Another sad story about bad customer behaviour. I’m always very sorry about this happenings, I don’t like it and for sure we don’t need such stupid things.
Sorry to say but one out of 100 customers wasting my effords and time in an unrepectless way nobody can understand.
I’m about to reach 1.000 sells @ Ebay in near future, my status shows my intention and the way I like to do it:
Customers are satisfied … except ONE 😉
What happend in short: I was asked to service a XC600, what I did as good as usual. After resending I got complains about extra services like cleaning the rest of his fork, about the screws I send for free (one had been broken by customer and I was made responsible) and he opened a paypal case and he me to pay 88€ back (that’s more than half of service fee).
Of course the answer was: NO! Why in heaven I should do this??
What happend in long: Stephan W. from Den Haag / NL asked me to service his titanium XC600 fork he just bought for low. He claims himself a ‘professional bike mechanic’ making bike mechanic courses …. but in the end he wanted me to do the job.
Hm, a professional wants me to service such a simple fork? Hm, but o.k., I have nothing to hide, my service is unique and I like to do it best, so: no problem….. But read on and wonder yourself later …
We exchanged a lot of mails, I answered all of his questions, we made a deal and as usual I’m asking this from my customers to send me in the fork legs:
“[…] I need only the legs of the suspension fork, please pack it oil- and shock resistent! […]” (my proofed Mail from 26.05.2019)
He send me the hole fork in, so I had to do some extra effords to dismount the screws, which I found under a sheet of mud (I would never send in such a fork to a service nor I drive my car into the mechanic garage without driving through a car washing service!!). But o.k., easy going for me.
I disassembled the XC600 fork legs and inspected the parts carefully. The suspension legs had been in bad condition (not as bad as this one 😉 – but this is somehow I always expected after opening around 500 forks or more (?) during the last 20 years.
And that’s the job I like with all my spare parts and all this costs and effords: Make it running again 🙂.
Here are the pics about the service – I made some more than usual, it was an extra service for free he asked for to make some pictures during service which he wants to show in some bike mechanics courses.
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”51″ display=”basic_thumbnail” override_thumbnail_settings=”1″ thumbnail_width=”120″ thumbnail_height=”80″]Here is what I had done to save the life of his fork and mailed back to customer after package has been posted:
Hi,
this service was not as usual, because some idiot tried to press in non-Marzocchi seals with wrong parameters with a lot of force – check the old seals.
Also the fork was in bad condition, because of less oil and water inside. This happens often, most common use is that the owner did not service the fork for many years. There was a lot of oil mud in the bottom, this happens when the seals are broken. Water usualy indicates, that suspended micro parts are inside fork.
Anyway, this is what I did:
– I exchanged the stanchions against used ones
– I assembled new air caps because the old ones have been also corroded
– I cleaned the inside and espacialy washed the valved several times to
– I changed all seals – all old ones are included
I added screws and new sticker to it. Clean the fork legs carefully, loose silicon reiniger or something suitable to clean the surface of the legs and make them
Package comes with Hermes, I took it to the office this morning.
Pics attached as wanted.
I received a nice answer, so job has been done …. so I thought …
Now the funny part:
After the fork arrived at customer side I received this mail:
O.k., someone complaining about a lot of nonsens and wants his money back because of peanuts.
Now it is me to be realy dissapointed and wondering about all this shameless and repectless complainments, I just make my points and facts here and do not copy more of the mails we exchanged.
[For the files – following I commented all the customers statements in a funny way here only. Sorry, I couldn’t resist! I always repect my honest customers!My first email answers to the customers had been more serious, because I expected something ‘normal human behavior’ based on facts.]
Customer wrote: … The fork was not assembled …
My answer: Yes. Sure! This is the way I’m doing it and it there is a reason to do it. All customers, professionals and others agree to it and like to do it. They than first mount the steerer into the fork crown, mount the steerer+fork crown to the frame and and than add the fork legs and brake booster to the fork with carfully adjusting (it is not a rigid fork).
Customer wrote: … not all parts where cleaned. … For this kind of money I do expect a completely rebuilt fork back like agreed. …
My answer: Yes. Sure!!! I’m not your washing mum and I hope your mom does it in the same way with your dishes and clothes and you are doing it yourself!
Read above, I asked for the fork legs only.
AND: this is not a christmas concert where you can whish another programm later as you want. You paid for a service of a pair of XC600 fork legs, that is what you got 100% (including some extras like postage 18€, stickers 20€ and a new set of screws 6€) – nothing else!
