Woosh - more dreadful service

David

I explained that on the first date collection was arranged the usual courier was on holiday and the replacement driver could not locate your house.I have no control over such issues, sorry.

I then sent you two emails asking when I could arrange an alternative collection to which you did not reply. I finally called you and we agreed on collection on 29th. I rang the depot in the morning to make sure they knew where your house was and to confirm that collection would be made, which they duly confirmed.

If the bike was not collected on 29th you should have told me and I would have complained to the depot whose manager I have spoken to about you at least 3 times.now. I don't think many people can do much more for customers than that or indeed than I try to do for them in general.

The bike arrived back this morning.

I won't be able to post from now on for quite a while due to workload.

No doubt you and KudosDave will rub your hands in glee.

Hatti

 

Hatti

 

Since you seem determined to give incorrect facts (and it's not the first time) I will set the record straight for you:

 

The collection was arranged for the 21st July between 10-4pm after I rearranged my working week to accommodate

 

I emailed you "I have waited in all day and there has been no collection"

 

and you responded "They are definitely collecting from you today but are running late because they are extremely busy"

 

The courier did not collect

 

The courier did not phone to locate the house

 

You did not pass on the very specific instructions given for the original delivery which would have enabled anyone to find the house

 

on the 22nd July I emailed you:

 

"no they didn't and they have not turned up today either

 

I am out at customers all day tomorrow

 

When you can arrange a reliable courier please get in touch"

 

You responded on the 23rd:

 

"I am sorry for this but I have no control over couriers.

To use a 'reliable' one like DHL would add around £50 to the price of each bike.

Most of our customers would not like to pay this.

Please let me know when you will be there again and I will try to get Parcelforce to go there again on this date.

I am constrained by costs on this one. Sorry"

 

I did not respond to that email as I was very busy with work and you did telephone on Saturday 26th July to rearrange for the 29th. I repeated the simple instructions to find the house

 

The courier did not collect on the 29th and no telephone call was received

 

Parcelforce were never going to collect day because the collection was not arranged on the manifest

 

Subsequently someone has entered the cellar of the house and removed the bike without our knowledge - I regard this an extremely serious matter and request an explanation

Dm

A simple explanation is the couriers are cheap and poor service.

But you have got a budget brand bike.

As soon as I saw Parcelforce mentioned I groaned.

.

I bought their stock and about to buy some more, so I feel I should present some defence on their behalf.

a) they've got there at the end, b) somebody let them in the house/cellar, their driver can't be Superman with X-Ray vision and c) There must be a reason why they've missed 3 collections. Everybody has GPS nowaday.

 

they can't be that bad surely?

As soon as I saw Parcelforce mentioned I groaned.

.

 

Parcelforce are OK up here. Citylink, however! Their driver in my area is great, their office staff take stupidity to new levels.

Yes. It depends where you live and whether you live in a big conurbation where they'll employ anyone who can present a driving license and doesn't appear to be drunk at the interview. Even Hermes delivers okay around here, and all the main ones have regular drivers who know the area.

All I know in my area is how slow and unreliable Parcelforce have been. All the others have been ok and DPD have outstanding in every way.

.

David

 

I did say on another thread that due to workload I shall not be posting much over the next few days.

However since I am still at work at 20h30 and due to the fact that you seem intent on criticizing me, I feel compelled to reply.

 

Firstly, I do not feel that Woosh has given you dreadful service.

The bike was purchased under the Cycle to Work scheme for another rider, not you. However, it appears that it is you who is riding the bike and not the other rider. It would have been interesting to know what the other rider's reactions to the bike were. You complained about a scratch on the bike on receipt but more importantly that over the following few weeks the gears made a crunching sound when changed on a hill. If many customers had had the same problem we would have agreed that there could be an issue but the fact is that not a single person has complained to me about this apart from you , and I have doubts about Kudos Dave's insistence that 'countless people' complained to him at his Redbridge event earlier in the year. He has yet to substantiate this. You have also seen for yourself on this forum that most people do not seem to think that there is an issue with changing the gears on this model.

We received the bike back today. It is possible that something else accounts for the problems that you had - for example, damage during its initial transit to you which resulted in physical damage to the bike's hardware such as the chain, derailleur or free wheel. We have not had time to inspect the bike yet but if a problem like this becomes apparent I will certainly let you know and I shall be completely truthful about it.

 

We then offered to upgrade your bike for you at a very modest sum - yes, in view of all the costs we had incurred - to a Big Bear LS. As far as I am aware, apart from some vibrations through the handlebar headset that you mentioned, this bike seems to be performing well for you and you are happy with it. I can supply copy emails from you to substantiate this if necessary.

