JAX(All locations) - merged threads

I responded to some of your comments about our irvine store but this needs addressing too. First, when have you met Dave? I would guess never because he is so driven to making clients happy I know you'd love him. I am very sorry you feel we were trying to ruin your cycling experience with your trek. You seemed very patient and understanding while in my store and as a manager I had no idea how upset you were. it's easier to be tough online I suppose?
I am actually hurt that you "hate" when we sponsor events. (Breast cancer awareness rides, aids rides, Ms 150, Jax for Joe ride, Countless Warriors society rides....) We don't do those for dollars. That's advocacy because we care. Our VP goes to D.C every year to support the bikes belong coalition to make more U.S. cities bike friendly and safe. We do care, we are a business.
You really seem to have an axe to grind but I personally feel you are being mean spirited and a bit harsh calling Dave a Putz. Namecalling is always the solution huh? I can't speak for the crew at Fullerton, but you really should have addressed some of your issues with store management or Dave himself before the bashing you are giving Jax. Once again we will use these reviews to better our business and make our clients happy.
Oh, one last thing. We do not sell tubes for $11.00. They are $5.99 for regular $9.99 for heavy duty. Pretty fair these days.

 

I love Jax. They've always done a great job for me every time. I agree about Brent doing great fittings. He fixed a nagging knee problem I had. Anyway, thanks Jax I'll continue to support you guys!

 

Jenson's a great shop. I like them. But letting you take parts and pay for them later? Really? You can't expect a business to do that. It's great if they will let you but that's just strange. I go to Albertson's way more than anybody would ever go to a bike shop and if I asked to take some steaks and I'd pay when i got the money I'm pretty sure the answer would be NO! I like Jax. Always have. I'd reccomend them to anyone.

 

I think RAAM was talking about his local shop....that's the beauty of shopping local at enthusiast run shops, they'll respect you trust you and typically go the extra mile because they're all riders.

 

Cool. I wouldn't expect taking parts without paying, but I understand. I guess I just wouldn't but em if I could,t afford em yet. I wil say that I've always felt Jax cared about me and my bike, treat me well and are always friendly. I've gone on some rides with most of them, they all ride too. I think having many locations might complicate things for Jax as far as giving discounts and letting people cruise out with parts that aren't paid for?

 

Huh?

Brent is the only tech I'd trust my bike with in the shop. You can just tell he's a master mechanic when you see him throw the bike in the clamp and start to make adjustments. Shifting problems? Bam! Done in 10 seconds... Brent was the only person who would listen to me and react appropriately.

....Plus he does this move down the middle aisle of the store where he does a 90 degree turn while riding the bike by pivoting it on the front tire, flipping the bike backwards, then balancing on the rear tire to complete the turn. Total badass. Look for the dark hair and glasses.


Comments....

-I forgot about this. I was told during the sales cycle that if I didn't like the Bontrager tires then I could bring them back and get store credit. I rode them on 1 ride, realized they wouldn't hold a line, and brought them back to trade in. The rep said that wasn't the deal and refused to take them back. They are still sitting in my garage collecting dust.

-So...I had a Panaracer Smoke on my rear when I brought it in, which is clearly a directional tire. I guess it could be argued that some people like them backwards, but when in doubt go with the norm. I shouldn't have to pull my bike apart after a trip to the shop.

-Now that you're making me remember, Brent did mess up my bike a bit. He pulled my rear tire to fix the rim tape. He reinstalled the tire when the bike was in the stand, only he didn't get the tire seated completely when he tightened the QR lever. He then noticed my disc brakes weren't aligned, and proceeded to line them up with the new rear tire position. The next time I pulled my tire and reinstalled it properly, the brakes rubbed and I had to essentially undo the "fix".

-There's no way that the rep knew the riding habits of the guy buying lube. I know it happens with some customers, but definitely not this guy. Remember, I was the one who took the time to talk to the guy and found out where he rode and how often.

-$10 to change a tire is reasonable. $20 is what I had a problem with. The wholesale cost of a tube in the bulk that Jax buys them in has to put tires at around $1 apiece. The heavy duty ones are a little more....maybe $3? If I had my tools with me, I would have patched the guys tire in the parking lot for free.

-The 4900 has 8 gears, not 7.

-The bolt comment (from some other thread)....A friend of mine lost his crank bolt and in a pinch went into Jax Irvine for the replacement. He said they had it lying around the shop. Unfortunately we did a 50 mile super loop the next day and had to pull over to tighten it every 15 miles. Ugh.

-A different friend went to Jax Irvine with rear shifting problems. Upon first inspection, the tech immediately diagnosed it as a bad rear derailleur that needed to be replaced. The friend asked for a 2nd opinion since the bike was only 6 months old. Turns out only the cable was rusted and needed to be replaced. That's a huge difference between replacing a derailleur and replacing a cable.

