Halfords is to cars as PC world is to computers.

Way overpriced and the people who work there are useless or want to rip you off.

yep second that

The MK one isn't to bad as long as you talk to the right people, just avoid the ignorant idiot on the audio department who totally destroyed my OEM headunit when he fitted my new one

The Motorist Centre is about 10x more useful when it comes to giving decent advice.

I work for one, In the Cycles department. Because to be honest thats me and I wouldn't try to work the parts desk because I wouldn't wanna piss anyone off! Sure, working there 3 years you get a lot of knowledge from experiance, but I think a lot of the time customers coming in expecting the world off a 16 year old kid, who really is there to cover. The parts are about in easy reference books and the computer system (at least PTS was before Evolve!) is really easy to use. If you can get your basic service parts then its a mint place, open 364 days a year, 9-8pm in the week. It's gonna be the same at any huge firm, It's easier to employ 4 part time teenagers under 18 on £4.20 an hour then pay another specialist to come in at £15k...and the specialists most of the time dont get training but have experiance working the job.

It's funny because if I acted like I have had no traning (which I havn't!) I could get away with being a dumbass just to get back at Halfords but I have the will to help.

When I need parts I'll go to the 3 motor factors around here, show my trade card, get the parts quicker and get some sound advice while I'm at it. Nobody expects a ASDA shelf stacker to know the nutritional content of Each pack of Pickled gherkins off by heart. :-)

Edited 22 January, 200818 yr by Bootabmx

I Don't think Halfrauds are the only half-wits out there, one of my dad's pals has an X-Trail. Takes it to the garage as the rear tracking needed sorted. 2 hours later they phone him back and tell him its because you've been towing a caravan.. 'Umm I know that I need you to fix it.'

carb cleaner for your injection polo ?

It's called injection intake and carb cleaner, as it will also clean throttle bodies as well. I know as I bought some last week!

I find halfords ok for products like cleaners/other DIY stuff. Many things are just overpriced though, not sure why as well maybe its just because most un-aware people just go in get their stuff and go without shopping around...

yer i need to clean my thottle body

Headlight bulb: £7

Fitting: £5

F*ck off...

is that the case for all cars. Might have to start sending Smart cars down there

We are only allowed to do some cars! I know some are total bastards.............

oh dont get me started on them!!!!

i believe they accomodate "cheque book" car enthusiasts very well ( people who have never lifted a spanner and people who believe if u told them "pinking" was the noise their gay reversing alarm makes when they reverse - they would believe you.

they also deal very well for the max power gang.

the I'm to thick to shop about and learn about things gang

people who believe a set of 6x9 speakers are best for all applications gang.

i use them for Zinc primer and he ocassional oh crap its sunday and everywhere is closed - for the occasional nut bolt and jubilee clip.

they are over priced, staff are usually of a very poor basic car knowledge. except NOS, barry exhausts, big airfilters on 1.0ls which of course they think every one one the planet wants.

i asked there "instore expert" ( i use the term loosly) some questions one day and to be honest asking my pet hamster would have been more usefull.

i have a classic car as do alot of my mates as well as my polo, and think its bad asking polo or general car related questions try asking them do they have a rotor arm for a BMC "C series engine" as fitted to a wolseley 6/110 mkII or a Austin Healey, or do u have a disi cap for a Austin A35 (same engine as a mini) the look of "oh crap" on their faces is brilliant.

Not sure, just read price tag thing and it had those 2 prices on, i LOL'ed.

The cannock branch by me is brilliant, simply because outside the door they've got a big metal crate of screenwash's, the 5L bottles.

Theres the normal blue one, which is about £3.50, and the magical pink 'premium' one, about £5.

The amount of people I've seen just walk past and pick one up is ridiculous.

As you've said, hit and miss with the staff in different stores. Overpriced as people have said, but in the sale sections they sometimes have things quite cheap that they don't realise is valuable! E.g. locking wheel nuts for £1 (for Suzuki Vitara) Ebay sold for £24! Oh and Red dot Discs for a Mk2 Golf etc for £13 once!

I just bought an Infinity 1240W Sub for £6!

I just bought an Infinity 1240W Sub for £6!

ebay....

Just check the RRP - £100!

Not sure, just read price tag thing and it had those 2 prices on, i LOL'ed.

The cannock branch by me is brilliant, simply because outside the door they've got a big metal crate of screenwash's, the 5L bottles.

Theres the normal blue one, which is about £3.50, and the magical pink 'premium' one, about £5.

The amount of people I've seen just walk past and pick one up is ridiculous.

Most of the stores are doing that. Probably explains why they have to charge £5 a bottle to make a profit on it.

