Performance Bike still SUX

[SaintDan]

Hi,
Just a follow up to the back order problems I have had with an order from
Performance Bicycle as copied below. I finally was able to convince
Performance that my shipment of the bike repair stand was missing in the
mail. I sent back the confirmation sheet they sent me and was expecting them
to send the product to me that day. NO.... talk with Chris in Customer
service and he said that it is back again on BACK ORDER. I asked him what
kind of company would let there suppliers screw up their business like that.
He was quite silent for a while and I figured he was "Clueless" like many
other companies that don't put their supplier's or vendor's feet to the
fire. Well, I asked for my money back and said I will never deal with
Performance Bike company again - MORE silence on the phone line..........

Pretty disappointing how lousy customer service is in this country of ours.
Then it seems when a company does run into financial problems, they blame
the Japanese, the economy, there competition and even the weather -
Hello... look in the mirror :-)

Well, maybe someone else has had a better experience with Performance Bike -
luck you.

Dan

My original posting........

Hello,
I don't want to bitch too much but has anyone else had problems with
Performance Bicycle catalog orders. I ordered from them in mid October and
one item was "out of stock" at the time. Said that it would be back in stock
and then ship in November. Three weeks later it was restocked and sent to me
BUT then 2 1/2 weeks later I still don't have it. Well, my REAL problems
started when I tried to talk with someone at Performance. I have been put
off, had excuses and explanations told to me, was promised a call back from
someone in management who never called. back and just generally treated like
a BOOB for complaining. Are they having business problems? Order problems,
vendor problems or ......Possibly heading toward putting up the "Out of
Business" sign?

Funny thing is, I just got some catalogs the other day from Bike Nashbar and
Super Go Bike shop - are they any better to deal with?

Dan

[[email protected]]

SaintDan <dcxdanATwowwayDOTcom> wrote:

> I asked him what
> kind of company would let there suppliers screw up their business like that.

Sounds like you are too stupid to be a customer, they're lucky to be rid
of you.
Clyde Soles >

[Tim McNamara]

"SaintDan" <dcxdanATwowwayDOTcom> writes:

> Just a follow up to the back order problems I have had with an order
> from Performance Bicycle as copied below. <snip> .... talk with
> Chris in Customer service and he said that it is back again on BACK
> ORDER. I asked him what kind of company would let there suppliers
> screw up their business like that.

Oh, General Motors, Dell, Compaq, IBM, Ford... any company that sells
products can have problems getting supplies. Lots of them in the
Fortune 500. Stuff gets back ordered, especially when there is
competition for those supplies, for a whole lot of reasons.

> He was quite silent for a while and I figured he was "Clueless" like
> many other companies that don't put their supplier's or vendor's
> feet to the fire. Well, I asked for my money back and said I will
> never deal with Performance Bike company again - MORE silence on the
> phone line..........

He was probably thinking "Promise?" but was being polite.

> Pretty disappointing how lousy customer service is in this country
> of ours.

And yet most of the rest of us don't seem to have this trouble with
Nashbar. Maybe they just decided to jack *you* around, hey?

> Hello... look in the mirror :-)

Good advice.

[Kerry Nikolaisen]

"Tim McNamara" > wrote in message
...
> "SaintDan" <dcxdanATwowwayDOTcom> writes:
>
> > Just a follow up to the back order problems I have had with an order
> > from Performance Bicycle as copied below. <snip> .... talk with
> > Chris in Customer service and he said that it is back again on BACK
> > ORDER. I asked him what kind of company would let there suppliers
> > screw up their business like that.
>
> Oh, General Motors, Dell, Compaq, IBM, Ford... any company that sells
> products can have problems getting supplies. Lots of them in the
> Fortune 500. Stuff gets back ordered, especially when there is
> competition for those supplies, for a whole lot of reasons.
>
> > He was quite silent for a while and I figured he was "Clueless" like
> > many other companies that don't put their supplier's or vendor's
> > feet to the fire. Well, I asked for my money back and said I will
> > never deal with Performance Bike company again - MORE silence on the
> > phone line..........
>
> He was probably thinking "Promise?" but was being polite.
>
> > Pretty disappointing how lousy customer service is in this country
> > of ours.
>
> And yet most of the rest of us don't seem to have this trouble with
> Nashbar. Maybe they just decided to jack *you* around, hey?
>
> > Hello... look in the mirror :-)
>
> Good advice.

I fail to understand your cynicism. There is an old saying in the retail
and service industry - "the customer is always right." All it takes is one
bad experience, and you are tainted possibly for life.

Why bash the customer who has had a bad experience? He is only relaying his
frustrations to you. That's why great customer service is at the heart of
every successful company - they make it hard to hate them.

Sure, there are always the unreasonable customers, but if you have tried
everything to make them happy, WHILE BEING UPFRONT AND HONEST, it is that
much more difficult to make an enemy.

Personally, I think Saint Dan had every right to be frustrated and ****ed.

Kerry

[D.Putnam]

Never had a problem with them or any other online Bike place, maybe it's
just you.
Of course this begs the question, why should we care?

[Jamie TrailBlazer At Large]

I have heard of a couple people complaining about mail order,I have not had
any troubloe yet,I worked out a good deal with a guy who runs a shop ,15%
over Qualitys price thats who a lot of shops go through ,I still get a
compareitable price and he make's money ,I use the online shops only when he
cant come close,I will give it to him to keep him in the area,
JMO

--
J/O TrailBlazer at Large

[Mike Beauchamp]

Stuff gets back ordered man... that happens in any shop, real or virtual.

I just want to add that I've dealt with many online businesses (digikey.com,
partsexpress.com, nashbar.com, getawaybikes.com, etc.. etc.) and I've always
been happy with the results!!

However, I wish I could say the same thing for actual local stores, but I
can't. I'd much rather buy stuff online where I don't have to deal with
sales people, other customers or any other obnoxiousness involved in the
retail world.

