It’s not often – if ever – that I use the blog to have a bash at Mr Corporate: I have no need to, and have worked with a number of outstanding corporates in the last 10+ years.
Until today.
The story is concerning Kwik Fit. How they attempt to sell non-required expensive items to trusting customers. How they lie about the work they carry out on customers cars. How, in one case, they even left the car as a death trap and sent the customer on their way.
That unfortunate customer was me.
I’ve given Kwik Fit management the opportunity to address the issues – by email more than 10 days ago, and back in October and November, when the regional director went round all the Kwik Fit Bristol branches to strong-arm the managers regarding their service techniques. He even moved the manager of the branch where my car was turned into a death trap to another branch regionally.
Was I, the customer, contacted at any time then? No.
Have I been contacted regarding the email below? No.
Are Kwik Fit management so concerned about risking customers’ lives they will resolve the issues? No
Customer service which risks lives – it’s always going to be worth reporting. Whatever you do, please do NOT take your car to Kwik Fit for repairs. Unless you’re happy to spend excessive money, have your time wasted, and possibly your life put at risk.
Here’s the email sent 10 days ago, to the regional director and Kwik Fit MD Ian Fraser:
I write to you further to my experiences of Kwik Fit at your Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol branch – I have included the Kwik Fit Managing Director Mr Fraser, as well as the Guardian Money consumer letters editorial contact on this email, to ensure you actually respond externally to the issues. I suspect that much of this information will be news to Mr Fraser, given your previous conduct of sweeping the issues under the carpet and not contacting me, the customer, directly to apologise and resolve this.
As you are well aware, I visited the Whiteladies Road Kwik Fit branch in October 2009, with brake pads and discs needing replacing on the rear of my mini cooper S. This work was completed the same day for £249.64. Your branch manager Robert Sandow also tried to sell me new front tyres at £325, which were, I later discovered, not actually legally necessary at that time.
Having driven my car less than three miles, I was aware of the brake warning light still being illuminated on my dashboard, as well as the rear wheels still squeaking irrespective of braking or not. I returned to the branch, where Mr Sandow informed me the electronic system on the cooper S would reset within 50 miles and that the brake pads and discs were “settling in”. Mr Sandow also informed me that it could well be the caliper needing replacing, which would cost “up to £350″ to replace. All nonsense.
At the time I was commuting to work some 150 miles North each day, and within a further 48 hours the issues had not been resolved. I contacted the Whiteladies Road garage, and was told to bring in the car for a further check.
I gave permission for the caliper part to be ordered, and was told it would be ready to be fitted on the Monday. I took time off work, losing two days’ consulting time (£600), as the caliper item which arrived 24 hours late into the Whiteladies Road was in fact the wrong size. I was told I would have to wait another 24 hours for the correct-sized caliper to be delivered to the branch – which resulted in another day off work on Tuesday.
In the interim period, I also had the work independently checked. I discovered that the brake pads had not been fitted correctly: in fact, one of the brake pads was metal only on one side, with no pad. Hitting metal-on-metal on each contact, which was of course incredibly dangerous. The fact that this work has been cleared and passed as road-worthy still makes me shudder.
Another interesting fact to come from that independent check was that the rear caliper was perfectly fine and did not need replacing. Furthermore, the brake warning light had remained on because the mechanic at Whiteladies Road had not re-connected it – a shoddy example of missing even the simplest details.
On insisting that the replacement brake pads were to be of genuine Mini/BMW quality, and not the lesser-quality pads and discs used from Unipart by Kwik Fit, Mr Sandow informed me via a telephone call he would “see what he could do, but fitting genuine parts was not usual Kwik Fit procedure” which gave me further cause for concern.
Eventually, genuine parts were fitted on the car, a number of weeks after the initial dangerous installation had been noted.
I had posted on my Bristol editor blog around my uncomfortable experiences with Kwik Fit and how dreadful and dangerous customer services were delivered. I am aware that you had read this blog post. I am aware that you subsequently visited all the Bristol branches at this time – October 2009 – and gave clear warnings to your branch managers that work was to be watched carefully, and I understand you were very concerned about the editorial contained in my blog at that time. So concerned, in fact, that at no point did you contact me, the customer.
The matter was brushed under the carpet. Mr Sandow, whom I understand previously worked as a Manager at McDonalds, was moved to another Kwik Fit branch in Filton, Bristol, however you did not contact me at any time leading up to the end of 2009 to ensure the matters were resolved to my complete satisfaction.
