ProTyre Bristol - Bad Attitude - Incorrectly Fitted Tyre

[AlanH]

Having thought hard about whether to make a complaint directly to ProTyre Bristol, I decided that the way I was treated last week leaves me feeling that I do not want to enter into any dialogue with them whatsoever.

I have previously used ProTyre Bristol for various bikes and only once before had problems. On that occasion, their fitter (no longer working there) put my Dommie off the road by breaking the speedo drive. They sorted that out amicably and I haven't had any problems with them again until now. None of the many people I have referred to them has had a problem either.

So what happened?

I wanted a set of road tyres for my spare wheels. I phoned around and chose ProTyre Bristol. I turned up at the time they said they'd booked me in to have my tyres fitted to loose wheels. Rather than being sorted out swiftly, I was told it would be at least an hour. Instead of waiting, I left the wheels with them and came back an hour later. When I got back, they still hadn't fitted the tyres as their fitter didn't know which way to fit them.

There was a direction arrow on the rear and, as the wheels were booked in as Honda XR400 wheels, it couldn't be exactly difficult to find out which side the front disc is on with a quick Google search. They really should have checked rotation when they checked the wheels in.

Anyway, I get there expecting the wheels to be ready but they are not. I complain to the assistant manager about the waste of time having booked for 11.30 and it now being 12.30 and he informed be that ProTyre Bristol don't take bookings for fitting tyres to loose wheels so I didn't have a booking no matter what was said over the phone.

I asked why the rear hadn't been started. No explanation.

I asked why they didn't just look up the wheel rotation for the front.

"Look it up?" says the assistant manager sarcastically. "That would have to be quite some book!". Evidently they have never heard of Google or even considered using the internet .

I was then treated to a lecture telling me how they were doing me a favour by fitting tyres to loose wheels as, in the time it takes, they could "make £300 on fitting sportsbike tyres". Well, I waited almost another half hour, paid, took the wheels home and fitted them only to find the front was not seated correctly. Thankfully I noticed as I dread to think what the outcome would be if the tyre spun on the rim under braking and ripped the valve stem out of the tube.

So, back down to ProTyre I went to get the tyre re-seated. I dealt with the Branch Manager this time who was far more professional. He apologised for the inconvenience and got it sorted out quickly.

Based on the information provided by the assistant manager, I would suggest you save ProTyre Bristol the inconvenience of having to fit any motorcycle tyres to loose wheels by taking your business elsewhere.

Why do businesses treat customers like this? It can't do them any good whatsoever.

[winxp-master]

It baffles me too, if i was the last manager who yuo dealt with i'd be going ballistic with the numpties who treated you like that.

[Boris]

It does seem there are just some companies that don't care about customer service. It looks like ProTyre Bristol are one of them.

When will companies learn that if a customer has a good experience they tell three people and a bad experience they tell dozens.

If it were me I would have nothing more to do with them and tell as many people as you can. Which it appears you have just done

[Mervinh]

Alan
there is no need for that kind of attitude , i would take my business elsewhere, and i would phone em every time i want tyre get em too quote me then oh no i remember last time i dealt with you lot , and give em a blow by blow account of the ****ty way they teated you
merv

[AlanH]

If it were me I would have nothing more to do with them and tell as many people as you can. Which it appears you have just done

It's not normally a course of action I would follow as it's not positive for anyone involved. I'd usually have a quiet constructive chat with a Branch Manager or write a brief letter to a CEO and let them address the issues and educate the staff involved.

However, in this case I felt the treatment by one particular member of staff was so insulting that I really can't be bothered with them whatsoever. There is nothing they can do to "un-say" what was said - and that's what really generated the complaint rather than the string of procedural cock-ups (and a fitter working under pressure not checking his work for which I received a full and proper apology).

[Boris]

Oh dear. a search for ProTyre Bristol shows we have made page 1 already.

ProTyre Bristol - Google Search

I wonder how that happened

ProTyre Bristol is the company name apparently

[winxp-master]

ProTyre Bristol

Alan you should write to the top brass, i'd want to know about it if i were them.

They may have recieved other complaints about this memeber of staff and just need enough to discipline them.

ProTyre Bristol

[AlanH]

ProTyre Bristol

Alan you should write to the top brass, i'd want to know about it if i were them.

I did that last time when they broke my Honda Dominator. They covered the cost of the tyres as compensation for my bike being off the road and paid for the part (that I then fitted myself through choice). They were apologetic and polite and the matter was dealt with professionally. They caused a problem and they fixed it. That was a Customer Service Textbook good response.

This time, even if they were to cover the cost of the tyres it would not change the way I was spoken to or get my time back. Yes, things go wrong when you run a business. What you do is listen to the customer and look for what went wrong and for ways you can stop it happening again - not try to belittle them and tell them they should be grateful that you're doing them a favour by letting them buy from you!

[winxp-master]

IYes, things go wrong when you ruin a business.

I know the I is right next to the U but if you didn't mean to do it... how apt? lol

[AlanH]

Doh! Fixed