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chrisbl4
Joined: 18 Feb 2009
Posts: 5
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 Posted Fri Jun 12, 2009 9:04 am |
Hi all,
Forums offer a great sharing of information as long as you feel able to separate fact from fiction and personal agendas which is sometimes hard. I have been watching the forums for some months now and in fact get to read much of what is written on-line in the UK.
With this in mind I thought it was about time I chipped in to let you know you have been heard, share some information and hopefully dispel a couple of inaccuracies too.....so here goes!
In the 2yrs since we kicked off, things have been overwhelmingly good with people really happy with the product. This has been reflected in the many independent reviews we’ve taken part in, the majority of which we have been ranked first in which is nice! This in fact led to some of the issues that people have experienced, but not all:
1. Frequently low Stock levels
2. Patchy mechanical service from Halfords
3. Patchy customer service from Halfords
4. Misconceptions about 'who' Boardman are.
I will start with the last issue first:
Who are 'Boardman'?
Fact: Boardman are an independent company set up and led by former top triathlete, Alan Ingarfield. We design, spec and test our bikes and in the UK, these are available exclusively at Halfords but, Boardman and Halfords are not one and the same. We chose Halfords as our exclusive distributor for four reasons:
* They gave us instant access to a huge number of people, meaning fast
expansion and allowing the high-level of investment in R&D we want to do.
* The scale we could start at allowed us to offer you the bikes we wanted to build at awesome prices.
* They agreed to fully support what we wanted to do in terms of very high specification (and fair play, they have)
* Lastly, they expressed a real desire to use the partnership with us
to move on their own business, more about that in a moment.
So, Boardman Bikes is a completely independent company with full control of product, this will become even more apparent as we expand into other countries, which we plan to do.
We could not have achieved what we have (in less than 2yrs) without working exclusively with Halfords and I'm still very happy we took this route. That doesn't mean however there aren't issues to be overcome and that's the point of this mail.
Low Stock Levels
I don't think anyone can say hand-on-heart that they could have predicted the incredible demand, particularly on some models, that we have seen. As our exclusive retailer, Halfords are working hard to ensure stock levels are back up ASAP - steps were immediately taken to speed up production and we are well on the way to catching up, but at time of writing, it will still take approx 5 weeks to get fully back up to speed on every model.
Patchy Mechanical and Customer Service
A lot of the posts I read were about these two issues and even after weeding out those that had an axe to grind, there were still too many legitimate issues, so I wrote to Paul McClenaghan, the Commercial Director of Halfords and attached a large selection of forum posts. As soon as he got the mail, Paul contacted me and we arranged to meet. This happened yesterday.
Paul and another board member, Andy Torrance (Store Operations and Logistics Director) had already got together and personally looked at every post. Andy's immediate response was that many of the issues raised were 'many of the issues raised were just unacceptable and below the standards that Halfords set' which was a good start. From this point, lots of ideas were discussed on how the service you receive can/would be improved/made more consistent in the stores that sell the Boardman range.
I am not going to hold myself responsible for how well or how fast Halfords
tackles the issues, I would be making promises that aren't mine to keep but I can promise I will keep pushing them towards being World Class in this area, which is what they wanted, or at the very least make very clear to the customer what they can and can't expect from them.
I'll keep you updated on progress and post actions that Halfords agree to
put in place.
Direct On-line Sales
What I can tell you that's new, is after hearing what you all had to say,
Halfords have now set up an on-line deliver-to-your-door ready-built option for us, so for those not living near a Halfords which stocks our range, or, for those that would prefer not to go into a Halfords store, it’s an additional way of being able to buy a bike. It’s a great idea, but will it actually work?
In short - yes - I believe it has great potential. I visited the workshop yesterday and spoke to the guys who will be building the bikes, again I can't make promises that aren't mine to keep but I can share with you what I saw. The team was a small group of real bike riders who love what they do, which gave me a lot of confidence and the capacity to deal with the demand seemed plausible. I personally think the service will deliver a lot of what people want but if it doesn't, let me know either via our website or the forums and I'll be asking why not.
There will always be those that have already decided what their opinion is and that's that, but for those that haven't had the best experience so far and have an open mind, I hope this helps a bit. I have absolute faith in our range of products - which has been mirrored not only in the demand from the general public, but from the press and their reviews. We are working hard to bring you the best quality bikes in the UK and we're also working hard to ensure Halfords continue with the progress they have made in staff training and product knowledge.
