if stranded with a flat, don't call Cycle Gear

[dwalby]

I was stranded with a flat tire today, pulled the rear wheel, called Cycle Gear. They had a tire in stock, but even with the wheel off the bike when I asked if I could get moved up on the service schedule because I was stranded they said "no, we do them in the order they came in". That's the kind of customer service that will make me shop elsewhere from now on. I found another shop that mounted/balanced while I waited, and they will get my business from now on.

edit: to clarify a bit on the situation, I called them just after 1PM and they close at 8PM, and they couldn't move me up the list so that they could mount/balance the tire today before they closed. They basically said leave the wheel and come back tomorrow.

 

[core-aggie]

That's sad.

I've been to a couple of Cycle Gear locations in the Houston area. They have a nice selection of stuff, but to me, the attitude, comes across as, "we're a nationwide chain store". I don't think I've ever bought anything from them.

 

[dduelin]

I wish you had a different experience. I have a good CG near me. The store manager Dylan has given me good reason to post of my completely different customer experience. I recommend CG because of him and the previous manager that transferred to the cross town CG. Just last week he mounted a tire for me while I waited.

Every day in retail is different and just because I got cold waffle fries once at Chick Fil A I still eat there quite often.

 

[TotaledTL]

I wish you had a different experience. I have a good CG near me. The store manager Dylan has given me good reason to post of my completely different customer experience. I recommend CG because of him and the previous manager that transferred to the cross town CG. Just last week he mounted a tire for me while I waited.

Every day in retail is different and just because I got cold waffle fries once at Chick Fil A I still eat there quite often.

Goes to show it's the people that can make a HUGE difference in customer experience.

 

[dwalby]

I wish you had a different experience. I have a good CG near me. The store manager Dylan has given me good reason to post of my completely different customer experience. I recommend CG because of him and the previous manager that transferred to the cross town CG. Just last week he mounted a tire for me while I waited.

Every day in retail is different and just because I got cold waffle fries once at Chick Fil A I still eat there quite often.

I edited my original post to be a little more clear on just how crappy the customer service was. I asked if they could move me up to get the tire mounted today, sometime before they closed 7 hours later, and they said no.

In soCal the CG locations that I've been to in the past have devolved to "bring the wheel in today, we'll try to get it done by tomorrow" kind of service, so I'd pretty much given up on them for tire mounting anyway. There are too many other options here to put up with that.

Since they're one of the biggest, and the ST1100 rear is an oddball size that I've had to special order in the past, I thought of them first. The fact that they just slam the door on someone in need of some help just seals the deal for me regarding their faceless corporate identity. And, the place I ended up going to seemed to have a much better tire selection anyway, so win/win for them.

For anyone in soCal, I went with 8 ball tires, and they treated me right.

 

[wjbertrand]

I think Cycle Gear is owned by Revzilla or vice versa? Hardly faceless. I’ve bought lots of stuff from them, no complaints, but I’ve never found their tire prices competitive. I’m
In SoCal so will check out 8 Ball Tires. Never heard of them.

 

[dwalby]

My choice of wording may have been incorrect Jeff, what I meant is similar to the comment core-aggie made about the "nationwide chain store" vibe you get there. I've bought helmets/gloves from them before, their product selection is decent, but their customer service has never impressed me. Who really needs 24 hours or more to change a tire with the wheel off the bike? I was already soured on them from encountering that before, so the fact that they didn't have someone behind the counter who can see someone is in a bind and needs some help just kinda pissed me off.

rant off.

8 ball may be a San Diego thing, I'm not sure, but they have at least 2 locations that I'm aware of.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

I wasn't there so don't know the particulars and am not questioning your account. I am offering that another possible other side of the coin is that the endless number of people who claim to be in a bind because they think that they are more important than everyone else and shouldn't have to wait their turn, or because they left it to the last minute and are now in a self-created crisis, or because they had a trip planned and only bothered to check their tires the day before they're supposed to leave, etc..

After having their willingness to help someone in a bind has been taken advantage of countless times, many become jaded and adopt an uncompassionate wait your turn attitude that is brought on by the abusive nature of retail customers, and all future customers are the worse for it, in this case you.

Dealing with the public is never easy, no matter whether it is done well or poorly.

 

[red one]

I've alway's found the mom and pop independent shops the best. As motorcyclist we alway's help each other....call it the code or the brotherhood of motorcycling. Today it's all about the dollar. Sad.

 

[Willsmotorcycle]

After I stopped at my local independent shop for a non emergency tire swap and was greeted with "we don't have anything for your jap sh!^" I smiled, thanked him and bought these online. The other experiences I have had on the road as a traveler were excellent, head of the line, discounts, coffee, danish, everything that makes CS work.

