Kwik fit disaster

[chic0821]

I have not used Kwikfit for many years, due to the fact my cars are gone before the tyres are needing replaced, but when I did use them, the were fine, good price, good job.
In my opinion the problem with Kwikfit & Halfords is they have not stuck to the core business which made then a success, ie tyres for one & accessories for the other. They are not garages but seem to think its a simple & profitable extension to include this. As long as you use them for tyres/accessories you will in the main be fine. Garages in the main do not fit tyres, they send the van down to Kwikfit while they do what they are good at so why get Kwikfit do your service. My butcher cuts up meat all day, but I would not let him take out my appendix. Horses for courses

 

[Deleted member 159894]

You are very lucky indeed, or your local Kwik Fit has a good selection of mechanics who care about their job (it must happen). Over the years Trading Standards and other bodies have investigated KF Halfords etc and generally found them very wanting, including missing dangerous stuff on MOTs. It's no coincidence that on car forums they have a poor rep. Only recently Halfords managed to butcher the interior and electrical system of an MB to the tune of £4k plus, which they admitted and had to pay up.
Markjay summed it up succinctly.

Kwik Fit is rated "Great" with 4.1 / 5 on Trustpilot

Do you agree with Kwik Fit's TrustScore? Voice your opinion today and hear what 70,085 customers have already said.

uk.trustpilot.com

 

[Deleted member 159894]

Commonly known as feedback. All the rage in the online world.

See post 82.

All the rage indeed.

 

[ChipChop]

why get Kwikfit do your service. My butcher cuts up meat all day, but I would not let him take out my appendix. Horses for courses

 

[KennyN]

Kwik Fit is rated "Great" with 4.1 / 5 on Trustpilot

Do you agree with Kwik Fit's TrustScore? Voice your opinion today and hear what 70,085 customers have already said.

uk.trustpilot.com

Lots of people think that lip service is good service , a courtesy call before and after the work along with a bit of "patter" from the person behind the desk a cheeky wee discount for a "valued" customer a quick wipe down with a dirty sponge and a quick vacuum goes a long way to getting the five star reviews , never mind the fact they haven`t done the job properly or damaged something in the process.

I am including main dealers in the above , not just the fast fit places.

K

 

[Deleted member 159894]

Lots of people think that lip service is good service , a courtesy call before and after the work along with a bit of "patter" from the person behind the desk a cheeky wee discount for a "valued" customer a quick wipe down with a dirty sponge and a quick vacuum goes a long way to getting the five star reviews , never mind the fact they haven`t done the job properly or damaged something in the process.

I am including main dealers in the above , not just the fast fit places.

K

Is that a fact?

See my link, nearly 60k reviews, vast majority positive.

Us car people think we know it all when it comes to our specialist subject when, in fact, the majority are happy. If you don't trust main dealers either then I'm afraid that you sound like a tiny minority and a lost cause.

No offence.

 

[KennyN]

See my link, nearly 60k reviews, vast majority positive.

Us car people think we know it all when it comes to our specialist subject when, in fact, the majority are happy. If you don't trust main dealers either then I'm afraid that you sound like a tiny minority and a lost cause.

No offence.

How many of those positive reviews actually checked ,or have the ability to check , that the (servicing) work had been done properly , not many i would imagine so maybe that is why their "ratings" are so high. I am not going to trawl through 60K review posts but some are possibly five stars for replacing bulbs / wiper blades etc , seems to be that people give "excellent reviews" for doing what they are being paid to do , nothing more.

No i dont trust main dealers and for good reason , they took almost £2k from me over four years for a service plan for my CLS and did minimal work , if any , and yes they were "called out" on the subject and i had a couple of meetings with the dealer service manager who admitted they had overlooked some "items" whilst servicing , they never overlooked the monthly DD though.

Had my BM in for its major service a few months ago and told my main dealer personal "service advisor" what is in the above paragraph and i would be checking that the consumables had been replaced , which they had.

None taken.

K

 

[Deleted member 159894]

How many of those positive reviews actually checked ,or have the ability to check , that the (servicing) work had been done properly , not many i would imagine so maybe that is why their "ratings" are so high. I am not going to trawl through 60K review posts but some are possibly five stars for replacing bulbs / wiper blades etc , seems to be that people give "excellent reviews" for doing what they are being paid to do , nothing more.

