Chain Reaction Cycles

Please be fair and thoughtful in your opinions. No rants please.
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The Mechanic
Posts: 1922
Joined: 23 Jul 2010, 1:38pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Chain Reaction Cycles

Post by The Mechanic »

GrahamNR17 wrote:Hardly cricket to blame CRC for Royal Mail's lousy service :roll:




I don't agree. There sevice CRC provde includes the delivery of the goods. They are in control of who does this and the standard to which they do it. IMO, that standard has fallen significantly so they should look at improving it. If that means a change of delivery company then that is what they should do. As I have posted before, I used to get stuff from CRC the next day, now it take 4-5 days. That is not good enough for a modern mail order outfit. Wiggle are much better at the moment. Stuff I have ordered from them recently has taken 2 days max from orde to delivery.
Cancer changes your outlook on life. Change yours before it changes you.
albert
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Joined: 14 Sep 2008, 7:23pm

Re: Chain Reaction Cycles

Post by albert »

I have had nothing but excellent service from both Wiggle and Chain Reaction. Everything I have ordered has arrived within a couple of days.
Example of Wiggle's customer relations:-
I bought a pair of wheels from Wiggle (£400ish). They arrived with slight damage to one of the graphics stickers. I got in touch with Wiggle asking for a replacement sticker. They could not oblige as the importers had none, so they gave me an unsolicited £50 payback.
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Audax67
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Re: Chain Reaction Cycles

Post by Audax67 »

I've put a handful of orders through CRC and always had good response time and delivery.

On the last order I had a couple of queries that were handled more than competently and in a very friendly manner. In response to a gear cable enquiry by email they even unpacked the goods unprompted and measured them for me.

But after all, what else would you expect from Norn Iron? Image
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Wesh-Laurence
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Joined: 10 May 2009, 8:00am

Re: Chain Reaction Cycles

Post by Wesh-Laurence »

I've used CRC many times in the past and they have been very good.

However,more recently they have been very slow at delivering goods, do have they staffing issues? I may use them less often now.
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Audax67
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Re: Chain Reaction Cycles

Post by Audax67 »

Last time I used them - last week - the goods were dispatched within 24 hours of ordering and here in France a week later.
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RAM+
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Joined: 26 Nov 2011, 2:17am

Re: Chain Reaction Cycles

Post by RAM+ »

Interesting reading of the varied experiences. I guess when a company has such a large exposure to customers, they can get it wrong and continue with alacrity. My case was that I ordered a shimano wheel with hub gears and in the web description is also came with "comfort kit" included which is the gear selecter and cabling to enable the whole thing to be fitted. When it arrived I started to assemble following the instructions (of course :wink: ) Discovered there are no fixings included whatsoever (despite instructions showing them as included parts i.e. shaded). No probs I thought (I can pick up these at the local), and then I noticed that there was no hub actuator rod nor was there the bell crank gear assembly). Both parts were shown in the instructions and did not have separate part numbers. Deciding that I might have got a lemon of a deal here, I tried to contact CRC, first via email (only to get web bot response) followed by a call to N Ireland (I am in Oz) and to be told that somebody would read my email within two to three days... Three days later email response - two lines asking me why I expected that these parts would be included? My email response was a bit more elaborate, and I explained that the description clearly indicated it was an inclusive Kit. Two days later an email telling me it was a web description 'mistake' and I was welcome to send it back if I did not want what they sent me. I thought this was a bit Judas Iscariot - given I had been mislead by the web description and was not inconvenienced, to put me to further trouble to post the items back and then back to square one. I responded that their customer duty of care was lacking, and that they needed to consider the perspective of the customer, and to do better to resolve the problem rather than washing their hands of the matter. In the meantime I also discovered a local retailler in Oz can supply cable and parts for another $80 so decided to cut my losses. So in one sense I should have shopped locally first however CRC does not appear very commited (in my experience) to working with the customer to resolve/negotiate an acceptable solution. At my urging they have now indicated that if I can source the required parts and send them the details of what it cost me - then they will refund me this amount. Who knows if this will come to pass? They might be big today - but CRC can also risk folding up overnight unless they can get more happy customers than unhappy customers. I have made a point of telling at least 8, and who knows how many read this. As for the people who sing their praises for delivering goods exactly as they had expected - good for you - do you know that is what their contract binds them to do. A contract is binding on both parties and whilst I believe that I have given CRC an opportunity to make amends for my poor experience, as a customer I hold them responsible for their end of the contract to supply me with goods as specified, or agreed compromise. A sincere apology would be icing on the cake - but apologies these days are as rare as hens' teeth. Sorry it is long - but your web moderator did want us to stick to the facts to avoid lawsuits. My tip to online sellers including CRC is to photograph all items BEFORE they go into the box and send this attached to e invoice/order. Also do not fob customers off with unbelievable and lame excuses. If somebody forgot to pack the part, or that the parts were out of stock - just fess up. Nobody likes being fibbed to. Customers - well you really should be ashamed of yourselves to go running to a local bike shop to get you out of the <inappropriate term removed> - the term buying a pig in a poke seems very apt in my experience with CRC and I have learned a very painful and annoying lesson.
The Mechanic
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Re: Chain Reaction Cycles