 

[scootac]

,.........There are too many other options here to put up with that..........And, the place I ended up going to seemed to have a much better tire selection anyway, so win/win for them..........

You found a tire in stock.
You had 2 options of where to get it mounted.
You found a better tire selection and got it mounted same day.
You're pretty damn lucky to have any options at all in my book.

 

[Mykllee]

I was stranded with a flat tire today,

The lesson here is to carry some plugs and a mini compressor. Cheap insurance that doesn't take up much room. Along with/or Ride-On as Willsmotorcycle shows, and OP wouldn't have been stranded.
While his experience is frustrating, Cycle Gear is slammed this time of year, and that kind of treatment is to be expected. A lot of their employees are just that, not riders, and could care less, working for a big chain. I had a rear flat a few months ago, pulled out my cheap Slime plugs, and was good to go in less than 10 minutes, and happily put on hundreds more miles before replacing the tire at my leisure.

 

[Mellow]

I don't understand what 'stranded' means here. How far from home were you?

You had the tools to take he wheel off the bike and then get to CG.

I echo the tire plug/compressor kit. I'll plug a tire and keep going til it hits the wear bars and at home I always have a new set of tires waiting, as soon as a set goes on, I purchase the next set, just in case there's an issue where a tire can't be plugged.

Doing your own tire changes is good as well if you can justify it financially.

 

[dduelin]

I think Cycle Gear is owned by Revzilla or vice versa? Hardly faceless. I’ve bought lots of stuff from them, no complaints, but I’ve never found their tire prices competitive. I’m
In SoCal so will check out 8 Ball Tires. Never heard of them.

A holding company called Comoto owns both Revzilla and Cycle Gear as well as other powersport brands like J & P Cycles. The current mix of Comoto brands came to be in 2020 if I understand correctly. Mergers and consolidations in the powersports industry have been continuous for at least the last 20 years. Having nearly 150 brick & mortar CG outlets and a robust online presence with Revzilla seems to be working for the present.

 

[Kevcules]

I don't agree with that type of "customer service". When someone is stranded on the side of the road, that business should have at least taken care of you sometime that day. It's not because they couldn't , it's because they didn't want to.
Usually the larger businesses aren't concerned with the little guy anymore and will only cater to the big contracts or the big money spenders.
The best thing you can do is share your story like you did and don't ever go back there.

 

[diferg]

Had a similar experience years ago with local Honda shop where I originally purchased my ST-1300. Ordered rear tire, when it came in on a Thursday the dealership said leave the bike here and it will be ready on Tuesday (closed on Monday). I declined tire and service, rode 50 miles to another Honda dealership and returned home that same Thursday with new tire mounted. I have been riding past my local dealership ever since (16 years) and have never darkened their doorway since! 100 miles round trip for a tire change is not so bad!

 

[dwalby]

When someone is stranded on the side of the road, that business should have at least taken care of you sometime that day. It's not because they couldn't , it's because they didn't want to.

yep, that's exactly how I felt about it. Dumb ass employees who aren't allowed to think, interpret a situation, and make a judgement call.

The place I ended up going to after calling my wife to come pick me up had me in and out in about 45 minutes. They also had 3 different tires to choose from in that size, vs. only one choice at CG.

I was only about 25 miles from home, so I could have left the bike overnight where it was and gone back the next day, but it didn't seem necessary to have to do that.

 

[scout]

I think Cycle Gear is owned by Revzilla or vice versa? Hardly faceless. I’ve bought lots of stuff from them, no complaints, but I’ve never found their tire prices competitive. I’m
In SoCal so will check out 8 Ball Tires. Never heard of them.

Cycle Gear, Revzilla, J&P Cycles and Rever are owned by the same company. Comoto Holdings.

 

[core-aggie]

yep, that's exactly how I felt about it. Dumb ass employees who aren't allowed to think, interpret a situation, and make a judgement call.

To add to my previous reply about my visit (long ago) at CG ... I briefly chatted with a couple of the staff, talking about motorcycling.

Turns out, neither of the two had experienced motorcycle ownership. That has a lot to do with staff being empathetic and making an exception to quickly resolve a stranded person.

This goes back to my comment, "we're a nationwide chain store" ... they hire some folks to simply stand at the cash register and punch keys ... and to point to where the helmets are.

 

[mortenk]

I don't carry much in terms of tools on my bike. I do carry worms and a compressor though to fix stuff like this. If hole is fixable that is...a repair takes 15 min or less while the wheel is on the bike. Can't beat that IMO.