Buying Tyres from HGB

A warning form recent bitter experience.
After arranging for fitting of Metzler Tourance tyres for my Tiger
from the above mentioned establishment, I turned up at the agreed
time, wheels in the cage, only to get a total blank. Opps. we forgot
all about your order so we dont have any tyres for you. !!!
So no matter what they promise, phone before you go. And if possible
get it all in writing.

 

Isn't typical of my (and Suze's) experiences with them...

Weeeell, unless it's an emergency, I've always 'phoned 'em on the day I
want them. This, of course, was prior to getting the -12R with its need
for a 200-section rear...
:-|

Heh, yeah, right...


--
| Wik -UKRMHRC#10- 2000 ZX12R-A1 -DC#1 -'FOT#0 'FOF #39 - BOD#12 BOB#12
|# You don't believe me | "Experience is the worst teacher.
|That the scenery | It always gives the test first
|Could be a cold-blooded killer. | and the instruction afterward."
***** human response from wik at blueyonder dot co dot uk *****

 

Yeah, in all honesty I've never had any probs with them before. Its
just that once you have the wheels off the bloody thing you are sooo
helpless. In the end I went to Jack Lilleys for a rear tyre and forgot
about the front.
The bloke in HGB fecked up. Its not the end of the world, we all do it
from time to time, its just that I have learnt a lesson.

 

Wik was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

Funnily enough it's become typical of my experience with them
lately. First instance was when I needed new tyres on my
then-R1100RS. At this time, BT020s weren't available for love or
money, so I had them fit an Avon AV45ST front. Liked it a lot, and
when it was rear tyre time, I phoned them a week before to get the
matching rear in. "No probs, sir".

Turn up on the day, and matey tells me that they've tried to phone me
several times[1] because Avon allegedly stopped making the rear tyre
in this size[2]. So there I am, seething, with a bike with an illegal
rear tyre and in a bloody hurry to get one fitted. But of course they
could help me out with a BT020 for umm squids more. Fortunately the
combination worked quite well.

Next time, the R100GS needs new tyres because its Enduro 3s are lethal
in the wet. Phone them up, asking for Avons again. Got the front,
don't have the back. OK, sez I, please order the back and phone me
when you've got it. Phone they did, I agree to turn up the next
morning.

When the bike was on the ramp and didn't have any wheels on it, it was
'discovered' that the front tyre they had was T-rated, not
H-Rated. This time I exploded, in front of several other customers. Of
course I ended up with the tyre because they didn't have another pair
of big trailee tyres in stock that would've fitted the GS.

And that was the _last_ time I used them.

I'll be trying TekMotive up near Potters Bar next. Someone on here
recommended them and they were very helpful trying to track down a
slow leak on the 'umphs front wheel. Spent about 20 minutes trying to
find it, swapped the valve out, and didn't even want to accept money
for a pint or two as they couldn't find the leak.

I don't care if they're more expensive as long as they don't have the
same negative effect on my temper that HGB had.

[1] The lying cnut. They had my work number, and the phone system at
work shows missed calls. They didn't call.
[2] Which I cannot believe given that this is the typical BMW size.

 

I find this is a philosophy to follow.

I get so *seriously* pissed off with crap service (in other words,
people who just can't do their jobs properly) that I'm happy to pay the
extra for peace of mind.

Which is why I renewed my insurance with Carole Nash this week. They
managed to come down to 400 quid which was 50 quid more expensive than
the best quote I'd had.

That was from CIA, but after hearing some of the experiences of this
group and CIA, I decided the last thing I wanted was an insurance
company that works until you have to make a claim, IYSWIM.

 

The Older Gentleman was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

It's taken me a long time to learn, but IMHO it's the only one that
doesn't lead to anger management classes or being hauled in front of
the beak for inflicting GBH onto a sales weasel.

Most of the items I buy these days are of the 'best you can get
variety', because I've decided that if I spend money on a hobby and
the stuff break, I'll be pissed off again...

Obviously this philosophy doesn't quite extend to bikes yet although
I've got the feeling that my local 'onda dealer will be visited by me
tomorrow morning.

Crap service means that it takes more time to get things sorted, and
you can't buy back time. Being angry at people takes time, unnecessary
stupid discussions take time, etc.

After the customer service desaster that was RoadUnsure I've happily
gone back to CN for the main bike, and they would've got the Rover
business too, if they hadn't been such tits about Gabriele's German
license.

That'll be most of them then, right?

 

*waves*

I doubt I was the first, mind.

[Googles]

Ahh, yes, indeed I wasn't. It was a recommendation from a cow-orker that
swayed me.

I /think/, they /were/ actually slightly cheaper than HGB last time
around.

They usually need a day's notice to get stuff in as they're not /just/ a
tyre place and don't carry any stock.

--
| Wik -UKRMHRC#10- 2000 ZX12R-A1 -DC#1 -'FOT#0 'FOF #39 - BOD#12 BOB#12
|# You don't believe me | "Experience is the worst teacher.
|That the scenery | It always gives the test first
|Could be a cold-blooded killer. | and the instruction afterward."
***** human response from wik at blueyonder dot co dot uk *****