Mike
http://mikebeauchamp.com



"SaintDan" <dcxdanATwowwayDOTcom> wrote in message
...
> Hi,
> Just a follow up to the back order problems I have had with an order from
> Performance Bicycle as copied below. I finally was able to convince
> Performance that my shipment of the bike repair stand was missing in the
> mail. I sent back the confirmation sheet they sent me and was expecting
them
> to send the product to me that day. NO.... talk with Chris in Customer
> service and he said that it is back again on BACK ORDER. I asked him
what
> kind of company would let there suppliers screw up their business like
that.
> He was quite silent for a while and I figured he was "Clueless" like many
> other companies that don't put their supplier's or vendor's feet to the
> fire. Well, I asked for my money back and said I will never deal with
> Performance Bike company again - MORE silence on the phone line..........
>
> Pretty disappointing how lousy customer service is in this country of
ours.
> Then it seems when a company does run into financial problems, they blame
> the Japanese, the economy, there competition and even the weather -
> Hello... look in the mirror :-)
>
> Well, maybe someone else has had a better experience with Performance
Bike -
> luck you.
>
> Dan
>
> My original posting........
>
> Hello,
> I don't want to bitch too much but has anyone else had problems with
> Performance Bicycle catalog orders. I ordered from them in mid October
and
> one item was "out of stock" at the time. Said that it would be back in
stock
> and then ship in November. Three weeks later it was restocked and sent to
me
> BUT then 2 1/2 weeks later I still don't have it. Well, my REAL problems
> started when I tried to talk with someone at Performance. I have been put
> off, had excuses and explanations told to me, was promised a call back
from
> someone in management who never called. back and just generally treated
like
> a BOOB for complaining. Are they having business problems? Order problems,
> vendor problems or ......Possibly heading toward putting up the "Out of
> Business" sign?
>
> Funny thing is, I just got some catalogs the other day from Bike Nashbar
and
> Super Go Bike shop - are they any better to deal with?
>
> Dan
>
>

[Dennis P. Harris]

On Fri, 5 Dec 2003 17:11:12 -0500 in rec.bicycles.misc,
"SaintDan" <dcxdanATwowwayDOTcom> wrote:

> NO.... talk with Chris in Customer
> service and he said that it is back again on BACK ORDER. I asked him what
> kind of company would let there suppliers screw up their business like that.
> He was quite silent for a while and I figured he was "Clueless" like many
> other companies that don't put their supplier's or vendor's feet to the
> fire. Well, I asked for my money back and said I will never deal with
> Performance Bike company again - MORE silence on the phone line..........

they probably just wanted a whiner like you to just go away.

[Tim McNamara]

"Kerry Nikolaisen" <f o u r n i k s @ c h a r t e r . n e t> writes:

> Why bash the customer who has had a bad experience? He is only
> relaying his frustrations to you.

Nah, he's whining. His stuff was backordered, which just happens
sometimes and he took it personally.

[Kerry Nikolaisen]

"Tim McNamara" > wrote in message
...
> "Kerry Nikolaisen" <f o u r n i k s @ c h a r t e r . n e t> writes:
>
> > Why bash the customer who has had a bad experience? He is only
> > relaying his frustrations to you.
>
> Nah, he's whining. His stuff was backordered, which just happens
> sometimes and he took it personally.

No - reread the post. He's upset because they weren't upfront with him and
jerked him around.

[Tom Kunich]

If you think that bicycle business is so profitable and competitive
that they need your business man are you off track.

Why don't you try opening a competitor to Performance and see just how
successful and "customer friendly" you are.

Performance has a long way to go towards being perfect but they are a
pretty good business.


"SaintDan" <dcxdanATwowwayDOTcom> wrote in message
...
> Hi,
> Just a follow up to the back order problems I have had with an
order from
> Performance Bicycle as copied below. I finally was able to convince
> Performance that my shipment of the bike repair stand was missing in
the
> mail. I sent back the confirmation sheet they sent me and was
expecting them
> to send the product to me that day. NO.... talk with Chris in
Customer
> service and he said that it is back again on BACK ORDER. I asked
him what
> kind of company would let there suppliers screw up their business
like that.
> He was quite silent for a while and I figured he was "Clueless" like
many
> other companies that don't put their supplier's or vendor's feet to
the
> fire. Well, I asked for my money back and said I will never deal
with
> Performance Bike company again - MORE silence on the phone
line..........
>
> Pretty disappointing how lousy customer service is in this country
of ours.
> Then it seems when a company does run into financial problems, they
blame
> the Japanese, the economy, there competition and even the weather -
> Hello... look in the mirror :-)
>
> Well, maybe someone else has had a better experience with
Performance Bike -
> luck you.
>
> Dan
>
> My original posting........
>
> Hello,
> I don't want to bitch too much but has anyone else had problems with
> Performance Bicycle catalog orders. I ordered from them in mid
October and
> one item was "out of stock" at the time. Said that it would be back
in stock
> and then ship in November. Three weeks later it was restocked and
sent to me
> BUT then 2 1/2 weeks later I still don't have it. Well, my REAL
problems
> started when I tried to talk with someone at Performance. I have
been put
> off, had excuses and explanations told to me, was promised a call
back from
> someone in management who never called. back and just generally
treated like
> a BOOB for complaining. Are they having business problems? Order
problems,
> vendor problems or ......Possibly heading toward putting up the "Out
of
> Business" sign?
>
> Funny thing is, I just got some catalogs the other day from Bike
Nashbar and
> Super Go Bike shop - are they any better to deal with?
>
> Dan
>
>

[Tim McNamara]

"Kerry Nikolaisen" <f o u r n i k s @ c h a r t e r . n e t> writes:

> "Tim McNamara" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "Kerry Nikolaisen" <f o u r n i k s @ c h a r t e r . n e t> writes:
>>
>> > Why bash the customer who has had a bad experience? He is only
>> > relaying his frustrations to you.
>>
>> Nah, he's whining. His stuff was backordered, which just happens
>> sometimes and he took it personally.
>
> No - reread the post. He's upset because they weren't upfront with
> him and jerked him around.