No i dont trust main dealers and for good reason , they took almost £2k from me over four years for a service plan for my CLS and did minimal work , if any , and yes they were "called out" on the subject and i had a couple of meetings with the dealer service manager who admitted they had overlooked some "items" whilst servicing , they never overlooked the monthly DD though.

Had my BM in for its major service a few months ago and told my main dealer personal "service advisor" what is in the above paragraph and i would be checking that the consumables had been replaced , which they had.

None taken.

K

Meh.

You have only anecdotal evidence which looks a bit unimpressive against the data I supplied.

 

[KennyN]

Meh.

You have only anecdotal evidence which looks a bit unimpressive against the data I supplied.

Ok Petrocelli , I'm out as there is paint drying somewhere that needs to be watched.

K

 

[colinallcars]

I’m struggling to understand what makes this incident qualify as a disaster. My reading of the initial post and the subsequent additional information is that there is disagreement over whether the oil and filter were changed and a lash-up repair came undone while in their possession, is that it?
With regards to employing Kwik-Fit, I’m in the ’use them for what they’re good at’ camp specifically tyre related services. Will they make an occasional mistake? Probably but I’ve made a few myself over the years.

 

[geoffus]

I’m struggling to understand what makes this incident qualify as a disaster. My reading of the initial post and the subsequent additional information is that there is disagreement over whether the oil and filter were changed and a lash-up repair came undone while in their possession, is that it?
With regards to employing Kwik-Fit, I’m in the ’use them for what they’re good at’ camp specifically tyre related services. Will they make an occasional mistake? Probably but I’ve made a few myself over the years.

We still don’t know if the oil and filter were changed, most likely it had been, just the OP looked and did the recommended Mercedes finger friction test resulting in negative lubricious oilous.

 

[E55BOF]

The name rings a bell. Lubricious Oilius? Was he the second-hand cart salesman in Up Pompeii, or the Roman general in Carry On Cleopatra?

 

[geoffus]

The name rings a bell. Lubricious Oilius? Was he the second-hand cart salesman in Up Pompeii, or the Roman general in Carry On Cleopatra?

I don’t think your remarks to this thread is with all the seriousness it doth deserve.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Haven't used KwikFit since a huge debacle (another story) with a (then) girlfriend's Austin Metro 25 years ago. I wrote a complaining letter to the chairman & he offered a complete set of new tyres to be fitted at one of his branches as compensation. We never took the offer up as we didn't want them anywhere near the car again.

Was it the Metro with the Metric tyre fitment by any chance ?

 

[Deleted member 159894]

See post 82.

All the rage indeed.

Silence from Chippy, not keen on fact.

 

[davymead]

Had the Indie that I work at had just one of the numerous horrendous complaints levelled at Kwik Fit on Trustpilot, he’d have a Coronary thrombosis, followed on his possible recovery and subsequent arrival back at work, by an Inquisition of Spanish proportions.
Thats if, anybody was brave enough to still be there.

 

[oldguy57]

Kwik Fit is rated "Great" with 4.1 / 5 on Trustpilot

Do you agree with Kwik Fit's TrustScore? Voice your opinion today and hear what 70,085 customers have already said.

uk.trustpilot.com

Yep even your fave supplier Kwik Fit can get tyre fitting right most of the time, but clearly not all judging by some of the reviews.

 

[Deleted member 159894]

Yep even your fave supplier Kwik Fit can get tyre fitting right most of the time, but clearly not all judging by some of the reviews.

Sigh

 

[AMGeed]

The issue with (some) of the national chains, is lack of consistency.

So very often is simply down to the staff at the local branch. Where they're good guys, you get good service. Where they're not......

Spot on.
I would have tyres fitted at Kwik Fit if the price was competitive. But no way would I have a service done there. They are a tyre fitter first and foremost, and I use garages for services.
I would apply the same logic to Halfords, ATS, Protyre etc. All OK at their main business, but not a place for servicing a Mercedes.
.

 

[ChipChop]

Silence from Chippy, not keen on fact.

Why are you Dr Fact? I thought you were Dr Feelgood. Resurrected.