Suzuki V-Strom (VStrom) Owners Club DL250, DL650, DL1000 & DL1050

Market Place => Dealer / Supplier/ Product Feedback => Topic started by: Fat Rat on August 26, 2009, 21:35:13

Title: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: Fat Rat on August 26, 2009, 21:35:13
The VZ800 I bought recently had a new battery fitted a month before I bought it, the previous owner had not used the bike since fitting and the battery was flat when I went to collect.

I put a Multimeter across it to ensure it was being charged by the bike and all was well, so we bumped the bike and I rode home without incident with a couple of stops en-route. After a couple of days the battery was flat, I did the usual checks to make sure there wasn't excessive current being drawn whilst the bike was idle and all was well.

Stuck the battery on the optimiser for 24hrs, checked the voltage then fitted to the bike. Turned on the lights and Indicators (no engine) and watched the battery go flat in less than two minutes..

Anyway, the battery was under warranty so I took it back to where it was bought, JTs Motorcycles in Swansea. Some arrogant idiot in their Workshop put his own tester across the battery and in four seconds said "Nuthin' wrong with it mate"  Keeping calm I explained the tests I had carried out and told him the battery wasn't holding a charge. So another good three second test with his rusty box he called a tester and same conclusion.

I was getting irate by now particularly when his technical explanantion was that the battery wasn't a Car Battery and therefore couldn't be expected to power the lights with the engine off  :shock:

I suggested that a battery rated at least 10ah should comfortably run the lamps in that bike for more than two minutes. They were having none of it so I was left with two choices, punch him or tell him to stick the battery up his arse.

I told him to stick it....

After going round the corner to MandP and buying a new battery  ### charging it, and fitting it to the bike funnily enough all the problems had gone.

So I phoned the Manager at JTs and very calmly and rationally outlined the events that had happened, what does she do? gets the same arrogant tosser to phone me back for another row. Despite me telling him that a new battery was working fine and holding a charge he still insisted there was nothing wrong with the one I returned.

Not worth getting locked up for but bloody tempting.  Keep away from these know nothing tossers.
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: SgtSmash on August 26, 2009, 21:59:51
Ah yes.... JT's...... Least said the better.

Why on earth do bike shops treat bikers like shite.  The credit crunch is hitting hard at the mo so you'd think they'd be keen to build up good relationships?

I mean, there's no money to be made in selling bikes (allegedly) so most of the profit is going to be made on the after sales stuff like accessories and servicing.  Why pi$$ off the customer?

When I worked in retail, there were two rules.

RULE 1
The customer is ALWAYS right

RULE 2
If the customer is wrong, refer to Rule 1.
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: Fat Rat on August 26, 2009, 22:05:59
It was probably more annoying to realise that the fella dishing out the advice really didn't have a scooby than anything else  ###
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: bill2828 on August 27, 2009, 11:38:15
One of the worst possible cases of "customer service", Andy.    ###

I don't expect mechanics (or anyone else, for that matter) to know everything. It's just not possible. Why though do people struggle to cope with customers when they hit their limitations?  :shrug:  Trying to cover ignorance with arrogance is not the solution, and helps nobody (as you found out).

Thumbs very much down for JT's Motorcycles in Swansea!
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: Fatbelly on August 27, 2009, 13:13:58
......and of course, Andy, post your story on every web site you can find.
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: Fat Rat on August 27, 2009, 13:56:28

I told them that was exactly what I was going to do, the response?  "Go for gold"
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: splang on August 27, 2009, 19:24:35
I do hope you don't mind put I submitted a review via google maps for them too!!

Then whenever someone finds them by searching for "motorcycle swansea" in maps they can access the review!

Cheers
S
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: bill2828 on August 28, 2009, 12:30:08

Excellent!     :thumb:
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: mr_diver on November 03, 2010, 21:06:23
I've done the most of my bike dealing with JT's and found their salesmen helpful and knowlageable. Always having time for an enquiry. but yes, the actual mechanics are grease monkeys, with emphasis on monkeys. I had a ybr 125. first service- 1.5 ltrs of oil they put in, to a 125 engine! how can you put 50% extra oil in a tiny engine? the bloody oil was nearly up to the level of the filler hole. Jeramy the serviceing/garage boss is OK but doesn't spend anytime in the workshop and doesn't seem to know what the blokes are up to there, from what I've seen, sneaking round the corner for a skive and a fag mostly!
anyways I do all my serviceing now, with help from mate who builds customs.
JT's - good sales, mechanics a monkeys!

