah that does sound exactly like them.

Conversely, the staff at the Evans in Brentford come across like they've been getting stoned out the back. (This is going back about 4 or 5 years, mind.)

I was buying some brake blocks in the Wimbledon branch last week and saw the chrome Fuji Feather.
Well there must be subliminal messages in the music cos I went back today and bought it.
It said an extra £30 off ,when it was rung up turned out to be £40 off.
Happy days keep rolling up out the back👍

A letter I have just written to evans customer service, bloody jobsworth!

Dear Sir or Madam of the Customer service team,

Yesterday I was building up my new mountain bike and found the gear
cable inner I had lying around wasn't long enough, instead of buying
online or waiting for the weekend to visit my LBS I thought I would
use your new store in Aberdeen on the Great Northern Road. So off I
pop on my lunch break, I managed to find the brake cable inner but no
gear cable inner so asked a young chap who professed it to be his
first day so asked the chap behind the workshop counter, all so far,
very helpful, very nice. The guy in the workshop looked to see if
there was stuff in retail packaging but there was not so went on to
get some from the workshop, trying his very best to fulfil my request!
In the meantime whilst he was wrapping it up and what not I decided to
get a tyre patch kit whilst I was there as I was enjoying the whole
retail experience (as much as you can when buying gear cable) and
appreciated the effort from the workshop chappy. The problem came
when it got to paying, along comes a slightly older, hairier, broader
guy who I can only assume is the manager, he too, looked for the
retail packaged stuff and offered me a gear cable kit, I informed him
"I just need the cable" to which he said, in a slightly condescending
manner "well, if you need the inner it's likely you need a new outer
as well" I informed our hairy chum that I had new outer. he then
wen't on to inform me that he couldn't sell me the workshop stuff as
he had got in trouble from head office or something to that effect, I
left the store with no cable and no puncture repair kit (as my retail
experience had fallen off a cliff after speaking you this chap) and
slightly peeved. Whether he can't sell workshop stock or not doesn't
matter, I would expect a store to try and fulfill a customer request
if at all possible and to make them feel valued, there was no offer of
ordering some in or any other useful suggestions, they didn't even
point me in the direction of your website, all things that would have
shown that they cared, just "this is all we've got"!

At the end of the day i was after gear cable inner, Evans had some,
waved it in my face and said no, feel a bit of chump for wasting my
lunch break, even more after checking the website and seeing that gear
cable is in stock in the Aberdeen store but after speaking with 3
separate people at your store I wasn't able to purchase any. I know
it's just a £3 item I wasn't able to purchase but it really is the
small things that make the difference and I'm afraid you're store in
Aberdeen was left wanting.

Kind regards

Bernard Myles Carey

TLDR - Needed gear cable inner, evans only had it in the workshop, jobsworth manager wouldn't sell it to me, flounce!

... flounce!

In lieu of a tactical nuclear strike, this was the correct course of action.

It wouldn't surprise me if they had a system setup so they charge people the sometimes extortionate full retail of an individual boxed cable kit then just fit bulk out of boxes. As a result the new guy hasn't got into understanding how to explain the system in a way so that the customer doesn't know about the bulk box of cables in the workshop.

It's more that there are workshop only stuff to service bikes and shop floor stuff to sell to customers.

That guys sound like he's being a bit intense.

He was intense, left with a bad taste in my mouth, shame as its handy for me when at work!

Already massively regretting trusting Evans to deal with a snapped Spesh frame warranty job

The Edinburgh Bike Co-Op would have sorted you out; I can't talk for Evans' workshop stock policies but dicking you around for an inner that most workshops will carry in bulk seems a bit rich. That said, perhaps he was just trying to upsell you as new inner + new outer (which you already had) = better performance. Either way, there's a right way to keep the customer happy, and it's not like you were after a totally obscure part.

Yup, possibly one of the least obscure parts seeing as almost all bikes will require them, gawd! Every other bike shop I have ever used, whilst in Edinburgh, London or Aberdeen has been more than accommodating for such requests. Och well, have had a reply from customer service saying it's been sent on top customer service, will probably post on here what ever the reply is!

Same happened to me, but with rim tape.

Checked stock online, could have done click and collect / bought online in hindsight but thought i'd just nip to the shop after work on the way home - they refused to sell me two rolls of Velox as it was for "workshop use only"

In the interest (not really) of fairness:-

Me to Evans - I'd like to know why my order has outstanding items? I specifically checked stock availability before ordering.
I paid for Saturday delivery to recieve a press fit bottom bracket with no press and no grease. I now have to wait until at least Tuesday and cannot race my bike tomorrow.
At the very least I have wasted the cost of saturday delivery to receive an item which is useless without the rest of the order!

Them at 9.30 yesterday - *I am sorry to hear this – I have had a look into your order and can confirm that the Park HHP3 Bearing cup press was in stock at our remote warehouse, and unfortunately this means that this is not available for next day or Saturday delivery.

This is because we are unable to send this out from the Remote Warehouse directly and it has to come into us here at the main warehouse, to then be dispatched. Please note that this was detailed on the website at the time of purchase.

As a gesture of good will, I will refund you for the £7.99 initially paid for delivery.*

Never saw the warning about not for next day but the refund landed and I did get the press and grease via DPD on Sunday.

Pretty slick service all told and I'll continue to use them.

Wanted 50 1/4 inch balls. Went into Evans on The Cut. Very helpful chap ran up to the workshop and siphoned off 50 balls into a little bag for me and charged me a modest fee. Left with balls. Happy.

That's more like it, that shop I would give my business to! If Evans could make it policy to sell workshop wares, stick on a mark up on the cost, could be like a service in shop cost (cheap) or service at home cost (slightly more) then that would be grand!

Ah, when it said in stock in remote warehouse it mean 5-7 days, when it said in stock, it's mean next day.