I had been hoping to hear from you, as I have been subjected to poor customer service, dangerous mechanical work on my car, no offer of recompense for working time lost, the insult of mis-diagnosis of the faults on my car, not to mention attempts to sell me items for my car which were not needed. You do not seem concerned that your staff had turned my car into a death trap, wasted my time and cost me money, as well as not addressing the issues directly with me, the customer, and offering an apology and some kind of recompense.
Although I have deleted the blog post from October, if I do not receive a satisfactory result from this email, I will re-post the updated experiences on my Bristol Editor blog, covering your lack of customer service after a Kwik Fit branch effectively turned my car into a death trap.
Just so you know, my Bristol Editor is read by approximately 300 people daily, and is featured three times per week on www.journalism.co.uk, the UK’s premiere journalism website, where a considerable number of national newspaper journalists and editors review the content for story leads and articles regularly.
I also have a Twitter feed with more than 1,100 followers – a mix of customers, journalists, editors, online reporters etc. I will have no hesitation in also posting this unresolved story there. As you will see, I have included the Guardian Money editorial contact in this email, so their consumer affairs contact can review the information and contact me directly should they feel the story is of interest. I hope to hear from you within the next 7 days, or unfortunately I will be forced to post the details online.
I will also consider posting my experience on Review sites such as:
http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/transport-automobile-services/kwik-fit/1384001/
Please reply in writing only, via this email address, as I am not prepared to engage in unrecorded telephone conversations. I am giving you the opportunity to resolve this with a written email proposing solutions. I hope that you take appropriate action this time, rather than attempting to keep it as an internal matter, and not contacting the customer directly with an offer of resolution.
Not even as much as an apology has thusfar been offered. I am, indeed, ‘amazed at what you do’.
Regards,
Hi, just read with total disgust the many stories of kwik fit ripping people off. Well, I’ve just joined that group. I took my car into the local centre last saturday and asked them to check if I had a fuel leak as I’d noticed what I thought was petrol on my driveway. Once on the ramp they told me the fuel was fine, nothing wrong at all BUT I needed a new tyre as this one was “dangerous”. ” wouldnt pass an MOT” and should be done immediately. cost – £87 for the tyre, balancing and wheel alignment. THEN he came back and said he’d noticed I needed new shocks as the ones on the car werent up to standard and were not safe. Cost – £120 each but he could do them for £150 for the pair. I said initially that I couldnt afford that but he went on about how the shocks affected the suspension and it wasnt safe. Eventually I agreed, I was too worried about safety not to. THEN he came back and said that I needed a new boot Cost £60 but he would do it for £20. He showed me the hole ni the boot but I have no idea if that were there before or not. Anyway the shocks were to be done in three days but in the meantime I was to pay £87 for the tyre and alignment AND a deposit of £17 for the shocks. A friend advised me to go to another garage and get them to look at the shocks. This I have done and SURPRISE, SURPRISE there is nothing wrong with the shock absorbers, they are perfectly O.K. AND the wheels have NOT been aligned, AND they have sold me the most expensive tyre in their range when I could have got one £20 cheaper. They have taken money for work that hasnt been done, and were all set to take another £153 for nothing. Obtaining money by deceipt. I have phoned customer service twice and am told that the manager has been e-mailed and he should get back to me “in about three days”. Meanwhile they have cashed the cheque (in one day!!) and I cant find a phone number for head office. How can anyone look you in the face and blatantly lie, he actually said “you can trust me”. Disgusting.
Another shocking story of mismanagement and dodgy practices at Kwik Fit – thank you for the inputs and honesty.
Ring Lynda Hindle Head of Customer Services, direct, on 01506 864164. And please voice your experience on the Facebook anti-fan page here:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Kwik-Fit-the-worst-corporate-reputation-in-the-UK/335225647428?ref=ts
We’ll make sure their silence eventually deafens them.
Here’s what ignoring customers did to Dell – looks like Kwik Fit are replicating their tactics:
http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/blogspotting/archives/2005/08/the_impact_of_o.html
[...] And a side-step, silence policy, or backtrack will always be picked up and highlighted – like this [...]