MnP's - Some good some bad, allways a bargain to be found, never enough staff.
Mounts -PT don't bother! You'd be wasting your time! -Swansea, Mark is OK. they're not interested in you unless your bike is old, f****d and you've got wads of cash falling outa your pockets!

another rant over!
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: RobWales on October 04, 2012, 21:20:10
thanks for the heads up as JTs is one of my nearest dealers, your rant is having the desired effect thanks again Rob
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: Greggio on January 19, 2013, 20:32:13
This is why being a fully trained vehicle tech comes in handy lol I had a Suzuki quad and never worked on motorcycle 4 stroke in my life only 2 stroke but I fully dismantled the engine and gearbox replaced 3rd gear and rebuilt engine new everything inc re-shimming the valves and she fired up straight away I was so pleased with myself lol I think crossing the fingers worked very well :)  so now I do all my own work its just a shame I can't stamp my service book.
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!! (BATTERY NOTE FOR REF)
Post by: baldgiffer53 on April 08, 2013, 12:36:05
Being a Newby and not really reading much since I joined this forum, I picked up on this old thread this morn and thought I would "Put in my Twopennyworth" regarding Batteries in General.

In my 35 yrs of two / 4 wheel use I have replaced my fair share of batteries.

Only in more recent years have the DIYers amongst us had better access to diagnostic chargers etc which for me have turned up some interestin Battery cases !!

Previous Car wouldn't start, Battery flat as a Pancake, so removed it / took it to local Kwik-flit depot where the bloke hooks it up to some REALLY EXPENSIVE Looking tester... and pronounces it is fine.

One nights charging attempt tells me its buggered and a new one sorts me fine !

Recently my Chrysler was off the road and due to illness the charger didn't get hooked up before the battery went Pancake (due to alarm drawing current)...

I hooked it up to my Annsman Car / Bike charger only to find it drew so much current the charger's fuse blew !! To be absolutely sure this wasn't a fluke or down to a weak fuse (and in the interests of wasting money !! :-) I tried 2 more fuses which all blew !!

I then hooked it up to an Optimate 5 out of curiosity more than anything.. and this brought the battery "back from the dead" ? enough so that I could then hook it up to the HD Ansmann charger without any fuses blowing ?

Faced with a Potential £140.00 replacement cost for the Chrysler's Superdooper sealed battery  :shock:    ... I am damn glad I did a bit of experimenting !!  :)

A month on, the Car has been fine, no repeat of flat battery and my wallet much better off for my trouble !

Strange fings dem batteries !!

Hope to make the Yorkshire meet (I am going to commit today :-) and look forward to meeting some of you folks there

Stu
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: Yoyo on March 02, 2014, 22:57:56
An old thread to dig up but I'll stick my thoughts in too. I find the sales blokes friendly enough and I know they are only doing their job but they are very keen to sell you a bike, take a trip over to M&P and chat to Straw who'll tell you how it is, no hard sell, in fact he suggested my Mrs keep her current bike until July rather than restricting a new one. I've had a bike MOT'd in JT's but wasn't impressed and wouldn't let them service anything after the nonsense I was told after the MOT
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: paulja on March 15, 2018, 22:38:44
I paid a lot of for a new Mondeo, came out twice in the first month and the battery was flat. AA called out twice to jump it; back to Ford twice. They do the usual thing of fast charging the battery. The 3rd time I cam out it was flat I put my Optimate 6 on it and left it todo the full 48 hour cycle. 6 years later its still perfectly fine.

Sometimes you just have to take charge just to get some P&Q.
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: star7striker on March 17, 2018, 20:50:49
Take it to Halfords and they will do a load test on the battery. The battery can show charge with a multimeter, but a load test will suggest if it is throwing out the required current.
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: mr_diver on March 17, 2018, 22:49:12
Multi meter the battery and press the starter. You soon see if the battery is any good by how far down the reading goes.

