Do Halfords really understand about cars or customers?
Discussion
I find Halfords pretty good albeit slightly expensive.
Needed to do a service on my car last weekend. Queued up some click and collect items at Euro Car Parts cos their oil was cheaper and wanted to pick it up Sunday morning. Then I find they we're shut!
Ended up paying a bit extra in Halfords and they had everything I needed. Even treated myself to a new professional socket set that was half price
Needed to do a service on my car last weekend. Queued up some click and collect items at Euro Car Parts cos their oil was cheaper and wanted to pick it up Sunday morning. Then I find they we're shut!
Ended up paying a bit extra in Halfords and they had everything I needed. Even treated myself to a new professional socket set that was half price
I think you're mostly paying for the convenience at Halfords. Most parts etc can be had much cheaper elsewhere, but Halfords are ubiquitous and unlike most competitors are open 7 days of the week. Think my local Halfords opens until 8pm on weekdays. Very handy indeed.
Sometimes it's better to pay £20 for a part I need now than £10 to get it next week.
Sometimes it's better to pay £20 for a part I need now than £10 to get it next week.
As far as being supplied the wrong parts is concerned little has changed since I worked in a motor factors in the mid-70s other than you now look up applications on a computer instead of big thick books.
Sometimes the listing is wrong (I had a 'discussion' in a factors who were adamant that the water pump shown on the computer was the only one for my RRC. Even after being shown the pump on the car. A 'the computer says'.)
Sometimes the info given by the customer is wrong - the trade can be just as bad!
Sometimes the part has been modified - often the latest one is only from a franchised dealer as the aftermarket hasn't caught up yet.(I find this especially with head gaskets & some electrical items)
Sometimes there have been changes to the vehicle & there is more than one part listed, chassis number may not clear the confusion. I've had this with brake pads & shoes (in the factors we used to send out both lots)
Sometimes an aftermarket part is just wrong. (I've had this with Ford V6 & Rover V8 thermostats)
Its easy to fit a stop/tail bulb the wrong way round! (Do people actually bother checking that normal service has been resumed after fitting a replacement bulb - I sometimes wonder!)
I have a Halford's Trade Card & with that the prices are little different to what I pay at the usual factors & sometimes cheaper. I tend to use them only when the factors are closed - but that's mainly because the usual factor is nearer.
Not had an issue with their staff, but that's mainly because I look things up myself in the various parts lists my local ones have hanging on the shelf.
I've also learnt over the years to have a look at the old part before going to fetch the new one so I know what it should look like. That said I do have alternative transport so avoid the issues if you have the car in bits & find you've got the wrong bits.
Sometimes the listing is wrong (I had a 'discussion' in a factors who were adamant that the water pump shown on the computer was the only one for my RRC. Even after being shown the pump on the car. A 'the computer says'.)
Sometimes the info given by the customer is wrong - the trade can be just as bad!
Sometimes the part has been modified - often the latest one is only from a franchised dealer as the aftermarket hasn't caught up yet.(I find this especially with head gaskets & some electrical items)
Sometimes there have been changes to the vehicle & there is more than one part listed, chassis number may not clear the confusion. I've had this with brake pads & shoes (in the factors we used to send out both lots)
Sometimes an aftermarket part is just wrong. (I've had this with Ford V6 & Rover V8 thermostats)
Its easy to fit a stop/tail bulb the wrong way round! (Do people actually bother checking that normal service has been resumed after fitting a replacement bulb - I sometimes wonder!)
I have a Halford's Trade Card & with that the prices are little different to what I pay at the usual factors & sometimes cheaper. I tend to use them only when the factors are closed - but that's mainly because the usual factor is nearer.
Not had an issue with their staff, but that's mainly because I look things up myself in the various parts lists my local ones have hanging on the shelf.
I've also learnt over the years to have a look at the old part before going to fetch the new one so I know what it should look like. That said I do have alternative transport so avoid the issues if you have the car in bits & find you've got the wrong bits.
Edited by paintman on Sunday 26th October 09:22
sebhaque said:
I think people expect far too much of Halfords and end up slagging them off.
I think you have a very valid point here - but it's partly because they have started to market themselves as experts (particularly since the service centers opened and the 'we fit it' thing started). I wouldn't go in there for advice and I'd only buy the items I selected from checking the part numbers / codes before I buy. The we fit it thing is particularly dodgy to me as they don't do any sort of even simple fault finding / root cause checks, I've seen plenty of arguments over refunds when the fitted part had nothing to do to with the problem. As most people have said, they have their place and it's fine as long as you're not expecting too much (or expecting quite what they suggest in their adverts etc).