An abundance of even more unhappy Kwik Fit customers here too…join the group and have your say publicly.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=48357020670&ref=mf
I have been reading this blog and series of postings with a great deal of interest as my husband and I have just had dealings with Kwik Fit ourselves. Upon discovering that two of the tyres on our car needed replacing, my husband took our Zafira (5 years old) into the local branch of Kwik Fit. Once there he was told that all four tyres actually required replacing, which he agreed to as we have two very young children and one on the way (obviously safety is a big issue). The bill was presented to him (around £250) and promptly paid. For the next week the car was barely used. However, a few days ago as we were out driving the car suddenly started losing power on acceleration and the exhaust emissions light came on. By coincidence, we were just around the corner from the same branch of Kwik Fit we had visited for the tyre replacements and so we pulled over to request assistance. My husband and I knew that potential causes of the problem were the oil and also the spark plugs but these were dismissed almost instantly by a mechanic. The man stood at the back of the car as my husband revved the engine and then claimed he knew the problem. He told us that the exhaust of our car was blocked and that to rectify the situation he would need to strip away the full exhaust for cleaning, and potentially replace it. My husband asked for a quote for the work and was told £500. We drove away immeidiately as thankfully we did not have that kind of money to spare at the time. I decided to research online that night the possible causes of our car’s issues and discovered that both the oil and spark plugs could indeed be responsible, as well as minor issues with the fuel filter. We then decided to call local garages for a quote for a new exhaust (Kwik Fit’s supposed worst case scenario) and discovered that it wouldn’t have cost us £500 for a brand new exhaust for a Jaguar, let alone a Zafira. After some discussion, we decided the best course of action was to visit our local Vauxhall dealership who examined the car and recommended a full service, costing £180. With this completed, all the cars issues have now been rectified and the exhaust light has extinguished with the car returning to full power. According to the dealer, a service where the oil was changed, spark plugs replaced, etc. should have been the first port of call for the issues our car was experiencing. Instead, Kwik Fit elected to concoct a story about a blocked exhaust and even offered to order us a replacement on the spot. They were prepared to take a further £500 from a young family who they had already taken £250 from only a week or so before. A new exhaust would have been entirely unnecessary for our car but all Kwik Fit saw when we drove on the forecourt was huge pound signs. I cannot forgive them for this nor get over the dishonesty. Believing our car to be in a bad state of repair, we took the steps of adding further money onto our loan and endured days of stress wondering how we would cope with such an astronomical bill. Being almost five months pregnant, it was stress that I clearly did not need. We are now warning all our friends and family to stay away from the crooks at Kwik Fit who think nothing of charging you ridiculous prices for parts that your car just does not need. I wish you all the best of luck in resolving your issues with this corrupt company.
Hi Samantha
Many thanks for your inputs – shocking stuff.
I am once again surprised and amazed, not in a good way, at the way in which Kwik Fit operates at every level.
Please also join the anti-fan Group on Facebook: simply type ‘Kwik Fit’ into the search, you’ll find it on Facebook. The comments there are also more of the same, and ranking on Google now.
Best wishes
If you’re looking for the divisional director at Kwik Fit who is regularly searching this blog to see if he’s mentioned – here he is:
http://www.linkedin.com/ppl/webprofile?action=vmi&id=57666421&pvs=pp&authToken=tIhO&authType=name&trk=ndir_viewmore&lnk=vw_pprofile
Simon Benson, divisional director, Kwik Fit.
About time a response other than “this matter is now closed” came from your management team, Simon. Fail.
Why not contact Simon via his LinkedIn profile above and let him know personally what Kwik Fit can do to resolve your issue/problem/mis-selling/over-charging/life-threatening service/all of the above?
Simon Benson, divisional director, Kwik Fit – his LinkedIn profile can be found here:
http://www.linkedin.com/ppl/webprofile?action=vmi&id=57666421&pvs=pp&authToken=tIhO&authType=name&trk=ndir_viewmore&lnk=vw_pprofile
A response other than “this matter is now closed” needs to come from your management team, Simon. Massive fail.
Why not contact Simon directly and demand your resolution to issues around poor service/over-pricing/mis-selling/life-threatening mechanical work/all of the above?
[...] Kwik Fit example, where I utilised a rising audience to highlight life-threatening service from Kwik Fit [...]
