Halfords Are Definitely Rubbish

[taffy1967]

After my grease gun flexible attachment incident last night, we foolishly travelled to Halfords of Pontypridd to buy a replacement.

I'd bought my lever arm type grease gun from there years ago, plus a few flexible attachments over the years too.

They had the same type grease gun there in stock, but I couldn't find any flexible attachments on display.

So I went to the parts counter and pressed the request attention bell (yes nobody was there). Then a young heavily made up (with make up) girl appeared and I explained what I wanted.

So she looked a bit confused and went off to look and I followed. She found the grease guns, but not the flexible attachments. That was when she asked for help from another Halfords specialist assistant which was a boy who looked about 14 years of age.

He didn't even make eye contact with me and he just mumbled and shook his head.

I then stated how I'd bought the item from them in the past and how it appeared on their website.

So no I didn't get what I wanted and they clearly didn't care.

We then drove around the corner, stopped and I wandered into the 'Welsh Autoparts' retailer and on the shelf was hanging a 'Draper' flexible attachment for a grease gun.

I mentioned how my grease gun wasn't a Draper, but the bloke claimed it was a universal fit. So for less than a fiver I had what I wanted and off we went.

So can someone please tell me what is the point of Halfords and why do they employ kids who have no idea about the things their selling?

[gar1380]

i had a similar outing a while back, i wanted an oil light sender for the mini

used to br able to get one off the display stand, not any more

asked the infant behind the counter and was asked ( what is that!! in not so many words )

what can you say!!!!!!!

[ljonez]

ah i never bother with halfords except to wind them up as i've mentioned before ( my new favourite asking them what gearbox oil i need for a mini, they only have engine oil on their computer ).

halfords are overpriced and the staff know sod all about cars.

i once had an interview with them and it was quickly apparent i knew more about cars than the manger interviewing me and telling him probably wasnt the best thing to do

auto parts are very good, and sell alot of mini bits, rebuild kits etc cheaper than the mini specialists and will have it the same day if you ask before 2pm

[taffy1967]

Well I've just checked the receipt and it was this firm that had the Draper grease gun flexible attachment: -

www.apsw.co.uk/

They were also very busy (unlike Halfords), so I guess lots of people have just given up on Halfords too?

[ljonez]

yeah auto parts supply nearly all the other motor factors in the area, when you go in there its relatively small but the building goes back for miles, they own nearly half the street and have a separate paint dept down the bottom. not sure if they still do it but they used to do all their own starter motor refurbs alternator refurbs etc etc

[taffy1967]

Well I bought a coil from them for my Mini around 7 years ago and that's still going strong.



But yes they clearly now their stuff and don't look like school kids either.

[dai9fxey]

You need one of these Taffy.

www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=9167&frostProductName=Grease Forcer&catID=&frostCat=&frostSubCat=&subCatID=

[taffy1967]

Thanks and yes you're probably right, but I thought it was more a case of the ball-joint itself being tight and making it hard to inject the grease?

At least it seems that one or two of the ball joints are like that, where as the others are no problem and the grease goes straight in and oozes out the side.

The top suspension arm is another pain because even with the flexible attachment, it's still difficult to line it up and keep it lined up when you're pumping the grease.

So an extra pair of hands would help, or those angled grease nipples would make it much easier. A 1985 Mini Mayfair a family member once owned had those and so greasing the top arms was a doddle.