WVDS
Werner Van Der Sandt
1 reviews | Active since May 2013
28 Apr 2023, 12:04
My Giant Problems at Cycle Lab
I have supported Cycle Lab for some time now but will not be returning there in the future.
What started as a simple request for part replacements on my Giant mountain bike resulted in a two week of frustrating struggles, with me making in total six trips to Cycle Lab equaling around 300 km of travel from my home and back.
During this period there was misunderstood communication, accusations, price matching, ***** work ethic and my damaged bike. In the end I payed more than the initial agreed upon amount by a small margin; the Cycle Lab team did their best to adjust pricing to make up for their blunders, I must give them that.
On my last visit after a team meeting I was shocked at an insinuation clearly telling me that I caused the damage to my bike, an item I already knew I will have to live with as no one would take responsibility for damages.
My take away is that we are still captured in a flawed profit driven non client focused industry here in South Africa where bicycle parts/labor matches that of cars/motorcycles! I have some hard decisions as an avid mountain biker - to not only ***cott cycling stores with bad practices such as Cycle Lab, but also potentially abandoning cycling for another sport.
Helpful (0)
Replies (3)0
Replies (3)
Cycle Lab's replyOfficial
28 Apr 2023, 13:05Werner, Hi! Thanks for the feedback, although clearly not the kind we strive for. I have chatted to the store General manager Jaco and workshop manger Reuben. I can only apologise and assure you we do take feedback like this to heart, we will be looking back through your experience to use it to learn and train our staff in an effort to offer customers a better experience. We dont always get it right but I can assure you do try learn and improve from every positive and negative experience. My sincere apologies.
Cycle Lab's reply28 Apr 2023, 13:05
Official
Werner, Hi! Thanks for the feedback, although clearly not the kind we strive for. I have chatted to the store General manager Jaco and workshop manger Reuben. I can only apologise and assure you we do take feedback like this to heart, we will be looking back through your experience to use it to learn and train our staff in an effort to offer customers a better experience. We dont always get it right but I can assure you do try learn and improve from every positive and negative experience. My sincere apologies.
WVDS
Werner Van Der Sandt's updateReviewer Update
28 Apr 2023, 13:47Unfortunately Reuben's most resent responses contradicts any indication that you want to improve or that you care about your clients:
Here is an extract of a WhatsApp communication -
1. "Based on our meeting yesterday it seems that you guys do not know cycle parts that well and that there was indeed NO misunderstanding related to the XT part and Deore. This is very clear to me that there is indeed Deore XT as printed on the actual part. Just a FYI for your future improvement.
- "Cycle Lab REPLY from Reuben - "Deore and Deore XT (also called only XT), there is no XT full and XT Deore partial. This is what was stated. I have worked on, fitted and sold this for 17 years sir. I know my cycling groupsets and terminology."
2. "Maybe I should have mentioned this this morning but did not really want to drag this on any longer. I reject the insinuation yesterday that I **** about the damage on my bike after spending R32,000 with your store. I am repairing it myself and will never return as a client of Cycle Lab. To vent my frustration I have left one of many complaints with Hello Peter."
- Cycle Lab REPLY Reuben - "Glad you could repair your own damage." Kindly refrain from further venting on my personal number. What other platforms you wish to use is your prerogative, just make sure to state the full facts of interaction from start to finish as well as all sides of the situation
3. "You had no problem sending me WhatsApps without my consent Reuben , so do not dare throw around accusations when "you" opened this channel of communication. Your expected response then concludes our business. I will moving forward communicate to your CEO."
Here is an extract of a WhatsApp communication -
1. "Based on our meeting yesterday it seems that you guys do not know cycle parts that well and that there was indeed NO misunderstanding related to the XT part and Deore. This is very clear to me that there is indeed Deore XT as printed on the actual part. Just a FYI for your future improvement.
- "Cycle Lab REPLY from Reuben - "Deore and Deore XT (also called only XT), there is no XT full and XT Deore partial. This is what was stated. I have worked on, fitted and sold this for 17 years sir. I know my cycling groupsets and terminology."
2. "Maybe I should have mentioned this this morning but did not really want to drag this on any longer. I reject the insinuation yesterday that I **** about the damage on my bike after spending R32,000 with your store. I am repairing it myself and will never return as a client of Cycle Lab. To vent my frustration I have left one of many complaints with Hello Peter."