Hi
I had a slow puncture on my driver’s side front tyre and took my car to KWIK FIT Burnley Lancashire. I asked them to check the brakes whilst I was in. Ever since this day I have heard a knocking sound coming from the front of the car. I rang kwik fit to complain and they said it was nothing to do with them and is probably the ‘ball bearing’ and I needed to take it back to the manufacturers gararage. I did that today only to be told the Said tyre was loose and had not been tightened properly. So I
Just found out today I have been driving around for 3 weeks with a loose tyre that kwik fit in Burnley lancshire fitted. Endangering mine and my 3 children. My Husband rang them last week to complain about a knocking sound that has been coming from the car since they worked on it only to be told its not them and it is probably a ‘ball bearing’ and pure coincidence. Any advice on next steps????
I have just put in an official complaint.
Hi Sam
Another shocking story highlighting poor customer service from Kwik Fit. No concern for safety, just as was my experience of Kwik Fit. If you ring their customer services manager Lynda Hindle direct on 01506 864164 and highlight the fact you’re going public with your issues against Kwik Fit, you may at least give them the jolt they so deserve.
[...] also been causing something of a stir in the South West with his one-man campaign against alleged shoddy practices by Kwik-Fit, showing that you don’t have to work for Watchdog to stand up for consumer rights. Here are [...]
Yet another Facebook group of unhappy Kwik Fit customers:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=489040255463&v=wall&ref=mf
[...] I wouldn’t want Kwik Fit to think they’d got off the hook for delivering life-threatening customer service at their Whiteladies Road branch in Bristol, for starters. That would be an injustice to the [...]
Hi there – love this blog by the way. I have had a couple of negative experiences with KwikFit. Once I took my car to them for an MoT. I dropped the car off and left it with them. I called later in the day and was told the car had past its MoT but could I pick it up a little later as they were busy!
Anyway, i said yes no problem but when i put the phone down i thought to myself how busy can they be to drive the car from a the MoT bay to the customer car parking space so decided to set off to collect my car. While travelling to the KwitFit centre i noticed the car in front of the taxi i was in looked very much like my car! No i thought, it can’t be!
I asked the taxi driver to slow down and we reached Kwik Fit just after the car that looked like my car, but couldn’t be, had arrived; we were just in time to see one of the Kwikfits employees getting out with his hands full of lunch bags and coke cans – sorry,there was a Fanta as well! When I asked them why my car was being used to collect their lunch, I was told they took the car out to test it and the bloke picked up the order on the way back!
By the way, for the past few years i’ve been taking my car to HiQ – fantastic, brilliant service; been going there ever since.
ha so they are still up to the same old tricks in whiteladies road, my experience go back at least 15 years, I declined, to have the extra works as suggested. I smelt a rat then!! well well, cant believe they are still at it.
I can’t believe this sort of thing still happens!
I’m afraid so, Kevin.
Luckily, BBC Watchdog have got their hands on Kwik Fit now. They will be featured in this Thursday’s primetime show – to millions.
Indeed, Andrew, indeed.
At least the numerous customer complaints have been noted by roughly 100 new readers per day on this blog post.
I my self worked for kwik fit and i can tell u now there is so much pressure from the area managers and md to sell sell and they tell u to do things to cars like spray oil on the shocks push nails in tyres when u show the customer there brake pads show them old pads from around the back. i left about a year ago and still they do this and i found out they are doing this more in the area i worked in reading bracknell the area manager is still telling staff to dothis or lose there job fact ………..
When in doubt use bad press as blackmail tactics!make a small issue into a headline story?You must be struggling for a story,Its really hard work having a mundane vehicle repair and to turn it into a national incident!!!!
I think you have been treated bad but worse things happen.Please do yourself a favour and get on with your life you may risk turning into a retentive…if not already to late.
Hi John
Thanks for the comment – but you are totally missing the point.
What’s mundane about having your life risked? What’s mundane about a recognised corporate chain lying to a customer to gain extra sales? What’s mundane about employees of the same corporate commenting on the fact these shocking practices are delivered in numerous branches?
This blog is to highlight online, permanently – in the absence of Kwik Fit resolving the issues – to other potential customers the dangers of dealing with Kwik Fit.
This blog is to highlight the facts in a public place – after the Kwik Fit corporate PR team attempted to discredit my life-threatening story to the Press that, in fact, customers having their lives put at stake will ALWAYS gain attention and exposure.
This blog is to highlight the numerous other customer examples across the UK of poor service, money-grabbing and illicit company practices employed by Kwik Fit.
If you think this is mundane, that’s up to you of course. Many customers and ex-employees of Kwik Fit have commented here – I suggest that you actually read the entire post and feedback to get the whole story.
