is evans the new halfords?

Chute55uk

Retrobike Rider
GT Fan
So after finding out my headset bearings Were shot I passed by Evans to get some more this is a transcript of the conversation
Me: Hi can I buy some caged or loose headset bearings please?
Shop dude: umm lemme go ask
Me Oh ok
2 mins later
Shop dude: err we don't sell headset bearings
Me: really?
Shop dude: well it's kind of too small a part for us to sell
Me: you know every bike in this store has them though right?
Shop dude: Yea (looking embarrassed and desperately wanting me to go away)
Me: but you don't sell them?
Shop dude: have you tried our web site?
Me: No I thought I would give my local bike shop a go first (and Yes the irony was lost on him)
Me: I better go halfords I guess
 
Dozens for sale on their website. And unlike Hellfrauds, Evans are generally pretty good at sorting out any cock ups without fuss and whittling. I'd rather wait 48hrs for delivery, or pay for the next day option than give a penny to Halfords.

This really is a non event for me.
 
I just diddnt think it was asking too much to buy a common bike part in a bike shop, I didn't go to hellfrauds that's was just my parting comment to see if he understood the concept of business
 
Well, considering they're the nation's largest dedicated cycle retailer they probably know a little bit about business. I don't see their shares falling because one branch didn't have a small item that you personally wanted to buy.

If this is the most thing in your life to worry about you're a very lucky chap (or chapess).
 
I would expect Evans to have bearings. They should get out of the cycle business if they cannot carry stock of a common maintenance item.
 
A common maintenance item? That's stretching it a bit. If you look after them properly they'll last pretty much indefinitely. The shops are retail outlets with the double purpose of appealing to the traditional high street bike buyer, while giving th potential online buyer a chance to check out the metal fax instead of buying blind.

With this in mind, why should the duplicate the entire stock of their extremely comprehensive and high-turnover website in each an every store just to appeal to a minority market that they're not even aiming at in the high street? /seems to me they're the one with the huge chain of stores and the multi million dollar website and you're not, which begs the question as to who knows most about running a large business.
 
their business has grown quite impressively over last 15 years and not a franchise, were very helpful when I was impatient last week needing some outer cable, good price as well, always been customer focussed in my view and were excellent when looking for a new bike for the Mrs few years back given she's only 5ft, we had 3 "mechanics" building bikes for her to try out there and then given they didn't have many 14" frame bikes built.......
 
On that ludicrous basis, you could argue against criticising the banks, or British Airways.

If you think bearings are not common maintenance items, then you perhaps don't work on bikes very much.
 
Your completely missing my point and the reason foe the title of this thread, I expect monkey service from halfords that's why I don't go there I went to Evans because I expected a high level of service as per their marketing ethos, the guy diddnt even know what a headset bearing was let alone if they sold them and he works there! Sing their praises all you want that service was crap almost halfords esque
 

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