I do not see therefore how Woosh can be accused of bad service on this particular point. .

 

So if I understand correctly, the bad service relates either to the technical support that you received when you were unable to change the gears or to the Parcelforce service which relates to the collection of the Santana CD following delivery of your Big Bear LS upgrade. The technical support appertaining to the gear changes has already been documented. The fact remains that no other customer, out of nearly 2000 crank drive bikes delivered by us to date, has complained about this problem except for you and Kudos Dave's 'very nice couple whose names I don't know' (quote).

As I said, however, your problem may lie elsewhere.

 

Now, lets move on to the collection of the Santana CD bike..

 

We have spent the past 5 years using 3 couriers: Citylink, Interlink and Parcelforce. All three have a delivery success rate of the due date of around 95%. Of the three, Citylink and Parcelforce rates for delivery were (and still are) £19 plus VAT for a 2 day working service, whilst Interlink's are £23 plus VAT for an overnight (next business day) delivery.

For damage during transit the statistics are roughly as follows: interlink , 20% of items damaged, Citylink and Parcelforce 5% items damaged. No bike has ever been written off with a courier. The damage incurred has been minor, such as a broken light, cracked chain guard or broken rear carrier. We have decided that overall Parcelforce is the best courier at the moment. The reason for this is that we receive an excellent, prompt collection service here with a large van daily at 4pm - without fail - and 95% of items arrive safely with 2 working days. Parcelforce do not use a conveyor belt for our bikes, whilst Interlink apparently do and incur far more damage.

Collections by many couriers are dealt with differently and incur more costs. I do not understand why exactly this happens but if I find out, I will let you know. To get a collection via Interlink is £35 plus VAT. It arrives overnight but with the inherent high risk of damage due to the use of conveyor belts. A Parcelforce collection costs £27 but the goods rarely get damaged due to the fact that a conveyor belt is not used.

 

When the order was initially placed by you you gave me instructions for the courier on how he could find your house. There was evidently some difficulty with this or you would not have needed to give them to me.

These instructions were printed on a label by me and affixed to the carton by me. When I arranged collection from you I did not have the means to issue similar instructions. I cannot for example print a label for you and this would be pointless because there would be no need - by that time, the courier would have found you and collected the bike. So I have to issue instructions on the Parcelforce booking website and the number of characters allowing me to do this are limited - I think around 16 letters or so. I can hardly put that your house is the last building before such and such a place on the booking form for collection - there is insufficient space - but I can do so when sending the goods because I can physically affix labels to the carton.

 

Parcelforce did not collect from you on the due date. Not good. I quite agree. When I complained to the manager at your local depot, he said that the usual driver was on holiday and that an agency driver had had to be used. This driver could not find your house. In the absence of a street name and in the absence of specific directions for collection due to the system, he simply could not find you. He tried the following day and again could not find you. He may not have been bright, he may have been foreign ....I do not know. But he could not find you. He tried.

I then tried to get hold of you twice by email with no luck and finally rang you to arrange collection on 29th July. I called the manager at the local Parcelforce depot on the day I booked the collection to make sure it would happen. I then called on the morning of 29th July and again they confirmed that it would happen.

 

You did not call me to say that the collection did not happen 29th July.

You say that the item was taken from a cellar? Could you please tell me more? I have never heard of such a thing. Was the cellar locked? Did you leave instructions that it could be collected from there? Presumably not. This obviously is quite serious and I will take it up with Parcelforce and let you know what they say.

 

In spite of this, I still maintain that I have no control over couriers and I would think that any sensible, intelligent person would understand this.

 

And as I said to you recently, a 100% guaranteed delivery / collection service would cost a great deal more with DHL or TNT. Would you have been willing to pay some £80 to £90 for this? I asked you and said that if you were, perhaps other customers would agree and we could then offer this as an option. You didn't reply. Could you do so now?

 

I recently sent a bike to Parcelforce in Belfast. The customer came up from southern Ireland by train to collect the bike in a box. The Parcelforce staff not only took the bike out of its box but finished assembling it, checked it, kept the carton to throw away with their main rubbish and then accompanied him to the station because he wasn't sure how to get there on his new bike. The customer is very happy with us...and very happy with Parcelforce.

 

This thread promises to be an extremely boring one. I pity anyone who wants to read it in its entirety, but you forced me to write it. .

 

Evenin' all.

Hatti

All I know in my area is how slow and unreliable Parcelforce have been. All the others have been ok and DPD have outstanding in every way.

.

