"What's a chainset?"

[classic33]

The response given by one member of staff, of a national retailer, when I enquired about prices of a replacement. Two other staff were equally uncertain as to what was meant. Resorting to the computer to find out.

I realise that the minute he uttered those words, I should have walked out. But I was passing and I required two quotes, so how hard could it be.

Has the term chainset fallen that far out of usage these these days, that people selling them don't know the term?

 

[Jimidh]

To be fair it was Tesco

 

[User16625]

To be fair it was Tesco

Alt username!? Anyway I wouldn't expect staff to know their stuff unless you go to a shop that specializes in something, in this case bikes. Tesco is certainly not one of those.

 

[classic33]

Alt username!? Anyway I wouldn't expect staff to know their stuff unless you go to a shop that specializes in something, in this case bikes. Tesco is certainly not one of those.

T'wasn't Tesco!
Or any other supermarket.

 

[Steady]

I've always used chainset, as crankset sounds a little silly just in the way it's said/sounds.

This is a US terminology versus UK thing isn't it?

 

[Tanis8472]

To me, one of these

 

[snorri]

Chambers dictionary says.....
Sorry, no entries for chainset were found....

The Oxford dictionary says....
No exact match found for “chainset” in British & World English

 

[Markymark]

Was it a dedicated cycle shop or a shop that sold bikes and components amongst other things?

 

[classic33]

Was it a dedicated cycle shop or a shop that sold bikes and components amongst other things?

Both.

They do market themselves as a bike retailer though.

 

[classic33]

I've always used chainset, as crankset sounds a little silly just in the way it's said/sounds.

This is a US terminology versus UK thing isn't it?

Using crankset made the situation worse. That had three members of staff trying to work out what was meant.

 

[Markymark]

Both.

They do market themselves as a bike retailer though.

Well then that's probably a bit unfair. They will cover a huge range of things for sell, only partly bikes. They then have bikes for sell and probably know how to do that. Components will require a large amount of product knowledge which is most likely not cost effective to train various staff in knowing. They will have technicians who probably do know but they wouldn't be on the shop floor.

If I go to John Lewis to buy a washing machine I wouldn't expect the staff to know the name of component parts if I wanted to order one.

 

[classic33]

They do service bikes, like any bike shop would, so not that unfair.

Quotes have to be from a recogonised bike retailer/shop

 

[Markymark]

They do service bikes, like any bike shop would, so not that unfair.

Quotes have to be from a recogonised bike retailer/shop

...yes but I would assume the technicians are round the back servicing and the sales people are on the shop floor.

 

[classic33]

...yes but I would assume the technicians are round the back servicing and the sales people are on the shop floor.

Small service area out front.

Just trying to avoid naming them, different names used on here for them.

 

[Markymark]

Small service area out front.

Just trying to avoid naming them, different names used on here for them.

...if it was a service area, then yes, they should know that.