So, there you go, I really just wanted to let you know I've heard what you’ve said - both good and bad - and it's appreciated.
Thanks everyone for the overwhelming support so far, we promise to keep it up and keep striving to make even better bikes and I promise to drop in from time-to-time and update you.
Cheers
Chris B
PS Sorry for the long post!
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alfablue
Joined: 05 Jun 2005
Posts: 6460
Location: Bath, UK
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Posted Fri Jun 12, 2009 9:18 am |
Chris! Fantastic that you posted on our forum, it is this sort of thing that turns an anonymous brand in to one that people can feel a real connection with, particularly if their issues are listened to, which they clearly are.
I think the brand is a major success, proven by the low stock issues! An incredible achievement after only 2 years, and during difficult times with the economy. The design, quality and price are obviously right, and the many reviews prove this. Also, many people reluctant to buy from Halfords have overcome their concerns because the bikes are very difficult (or impossible) to beat!
Keep up the good work!
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Simon Notley
Joined: 25 Apr 2005
Posts: 1100
Location: Bracknell
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Posted Fri Jun 12, 2009 9:21 am |
Hi Chris
I don't actually have a Boardman bike, but it's good to see you taking an interest in customer feedback. I should warn you though that now you've broken your silence and posted on the forum, you are likley to be subjected to a number of "are you really Chris Boardman" tests similar to those devised for Robert Millar when he (allegedlly) appeared on here. Perhaps you could post a photo of your self making a post or answer some obscure questions about conversations you had thirty years ago.
Simon
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dodgy
Joined: 27 May 2007
Posts: 676
Location: Wirral
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bompington
Joined: 22 May 2008
Posts: 716
Location: Dundee
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Posted Fri Jun 12, 2009 9:39 am |
This kind of thing (listening to customers, posting on forums) could lift the brand hugely - up until now, the Boardman name has got respect, the bikes have got respect, but the front end, the public face, the customer experience, is Halfords! Now I don't have any axe to grind with Halfords, I would happily buy bikes from Tesco or Lidl if they were the right bikes, but it's clear that customer service and build quality have been shocking, and something needs to be done about that.
CB's post does 2 things here-
1. makes Boardman bikes (image: olympics, TDF, design, technology, quality) more visible and Halfords (image: cheap stuff for cars, poor service, worse technical skills, shocking product knowledge) less visible
2. reassures us that someone is putting pressure on Halfords to correct the issues - I am making a (hopefully reasonable) assumption that the people in charge at Halfords are not evil or incompetent, but would actually like to have a good reputation for both products and service.
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NapoleonD
Joined: 16 Jan 2008
Posts: 5955
Location: Cheshire
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Finbar Saunders
Joined: 02 Sep 2008
Posts: 192
Location: Thanet, Kent
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Posted Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:39 am |
Great to hear how the problems are being addressed. As a potential customer who would have bought a Boardman if anyone could have told me where to find one in my size (after waiting for a month with a Bike2Work voucher burning a whole in my pocket) it's good to know something is being done. But too late for me as I decide I didn't want to wait any longer. Direct to home would certainly have been a great option for me.
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alexclaber
Joined: 12 Jun 2009
Posts: 26
Location: Brighton, UK
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Posted Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:49 am |
I bought a Boardman HT Pro (or is that Boardman Pro HT?) last Sunday - first MTB I've owned since my Trek got nicked in London years ago and I moved over to just commuting and suchlike on a Brompton (which I've now owned longer than any other bike because it's much harder to steal something that comes into the office with you!)
Am just getting used to the completely different handling of a fat tyred long trail MTB compared to the skinny tyred short trail Brompton but so far am deeply impressed with the lively ride and sheer offroad speed of the HT Pro. I'd only intended to spend about £600 on a MTB and almost went with the HT Comp but the incredible spec and very low weight of the Pro proved too tempting, along with the fantastic reviews I kept reading.
As someone who recently started his own company competing with big brands selling high value products to enthusiasts (bass players in my case) it's real challenge to persuade the consumer that you can offer a better product at a better price despite not having years of history or a famous brand, so kudos to Boardman for getting a good toehold in the market and good luck for the future!
I look forward to my first proper outing on the South Downs this weekend!