Flecc

 

DPD are part of Interlink. Fast overnight service, extremely polite drivers but because they use conveyor belts have damaged our bike cartons in the past.

Despite assurances that they handle large parcels manually they don't, whilst Parcelforce do and cause far less damage. See my very long post (if you can really stay awake long enough to read it all).

 

So at the end of the day the service for all of them is pretty much like this: very good service if the regular driver is on the route. These guys put in a very long day - up to 100 drops daily - starting at 5 am and having to put up with accidents, traffic jams on the M25 (and others) plus having to lug Sharon's Argos wardrobe up 5 flights of stairs. It isn't funny, although they do get quite well paid, I've been told. But when they dare...dare.... to take a holiday, the stand in guy doesn't know the round and usually messes up completely.

 

I don't agree that Parcelforce is dreadful - again, see my (very boring) post towards the end. I think all couriers are pretty similar. It is down to how well you wrap the box (we do it very well , damage is rare) and just hope that Bill your regular driver isn't on holiday, no matter which courier you are using.

 

Actually we have two collections here each day - a huge van at 2pm with a tall tattooed nice young guy and a smaller transit at 4pm with a very old chappy who is stone deaf. We make signs at him through the warehouse window holding up fingers - (bit like skating scores): . '4 more. 8 more. 3 more. None' and then flap our arms around wildly inviting him in or shooing him away. Works a treat. .

 

Great guys locally, love 'em to bits.

 

Hatti

I reckon it was Col Mustard - aka Kudos Dave - who took the bike out of the cellar.

 

If the OP looks, he will find it in the library.

Don't worry Hattie you have many supporters on this forum. To date I have received nothing but an excellent service from your company despite not having bought a bike from you.

For what its worth my next purchase will be a Woosh, whilst nothing is ever perfect you and a few other dealers on this forum are a credit to the industry.

Have a good weekend.

I reckon it was Col Mustard - aka Kudos Dave - who took the bike out of the cellar.

 

If the OP looks, he will find it in the library.

 

Maybe I could clout him one with a candlestick?

Hatti

Maybe I could clout him one with a candlestick?

Hatti

 

There's no reply to that I which wouldn't upset someone, so I will resort to going back on topic.

 

I can't take this thread seriously, if it's about anything at all, it's about poor couriers.

 

Blaming the bike supplier is unfair.

 

That's not to creep around Hatti, I would say the same whoever supplied the bike.

Just for the record.

 

Some time ago I ordered a bike from Woosh, which I subsequently had to cancel owing to a change in my circumstances at the time.

I have seldom received such pleasant, honest and helpful service from a company, and from Hatti in particular, when I have been purchasing something, let alone cancelling an order.

 

I do understand how frustrating and annoying it is when delivery / collections don't go to plan, but having read this thread, I would still have total confidence in Woosh and Hatti.

I would like to add that i have purchased two Woosh bikes, and had both delivered "Offshore" to Ireland perfectly well.

 

I to, found dealing with Hatti, and some of Tech staff via E mail and by phone, very easy, well informed, and helpful.

 

I must say without reservation, that i have recommended Woosh to friends and family that have asked about the bikes.

 

In simple terms, i got exactly what we wanted / needed, at a price that i felt was right for the product.

I too have bought a bike and a spare charger from Woosh and received excellent service.

The heading of this subject is unfair to Woosh, obviously it was the couriers fault.

Hatti, after reading all your good reviews I think that this is the right opportunity for you to triple the price on your bikes. . Sorry forum.

 

MS.

Talk about Teddies and Prams ! From everyone !!!!!This sort of thing puts people right off forums. When I grow up I'm going to be a fireman !

David

Firstly, I do not feel that Woosh has given you dreadful service./quote]

 

How would you describe failing to collect on three separate days ?

I use APC . www.apc-overnight.com/ Fast and reliable. . Picked up and delivered on time. Totally reliable. Give your local Depot a call . Usual disclaimer, long term customer no other connection.

I don't agree that Parcelforce is dreadful - again, see my (very boring) post towards the end. I think all couriers are pretty similar. It is down to how well you wrap the box (we do it very well , damage is rare) and just hope that Bill your regular driver isn't on holiday, no matter which courier you are using.

 

Totally different cases Hatti, you despatch goods, I'm a regularly receiving customer.

 

I'm genuinely pleased that Parcelforce give you a service that is satisfactory but know only too well how far short of that they consistently fall for this customer, and always have done.

 

When they are the courier, all too often I have no idea which day I'll get an item, let alone when in the day. The tracking facility often isn't available, and even when it supposedly is, it's no use due to very slow updating. I can't spend my life sitting indoors day after day on the offchance that something might arrive.