I've got 3 in the boot of the Toyota at the minute :ninja:

The store here in Loughborough changes staff more regular than me pants

The person in the audio section a few months ago was very very helpful when my Son went to purchace a new cd player. He helped him find the right equipmentt and even went "under the counter" for some mangers specials on fitting kits & speakers etc. Some of the "juniors" do need a bit more customer skills however. Its difficult not to "smack" a spotty kid when he tries to tell you something that is total rubbish as I've got 30 yrs in the motor trade and he's only got 30 minutes on a Sunday morning. It can be a real shock at some of the prices I see people paying at the counter when for me "trade price" means "trade" :-D :-D

i work at halfords I'm supervisor and ripseed spec and all the stuff it pooh more like sh*tspeed, pays me bills tho

I used to work as a cycle specialist at halfords (i still work for the company but part time as I'm now at uni)

but my point is that halfords are generally abit of a shambles and i belive it has alot to do with the induvidual what your customer service is like. But as said before its great if you just need some parts at 7.30 on a tuesday night for example and spesh if you have a trade card

i work at halfords I'm supervisor and ripseed spec and all the stuff it pooh more like sh*tspeed, pays me bills tho

haha in mine they call it ripshit.

ye si wan tot get aq job there wehn I'm sixteen . but most the people who work there seem abit gormly and the bike people cant build bikes lol but it is a good shop and yes getting a trade card is good , my friend work at one in a place called wizbeach and eveyone who works there apart form him have a trade acount

deepspir...backwards lol

OR

just ripshite, thats our names for it

Halfords is to cars as PC world is to computers.

Way overpriced and the people who work there are useless or want to rip you off.

I'll agree with that aswell, it's alright if you need the stuff there and then, otherwise, get it somewhere better and cheaper.

I worked for them for four years, starting as a part time cycle lad and ending up as a DM, worked in three seperate stores in the local area.

The problem with it is that they just don't pay enough to get really experienced staff. Some of the people who come to work there don't have a clue about cars/bikes/audio etc, and the managers are on such a tight payroll budget that they employ whoever they can just to cover the shop floor. I mean, I was a cycle specialist in one store and was being paid £12k a year! To run a department and manage 5 other staff, including their training and development - and I only got paid that because I fought to get a decent wage before I took the job.

The other problem is that the company now is so focused on profit, and the area managers pile so much shit onto the stores that often the customer is forgotten about.

Sometimes you'll be lucky and employ a member of staff who'll actually be interested in cars/bikes etc, and other times you'll employ people who want to learn, but often it was just 16 year old kids who couldn't care less and just wanted do to the bare minimum and get paid at the end of the month.

My favourite on a quiet evening would be to get the store directory (of all the other Halfords stores in the country), pick a random store and call them, then ask for a thermostat for a 1968 1300 VW Beetle.... Then see how long it takes for them to figure it out It might be harsh but to me things like that are basic knowledge, and any Halfords employee should know questions like that. Sadly they don't!

Good for some things though, and like Yeti says great if you've got a trade card

may i should of left out my car mechanic and sales experience on my job application when i was unemployed, i didt even get a interview

any one ever visted high wycombe halfords?? the big outta town one.

bunch of fuck whitts...well the ones iv spoken to.

i went in yesterday lookinh for carb cleaner. i spent 5 mins lookin and i couldnt see it.

so i walked about tryin to find someone that could help. i find 3 16-17 yr old girls stacking shelfs giggilin with eachother. so I'm thinking, they are not even gona have a clue. then i found some chav so i go '' have u got any carb cleaner'' yer he replied '' o really iv been looking for a while i couldnt see any''

walked over to the isle and he goes.. '' we got engine flush''

me: no mate carb cleaner

chav: this (flue flush)

me: no mate CARB cleaner,, its in a spray can

then he handed me some wd40 style stuff

i was like C A R B cleaner. looks like u dont stock it

chav : o yer

obvisly didnt have a clue what i was asking for and tryed just anding me anything, if i didnt no better i would of brought what he handed me and fucked my engine over

o and over priced

yea that halfords is poor, us the one in the middle of town they seem to know more about stuff and they have carb cleaner. lol.

i worked for halfrauds for 2 years starting off part time and ending up being a ripspeed specialist and duty manager was a laugh but the pressure your under to sell to people if they came in for a shite soundmax headunit u had to try and sell them the top alpine headunit. the best part of the days was after 7 when noone came in and you could mess about with the remote control cars in the car park not a good look but oh well.

can any of the peeps that work there give me a idea on the trade card discounts?

i plan to get one , but tbh i never shop there as its too dear, but i might if i can get a hefty discount

what are the most heavily disocunted items?