Bull****. His stuff was backordered, he got ****ed off, he
threatened them with "never doing business with them again" and all
the other hallmarks of a temper tantrum, and then expected them to
treat him like an adult. LOL.

Guys like that should do business exclusively with retail so that
they can walk out of the store with their purchases.

[Ground Zero]

"Tim McNamara" > wrote in message
...
<snip>>
> Bull****. His stuff was backordered, he got ****ed off, he
> threatened them with "never doing business with them again" and all
> the other hallmarks of a temper tantrum, and then expected them to
> treat him like an adult. LOL.
>
> Guys like that should do business exclusively with retail so that
> they can walk out of the store with their purchases.

Seems like a lot of people are having temper tantrums over nothing. This
thread has gone on too long... let it go and get back to the business of
RBM.

Stuart Winsor
Ground Zero Cycles

[Michael Pearlman]

"SaintDan" <dcxdanATwowwayDOTcom> wrote in message >...
> Hi,
> Just a follow up to the back order problems I have had with an order from
> Performance Bicycle as copied below. I finally was able to convince
> Performance that my shipment of the bike repair stand was missing in the
> mail. I sent back the confirmation sheet they sent me and was expecting them
> to send the product to me that day. NO.... talk with Chris in Customer
> service and he said that it is back again on BACK ORDER. I asked him what
> kind of company would let there suppliers screw up their business like that.
> He was quite silent for a while and I figured he was "Clueless" like many
> other companies that don't put their supplier's or vendor's feet to the
> fire. Well, I asked for my money back and said I will never deal with
> Performance Bike company again - MORE silence on the phone line..........
>
> Pretty disappointing how lousy customer service is in this country of ours.
> Then it seems when a company does run into financial problems, they blame
> the Japanese, the economy, there competition and even the weather -
> Hello... look in the mirror :-)
>
> Well, maybe someone else has had a better experience with Performance Bike -
> luck you.
>
> Dan
>
> My original posting........
>
> Hello,
> I don't want to bitch too much but has anyone else had problems with
> Performance Bicycle catalog orders. I ordered from them in mid October and
> one item was "out of stock" at the time. Said that it would be back in stock
> and then ship in November. Three weeks later it was restocked and sent to me
> BUT then 2 1/2 weeks later I still don't have it. Well, my REAL problems
> started when I tried to talk with someone at Performance. I have been put
> off, had excuses and explanations told to me, was promised a call back from
> someone in management who never called. back and just generally treated like
> a BOOB for complaining. Are they having business problems? Order problems,
> vendor problems or ......Possibly heading toward putting up the "Out of
> Business" sign?
>
> Funny thing is, I just got some catalogs the other day from Bike Nashbar and
> Super Go Bike shop - are they any better to deal with?
>
> Dan
Dear Dan, I know how you feel. Performance is a most unresponsive
bunch. They do not deserve your business. Take it elsewhere.

[Bartow W. Riggs]

I think it is important to have a personal relationship, especially with
your favorite mechanic. For me, it is "bob" (fake name) he knows me and
when I go in for a quick wheel-true or similar and ask how much I owe, he
usually says something like "just buy something." In contrast, I was
charged $36 for 4 minutes labor when he was not there.

The first is good business sense, the second is greed.

In general I have no complaints about Performance Bike.

Bartow
"Kerry Nikolaisen" <f o u r n i k s @ c h a r t e r . n e t> wrote in
message ...
> "Tim McNamara" > wrote in message
> ...
> > "SaintDan" <dcxdanATwowwayDOTcom> writes:
> >
> > > Just a follow up to the back order problems I have had with an order
> > > from Performance Bicycle as copied below. <snip> .... talk with
> > > Chris in Customer service and he said that it is back again on BACK
> > > ORDER. I asked him what kind of company would let there suppliers
> > > screw up their business like that.
> >
> > Oh, General Motors, Dell, Compaq, IBM, Ford... any company that sells
> > products can have problems getting supplies. Lots of them in the
> > Fortune 500. Stuff gets back ordered, especially when there is
> > competition for those supplies, for a whole lot of reasons.
> >
> > > He was quite silent for a while and I figured he was "Clueless" like
> > > many other companies that don't put their supplier's or vendor's
> > > feet to the fire. Well, I asked for my money back and said I will
> > > never deal with Performance Bike company again - MORE silence on the
> > > phone line..........
> >
> > He was probably thinking "Promise?" but was being polite.
> >
> > > Pretty disappointing how lousy customer service is in this country
> > > of ours.
> >
> > And yet most of the rest of us don't seem to have this trouble with
> > Nashbar. Maybe they just decided to jack *you* around, hey?
> >
> > > Hello... look in the mirror :-)
> >
> > Good advice.
>
> I fail to understand your cynicism. There is an old saying in the retail
> and service industry - "the customer is always right." All it takes is
one
> bad experience, and you are tainted possibly for life.
>
> Why bash the customer who has had a bad experience? He is only relaying
his
> frustrations to you. That's why great customer service is at the heart of
> every successful company - they make it hard to hate them.
>
> Sure, there are always the unreasonable customers, but if you have tried
> everything to make them happy, WHILE BEING UPFRONT AND HONEST, it is that
> much more difficult to make an enemy.
>
> Personally, I think Saint Dan had every right to be frustrated and ****ed.
>
> Kerry
>
>

[Peter]

Bartow W. Riggs wrote:

> I think it is important to have a personal relationship, especially with
> your favorite mechanic.

I hope I never own anything so unreliable that I end up developing a
personal relationship with my mechanic. I was getting dangerously close
once with a car but my current one is doing much better. Fortunately my
bikes have never approached that level.

