Kiwi Biker censored?

[Pumba]

This will be good

[Chisanga]

This will be good

Or very, very bad

Which one are you hoping for?

[Kendog]

Telling people about bad service is fine with me. I want to know where to avoid.

Telling people in a public place like this is also fine I reckon, they may see this stuff and realise they need to sharpen up.

[doc]

Not sure if that is a compliment but im not a picky man so im goin to take what I can get.

it's a compliment...Don't want to hear anymore bitchin about it ok.

[Pumba]

Which one are you hoping for?

look at the top of the page im not a picky man

[McJim]

I have a theory which I admit may be wide of the mark but is interesting nonetheless.

When you criticise a shop's service the people that spring to it's defence are actually licking shop arse in order that they can get discounts or faster service.

This while we wait for the tome that reveals the identity and the offence that started the whole thread off.

[Pixie]

Hershey bars are shit....Mars Bars are ok,but I like Kit Kats.

I thought the thread was about coprophagia

[Motu]

I'm just dying for a ''mystery shopper'' to come into my workshop and then start a thread about what a useless abusive bastard I am.Come on guys,here's an open invitation to expose the biggest arsehole in the trade on the internet.

Now,who's going to be first?

[Storm]

Cant "expose" you when you freely admit it at a shout from the rooftops

[LXS]

Mr One says Choc Bar 1 tastes like shit & recommends Choc Bar 2, Mr Two says Choc Bar 1 tastes great & reckons Choc Bar 2 tastes awful.
Following?

Yes, I've had good & bad experiences at bike shops, what I've found is you have to go on your own experience.
Ie. Adam goes into Bike Store 1 to buy a brand new Suzuki, he is ignored, the air conditioning isn't working & the sales people don't know a thing.
Adam gets frustrated & goes to Bike Store 2, where the service is magic, he rides out on a new Suzuki.
Bob goes into Bike Store 1 to buy a brand new Kawasaki, service is magic, air conditioning is working, sales people welcoming & knowledgeable, he rides out on a new ZX10.

Apologies for the Dr Phil talk, but if Bike Store 1 is so bad why are they still trading? Maybe Bike Store 1 is pathetic, go in and see for yourself.

[Pumba]

Maybe Bike Store 1 is pathetic, go in and see for yourself.

I would if more people named names

[doc]

I'm just dying for a ''mystery shopper'' to come into my workshop and then start a thread about what a useless abusive bastard I am.Come on guys,here's an open invitation to expose the biggest arsehole in the trade on the internet.

Now,who's going to be first?

I saw that "Target" episode and we will never let a Tradesman into our house when we are not there again. Why do they always wash my bike after they have "serviced it". Can I have a CCTV in place when you work on my vehicle if I bring it in. Fairs fair.

[cowboyz]

August last year I got a chance to ride a ZX9R. Fantanstic bike. AFC had it in their shop so I thought I would have a crack at buying it. Went to town and they wanted $8500 for it. Not bad I thought. I gave them my ageing 1991 GSX600F to look at for a tradein. Neil in the workshop took it for a small ride round out back and had a look over it. Came back saying it was an ageing bike but motor was in pretty good condition. Wheel bearings could do with replacement but $1000 trade in would be suitable. I did the numbers and me being me I never buy anything off the cuff so I went away and had a think about it. I really like my old bike alot. Worked it out that if they want $8500 for a ZX9R and my bike was worth $1000 then that means the 9R would have to be eight and a half times better than my bike. Then I thought about what I use my bike for. It didn't work out so I decided to keep my bike and not buy the 9R.