Finally, all my comments are from a person who had the excitement of his brand new, relatively expensive bike, soured by many trips to the shop and getting nickel & dimed. Add up the time I spent at the side of the trail fixing flats & other problems to the driving time (20mins each way) spent dropping off & picking up my bike, and you have a lot of wasted time. I stand my my feelings & comments that I have expressed on this board.

Thank you for your comments. I know you have to defend your shop. It is a nice gesture to invite me back to the shop, but I don't necessarily think it would be in my best interest; especially now. Switchback Cyclery is my new shop and have been doing an awesome job for me.


LOL...my money is on Sanantonioascent being connected to Jax and coming to save the company name with some positive feedback. This was his first forum post.:welcome:

 

*Sigh*

The post before my post called Dave a putz.

The purpose of sponsorships is to create name recognition, which leads to future business (aka $$). It is not a purely philanthropic thing as your post suggests.

"Easier to be tough online"? I share my opinions & experiences in person also. I talked to the manager of the Jax Long Beach store after Counting Coup about all my problems & frustrations. I also tell people on the trails about my bad experience when the topic arises. My poor riding buddies had to endure months of Jax updates. I seemed calm in the store because I was beyond angry and I didn't want to rip into the person who I was just about to leave my bike with. Surely you're not suggesting that yelling would have yielded a better result.

Read the other posts.....I'm not the only person with an issue with Jax. People are free to post positive comments. Unfortunately it is a little more personal because you did everything you could to fix a bad situation and now you are reading about how it unfolded online. The problem isn't you...it is your co-workers.

 

Thanks for the reply. Well put. the KY comment was from another poster, not you. Sorry for any confusion. I appreciate your kind words on my mechanical skills, I make mistakes sometimes but I take great pride in my work and don't make many of them.
The 30 day return policy is unconditional as long as a recepit is present and it's within 30 days. I don't understand why your tires wouldn't have been refunded:?:. I'd still take em back if you've still got em.
All those flats were tough and I don't blame you for being upset there at all.
Once again, the tube pricing is fair. $9.99 for a heavy duty tube and $5.99 for a standard with a $10.00 labor per wheel. With a standard tube it's $16.45 for 1 flat. Something a lot of cyclist may not know is the following: Fixing flats all day stinks. Tires have dog crap on em, bikes are filthy, hubs are loose, brakes aren't adjusted properly, chainguards make it take 5 minutes longer, hands get cut looking for what caused the flat in the first place (since you will run your hand quickly inside the tire and find....ouch....that piece of glass.)
When the hub is loose we'll tighten it, when the brakes rub we'll fix em, we even lube the chain. Fixing a flat isn't always that simple and the cost is justified. You'd agree here if you wrenched on bikes full time. I'll even teach clients how to it at no charge if they ask. Many times people will say"you fixed my flat and now my bike won't shift" We gotta do that for free to. Ah, now I sound like a whiner, oh well, gotta explain a bit.
As far as coming back in, honestly, we'd love to have you. No hard feelings at all, Santiago is great too if you like it there. Please don't feel you can't come in though. We're cool like that, besides, I'd like to credit you back for those tires. Plus your response really isn't mean spirited (I hope mine aren't sounding that way) Thanks for the time and profesional response. I hope you continue to enjoy your Mountain bike. Oh......Honestly, I have no idea who san antonio ascent is. But I like Him:beer:

 

Fair enough. I tried. I guess I'm so used to customers telling me how they really feel while in the shop that you caught me by surprise. I re- read the post, You are correct, Putz was used by someone else, You said putziness in regards to that post. I'll edit there. I get the feeling I'm reading your posts in a negative voice which is why I made the tough on line comment. Perhaps you are calmer than I am reading.
Yelling isn't a solution either, but I guess I'd rather have addressed these issues before I read about them is all. It is a nice form though and I've enjoyed it so far.
From what I can see, you are about the only guy with negative posts who seems to have a legitimate complaint. The others seem to want stuff for free or just don't like the prices. Comparing to mail order isn't really fair. I am completley confused by the chainring price post:?:. Wish I could get the details on that one. Thanks for your candor and willingness to explain yourself. We really do care.

 

Yeah, I don't see much of a problem with charging $10 to change a tube, as long as the customer is quoted the price up front. Then it's up to the buyer to decide whether it's worth it or not. Some people would rather have the shop do that kind of work than bother with it themselves--and if they've got $10, then it's no skin off my back.

I bought a blue Trek water bottle from Jax about four years ago. Still have it.

 

quick little rant. went jax in lb today to pick up some washers for my brake caliper bolts and i thought it would be a no brainer, but to my surprise they didnt have any. the dudes wrenching were apologetic and suggested i check out ace hardware down the street. so i boogied down there and got what i needed.

 

:clap:Ha Ha! I've lurked on this board for a long time and never posted. After I saw the Jax reviews yesterday I signed up because I like the guys. I bought my Trek there a ways back, don't go in too much but they're my shop. Brent, next time I come in you'll know who I am. Thanks for the welcome winger. See Y'all on the trails.