[Tom Keats]

In article <cNwAb.447073$Tr4.1249112@attbi_s03>,
Peter > writes:
> Bartow W. Riggs wrote:
>
>> I think it is important to have a personal relationship, especially with
>> your favorite mechanic.
>
> I hope I never own anything so unreliable that I end up developing a
> personal relationship with my mechanic. I was getting dangerously close
> once with a car but my current one is doing much better. Fortunately my
> bikes have never approached that level.

Twice-yearly checkups are good for bikes, at least in the
Northern Temperate Zone. Keep the bearings well-greased, 'n
all that.

I like to do it myself; others like to have it done and let
the other guy/gal get the dirty fingernails. No sweat
either way. All bikes need periodic tinkering.

Personal relationships with bike mechanics are especially good
when you collect & refurbish older bikes which might have
extremely stuck seatposts, or "funny", obsolete drive trains
that need oddball tools to dismantle.

There's nothing wrong with retaining a wrench who knows what
[s]he's doing with occasional gifts of Solly's[tm] cinnamon
rolls, or herrings for their cats. On a good day, one might
even pick up some esoteric tips as to bike care & maintenance.


cheers,
Tom

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-- Powered by FreeBSD
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[The Real Bev]

Tom Keats wrote:
>
> In article <cNwAb.447073$Tr4.1249112@attbi_s03>,
> Peter > writes:
> > Bartow W. Riggs wrote:
> >
> >> I think it is important to have a personal relationship, especially with
> >> your favorite mechanic.
> >
> > I hope I never own anything so unreliable that I end up developing a
> > personal relationship with my mechanic. I was getting dangerously close
> > once with a car but my current one is doing much better. Fortunately my
> > bikes have never approached that level.

Bingo. I would guess that bike mechanics are different, but I never
EVER want to be on a first-name basis with anybody who deals with car
parts/repair.

> Twice-yearly checkups are good for bikes, at least in the
> Northern Temperate Zone. Keep the bearings well-greased, 'n
> all that.
>
> I like to do it myself; others like to have it done and let
> the other guy/gal get the dirty fingernails. No sweat
> either way. All bikes need periodic tinkering.

You'd think so, wouldn't you? Still, I bought a used bike several years
ago and 10,000 miles later it's still going strong with no tinkering at
all except for tires and tubes. When I take the rear wheel off I have
to keep tweaking the axle until I finally get it to the position where
it shifts nicely, but that's it. My smallest rear sprocket is starting
to slip, but I figure that's par for the course since it gets the most
use.

--
Cheers,
Bev
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx
"If anyone disagrees with anything I say, I am quite prepared
not only to retract it, but also to deny under oath that I
ever said it." -- T. Lehrer

[Peter]

Tom Keats wrote:

> In article <cNwAb.447073$Tr4.1249112@attbi_s03>,
> Peter > writes:
>
>>Bartow W. Riggs wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I think it is important to have a personal relationship, especially with
>>>your favorite mechanic.
>>
>>I hope I never own anything so unreliable that I end up developing a
>>personal relationship with my mechanic. I was getting dangerously close
>>once with a car but my current one is doing much better. Fortunately my
>>bikes have never approached that level.
>
> Twice-yearly checkups are good for bikes, at least in the
> Northern Temperate Zone. Keep the bearings well-greased, 'n
> all that.

Seeing someone for a few minutes once every six months isn't likely to
result in a very personal relationship unless there's some other reason for
it to develop.

In any event I used to also believe in regreasing bearings, etc. once or
twice a year. Then I stopped doing that and realized that the bike ran
fine without it. My main bike is 12 years old and hasn't had a bearing
touched in over four years and about 25000 miles. Obviously it's gone
through a few tires and a couple chains along the way, but nothing that
needed the help of a mechanic.

[Carl Fogel]

Peter > wrote in message news:<cNwAb.447073$Tr4.1249112@attbi_s03>...
> Bartow W. Riggs wrote:
>
> > I think it is important to have a personal relationship, especially with
> > your favorite mechanic.
>
> I hope I never own anything so unreliable that I end up developing a
> personal relationship with my mechanic. I was getting dangerously close
> once with a car but my current one is doing much better. Fortunately my
> bikes have never approached that level.

Dear Peter,

Your point about why anyone would want to
get to know their mechanic well reminds me
of how my medical office clients often ask
me which companies offer the best computer
support.

I tell my clients whatever I've read in
customer satisfaction surveys, mention my
more lurid recent experiences, and then
raise the question that you imply:

What does it really mean when so many people
think that a company has such wonderful support?

A few years ago, a doctor ordered a Dell,
asked me to set it up, and watched as I ran
through the initial Windows setup, which
froze and never recovered.

The Seagate hard drive had died.

Dell tech support arranged for FedEx to
arrive the next morning with the right box
for returning the computer alone, without
its keyboard, manuals, or other stuff--no
original packing box was needed.

The box was a nice touch, but it suggested
that FedEx and Dell expected to ship a lot
of dead computers back to the factory from
my little Colorado backwater.

(I have nothing against Seagate, Dell, or
FedEx. And I'm a computer mechanic that my
unhappy offices get know better than they'd
like.)

It's a bit like the daughter who's been
missing all weekend and then shows up
Monday morning carrying a Gideon Bible.
Her religious interest is reassuring, but
her father has to wonder what hotel room
she swiped it from.

A well-run, efficient complaint and warranty
department requires lots of complaints and
broken parts to maintain its high standards.

(But think of the alternative.)

Carl Fogel

[Tom Keats]

In article >,
The Real Bev > writes:

>> All bikes need periodic tinkering.
>
> You'd think so, wouldn't you? Still, I bought a used bike several years
> ago and 10,000 miles later it's still going strong with no tinkering at
> all except for tires and tubes. When I take the rear wheel off I have
> to keep tweaking the axle until I finally get it to the position where
> it shifts nicely, but that's it. My smallest rear sprocket is starting
> to slip, but I figure that's par for the course since it gets the most
> use.