A couple of months go by and there comes a point where I require a new rear tyre. i price up a couple of shops and AFC come in at $210 + $30 fitting for a pirelli sport demon. Bruce in the parts department was very helpful actually suggesting a couple of choices for rear tyre but definitely recommending the sport demon over the Bridgestone BT45. I thought that being as they were going to have to take the wheel off anyway they could do the wheel bearings while they were there. These were priced at $17. Between the ordering of the tyre and getting everything together the poor gsx developed an oil leak. I spoke to Neil about this and he suggested that if I take the fairings off then that will save some labour cost and make the oil leak easier to find. Sounds like a plan. I assumed (big mistake and totally uncharastic of me) that the oil leak would be minor. They were also going to do the warrent.
So I took all the fairings off the bike and dropped it into the shop in the morning before work and get a workmate to pick me up on the way past at about 8am.
Returned that evening just before 5pm and a *young guy* (this point is seriously in dispute) The guy I spoke to who was still working on the bike was young. He said he had not been working at AFC long and I chatted to him about incidentals for 20 mins before finding the bad news. First up they could not do the warrent because with the fairings missing so were the indicators and mirrors. Oversight by me so acceptable. ok. Besides. It would have failed the warrent anyway because of a range of things from no reflector light to a left hand handgrip needing to be glued. Front rotors were under the service limit too. Bugger.
The good news was that he had found the oil leak which turned out to be the gear change lever seal and managed to fit another seal without too much trouble. great. I asked for the bill but was told that the bill was not prepared as they were very busy. They would sort the bill out later in the week.

Jumped on the bike and headed for home. 14km of open road riding to commute. bike felt great with new tyres on (dont ya just love new tyres). Just before heading into my street there is a 130 degree corner that you turn into coming off an 80 km/hr area. As I come up to the corner I am looking through the corner and lining up the bike I grab the front brake to slow down and tap the rear brake for the first time. The rear brake pedal goes down a little and then alot and all I could hear is grinding. I wasn't sure what the hell had happened but it didn't sound good. My first reaction was to stand the bike up. Then I remember I was surposed to be turning a corner so all got a little confusing for a bit. Instinct took over and the bike found it's way home. Jumped off the bike and looked round the back. Something had broken and I was buggered if I could work out what. Inpection of the rear rotor showed that there were bits of metal welded all round it and the disc was rough as hell. I couldn't figure what had called this. Had me buggered so I thought I would call in on Mr boy scout himself and called over to bonez place. 3 seconds looking at the bike and he tells me the rear brake pads are in back to front with metal on metal and the meat of the pads facing outwards. WTF?? I never thought that was even possible but apparently it is.

Following day off to AFC. Rode the bike striaght into the workshop and the guy who was working on my bike the day before met me at the door. he questioned why I was there and I said "There is trouble with the rear brake" and pointed at the disc. I was being really nice and figured they wound repair it. The poor guy was actually quite distraught. he kept saying things like "I cant believe I did that!" And "unbelieveable, I don't know what I was thinking?" Ok. Mistakes happen. Simple job and a little mind wonder and shit happens. I can't remember now but I think they gave me a RF900R to get to work. Jezz that was a sezy bike if ever i have seen one.

Went to work and returned that afternoon and my bike was all go again. The bill was also prepared. I opened the bill and was shell shocked at $500+ for the work that had been done. I paid the bill without question as I felt it was partly my fault for not researching the cost of the job properly even though I was expecting about $350 for the work they had carried out. Bit of a bitter taste in my mouth but at least the bike was sorted and off I go again.

Well a couple of weeks late the rear brakes started to grind again. First port of call was to look at the pads which were completely gone. Couldn't believe it. I thought now was a good time to speak to the manager. I called a meeting between brendon and myself to discuss a resoultion. The meeting went ok. I sat there thinking "Shit this guy is good." He said everything I wanted to hear and my bike would be repaired. i had also discovered that my bike was still leaking oil. Brendon pointed out that my bike was an old bike and had many km on the clock and it could be that there was 2 oil leaks and the mechanic only found one of them. I also questioned why I was being charged $70+ (? cant remember the exact figure now) per hours for an apprentice to work on my bike as the guy I had spoken to and who had admitted to me about making the orgininal mistake seemed "apprentise-like". I don't actually know if he is doing an apprentiseship or not. Brendon told me that the guy who did the job was a mechanic they poached off Phil Turnballs and had 20 years experience (hence the dispute above) and everyone makes mistakes now and then. I actually found myself wondering how someone with this much experience could make such a mistake. It didn't seem neither here nor there at this stage as I was only looking for my bike to be repaired. I asked Brendon directly for an assurance that this time my bike would be repaired properly but it could not be done for a couple of days. I accepted this and brought the bike back in a few days later.