 

I wouldn't go here if you need anything repaired. My younger brother broke the chain on his bike and took it there to be fixed. It was only his third ride and he didn't know how to fix it. I wasn't in the area so he went there and bought a chain. He asked if they could put in on for him. They told him they could but they were backed up so it would be three weeks before he got his bike back. Pretty crazy when it would of taken them 5 minutes to fix it.

 

It's funny that the same comments always floated around about Superblo, I worked there for a long time, and for the number of people who told us they were happy about the service, there we countless more that were dissatisfied, many negative comments about Alan Goldsmith and the managers/staff. In the end it's a bitch owning and running any retail business, and there are some that are better than others. Alan never made friends giving away parts, but sold the stores for millions, but the local shops that do hook up their friends and take care riders, typically never make millionaire owners, but gain customers for life. In the end it's the whole mom and pop versus Wal-Mart thing.......

 

my .02 on Jax Irvine

Let me start off by saying I think everyone has had an "experience" at every shop in the area. Name a shop, I'm sure we can find someone to post about their experience.
I purchased a trek 5.0 road bike from Jax Irvine a few months ago. I had a serious warranty issue about 28 days into ownership , the seatstay pulled away from the dropout. Jax stepped up an offered to handle the warranty issue with Trek. However, the issue got old after 3-4 weeks into it with very little activity. Jax gave me a loaner which was cool, but the core warranty issue still was not resolved- I was ready to use the 30-day return policy when owner David Hanson called and stepped in to resolve the issue. He was able to get me my replacement bike within a week(!).
I'm not sure what to think about Jax- they took some time to take care of me, but they did at the end of the day. I wish they had done it sooner and I would be an ecstatic Jax supporter, but it took about 4+ weeks and the owner to resolve it. Would I buy from Jax again? Yes, I would give them another shot.
PS- a follow up postcard after the issue was a nice touch.

 

When does giving something away or "hooking somebody up" have anything to do with good customer service? If I sold you your bike, accessories, fit you to it perfectly, tuned it nicely, helped you decide between several models, took you out for rides, showed you how to fix a flat and follow up with you a month later to see how the bike is doing but didn't give anything away or discount anything is that bad service? Anybody that expects a discount just because they are a rider, or shop somewhere a lot really contributes to why many businesses struggle.
I get hit up for discounts more than 20 times a day and that's being generous. If I say "sorry, we have fair pricing and good selection, and a great return policy. If price means everything to you I'm sure you can find it for less, but we're gonna take good care of you and your bike" I get labeled as a "bad shop" because I would rather not just discount or give stuff away.
The bicycle industry seems to struggle with this a lot but many other industries do too. Nobody should work for free, nobody should expect anybody to work for free. And giving stuff away just because works great for customers though. That shop's great! I'll send in all my friends and tell them" dude, go see bla bla bla, he'll hook you up good!" Now that shops hooking up half of the riders in so cal, but making no money doing it. He may not close down today, but eventually a business has to show some profit. Discounting already low profit items won't get you there. If supergo was such a profitable cash cow for Allan he would have never sold. Pressure from suppliers, a changing marketplace, stress, and shrinking profits all played a part.
It's kind of funny that most of the really great reviews of some shops on here all mention"getting hooked up and working for free" I appreciate the passion all of you guys have and thank you for taking the time to post. A smart business will use the information and try to better themselves.

 

I have a friend who had an issue with not being able to unscrew a rotor bolt. He took it back to Jax Irvine nearly a year after his original bike purchase and Jax warrantied the entire wheel and got him a new one.

 

the shop where i bought my first bike "hooked me up" from the start...i asked how much do i have to put down on lay a way? they said how much do you have? i put 20.00 bucks down. a lot of shops have a 10% or 50% policy.
i have found that the two shops i have relationship with, do "hook up"
i never expect anything from the shops.
even in Brianhead, UT where you can't find a lot of spare parts, the shop at giant steps took a brake lever off a bike sold it to me and installed it in an hour, that's a hook up. so the "hook up" is all up to the shop.
Jax i won't go back to, not because of "hook ups" , but the vibe, i 'm just a walking dollar to them

 

Honestly, as a customer, I don't care if the shop makes a profit. If I'm getting the best price and good service, why should I care? Blah, blah, blah...yeah, someone will say that they may not be there in the long run. So be it. There will be more shops who do "hook up" some customers. So in the mean time, why would I bother paying retail at a shop (Jax) that stocks very little of what enthusiasts want? I'm well beyond needing a $359 Trek or having my flat changed. At this point, Jax has absolutely nothing to offer this MTBer/roadie/CXer/BMXer. Just the same, I know the good places to send my family and friends.

As it's been said, Jax is great for the naive first-time or entry-level bike buyer, but nothing more.

 

that's Jax...take note: keep up the great service
it's really not about the price, it's about how Jax in general treats people.