You should see some of the puddles (lakes) Claire, Dane, Zoot, Bernie,
Ryan, Fabrizzio et al have to frequently ride thru in what Americans
call the Pacific NorthWest. Humid coastal climates are lubrication
killers. Not to mention wear & tear on brake pads and rims.

So, out of curiosity, just how well-lubed /is/ your BB or headset?


cheers, & no spawled bearings,
Tom

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[SaintDan]

Hello everyone one, this is Dan the "Too Stupid and Whiny customer" of
Performance Bike - WHOOPS - former customer. I want to WHINE some more and
straighten out one thing - NO! Performance did not run out of stock once
but TWICE - While they were fumbling my order and losing it, they then could
not fill my second request to replace the first one that was lost. So I
think the really STUPUDITY is centered in Performance Bike.

As they say - "HAVE A NICE DAY"

Dan

"Michael Pearlman" > wrote in message
m...
> "SaintDan" <dcxdanATwowwayDOTcom> wrote in message
>...
> > Hi,
> > Just a follow up to the back order problems I have had with an order
from
> > Performance Bicycle as copied below. I finally was able to convince
> > Performance that my shipment of the bike repair stand was missing in the
> > mail. I sent back the confirmation sheet they sent me and was expecting
them
> > to send the product to me that day. NO.... talk with Chris in Customer
> > service and he said that it is back again on BACK ORDER. I asked him
what
> > kind of company would let there suppliers screw up their business like
that.
> > He was quite silent for a while and I figured he was "Clueless" like
many
> > other companies that don't put their supplier's or vendor's feet to the
> > fire. Well, I asked for my money back and said I will never deal with
> > Performance Bike company again - MORE silence on the phone
line..........
> >
> > Pretty disappointing how lousy customer service is in this country of
ours.
> > Then it seems when a company does run into financial problems, they
blame
> > the Japanese, the economy, there competition and even the weather -
> > Hello... look in the mirror :-)
> >
> > Well, maybe someone else has had a better experience with Performance
Bike -
> > luck you.
> >
> > Dan
> >
> > My original posting........
> >
> > Hello,
> > I don't want to bitch too much but has anyone else had problems with
> > Performance Bicycle catalog orders. I ordered from them in mid October
and
> > one item was "out of stock" at the time. Said that it would be back in
stock
> > and then ship in November. Three weeks later it was restocked and sent
to me
> > BUT then 2 1/2 weeks later I still don't have it. Well, my REAL
problems
> > started when I tried to talk with someone at Performance. I have been
put
> > off, had excuses and explanations told to me, was promised a call back
from
> > someone in management who never called. back and just generally treated
like
> > a BOOB for complaining. Are they having business problems? Order
problems,
> > vendor problems or ......Possibly heading toward putting up the "Out of
> > Business" sign?
> >
> > Funny thing is, I just got some catalogs the other day from Bike Nashbar
and
> > Super Go Bike shop - are they any better to deal with?
> >
> > Dan
> Dear Dan, I know how you feel. Performance is a most unresponsive
> bunch. They do not deserve your business. Take it elsewhere.

[Dennis P. Harris]

On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 20:37:08 -0800 in rec.bicycles.misc, The Real
Bev > wrote:

> Bingo. I would guess that bike mechanics are different, but I never
> EVER want to be on a first-name basis with anybody who deals with car
> parts/repair.
>
then you should expect to get ripped off on car repairs &
maintenance!

i make sure that my mechanic gets some christmas goodies, so he &
the boys treat me well the rest of the year. and yes, it's a
first name acquaintance --- he's been maintaining my various cars
for over 30 years. factory trained by VW and the only mechanic
in town that i know of that will tell you when a repair is not
worth the time or money.

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article >,
(Tom Keats) wrote:

> In article >,
> The Real Bev > writes:
>
> >> All bikes need periodic tinkering.
> >
> > You'd think so, wouldn't you? Still, I bought a used bike several years
> > ago and 10,000 miles later it's still going strong with no tinkering at
> > all except for tires and tubes. When I take the rear wheel off I have
> > to keep tweaking the axle until I finally get it to the position where
> > it shifts nicely, but that's it. My smallest rear sprocket is starting
> > to slip, but I figure that's par for the course since it gets the most
> > use.
>
> You should see some of the puddles (lakes) Claire, Dane, Zoot, Bernie,
> Ryan, Fabrizzio et al have to frequently ride thru in what Americans
> call the Pacific NorthWest. Humid coastal climates are lubrication
> killers. Not to mention wear & tear on brake pads and rims.

Heh. I'm currently testing my survival instinct with a set of silver
Kool-Stop pads on an old single-pivot brake up front. Too much stuff is
flexing, and the pads have no bite in the rain. Not recommended.

The drainage along the steep hill (Clarke Rd.) I ride up is marginal.
Even the roughly 5-10mm of water in the resulting stream down the road
is a notable drag on the bike.

> So, out of curiosity, just how well-lubed /is/ your BB or headset?

What I don't know can't hurt me, right?

--
Ryan Cousineau, http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article >,
(Dennis P. Harris) wrote:

> On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 20:37:08 -0800 in rec.bicycles.misc, The Real
> Bev > wrote:
>
> > Bingo. I would guess that bike mechanics are different, but I never
> > EVER want to be on a first-name basis with anybody who deals with car
> > parts/repair.
> >
> then you should expect to get ripped off on car repairs &
> maintenance!
>
> i make sure that my mechanic gets some christmas goodies, so he &
> the boys treat me well the rest of the year. and yes, it's a
> first name acquaintance --- he's been maintaining my various cars
> for over 30 years. factory trained by VW and the only mechanic
> in town that i know of that will tell you when a repair is not
> worth the time or money.

If you have the mechanical aptitude and the willingness to do so, I
highly recommend being the guy who repairs your bike/car/bathroom sink.