Retentive? It’s more about bringing Kwik Fit to task, John.
Oh, and John, one final question: which Kwik Fit branch do you work for? I’m sure the readers would like to know.
I used to be a area manager for Kwik fit well the independent side, what amazes me is why do people still use them, we all know some one who has had a bad service or experiance there yet they are still crammed full of customers, am i or everyone else missing the piont, what is clear finacially they are in trouble earleir this year they published there accounts and they had announced they where in breach of thier banking covernace, there is a business trying to please its share holders and clearly they are not taking any prisoners
Hi Ken
Many thanks – this is shocking stuff. And you’re spot on to highight the fact that Kwik Fit as a business is not in order – as seen daily by the unfortunate customers.
I would never use them EVER again, having used them in 1988 in Birkenhead. I went in for discs and pads on a Fiesta which was only 7 years old (back then Fords were quite well made LOL) and ended up buying over 400 quid’s worth of stuff which almost certainly was not required. Bunch of lying, cheating, robbing expletives.I sincerely hope they go out of business. Sooner the better.
Hi Graeme
Many thanks for your comments here – and on the anti-fan page on Facebook. Much appreciated, and yet another example of the shocking treatment we’ve all received.
My story starts on Nov 20th 2009 and is not yet finished. Foolishly I’d decided to test the market by going for the Kwik-Fit all in one price full service and MOT for my car, rather than using the local garage I’d previously (and now subsequently used). I dropped my car off, then a couple of hours later got a call at work. My car had failed its MOT and NEEDED two new front tyres and new brake discs and pads all round. This added up to nearly £800 more than I expected. Well all I wanted was a car that was roadworthy and safe for me to drive, so I agreed.
At the end of the day I went to Kwik-Fit, paid my bill and went home. Only then did I look at the paperwork. The car had NOT failed its MOT. It had an advisory notice saying the front tyres had uneven wear, tracking was advised. Also the front (not rear) brake pads were wearing thin and the front discs were slightly worn. At this point I felt like I’d had my leg lifted but at least I had the confidence of knowing I had at least got a set of new brakes. So I muttered and grumbled about Kwik-Fit but that was it.
A year later, I’m back with the local garage, who do an MOT and issue an Advisory Notice “Rear brake discs corroded” and suggest I get them replaced and new pads put on. Whoaa! I think. “no” I say “they’re covered by a Kwik-Fit warranty, I think”. I check the paperwork and find the pads are covered by the warranty but not the discs (over 12 months – by 6 days, over 12,000 miles (by 2,000 miles) since the work).
When I pick the car up, the garage manager shows me the brakes. In his opinion (and that of his mechanic) is that the front discs were replaced a year ago. But he says the corrosion on the rear discs suggests they weren’t replaced at the same time. Also, although the braking efficiency is unimpaired for MOT purposes, the pads at the rear aren’t properly aligned. So I pay my bill and go round to Kwik-Fit. I pass the signs saying “Our aim is 100% customer satisfaction”.
The chap I speak to doesn’t seem like he’s trained or empowered to deliver 100% customer satisfaction. He looks at the discs and says the levels of corrosion are the same (the tactile difference is like that between fine and coarse sandpaper) and anyway the rear brakes don’t have as much work to do, so they will corrode more (what!?). Then he says the pads could be misaligned because the calipers are seized. I point out that they’d said that a year ago and surely they’d have sorted that out, he says yes they’d have brushed the dust out. The whole response was one of denial not helpfulness and willingness to address the customers concerns.
The story isn’t over. I managed to get him to agree to look at the brakes properly on Monday (an extra trip into town for me). I’d like to hope Kwik-Fit will delight me then, but I doubt it! Whatever happens, I won’t use Kwik-Fit again for anything. I’ll stick with the local garage for servicing and MOTs, and with the local independent tyre/exhaust centre for tyres and exhausts.
Hi Paul
Many thanks for this – another example of shockingly-poor customer service, over-charging and mis-representation from Kwik Fit. Please do keep us up to date with what happens.
Also, please post your experiences on the anti-fan Facebook page: search for ‘Kwik Fit – the worst corporate reputation in the UK’ and you’ll find many, many more examples to add to.
[...] a year ago I was amplifying one of the superb Chris Street’s campaigning posts on the horrors of Kwik Fit ‘service’. Unfortunately, in my haste I referenced the innocent Kall Kwik (sorry about that!) [...]