Customer wrote: … money I do expect a completely rebuilt fork back …
My answer: Read above, I asked for the fork legs only! You can expect only a service for your fork legs, nothing else.
Customer wrote: … Then there was the next problem, the bolts included are very bad quality, …
My answer: Whou, Mr. ‘professional bike mechanic’. I send you a free set of new screws in M5 20×5, quality 8.8., galvanized as a gift. Use it or leave it, but don’t complain about. Never in 20 years someone complained about the screws I send for free.
Well done ….
Customer wrote: “…even though I used a torque wrench on of them snapped of …”
My answer: Yes sure … ‘Mr. professional bike mechanic’ … Let me sum up: I took the 8 corroded stucking M5 screws out of your 20 year old muddy old fork without a problem in a minute and you are not able to screw a new screw in a hole by using a new screw? Are you that serious????
Use the correct torque for this screw (9 Nm) and it will work like a sharm! (for the files: I’m sure his next problem is a cracked crown …).
To be honest: This screws are from 1000er packages, there had been none fail since now. Even if a screw has a production error, I can’t help it – SORRY!! It is than a simple accident which can happen. Don’t blame me for this and stop crying like a baby!! But instead of requesting some new screws (for sure I’d had done this, if requested) you made a big unreal thing out of it.
Customer wrote: “… Now I have to remove a broken off piece from the fork-crown …”
My answer: Yes. Sure you have! I guess you made a fooly mistake. Pay for it yourself and don’t blame me. But that for sure is not that big deal for a ‘Mr. professional bike mechanics’ … I’m sure you fix it fast. Don’t blame me for something you have to be responsible yourself.
Customer wrote: “… get a new set of bolts …”
My Answer: Yes, you have torn off a screw, buy yourself a new one. Or use the old ones.
Customer wrote: “… (stainless steel, like it should be!) …”
My answer: “like it should be!”??? No, you are wrong! Look at the original ones (I send them back to you). The original Marzocchi ones are black, not galvanized and NOT made out of stainless steal! So your statement like it should be! is wrong.
Using original screws or replacements? Thats’ something we can talk about. To be honest: Using galvanized screws is a compromis made by me based on my own experiments (I’m driving such forks for 20 years in varous conditions!), as the original screws are rosting in a second (screws made from titan would be more better, but not affordable as a general gift).
Anyway, screws are not part of the deal nor sticker or anything else except the seals and parts in the fork legs. If you want to make yourself a present and want V2 or V4 screws or even some made out of titan just buy it yourself.
O.k., unfortunately the customer created a Paypal case, added some other lies about me being unprofessional, service took too long etc. pp. to make the thing bigger that it is and asked for 88€ (!!) refund (that’s more than the half), without respect for my work.
Remember: Because of some cleaning and a screw he has torn. LOL! Of course I disagreed.
I’m always open for customer requests and always open to discuss, if something is not as it should be. N-O P-R-O-B-L-E-M A-T A-L-L!.
I don’t know how many services I made during the 15 years including complete rebuild of forks but this a unacceptable, irreverent insolence.
I hope Paypal will understand this case! I did nothing wrong and but saved this fork by a service I was payed for. And I did it is as I like it: The fork can now be used again for years!
Unfortunately we have such dishonourably fellow citizens and this pseudo ‘Mr. professional bike mechanics’ among us and we have to live with it …
@All others: Anyway: have a nice Bike day!
Update 20190719 : Happy me! Today I’m very glad to read the Paypal answer in this case (translated by Google):
This case was decided in your favor because the buyer could not provide the required information. This case has been closed. Nevertheless, we recommend that you find a solution together with the buyer. […]
Thanks, Paypal!
My deeply respect for this fair judgement! So the customer complained about somthing which he was not able to proof.
You made my day …. 😉
Update 20190723 :
Lessons learnt:
- Nothing new, but in case of future services I will make it absolutly clear to the customer, that the service is about the fork legs only. If you send the hole fork in (e.g. you are afraid of unscrewing it), I will do the unscrewing for free (if the screws are o.k.), but I will not clean. Same procedure since 20 years. I will also create a page on this website which explains the details again.
- In case of future fork rebuilds (customer buys a hole rebuilt fork) I will assemble the fork before I send it. Just to protect myself and my work for ‘accidents’ llike damaging during screwing or transport or displace the new stickers. I will not tight the screws to it’s end, just to hold the parts together. It’s all out of aluminium and about 20 years old, so every useless tight is nonsens.
- I’m not sure about the screws. May be I always send a set of original Marzocchi screws AND another one so the customer can decide himself. Surely I never sent and I never will send cheap China screws!
I don’t know yet …