--
Ryan Cousineau, http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

[Tom Keats]

In article >,
"SaintDan" <dcxdanATwowwayDOTcom> writes:
> Hello everyone one, this is Dan the "Too Stupid and Whiny customer" of
> Performance Bike - WHOOPS - former customer. I want to WHINE some more and
> straighten out one thing - NO! Performance did not run out of stock once
> but TWICE - While they were fumbling my order and losing it, they then could
> not fill my second request to replace the first one that was lost. So I
> think the really STUPUDITY is centered in Performance Bike.
>
> As they say - "HAVE A NICE DAY"

Seems to me you want revenge, by trying to get a bunch of Usenet
ppl on-side with you in your little war. Otherwise, why post
your gripes here instead of taking 'em where they count, eh?

Sometimes I get dis'd by commercial enterprises, too. My tactic
is to simply leave them to their devices, and take my custom
elsewhere without further ado. Then I find a place that gives
me the modicum of service I hope for, and the knowledge that the
"bad" place didn't get my money. It's all very calm, and not
blood pressure-raising. However, I do prefer to deal with
cash/goods on the barrelhead, rather than credit and hopes & dreams.

Hopes & dreams are too fragile. Any working-poor person knows that.

Ordering stuff online and credit cards ain't a patch on real deals.

cheers, & merry christmas,
Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

[Tom Keats]

In article >,
Ryan Cousineau > writes:

>> So, out of curiosity, just how well-lubed /is/ your BB or headset?
>
> What I don't know can't hurt me, right?

Nah. As long as you can afford some kind of new bike.

I think front fenders help preserve (to an extent) headset bearings
for us rain riders.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

[Tom Keats]

In article >,
Ryan Cousineau > writes:

> If you have the mechanical aptitude and the willingness to do so, I
> highly recommend being the guy who repairs your bike/car/bathroom sink.

Major plumbing renos are best left to hired pros.

When plumbing gets to a certain age, fixing one thing always
seems to cause breakage in another. A person can go nutz
trying to piecemeal fix old plumbing, and chasing problems
that crop up along the pipes. Y'know those WW II movies where
U-boats get depth-charged, and water is gushing out of everywhere?
That's what trying to single-handedly fix old plumbing is like.
I know -- that's what happened to me, and I had to undergo a
recovery process from it. Plumbing is a cruel mistress, with
higher maintenance than a Perfect Lawn. And y'know what
/that's/ like. I don't mind paying somebody to put up with
that crap.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

[TimH]

"SaintDan" <dcxdanATwowwayDOTcom> wrote in message
...
> Hello everyone one, this is Dan the "Too Stupid and Whiny customer" of
> Performance Bike - WHOOPS - former customer. I want to WHINE some more
and
> straighten out one thing - NO! Performance did not run out of stock once
> but TWICE - While they were fumbling my order and losing it, they then
could
> not fill my second request to replace the first one that was lost. >

It's your kah-muh anjin-san

[Carl Fogel]

"SaintDan" <dcxdanATwowwayDOTcom> wrote in message >...
> Hello everyone one, this is Dan the "Too Stupid and Whiny customer"

[snip]

Dear Dan,

I hope that you can forgive us for
not reading past your first sentence.

Carl Fogel

[B. Lafferty]

"Peter" > wrote in message
news:cNwAb.447073$Tr4.1249112@attbi_s03...
> Bartow W. Riggs wrote:
>
> > I think it is important to have a personal relationship, especially with
> > your favorite mechanic.
>
> I hope I never own anything so unreliable that I end up developing a
> personal relationship with my mechanic.


Doesn't that depend on who she is??

[B. Lafferty]

Saintly,
I'll preface this by saying that my first stop is always my LBS which
happens to be very, very good for all things mechanical. I will always try
them first. That said, I've ordered many things from Performance, mostly
clothing closeouts/sale items and have never, ever had a problem. The only
glitch I ever experienced was 10 years ago when a warehouse person pulled a
28c tire instead of the 23c that I wanted. They sent the correct tire, no
shipping charge, with two day delivery. And, they said to simply keep the
incorrect size tire. Now, these were Conti training tires at about $12 ea.
But, I considered the service to have been excellent. But then, I was nice.
Were you nice?



"SaintDan" <dcxdanATwowwayDOTcom> wrote in message
...
> Hi,
> Just a follow up to the back order problems I have had with an order from
> Performance Bicycle as copied below. I finally was able to convince
> Performance that my shipment of the bike repair stand was missing in the
> mail. I sent back the confirmation sheet they sent me and was expecting
them
> to send the product to me that day. NO.... talk with Chris in Customer
> service and he said that it is back again on BACK ORDER. I asked him
what
> kind of company would let there suppliers screw up their business like
that.
> He was quite silent for a while and I figured he was "Clueless" like many
> other companies that don't put their supplier's or vendor's feet to the
> fire. Well, I asked for my money back and said I will never deal with
> Performance Bike company again - MORE silence on the phone line..........
>
> Pretty disappointing how lousy customer service is in this country of
ours.
> Then it seems when a company does run into financial problems, they blame
> the Japanese, the economy, there competition and even the weather -
> Hello... look in the mirror :-)
>
> Well, maybe someone else has had a better experience with Performance
Bike -
> luck you.
>
> Dan
>
> My original posting........
>
> Hello,
> I don't want to bitch too much but has anyone else had problems with
> Performance Bicycle catalog orders. I ordered from them in mid October
and
> one item was "out of stock" at the time. Said that it would be back in
stock
> and then ship in November. Three weeks later it was restocked and sent to
me
> BUT then 2 1/2 weeks later I still don't have it. Well, my REAL problems
> started when I tried to talk with someone at Performance. I have been put
> off, had excuses and explanations told to me, was promised a call back
from
> someone in management who never called. back and just generally treated
like
> a BOOB for complaining. Are they having business problems? Order problems,
> vendor problems or ......Possibly heading toward putting up the "Out of
> Business" sign?
>
> Funny thing is, I just got some catalogs the other day from Bike Nashbar
and
> Super Go Bike shop - are they any better to deal with?
>
> Dan
>
>

[Donald Gillies]

Tim McNamara > writes:

>"Kerry Nikolaisen" <f o u r n i k s @ c h a r t e r . n e t> writes:

>> Why bash the customer who has had a bad experience? He is only
>> relaying his frustrations to you.