I took my car for an MOT at Kwik Fit Chester, aware of low tread on the two front tires but other than that nothing I thought was wrong with it, Was told i would recieve a phone call when the car was ready, the car was booked in for a half hour slot, come 4pm I still hadnt heard heard so rang them, they told me I needed new bearings on the rear and a new fuel tank which they wouldnt fit. 11 Months later I suffered quite a serious brake failure on the rear, had a local mechanic come and look and discovered that due to a basic error, not tightening the bearing to ensure smooth running on behalf of Kwik Fit fitting the new bearings 11 months ago that the of-centre running of the wheel had effectively torn the brakes off the drums and damaged the drum causing that to be damaged beyond repair too!
I was nearly killed when they did my brakes, and left the brake clamps on. I went back to whiteladies branch the next day complaining about poor efficiency – and they insisted there is nothing wrong.
I discovered the clamps 2 days later when car failed to break in Exeter. I was lucky not to have an accident. I went to the Exmouth branch where they eventually sussed the culprit. I complained to the head office and all I got was 50 quid voucher. I should have sued really.
Avoid!
Hi Tomas
Many thanks for sharing your life-threatening experience at the Whiteladies Road Kwik Fit branch.
It seems that brake systems are not a strong point with the mechanics and management there – even more shocking is that your life was valued by Kwik Fit HQ as being worth £50.
Nice.
I am completly shocked at what i have heard tonight. And think that now it is time for someone ie from the company to stand up and show just how low Kwik fit are willing to stoop. I myself would love to share what problems we are having but at the moment it is in hands of solistors and would not wont to do anything to jeopardize our case. But we will be contacting the bristol evening post and other press as have been advised that they would be intrested in taking up the story.I will do my upmost to make sure that the people accountable CAN not hide from there involvement and no one else has to suffer the same treatment as us.
This does not suprise me at all as all of these quick fit type garages are the same, i had a similar experience at Mr Clutch in Swindon, replacing parts that did not need replacing and then leaving the driveshaft and gearbox bolts so loose and one missing from the bell housing my car was left in a state that was undriveable due to noise of these parts toughing the body of the car, had it inspected at an independent garage and they classed the work as so dangerouse it could have caused a serious accident, did mr clutch care, Like F*** they did!!!!!!
On the 12th March 2011 I took my car to Kwik Fit for a diagnostic test as it was running very poorly at low revs. The diagnostic test according to Kwik Fit showed that the Diesel Particulate Filter was a 104% full and needed replacement. They wanted £1226 for a new filter, £150 labour and a further £450 for other bits and sensors that would have to be changed. I am sure you can imagine my reaction! the car is only worth about £7000 maximum!
Fortunately I investigated possible alternative options and also decided before going any further to get a diagnostic test carried out by an authorised Vauxhall dealer. THIS IS WHERE IT GETS SERIOUS !! The Vauxhall diagnostic test showed that a completely different part was required which has now been fitted at a fraction of the cost and the car is better than ever! MORE IMPORTANTLY VAUXHALL INFORMED ME THAT MY CAR DOES NOT HAVE A DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER.
Would Kwik Fit Preston have simply fitted the considerably cheaper part to remedy the problem and presented me with a bill for over £1800 if I had simply accepted their disgracefully shoddy diagnosis. I will be taking legal advice on this matter in the near future. Based on the experience of myself and many others Kwik Fit need to be fully exposed to warn other unsuspecting motorists to keep away from them !!
Hi Dave
Shocking stuff once more from Kwik Fit – and thank you for naming the specific branch, too.
Please also add this comment onto the Facebook anti-fan page, so the 300+ members there know of your experience: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kwik-Fit-the-worst-corporate-reputation-in-the-UK/335225647428
Many thanks.
[...] This is nothing short of bloody-mindedness. Feedback is the most important tool in your online operation. As soon as you put something out online you should have your eyes and ears open ready to pick up on what people think, ready to refine and change your offering if necessary. Don’t be afraid of customer contact, embrace it, learn from it. And if you are really providing a shoddy service, don’t think that by sticking your head in the sand and your fingers in your ears that customers have no place to vent their frustrations. You could wake up one morning and find a blog post about your poor service or a tweet with “[name of your business] #fail” being blasted out to someone’s 3,000 followers. And poor reputation is a surefire route to going out of business. Especially if the person you fob off happens to be a social media consultant… [...]