555 Paul said:
Halfords adverts are always typically very bad but their latest "we fit" advert on the radio is on another level. "When changing a bulb let it cool down first" "ouch it's hot" smash!
Errr if you're changing a bulb isn't that because it's already broken and there for won't get hot? And even if that is the case why would it bother you that you've dropped and broken the old one!
..
Err, except for twin filament bulbs. Obviously their advert is aimed at folk who don't have separate full beams and separate brake lights.Errr if you're changing a bulb isn't that because it's already broken and there for won't get hot? And even if that is the case why would it bother you that you've dropped and broken the old one!
..
Never had a problem with them. Tools are perfectly adequate and with a trade card their prices are fine for routine items such as oil, filter, wipers, batteries, etc. In addition, I'd rather return a faulty item with my receipt and get an instant exchange or refund than go through the teeth sucking exercise in the local factors. As someone suggested, expecting the staff to know what condenser you need for your 1948 Lanchester is a bit daft and I doubt they want that business anyway.
I work within a 100 yards of a Halfords. Headlight on the Smart went last week, so to avoid the buggarance factor I got them to change it (something I'd normally do) Drove home that evening, to find it wasn't fitted properly and was illuminating the tops of the trees. I didn't drive it again until today, so went back into same branch, somebody came out and 're-adjusted' it. Drove home this evening, still not fixed.
I'm going to take it to another branch tomorrow (which I have to pass on my way in) and ask them to take a look. Hopefully they'll be happy to work on the car given that the other branch can't seem to get it right.
I'm going to take it to another branch tomorrow (which I have to pass on my way in) and ask them to take a look. Hopefully they'll be happy to work on the car given that the other branch can't seem to get it right.
heners54 said:
To be fair, most people will change their headlight bulbs in pairs (hopefully), rather than just the broken one. And judging by the number of cars people seem to report driving everywhere with only one headlight bulb working, sometimes on full beam too, I think they need reminding if they have just been out one is cold and broken and the other is pretty hot.
Will they? I've never replaced a working bulb because the one on the other side has goneI had the (push)bike in halfords yesterday for a free service it came with when bought. Whilst there I took them up on their free winter health check for the car (I suspected the battery was on its way out and it certainly did fail their test). The chap I dealt with was most friendly, very knowledgeable and followed Pistonheads!
The bike however came back with the front wheel on the wrong way..
The bike however came back with the front wheel on the wrong way..
I have a trade card & can normally sort myself out. Bought a battery for the Boxster last year as a crisis purchase & got them to change it for £6.99 He used a memory keep alive & swapped it in 10 mins flat. They are reasonably large & right in front of the windscreen, being a relative short arse & with a bad back I was more than happy for them to do it.
Hooli said:
How does everyone manage to get a trade card? I've failed so far & there is a lack of decent alternatives around here. Euro car parts are even worse for getting the right parts, the local independent offers s
te service etc.
I'm a self employed SMART repairer & showed business card & headed paper. The sign written van was parked outside as well....te service etc.I think they understand their market really well - they've survived the worst purge of retail in decades and the local one is always busy
Yeah, costs a fortune and sells a lot of tat - but clearly people like buying the tat/like the service aspect of it too.
For the record, our local motor factor will fit bulbs, tests batteries for free and does other stuff the same as Halfords - charges a fraction for the things they sell - but people don't realise this, so...
Yeah, costs a fortune and sells a lot of tat - but clearly people like buying the tat/like the service aspect of it too.
For the record, our local motor factor will fit bulbs, tests batteries for free and does other stuff the same as Halfords - charges a fraction for the things they sell - but people don't realise this, so...
405dogvan said:
For the record, our local motor factor will fit bulbs, tests batteries for free and does other stuff the same as Halfords - charges a fraction for the things they sell - but people don't realise this, so...
None of ours do (apart from a battery check) - a couple even have prominent signs displayed saying 'We do not fit parts'.555 Paul said:
Zoobeef said:
555 Paul said:
Sump said:
Halfords pro range is also excellent and has a briiliant no quibble warranty. You are a goon.
It is good stuff but they don't warrant "moving parts" so they sell you a kit to fix ratchets.Edited by Sump on Friday 24th October 22:05
Well chuffed with their customer service on this occasion. They did say that they could send off for the correct kit but to save me the effort just replaced the ratchet.
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