Unhappy with servicing.

MBK, if you feel you have a real complaint then contact suzuki. I did re an issue i was having with the local service place after arguing with them for ages. 47 minutes after i got off the phone with suzuki i got a call from the dealer, very apologetic, refund and transport costs.

Yeh, I have every intention of putting it in writing to suzuki!

[andrewsmith]

Originally Posted by Spanner Man

We noticed that the lower caliper retaining bolt was missing. Apparently West London Yamaha in Hanworth (Name & Shame) Had told him that was ok after he queried whether there should be a bolt in the vacant hole! Not only that, the other bolt had been done up by King Kongs bigger brother!

I've had that problem with a YBR with the airbox. bolts had been off and inspected the filter and done up so tight the bolts were partially rounded by the end.
That is bad for an approved main dealer for the cost of a caliper bolt aswell

[Biker Biggles]

Originally Posted by Sosha

Well the attitude sucked but the bill was OK - now - How's the Bike?

Got to agree with that.Apart from all the messing about that seems a good price for the work done.

Its experiances like this that prompt me to tell people local to the london area to take their bikes to spannerman.

I only wish you could do the same

In future, just take your bike away from them and find someone else. In any case, it would be good to get a freind to inspect the work has been done properly and rectify any outstanding issues.

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by Milky Bar Kid

So, as some of you will be aware, I took my bike into our nearest suzuki dealer for servicing on Tuesday. I arrived just before 1pm as agreed and was told that unless there was some MAJOR problem then the bike would be ready by the end of the day.

I got a phonecall about twenty to four telling me the front brakes needed stripping and that it should be finished about 5pm. Fine says I. Ten minutes later, I get a call saying, actually, no. They are quite badly corroded and bike won't be ready til 10am the following morning. So bearing in mind I am about 55 miles away from home, I popped down and asked to have a look. The manager wasn't overly chuffed but agreed to take me into the workshop. The sight which met me was the mechanic working on a Yamaha R6....with no one even near my bike and the calipers were still on it.

I asked them if there were any other issues with the bike and was told no, absolutely everything else was fine. I left it like that and jumped on the back of my pals GSXR750 to get home.

Next morning, a pal gave me a lift back through. Arrived about 11.25am. Bike not touched all morning. Was then told the rear caliper was stuff and that a pin had apparently seized in it and they were apparently not allowed to touch the bike til I had given permission. I queried why I wasn't 'phoned and the guy started getting all defensive and saying stuff like" Are you complaining about the service? What exactly is your complaint??"

I politely explained that I didn't understand why I couldn't have been informed about the problems earlier on, saving me the 110 mile round trip. He got really snotted and decided I was trying to accuse him of diddling me out of money. I informed him that I was suggesting no such thing and that tbh, the money wasn't what concerned me. He got very rude and said the following:

"If you are not happy with our service then I suggest you go elsewhere in future."

I completely agreed with this point!!!

Anyway, he then informed me bike would be ready after lunch. I met up with a lass that used to work on my shift, had lunch and natter for an hour and a half. Went back down with her, nope. Not ready. Be ready in an hour.

Got a phone call, not be ready til later, need to drill a pin out....ok says I, how long, about another hour or so. An hour and a half later I went down....no joy. And they had stopped working on my bike.

I lost the rag a little bit and told them I didn't mind them doing the work that needed done on my bike but that I was raging that they had me running about after them for two whole days!! He then told me he would deliver my bike tomorrow, no extra charge.


I then had to sit for 3 hours and wait on the next bus - in full gear. Got on the bus, like a twonk wearing leathers and looking like a total Tard...

So we worked it out and apparently with all the work this mechanic had done, it was at least 6hrs of labour (if all that I was being told was true).

Tonight, 2 hours after bike was due, he arrives. Apparently had to replace caliper with a second hand one. Fair dues.

My invoice looks as follows:

7500 miles service: 3.5 hrs @ £40 per hour + VAT = £140
Silkolene Oil: £14.25
Sump washers: £0.50
Oil filter: £9.57
Spark Plug: £12.72
Health and safety: £3.38
2nd hand caliper: £34.04

Grand total: £252!!!!

Never again.

That is a ****ing disgrace.
The price damns them even further! It looks like they've spent 3.5h servicing your bike, was the mechanic blind or something? £40 an hour too?!
Alright, maybe they've accounted for the time the spent getting that pin out but that shouldn't be in the same item imo.
Did they give you your old caliper back? Garage I use always give your bits back (including old spark plugs to keep as spares) whatever state they're in.
The funniest one is 'health and safety' they may aswell have put 'blonde woman tax'. I'm assuming it was for a pair of latex gloves or disposing of the oil or something. Ridiculous in any case!

That's harsh on you MBK.
I'm leaving my Fazer 600 up to a place on monday and i hope they don't do anything like that with me, thought my bike is ill so the bill could be big, just hoping it's not too bad. But also any time me and my friends are up at this place we would have a chat with the employees, so hopefully no stringin me along, fingers crossed!

How did you get on with this MBK? Did you write that letter, or just chalk it up against experience?

[yorkie_chris]

Only person I trust to work on my bike is ME

Originally Posted by hindle8907

rub over with a cloth and throw a bit of grease on .

Grease? Where?

Originally Posted by Stig_Of_The_Dump

Another good example of why I learnt to do stuff on my own bike and why I do not trust garages.

Exactly.

Originally Posted by Philbo

Can't be 100% sure, but going by the cost of a set of caliper seals for my old RGV250, that will probably be an exchange and return price for the second hand caliper. i.e. they keep your old one as part of the deal.

I've never heard of service exchange type thing with calipers, and I'd avoid secondhand calipers of unknown origin as chances are with 10+ year old parts you're buying one already half knackered.
Husky on here does secondhand ones that are serviced... that is what you want.

Originally Posted by ethariel

Just as an aside - next time you get the 'oh it needs ABC done' followed by an 'oh xyz needs doing too!!', just tell them you want all the old parts kept for inspection when you pick the bike up.

Lots of places do that, it's comforting to know what was knackered and why it needed replacing.


Some dealerships need bleedin shooting. I have no idea why they put themselves in a financial position where they accrue such huge overheads that they need to rip every bugger off!

[andrewsmith]

YC ,the caliper exchange thing has been mentioned to me with the early sv's, bandits, busa and the late SRADS all using the same rear caliper. Which pretty much is asking for something to go wrong!

the exchange sounds to me like a mechanic that cannot be arsed to split the caliper and clean it (no offence YC and all the reputable mechanics)