To be honest I used to use Kwik fit all the time when I had a corsa and I was happy with all the work they had done for me. Fair enough some times they did charge stupidly high prices but as a young lad I had a stupidly modified car which needed large top of the range low profiles. When my exhaust was blowing I took it there n they put it on ramps and called me over to show me where it was blowing which I already knew any way. Every time I use Kwik fit though I used to stam and watch wht they were doing so they never really had the chance to mess with things or bodge jobs. Not defending Kwik fit as people hve obviously had their problems with them I am just posting my personal opinion. I used to use the cleveleys branch however I have stopped using them and started using garages more local to my area
This may shock you quite a lot. 2 people i know have been to kwik fit and HAVENT been ripped off about how they need brakes done etc much to my shock. Maybe there were having a good day lol. Now before you go thinking i like kwik fit far from it. Whilst i was waiting there (with a fleet car i would have no other excuse to go there)2 young yobbos turned up who cleaany intention of going there of my own free willrly worked there saying how they got off at court and smoking in the middle of the garage with no smoking signs what brilliant customer service…. I also know someone who went and actually got 2 tyres cheaply from there much to my horror that he actually went to a kwik fit and much to my shock that he didnt need new brakes.Prehaps they were high on drugs and forgot. I wouldnt dream of taking my own personal car there in fact if i had a puncture, hole in my exhaust in similar i would rather ring my recovery people and wait for them to collect me and tow it too my nearest trusted garage and wait a few days for it to be repaired.
Can’t believe how I got ripped off by Kikfit for tire prices !! I was a loyal customer till now and after 5 years, I will not go anywhere near them. The price difference between instore and online is about 30-40% if you don’t order them 3-4 days in advance. This is a total ripoff as after having a puncture, I was told I’d be better off having all 4 replaced ! Talk about pressure selling. I complained online to them on their web site and lady phoned back within 2 days to apologise but powerless to do anything. How come OFT lets them get away with this ? Just lost a loyal customer that has 3 cars in the family and given them £1000′s worth of business over the years !
Hi Chris
Thank you for sharing your horrendous Kwik Fit experience with us all – we’ve all been in that incredibly frustrating position, where we don’t feel valued as customers, are lied to, robbed financially, and then see Kwik Fit management disappear into denial, silence and retraction. Hoping you go to your local Trading Standards and get them involved.
Kwik-scam tried to charge me £75 for below suspension arm bushing:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?VISuperSize&item=130520498588
How not to be amazed at what they do? This part normally costs up to £5. But on the plus side, thanks to Kwik-shi*e and other cons I blo*dy learned a lot about the cars, parts prices and labour hrs necessary to to certain jobs.
Boycott!!!
It really shocks me how people can slander a whole company for a few poxy employees mis-handling & delivering bad customer care & service. I agree the situation a few have find themselves in our truly shocking! Having said that, Kwik-Fit as a whole has been built on reliability, repeat customers & delivering a great service?! Had they not; they would not be in the position they are today. Suffice to say, bad ‘apples’ do manage to creep into the company & totally ruin things for a vast majority of other staff members at Kwik-Fit. These bad apples don’t last very long & quickly get moved on (as in any company)! I myself have had exceptional service from Kwik-Fit for a number of years now & have used one branch at all times…I’m grateful I haven’t come across any bad experiences, If I did however; I would not slander the whole company for a select few as that is so short sighted.
Hi Jacob
Unfortunately, the multitude of experiences here indicate it is far from a ‘few poxy employees’, not to mention the considerable number of ex-Kwik Fit employees who have spoken out about shocking treatment under management across various Kwik Fit branches in the UK.
And whilst Sir Tom Farmer may have established Kwik Fit on certain principles, the current ownership and management have highlighted that the current Kwik Fit we all know has fallen very far from the original tree indeed. Nice try, though.
Three questions for you:
1. Which Kwik Fit branch delivered you excellent service and when?
2. Do you, or any of your relatives work for, or have ever worked for, Kwik Fit?
3. Are you employed in any kind of PR, Marketing or corporate comms role with/for Kwik Fit?
Just a thought – call me cynical.