Alex
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spongtastic
Joined: 05 Apr 2006
Posts: 577
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Posted Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:59 am |
If Boardman and Halfords aren't one and the same then why blame Halfords for failing to get stock?
And why not sell bikes to independants now? I know that most local authorities use Cyclscheme rather than Halfords Bike to Work.
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BenBlyth
Joined: 26 Sep 2007
Posts: 445
Location: Cleckheaton (Bradford)
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Posted Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:01 am |
Hi Chris,
I don't have a Boardman bike however I do have a bike purchased via (and built up by) Halfords through my Cycle to work scheme. My thoughts on your brand were very mixed.
Positives were: Excellent reviews of the bikes, spec's and price.
Con's were: Service and the fact the came from, Halfords.
I think you are going to be tied with Halfords as long as your bikes are sold through them. My experiance with Halfords matched what other posters have mentioned on here. Since I have had my bike (which was bought for £1k) I have found the stem come loose mid ride, and found the build was poor which could have potentially damaged the frame (according to my LBS, who are very good).
When I purchased the bike, I had to show the Halfords "Bike specialist" which way round the pedals went (Seriously) and was presented with the bike which had the bar tape wrapped round about 4" of the bars then just hanging off.
Due to this, I won't get another bike through Halfords until I hear things have improved, service wise. I really hope you can encourage them to provide proper training to their staff as you appear to have an excellent product that is not fulfilling its full potential.
Best of luck and thanks for keeping us up to date.
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nferrar
Joined: 28 Aug 2007
Posts: 932
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Posted Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:39 am |
Do Halfords mechanics need a recognised qualification like Cytech? If not surely introducing that would be a good starting point (or maybe a stipulation Boardman bikes could only be sold from Halfords branches with a Cytech mechanic and that mechanic must do the set up).
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sneakerfreaker
Joined: 03 Jun 2009
Posts: 7
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Posted Fri Jun 12, 2009 12:11 pm |
Well, on that excellent note from Chris I'll make my first post after lurking for a few weeks.
I recently (6 weeks) purchased a Boardman Team Carbon and I absolutely love it! I also looked at Trek and Giant alternatives but the Boardman just felt right for me.
Halfords Portsmouth got me a medium in and I collected 2 days later. The staff were polite and informative, even during busy periods. Sure I've had to tinker with the setup a little, I can't help myself 
Keep up the good work Team Boardman!
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phinbob
Joined: 08 Jun 2009
Posts: 2
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Posted Fri Jun 12, 2009 12:17 pm |
Just to add a counter point to the negative Halfords comments, I bought a Boardman MTB about a year ago.
It's ridden great, was set up fine and I've had no serious issues with it (apart from the Shimano chain, replaced with an Sram one now). I've had a lot worse service in some of the smaller bike shops in my area.
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supersonicLives Here
Joined: 25 Nov 2005
Posts: 50524
Location: Chapeltown, Sheffield
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Topsey Turvey
Joined: 30 Dec 2008
Posts: 397
Location: Last chance saloon
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Posted Fri Jun 12, 2009 12:39 pm |
I used to know (very slightly) Chris B. I knew his mother and father rather better. All very nice people. This was in the time when Chris was ruling the roost in Time Trials. He always beat me, but then he always beat everyone. I've even got a video of him passing me somewhere on the Isle Of Man Mountain TT back in the mid 1990s.
I don't think Chris would lend his name to anything that he didn't believe in, and I'd be quite happy to have one of his bikes purely on the basis of my historic and infrequent contacts with him. Chris is a pretty straight guy, and if he says that he's aware of problems and is working to sort them out then it's pretty certain that he'll be just doing that.
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Si78
Joined: 24 Apr 2009
Posts: 930
Location: Chester
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Courage Monsieur
Joined: 03 May 2004
Posts: 328
Location: SE London
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Posted Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:48 pm |
Awesome, Boardman on the forum!
This must be what it feels like when David Millar rocks up unexpectedly at the club 10.
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STEFANOS4784
Joined: 30 Jul 2008
Posts: 3099
Location: 'Down Norton'
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Si78
Joined: 24 Apr 2009
Posts: 930
Location: Chester
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dodgy
Joined: 27 May 2007
Posts: 676
Location: Wirral
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(I was cycling the opposite direction).
, good to see people listen and act upon what they've heard!