 

The rival couriers all give a better service, often infinitely better. With my preferred DPD for example, a recent sequence of three deliveries and a collection all followed this pattern. The day before an email from the supplier telling me the delivery would be next day, then very early the next morning an email from DPD advising the half hour slot, the delivery number and the driver's name, accompanied by an active tracking map so I could see all day long exactly where the driver was and if he's on schedule. They always have been. Almost immediately following that, an email from the supplier advises the same information, ensuring that I'd received it.

 

You'll see from that how the supplier plays a part, not only in choosing DPD but in being a reliable part of the information process. I've noticed that part of the Parcelforce problem has been that some ( you are excluded of course) of the companies using them fall short with their own part, often delaying despatch (but never delaying taking the payment). That combination of supplier shortfall and Parcelforce failings combine to make for delivery delays and not knowing when they'll take place. Of course as the customer I don't know or care who's to blame, I only know that unsatisfactory service is associated with Parcelforce, and as a result I try to avoid knowingly dealing with companies who use them.

 

There are differences in my area from most others nationally, since my largest of the London boroughs is a very high density delivery area. My last DPD delivery illustrates this. First thing in the morning the driver was shown as delivering a metaphorical stone's throw away from me in an estate alongside mine, but my number 83 delivery was scheduled for 3.30 PM. He spent the whole day delivering in an area no more than about one mile deep and under two miles wide and I had line of sight of the two delivery points before mine. His longest runs of the day would have been the five miles from the depot to the delivery area and five miles back again at the end of the day.

 

Of course in some ways that makes it easier to give a good service, but all the couriers have the same benefit and they are all based near each other in the same industrial/commercial zone of the borough. It follows that all should be able to give at least a similar service. As said, they don't, so from my point of view as a receiving customer, it is totally untrue that all couriers are the same, there are consistent differences, most obviously with Parcelforce.

.

Edited August 2, 201411 yr by flecc

How would you describe failing to collect on three separate days ?

It happens. Try unfortunate.

I to have bought bikes from WHOOSH, and recieved great service from Hatti+ staff bit unfare to blame whoosh for the short comings of a delivery company, my one home will not come up on sat navigation it gives the blacksmiths half a mile down the road, i have also found this true of other places that are rurale , most of the times i get asked for directions by parcelforce drivers the drivers here are locale thankfully. ps (never had a problem with gears on my crank drive )

How would you describe failing to collect on three separate days ?

It wasn't Woosh that failed to collect. It was the carrier company. I can't see why you're holding Woosh responsible. Why didn't you title your thread "Parcelforce - more dreadful service" (or whoever it was)? I don't think you'll get a lot of sympathy here because your blame is going in the wrong direction.

I can't take this thread seriously, if it's about anything at all, it's about poor couriers.

 

Blaming the bike supplier is unfair.

 

It is the bike supplier who chooses the courier, so the bike supplier has to accept responsibility for the delivery service. Delivery & collection is inextricably linked to the purchasing and after sales service.

 

It really annoys me when a company attempts to shovel blame onto one of their subcontractors or suppliers. They choose the supplier, usually on the basis of who can do it for the least amount of cash, and then try to distance themselves if it all goes tits up. There is nothing wrong with using the cheapest sub-contractor in order to keep the overall cost down, but the people appointing them must take it on the chin if it goes wrong.

 

Conversely, customers shouldn't expect too much from budget retailers. For example, I frequently hear passengers whinging about Ryanair's and Easy Jet's service. If they want a premium experience, they should book with British Airways or other national carrier on a scheduled service, business class.

 

No doubt Woosh's products are priced such that a person can own an electric bike for less of a hit to the wallet than owning some other brands, it's a sort of Poundland or Ryanair experience and that suits some people. This is clearly evident from the very happy Woosh customers who have contributed above. Others are content to pay more for a John Lewis or British Aiways type experience.

 

What you can't have is John Lewis customer service for Poundland prices and this is the crux of the problem with the OP. I also note that OP has use / control of the bike, but it was actually purchased by someone else on a tax saving cycle scheme. A scheme which is intended to be used by the participant to cycle to work. Reading between the lines, my guess is that the OP wants it all ways around, premium service at budget prices and a tax free purchase without entitlement. It's not going to happen and he will suffer eternal disappointment.

 

Woosh bikes most likely cater for the budget market perfectly adequately, and to come on here in order to trash their reputation because they have not delivered a premium service is unfair.

Edited August 2, 201411 yr by tillson