Hi!,
I recently took my car to Kwikfit in Bicester a month early before the MOT was due. I booked it in for a full service and MOT as I was travelling to NL with my two sons for a week by car on my own. I wanted to be assured that the car would be nice and safe. (I even mentioned this at the time!!)My bill came to almost 700 pounds. This was not such a big problem until my local garage mentioned that he noticed, after fitting a new cam belt, that some of the work they charged me for had not been done! And there were several other problems. The time of the MOT was done before they actually had my car, something to do with my wheel was not finished properly and therefor dangerous. There was no apology at all from KF manager however eventually after a lot of calling and visiting they refunded me the full bill. I just paid for the two new front tyres, which I could see were new and fitted! It was refunded with not much fuss or the the manager was confident in his mechanic, which frightened me even more! He just never defended the garage or apologised? I have just been contacted by the new Op Mgr for this region, who has apologised and offered a new MOT test and service to be carried out, which I appreciate as long it is done by a trusted and qualified mechanic. I am shocked about this whole event of not taking due care of some ones car and for the first time I feel that I have been taken advantage of as I do not know anything about cars. I feel compensation is in order for negligence, but I am not sure if this will be granted. I will take this up with my solicitor. In the mean time I do not think I will recommend KF to friends and stick with a little garage instead.
Interesting blog, found accidentally while trying to find out what time Whiteladies Road Kwik Fit opened!
I have used that branch and had mostly good experiences, there is an older guy there with shoulder length hair and tattoos who seems to know what he is talking about, he checked over my car recently and what he said corroborated with what I suspected was wrong. I stood and watched what he was doing and had a look at the car while it was up on the ramps, and he was very helpful. Has never tried to sell me anything I don’t need.
The only bad experience was a few years ago when a spotty youth tried to tell me that my car needed new discs every time the pads were changed, and that mine were knackered. I had only just bought the car and knew the discs were about a year old and nothing wrong with them, so asked to see a senior member of staff. The guy with the tats came over and confired there was nothing wrong with the discs. I don’t know whether the kid was actively trying to con me, or whether he just didnt have a clue, but I would be very wary of using them for any big jobs as I don’t trust the skill level of their junior staff.
in 2010 i took my girlfriends 52 plate corsa to kwikfit on eastern avenue in gloucester for an MOT as they had it advertised at £25 and,funds being tight i thought it would be a good move. my girlfriend went to pick up the car later and phoned me to say it had failed on the exhaust which had excessive corrosion,i told her NOT to get the new part they were offering for silly money and to bring it home for me to sort,being a qualified aircraft technician this is not beyond my capabilities.on returning home i got the car in the air and had all my tools ready, i looked up to find possibly the cleanest,silver looking exhaust i have seen on ANY car!where was this corrosion?i just could not see it! i went to HiQ in gloucester, where i know a few of the mechanics and asked them to look at the exhaust,the MOT tester came out and low and behold,there was the slightest bit of surface rust that he removed with a wire brush “just in case” while laughing at kwik fit. he then gave me a receipt to show the work had been done to MOT standard to present to kwik fit.This was all done for free by HiQ,who i cannot recommend enough. When i returned to kwik fit i asked for my free retest and watched the mechanics face drop when i presented the receipt for £0.00 to fix the “problem” from HiQ.needless to say the car had no advisories after that. and i now only use HiQ,it may cost a little more for an MOT but they do what they say they will and will let you stand next to them as they work.
What can I say, I used KwikFIt in Harlow (June 2011) to replace a tyre that needed to be swapped out due to a lump forming. During the inspection, the front struts were seen to be moving to excess – fair enough, they were indeed – £90 each, and although out of pocket, I was happy to have the work done,and as I was desperate to get under way for an important school meeting so asked if they could speed things along for me – which they did.
Fast forward to the start of October and my MOT (MOTs R Us in Harlow – cannot fault them!) – and the obligatory old-car fail expectation, the new struts were marked as ‘**dangerous** – Loose bolts’ – and the warning that “within another couple of hundred miles, your wheel could have fallen off.” Both sides tightened up, and a pass.
Now, don’t get me wrong, a lot can happen in a few hundred miles, but properly torqued suspension struts are not something I’ve ever seen fail – at least not in the 23 years this Golf has been around for.
I can’t see myself ever using a Kwik-Fit again, and to John’s “make a small issue into a headline story?” well, this issue could well have seen the end of me; just a week ago, I had to avoid a head-on with some berk overtaking on a bend. Had my strut parted company with the car, I would have ploughed into either a tree at 50mph, or the oncoming traffic at a very high closing speed.
Dangerous or incomplete work is as bad or worse as never maintaining your car. ATS, I’m coming back to you…