[Nixon]

What is it with Kwick Fit, are they completely incompetent?

After getting a puncture last week I had to order a new Bridgestone Potenza RE050 in 17" through my local Kwick Fit, today was my lucky day when they came to fit it.

Even before they laid eyes on the car I exerted my concerns to the centre manager that they take great care with my few month old 17" Torino's... "no problem sir" - goes to get a coffee in the waiting lounge and hands over the keys...

Burberry wearing 12 year old gets given keys, wheel spins the car across the car park (too much power ) into the bay, spends a few minutes trying to open the boot (chuckle) gets the wheel off, tyre off and onto the fitting machine, hard to explain but things got out of control and the wheel ended up on the floor!!... time for a word with the centre manager - do you mind taking a little more care before he destroys my car "not at all sir were taking all the care we can, it'll be fine"... 10 minutes later...

"Cars ready sir, just one problem there?s a slight mark on the wheel" oh there's a surprise, can you show me.... much to my horror they have literarily battered the wheel beyond repair A few words later the manager is agreeing to buy a new wheel from VW for ?310.00, ok can't get fairer than that, I'll be in next Tuesday for you to fit it.

Completely slightly intoxicated off at the inconvenience I head off home, lone behold the sticky weights on the inside of the rim went for a wander at 80 mph, now I have the hassle of going back for another hour and shaky steering for the next 3/4 days... surely they can't give service like this under their ISO/management protocols???

 

[andymac]

Why did you use Kwik fit in the first place! surely you knew they would do that?

 

[M4XVW]

They surely can!

The ISO (9001/9002 etc) quality accreditation simply means they HAVE to give the SAME shoddy service EVERY time.

A no-brainer for KwikFit I am sure. Its probably in the work instructions []

 

[flyfs6]

Haven't they already done that to another Mk5 owner with 17" wheels. Those wheels are on ebay now IIRC.

 

[businessboy]

i've used them - they dont take too much care - but use em cos convinient. pretty much any budget place will get same 12 year old chav. - might be tha same 1 havin diff jobs. lol

 

[Nixon]

lol I wish I could go elsewhere, unfortunatly my company hold a fleet account with them - I thinks from now on I will be going elsewhere any claiming the cost through my expense account!

P.S. They also said the RE050 is a run flat tyre, is this true? there is nothing with my car to say they are...

 

[zekegti]

More proof that you should never ever ever go to kwickn fit

 

[simfin]

IMO they are all the same - My Passat had all 4 wheels butchered by Motorway/HiQ, they managed to use the 'wrong machine?' and put lovely concentric rings around each wheel. Really obviuos, but parked the car so that I would'nt notice.

I now take my cars to a local place which is actually cheaper than the large outfits, and they don't mind you standing there and watching them.

 

[rich1068]

My God! Deja vu or what? Seen it, done it, bought the t-shirt. Right down to the weights [!] They even managed to scrape a colleagues A4 down one of the ramp supports and hoped she wouldn't notice. Then they swore blind it wasn't them saying 'No, when we damage a car it doesn't look like that' WTF!

What also gets me is when they try and tell you other tyres are illegal and need replacing. When you say no they're not they just sort of shrug in a 'Well I tried' sort of way.

Cowboys!

 

[kenl]

Quote: posted by Nixon on 22/01/2005 23:44:30

P.S. They also said the RE050 is a run flat tyre, is this true? there is nothing with my car to say they are...

There may be a version of the RE050 which is a run-flat but the ones on the Golf are not. Check the bridgestone site to find out if there is.

Best to check what tyre they fit as if they do fit 1 runflat the handling/ride could be upset as the side wall on runflats is a lot stiffer.

 

[VEFX]

i REFUSE to use kwik fit, unless in a very very very dire need of emergency,

i use ATS local to me sometimes, guys in there are good as gold!

 

[Tony D]

Sorry to hear about your trouble Nixon.

The "Rapid Fit" boys down at my local Ford garage are the best I can find in the area.... but I suppose it helps knowing the Rapid Fit Manager and their chief Tyre Fitter down there, plus they know how worried I get about my Anni BBS wheels!!

 

[Nixon]

Managed to get some pic's of the damage this morning, looking at it with less of a flame suit on today I'm still amazed how they managed to bugger it up so much! you would have thought they would take a 'little' more care with a brand new motor!

 

[cjp2k]

I take mine to a local independant, no fancy waiting area.. just stood in the garage watching them!

last time i went to get a puncture sorted the burberry cap wearing yooof managaned to make an awful scraping noise with the tyre... dunno how... his boss went off on one thinking it was my rim... but it wasnt lol

 

[Nixon]

to make things better I have just noticed these are directional tyres and they have been fitted in the wrong orientation! surely this is plane madness and highly dangerous!

a compensation clame might be in order [}]

 

[golf140]

Are those Torinos? Look like my Estorils to me... and if a burberry-clad numpty at Kwik Fit did anything like that to mine, there would be rockets inserted up arses! [:O]

At least you know where you are with Kwik Fit. Good chance they'll male chicken it up - but they'll always cough up if they do. []

Edit: "male chicken", stupid swear filter... I meant to say p e n i s... []

 

[vedhead]

They are the dixons of the car world. I'd avoid them like the plague.

 

[Tony D]

OMFG!!! They have done that to your alloys, and then to top it all off they've fitted the flippin tyres the wrong way round??

Four words spring to mind:

Your foot / their ***.

 

[spg]

They are defo Estorils, Torino's are a plain 5 spoke design.

 

[RichieDan]

Clearly a bunch of bankers.

Thats dreadful service. Thats really bad news. They might not be the cheapest, but I always like the service of STS Holburns over here. I am not sure if they are national or not. The local one to me are always very friendly, do the job well, and if they put dirty hand prints over the wheel arches, they give the car a quick wash down with a CLEAN sponge. The only drawback with them can be their time keeping sometimes, I booked my car with them at 10am one day for 2 new tyres. I was told, be ready at 12. 1pm comes, I ring and they have just started on the car.