Ps. Until yesterday no one posted in the thread since 2014!
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: Brockett on March 18, 2018, 10:58:14
Some truths last forever
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: Rusty Nuts on March 18, 2018, 12:00:20
That's true. (And it always will be.)
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: philthecoal on September 18, 2018, 21:14:26
Just found this topic and have used JT's for spares only . Thanks for the heads up.
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: Dan_valves_too_tight on January 25, 2019, 18:10:55
Quote removed

You think you had it bad with JTs? They put the wrong battery (lead acid) in my Lexmoto adrenaline. Euro4 adrenalines come with Li-On stock, but that's not the worst part. They put the lead acid battery in on its side..... Like are you F*%£$% serious. I didn't know until I had issues with it because the bat is tucked under the side fairings. Battery failed in about a week after all the electrolyte leaked out. That bike was a write off from the start. The amount of schoolboy mechanic errors they did to that bike, I feel sorry for the bike itself. getting a refund and I put it towards a part-ex on a new(ish) Suzuki with a thousand miles on the clock. My current bike a GSXS125. But now this bike too is breaking down. Fuel in the oil, running rich asf, exhaust valve too tight (hence my given nickname  :smirk: ) and its idling like a dog with epilepsy when it's reached full operating temperature. Baring in mind I have only had this bike for just about two and a half months. I have sent my email already to say that I am rejecting this bike too. It's been in their shop 3 times. They recommended I went to Thunder Road because they couldn't find out what is wrong with it. Bridgend with fuel in my oil.... from Swansea.. Nope. It's going back. All in all their mechanics must be pretty F*"$&!* incompetent.  ###

Ahh well. Enough ranting, just a tip left now. Although JTs desk staff and sales team are fecking great, don't buy a bike there ffs. The mechanics will feck something up I can guarantee it.

Just wanted you to know you aren't the only one with the curse of JTs.   :angry-banghead:

Cheers blokes!
Dan
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: TLPower on January 25, 2019, 18:35:48
 :welcome:
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: Rusty Nuts on January 25, 2019, 18:55:20
.............and, breathe.
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: tallpaul on January 25, 2019, 19:54:11
I see the paid advertising is going well...
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: SuzukiSte on January 25, 2019, 23:15:14
 :welcome: :thumb:
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: Brockett on January 26, 2019, 08:50:16
 :welcome2:
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: john storrie 69 on January 26, 2019, 15:49:55
Just read this about batteries,  there's a lot of rubbish been coming into the country from the far East,  what appears to be happening is they are using reconstructed lead, that's to say that if you've wondered what happens to old batteries, they go to places like this and they break them down and reuse the lead cells after melting and remoulding them.
It seams to be OK for some applications of lead use but not for use in small motorcycle batteries. They will just about take 12-12.2 volts and that's Thier lot.
A couple of years back I had customer with an XS400 Yam, he'd got a brand new battery off the net, but couldn't use the leccie foot, so had to use the kicker instead. He wanted it sorting so brought it round,  I checked the input to battery and was only getting about 12.2 volts at 4000 rpm, so I went round it doing all the checks .... Rec/reg generator wiring loom in general,  put all new male/female (OEM) in the terminal blocks, but no luck
So removed the battery and put it on my intelligent battery charger, it told me to sod off I ain't haveing any of this, showed my customer and he was astounded!.
Had a look around the spares dept and found a used battery of roughly the same size, gave it a 30 minute charge fitted it to the bike kicked it over and checked the charge rate... 13.summut at the battery, confirming the brand new one he had brought was utter rubbish, equally one happy but unhappy customer, although he couldn't get his money back from the vendor, I did get him a yuasa one for just a quick more than what he'd paid for the other one. It's still working on now even able to use the leccie foot. :old:
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: ChrisDL1000 on September 16, 2020, 17:02:25

When I worked in retail, there were two rules.

RULE 1
The customer is ALWAYS right

RULE 2
If the customer is wrong, refer to Rule 1.

Yes ... and no.
Sometimes the customer is right but sometimes they are absolutely and totally wrong too. If any business dealt with every customer complaint the way the customer wanted it dealt with then I can assure you they would not be in business for very long.
When the customer is wrong the important thing is HOW you tell them they are wrong. It's all about diplomacy and tact and if you get that bit right then customers will be, for the most part, happy with what you do.
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: mr_diver on September 16, 2020, 20:39:12
You've just dragged up a post from years ago.
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: Mr Nick on September 16, 2020, 21:05:59
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/46n2barcrcgnt0q/Zombie.JPG?raw=1)
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: Fat Rat on September 16, 2020, 22:08:28
This customer was 100% right  ###
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: Sea-Strom on September 17, 2020, 00:31:14
I have bought several bikes from JT's over the last few years. Always helpful and polite. Service and tyre fitting cheaper and better than most. No quibble after sales. Have probably made 100 visits over the years - vast majority, pleasant ones.
Title: Re: JTs Motorcycles Swansea, SHAME!!!
Post by: Dark-Strom on September 18, 2020, 13:16:34
Looks like you are the one in 100 they get right then  lol