>Nah, he's whining. His stuff was backordered, which just happens
>sometimes and he took it personally.

Something like 5% of all people are clinically depressed at any given
time. If one of these depressants needs to ride his bike, and he
orders parts to repair his machine, in order to exercise and get well,
and the parts are not available, do you really and truly think he's
"whining" ?!?!

I'm not joking I know somebody who used his bicycle to cure depression
for over 30 years.

Snap judgements are a bad idea.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

[Eric S. Sande]

>Snap judgements are a bad idea.

No they aren't.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________
------------------"Buddy Holly, the Texas Elvis"------------------

[The Real Bev]

Tom Keats wrote:
>
> In article >,
> The Real Bev > writes:
>
> >> All bikes need periodic tinkering.
> >
> > You'd think so, wouldn't you? Still, I bought a used bike several years
> > ago and 10,000 miles later it's still going strong with no tinkering at
> > all except for tires and tubes. When I take the rear wheel off I have
> > to keep tweaking the axle until I finally get it to the position where
> > it shifts nicely, but that's it. My smallest rear sprocket is starting
> > to slip, but I figure that's par for the course since it gets the most
> > use.
>
> You should see some of the puddles (lakes) Claire, Dane, Zoot, Bernie,
> Ryan, Fabrizzio et al have to frequently ride thru in what Americans
> call the Pacific NorthWest. Humid coastal climates are lubrication
> killers. Not to mention wear & tear on brake pads and rims.
>
> So, out of curiosity, just how well-lubed /is/ your BB or headset?

As well as when I bought it. I changed the BB on my Trek before it was
stolen (damn, I'd forgotten about that!) and it wasn't that big a deal.
I've also lubed headsets when necessary, but it still feels smooth. If
it ain't broke, don't fix it.

--
Cheers,
Bev
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
"Calling someone an asshole for being rude to a telemarketer
is like accusing someone who's shot a burglar in his home
of being a poor host." -- W.S.Rowell

[The Real Bev]

"Dennis P. Harris" wrote:
>
> On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 20:37:08 -0800 in rec.bicycles.misc, The Real
> Bev > wrote:
>
> > Bingo. I would guess that bike mechanics are different, but I never
> > EVER want to be on a first-name basis with anybody who deals with car
> > parts/repair.
> >
> then you should expect to get ripped off on car repairs &
> maintenance!

Anyone who pays somebody else to work on their vehicle is likely to get
ripped off period.

> i make sure that my mechanic gets some christmas goodies, so he &
> the boys treat me well the rest of the year. and yes, it's a
> first name acquaintance --- he's been maintaining my various cars
> for over 30 years. factory trained by VW and the only mechanic
> in town that i know of that will tell you when a repair is not
> worth the time or money.

I do the work myself. Sometimes hubby helps me, sometimes I help him.
I had a mechanic replace my front axles rather than replace the CV boots
and that worked out OK. I had the Caddy dealer replace a bearing in the
differential (special expensive tool needed) and that was an unmitigated
cluster-fsck, but at least they paid for a rental for me while they
actually did the work they charged me for. We had somebody replace the
engine on my Sentra, and the jerks didn't even know how to adjust the
valves although that was a requirement for the engine warranty. You
don't want to hear about the ripoffs my mom has been subjected to which
I discovered only after she'd given me a couple of cars because the
dealer (who KNOWS what kind of service he's given her) would only give
her a pittance on the cars as trade-ins.

I had a 50 Oldsmobile for a long time. Ultimately it needed too much
work to be done so I sold it for $50 to an independent German auto
mechanic. I listed all the things I knew to be wrong with the car. He
gave me the little-lady treatment and assured me that as a good Cherman
mechanic he would be able to deal with it. A friend noticed my car
sitting in the local wrecking yard a week later.

They're all crooks. The honest ones are incompetent. I would like to
believe that bike guys are better than car guys, but I have no reason to
believe it's true.

--
Cheers,
Bev
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"We're from the Government. We're here to help."

[The Real Bev]

Tom Keats wrote:
>
> In article >,
> Ryan Cousineau > writes:
>
> > If you have the mechanical aptitude and the willingness to do so, I
> > highly recommend being the guy who repairs your bike/car/bathroom sink.
>
> Major plumbing renos are best left to hired pros.
>
> When plumbing gets to a certain age, fixing one thing always
> seems to cause breakage in another. A person can go nutz
> trying to piecemeal fix old plumbing, and chasing problems
> that crop up along the pipes. Y'know those WW II movies where
> U-boats get depth-charged, and water is gushing out of everywhere?
> That's what trying to single-handedly fix old plumbing is like.
> I know -- that's what happened to me, and I had to undergo a
> recovery process from it. Plumbing is a cruel mistress, with
> higher maintenance than a Perfect Lawn. And y'know what
> /that's/ like. I don't mind paying somebody to put up with
> that crap.

And if it's old AND cheap you're up **** creek because nothing fits well
and everything was cut off at a place where you can't disassemble the
joint without knocking out part of the wall. An extra 2" of pipe would
have cost them a fortune? Apparently. I suspect they never expected
the house to stand for 50 years. Some people actually hope that their
house will be taken by public domain.

--
Cheers,
Bev
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"We're from the Government. We're here to help."

[A Muzi]

> "SaintDan" <dcxdanATwowwayDOTcom> wrote in message
> ...
>>Hello everyone one, this is Dan the "Too Stupid and Whiny customer" of
>>Performance Bike - WHOOPS - former customer. I want to WHINE some more
>>and straighten out one thing - NO! Performance did not run out of stock once
>>but TWICE - While they were fumbling my order and losing it, they then
>>could not fill my second request to replace the first one that was lost.