Post by The Mechanic »

I still think their delivery sucks. I ordered some tyres last week and got an email on Thursday to say that they has been dispatched by 48hr parcel force. They have just arrived this morning (1030). I used to order stuff from then and it arrived the next day! Now they are only using a 48hr service so that is the best we can expect.
Cancer changes your outlook on life. Change yours before it changes you.
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NUKe
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Re: Chain Reaction Cycles

Post by NUKe »

The Mechanic wrote:I still think their delivery sucks. I ordered some tyres last week and got an email on Thursday to say that they has been dispatched by 48hr parcel force. They have just arrived this morning (1030). I used to order stuff from then and it arrived the next day! Now they are only using a 48hr service so that is the best we can expect.

You can pay for next day service if you are in urgent need. Like everbody else these companies are trying to fight the reccession. using 48 hour delivery saves them money which keeps the cost down to you as the end user.
NUKe
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The Mechanic
Posts: 1922
Joined: 23 Jul 2010, 1:38pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Chain Reaction Cycles

Post by The Mechanic »

That may be so but it is still a degradation in the service because we used to get free next day delivery. You would think that, the bigger they got the more economies of scale they would realise. In the case of CRC, it has, IMO, gone the other way.
Cancer changes your outlook on life. Change yours before it changes you.
Norton
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Joined: 10 Aug 2009, 11:10am

Re: Chain Reaction Cycles

Post by Norton »

CRC seem to be undertaking a pre-christmas camapaign to lose long standing customers who have spent £000s with them over the years. Various promotions promise money off your next order but when you try and make use of this CRC don't come up with the goods. I ordered a frame on 17th November and registered for a £50 voucher off my next order of £100+. The advertised deal was that the voucher code would be despatched in 48 hours and it had to be used within 4 weeks of original purchase. After multiple emails from me chasing its subsequent non-appearance the "voucher" was delivered (it's just an email telling you to enter your previous order number as a discount code so why can't this be an immediate auto response?) on the 28th November.

I then try and redeem it against a new £100+ order today and it gives me £5.97 discount not the promised £50! My advice on CRC is to avoid at all costs and use one of the online retailers who deliver on their promises.
Norton
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Joined: 10 Aug 2009, 11:10am

Re: Chain Reaction Cycles

Post by Norton »

In the interest of balance CRC have now honoured the voucher after several unanswered e-mail and one succesful phone call - but still goes down in the history of counter-productive promotions..
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Hemipode
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Re: Chain Reaction Cycles

Post by Hemipode »

No problem with delivery time here ... order placed & received goods in 2 working days.
johnb
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Re: Chain Reaction Cycles

Post by johnb »

I bought several bits and pieces prior to Xmas in chainreactions new shop in belfast. Needed to change then this week, so went back to the shop and was deal with by the manager Kiaran who could not have dealt with the matter any better if if had tried, ihe even summoned a mechanic from the workshop to answer a technical problem.

Top class service, from a top class shop
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Mick F
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Re: Chain Reaction Cycles

Post by Mick F »

johnb wrote:Top class service, from a top class shop
+1

Ordered a pair of tyres late on Tuesday afternoon.
Delivered by the postie on Thursday morning.

I've used them a few times over the past few years, really good and prompt service - competitive prices and free delivery too!

I will continue to use them.
Mick F. Cornwall
bealer
Posts: 376
Joined: 1 Apr 2010, 1:16pm

Re: Chain Reaction Cycles

Post by bealer »

Spent well into four figures on components and clothes etc... with them. They've only got it wrong once, in which case I sent the item back (was refunded the delivery cost) while they sent the correct item.

I did have a problem with the £50 Christmas voucher, but after sending an email they responded promptly with my voucher code.

One of my favourite online shops. Cheap and super fast delivery.
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