- Cycle Lab REPLY Reuben - "Glad you could repair your own damage." Kindly refrain from further venting on my personal number. What other platforms you wish to use is your prerogative, just make sure to state the full facts of interaction from start to finish as well as all sides of the situation
3. "You had no problem sending me WhatsApps without my consent Reuben , so do not dare throw around accusations when "you" opened this channel of communication. Your expected response then concludes our business. I will moving forward communicate to your CEO."
WVDS
Werner Van Der Sandt's update28 Apr 2023, 13:47
Reviewer Update
Unfortunately Reuben's most resent responses contradicts any indication that you want to improve or that you care about your clients:
Here is an extract of a WhatsApp communication -
1. "Based on our meeting yesterday it seems that you guys do not know cycle parts that well and that there was indeed NO misunderstanding related to the XT part and Deore. This is very clear to me that there is indeed Deore XT as printed on the actual part. Just a FYI for your future improvement.
- "Cycle Lab REPLY from Reuben - "Deore and Deore XT (also called only XT), there is no XT full and XT Deore partial. This is what was stated. I have worked on, fitted and sold this for 17 years sir. I know my cycling groupsets and terminology."
2. "Maybe I should have mentioned this this morning but did not really want to drag this on any longer. I reject the insinuation yesterday that I **** about the damage on my bike after spending R32,000 with your store. I am repairing it myself and will never return as a client of Cycle Lab. To vent my frustration I have left one of many complaints with Hello Peter."
- Cycle Lab REPLY Reuben - "Glad you could repair your own damage." Kindly refrain from further venting on my personal number. What other platforms you wish to use is your prerogative, just make sure to state the full facts of interaction from start to finish as well as all sides of the situation
3. "You had no problem sending me WhatsApps without my consent Reuben , so do not dare throw around accusations when "you" opened this channel of communication. Your expected response then concludes our business. I will moving forward communicate to your CEO."
Here is an extract of a WhatsApp communication -
1. "Based on our meeting yesterday it seems that you guys do not know cycle parts that well and that there was indeed NO misunderstanding related to the XT part and Deore. This is very clear to me that there is indeed Deore XT as printed on the actual part. Just a FYI for your future improvement.
- "Cycle Lab REPLY from Reuben - "Deore and Deore XT (also called only XT), there is no XT full and XT Deore partial. This is what was stated. I have worked on, fitted and sold this for 17 years sir. I know my cycling groupsets and terminology."
2. "Maybe I should have mentioned this this morning but did not really want to drag this on any longer. I reject the insinuation yesterday that I **** about the damage on my bike after spending R32,000 with your store. I am repairing it myself and will never return as a client of Cycle Lab. To vent my frustration I have left one of many complaints with Hello Peter."
- Cycle Lab REPLY Reuben - "Glad you could repair your own damage." Kindly refrain from further venting on my personal number. What other platforms you wish to use is your prerogative, just make sure to state the full facts of interaction from start to finish as well as all sides of the situation
3. "You had no problem sending me WhatsApps without my consent Reuben , so do not dare throw around accusations when "you" opened this channel of communication. Your expected response then concludes our business. I will moving forward communicate to your CEO."
Cycle Lab's replyOfficial
28 Apr 2023, 14:43Wener,
Hi! Thanks, this is certainly not the tone or way we teach our staff to communicate with customers irrespective of the circumstances. I will take theses messages up with Jaco and Reuben. As a Business we certainly do not appreciate this sort of response and it is not in line with our values. As an individual Reuben represents our Brand and we will take this up with him. My apologies.
Hi! Thanks, this is certainly not the tone or way we teach our staff to communicate with customers irrespective of the circumstances. I will take theses messages up with Jaco and Reuben. As a Business we certainly do not appreciate this sort of response and it is not in line with our values. As an individual Reuben represents our Brand and we will take this up with him. My apologies.
Cycle Lab's reply28 Apr 2023, 14:43
Official
Wener,
Hi! Thanks, this is certainly not the tone or way we teach our staff to communicate with customers irrespective of the circumstances. I will take theses messages up with Jaco and Reuben. As a Business we certainly do not appreciate this sort of response and it is not in line with our values. As an individual Reuben represents our Brand and we will take this up with him. My apologies.
Hi! Thanks, this is certainly not the tone or way we teach our staff to communicate with customers irrespective of the circumstances. I will take theses messages up with Jaco and Reuben. As a Business we certainly do not appreciate this sort of response and it is not in line with our values. As an individual Reuben represents our Brand and we will take this up with him. My apologies.