TimH wrote:
> It's your kah-muh anjin-san


Why is he a "pilot" I don't get it.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

[A Muzi]

> "SaintDan" <dcxdanATwowwayDOTcom> wrote in message
> ...
>>Hello everyone one, this is Dan the "Too Stupid and Whiny customer" of
>>Performance Bike - WHOOPS - former customer. I want to WHINE some more
>>and straighten out one thing - NO! Performance did not run out of stock once
>>but TWICE - While they were fumbling my order and losing it, they then
>>could not fill my second request to replace the first one that was lost.


TimH wrote:
>> It's your kah-muh anjin-san

Why is he "at peace"??
I don't get it.


--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

[Hunrobe]

> (Donald Gillies)

wrote:

>Something like 5% of all people are clinically depressed at any given
>time. If one of these depressants needs to ride his bike, and he
>orders parts to repair his machine, in order to exercise and get well,
>and the parts are not available, do you really and truly think he's
>"whining" ?!?!

---snip---

Yes. Depressed people tend to whine a lot. Excessive whining and crying over
small things is actually one of the symptoms of clinical depression.

>I'm not joking I know somebody who used his bicycle to cure depression
>for over 30 years.

Assuming your long distance diagnosis is correct, does the OP's depression
somehow make his whining a valid complaint? If it *is* valid and truly a major
issue then his response has nothing to do with any depression. If it's *not*
valid and a legitimately major issue, then what do you expect rbm readers to
do, agree with him and *reinforce* his depression? (That's two "majors" in as
many sentences. Given the point I'm trying to make, I'm rather proud of that.
<g>)

>Snap judgements are a bad idea.

So is playing pop psychologist on usenet.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

[Bernie]

Tom Keats wrote:

>In article >,
> Ryan Cousineau > writes:
>
>>>So, out of curiosity, just how well-lubed /is/ your BB or headset?
>>>
>>What I don't know can't hurt me, right?
>>
>
>Nah. As long as you can afford some kind of new bike.
>
>I think front fenders help preserve (to an extent) headset bearings
>for us rain riders.
>
>
>cheers,
> Tom
>
I think fenders in general help preserve (to an extent) us rain riders. :p

[Bernie]

The Real Bev wrote:

>And if it's old AND cheap you're up **** creek because nothing fits well
>and everything was cut off at a place where you can't disassemble the
>joint without knocking out part of the wall. An extra 2" of pipe would
>have cost them a fortune? Apparently. I suspect they never expected
>the house to stand for 50 years. Some people actually hope that their
>house will be taken by public domain.
>
That's funny because "up **** creek" is where most plumbers make their
living.

[David Kerber]

In article >,
says...
> "Dennis P. Harris" wrote:
> >
> > On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 20:37:08 -0800 in rec.bicycles.misc, The Real
> > Bev > wrote:
> >
> > > Bingo. I would guess that bike mechanics are different, but I never
> > > EVER want to be on a first-name basis with anybody who deals with car
> > > parts/repair.
> > >
> > then you should expect to get ripped off on car repairs &
> > maintenance!
>
> Anyone who pays somebody else to work on their vehicle is likely to get
> ripped off period.
>
> > i make sure that my mechanic gets some christmas goodies, so he &
> > the boys treat me well the rest of the year. and yes, it's a
> > first name acquaintance --- he's been maintaining my various cars
> > for over 30 years. factory trained by VW and the only mechanic
> > in town that i know of that will tell you when a repair is not
> > worth the time or money.
>
> I do the work myself. Sometimes hubby helps me, sometimes I help him.
> I had a mechanic replace my front axles rather than replace the CV boots
> and that worked out OK. I had the Caddy dealer replace a bearing in the
> differential (special expensive tool needed) and that was an unmitigated
> cluster-fsck, but at least they paid for a rental for me while they
> actually did the work they charged me for. We had somebody replace the
> engine on my Sentra, and the jerks didn't even know how to adjust the
> valves although that was a requirement for the engine warranty. You
> don't want to hear about the ripoffs my mom has been subjected to which
> I discovered only after she'd given me a couple of cars because the
> dealer (who KNOWS what kind of service he's given her) would only give
> her a pittance on the cars as trade-ins.
>
> I had a 50 Oldsmobile for a long time. Ultimately it needed too much
> work to be done so I sold it for $50 to an independent German auto
> mechanic. I listed all the things I knew to be wrong with the car. He
> gave me the little-lady treatment and assured me that as a good Cherman
> mechanic he would be able to deal with it. A friend noticed my car
> sitting in the local wrecking yard a week later.
>
> They're all crooks. The honest ones are incompetent. I would like to

I'm sorry you've had such bad experiences, but that's not my
experience. I agree that many of them are bad, but the good ones are
worth 10x their weight in gold. A good mechanic will tell you when
the work isn't worth doing, or will recommend that you let him track
down after-market parts when factory-made ones are too expensive to
put in an older car. I've had both experiences. But the key is, when
I found a good, honest mechanic, I never took the car anywhere else.

--
Dave Kerber
Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

[Bartow W. Riggs]

"Peter" > wrote in message
news:cNwAb.447073$Tr4.1249112@attbi_s03...
>
> I hope I never own anything so unreliable that I end up developing a
> personal relationship with my mechanic. I was getting dangerously close
> once with a car but my current one is doing much better. Fortunately my
> bikes have never approached that level.

I understand your point Peter.

I certainly would not call any of my or my son's bikes unreliable, except
for flats, that is. I do most fairly common repairs. I was trying to
express, for example, that when I don't have the time to deal with it, my
son races and wrecks on a Saturday and I need a wheel (two in this exact
example - front and rear) trued and dished (something I don't generally do)
for the race next day...Sunday. I am glad to know a good mechanic who will
fix things fast.

Bartow