A few weeks later and the brake pads had gone again. The "assurance" that Brendon had given me now meant nothing. I am one who works on results. And the results showed that an assurance from Brendon didn't get the job done any better.

I took the bike back again and Neil was outside of the shop. I am sure he knew exactly why I was there. I hopped off the bike and said "the rear brakes are in need of repair". He said something like "Rear brakes are imporant yes, umm. bring it in next week and we will have another look.

i am fairly pissed by now. I hopped back on the bike and left. Returned the following week on the Monday and they tell me that it will take a few days to get it sorted. i ask for a replacement bike and I got the Volty 250. On first look I wasn't impressed but hey. Needed to get to work. There is a thread about me and the Volty. The ashhurst boys thought it was quite funny but I don't think that anyone around me actually appreciated how pissed off I was at this point. I guess I am one of those guys that by the time you know I am pissed off I am REALLY pissed off.

So couple of days go by and I phone afc to see how the bike is coming along. Pleased to hear that it is all repaired. This time there is a new rear rotor on the bike. New pads and it all looks sweet. All done but still got this foul taste in my mouth with AFC, Brendon and the general look of the place.

Even now there is only 1 of 2 things that happened.

1. They were trying to save money and not do the job properly by doing a half arsed job. OR
2. They are inadequate.

So the story probably should have ended there yes? Not quite,.

Klown posted a thread about AFC and a shock.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=43047

I still feeling alot pissed posted this.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...9&postcount=16

I get a phone mesasge on my phone this morning. File attached (I really hope I remember to attach it)

Now i did call on Brendon this afternoon but he was out of the office so I never did get the chance to discuss his phone message with him. I did leave a message with one of his staff to say I would call on him Monday afternoon.

Fuck my fingers are sore.

I hope that worked. I couldn't upload an mp3 so packed it. Should be alright.

[cowboyz]

Mr One says Choc Bar 1 tastes like shit & recommends Choc Bar 2, Mr Two says Choc Bar 1 tastes great & reckons Choc Bar 2 tastes awful.
Following?

Yes, I've had good & bad experiences at bike shops, what I've found is you have to go on your own experience.
Ie. Adam goes into Bike Store 1 to buy a brand new Suzuki, he is ignored, the air conditioning isn't working & the sales people don't know a thing.
Adam gets frustrated & goes to Bike Store 2, where the service is magic, he rides out on a new Suzuki.
Bob goes into Bike Store 1 to buy a brand new Kawasaki, service is magic, air conditioning is working, sales people welcoming & knowledgeable, he rides out on a new ZX10.

Apologies for the Dr Phil talk, but if Bike Store 1 is so bad why are they still trading? Maybe Bike Store 1 is pathetic, go in and see for yourself.

I hear what your saying and thats why like to make up my mind.. but when dealing with hundreds (or in some cases thousands) of dollars worth of machinery you can narrow the odds by if 1000 people say bike store 1 is crap and 10 people say bike store 2 is crap.

i don't particularly like dark chocolate. Never buy it myself because I don't like it. Am I saying you should not eat dark chocolate? No. Just saying I don't like it.

[The Stranger:Me]

So yeah, sounds like they fucked your bike up, that happens. Sure get pissed off about that, but the phone call doesn't sound that bad to me, hey - buy a Honda and you will hear your bike called a lot worse.