Fixing Problems

No, this isn’t a post about fixed wheel riding, but about customer service.

I’ve always said that what marks out great organisations isn’t their ability to prevent stuff going wrong, but how well they respond when things do. Actually I’ve not always said that - I used to be a child once, and I was more interested in Bazooka Joe Bubblegum, fixing a piece of card to my bike so that it got flicked by the spokes to make a motorbike sound, and trying to persuade my parents to let me have one of those dangerous skateboards.

Anyway . . . my road bike had it’s six-week check-over on Monday at the Edinbrough Bicycle Cooperative. As well as checking the usual stuff, I reported that there seemed to be some noise when turning the handlebars (gear shift cables in need of grease), the seat post was ticking (bolt neded tightening more than I was willing to risk on the carbon post), and the drivetrain was a little noisy.

When I took the bike out this morning for a planned 30 miles, I found that the first two problems had been fixed, but the gear setup had been completely bo****ked up. On the rear, it would skip and delay shifting, while the front had lost all adjustment when on the big ring. After only nine miles out, it started to rain on me, and I’d just had enough. So I turned round, and ‘ran on full sail’  before the storm, getting home in record time and avoiding most of a soaking.

At lunch time, I packed the bike into the car and headed off to the shop, ready for a fight. Their workshop’s pretty busy, and getting anything just slotted into the schedule’s usually pretty much impossible.

But when I got there, everyone was pretty surprised and shocked at the problem, and keen to get it fixed while I waited. The thing was, I had stuff to do, and as I was planning not to be around over the weekend, I said I’d pick it up some time in the following week, so they could take their time.

Now here’s the clincher. By the time I got home, even though the knew I’d not be in ’till the following week to collect it, they’d done the job, and phoned to say that if I was passing, and did want to pick it up, my bike would be ready.

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/29/2007
• Total Time: 1:00:00.00
• Distance: 17.5 miles
• Average Speed: 17.5 mph

Filed under: Cycle