Really Poor Customer Service - Tread Carefully!
I'm not a…read morewriter of reviews unless really great service or really poor, sadly this is the later. My concern is with the manager / owner, Mr Russell Birch who whilst works hard and built his business, I fear he is at breaking point and now unfortunately customers are suffering.
After 4 years of using this garage with the best part of £1000 spent on 3 cars I've seen the service go from great, to what has happened over the last few months. Russell's poor attitude and behaviour I can only describe as defensive, as if he constantly has a chip on his shoulder over the simplest of questions or requests. I asked for my brake pads and tyres to be checked a week or so ago, I'd received a pad wear warning on the car dash, but didn't know which corners were affected, plus asked for my tyre wear to be checked as I wanted to get both done, but would need to order through Blackcircle as usual. After a number of calls related to time on ramp, I arranged matters for the most convenient for him, 08.30am my wife and 3 yr old would attend - 1. Whilst my wife awaited the 'health check' a gentleman waited calmly in line and left before being served, no issue. I'm sure the customer would have called back when he had more time, yet Russell felt it necessary to openly criticise him to his staff - 2. With no previous mention during my many calls he proceeds to charge my wife £45 for checking brake pad wear - 3. The Tyres were not checked - 4. A quote for the works was not provided. Whilst I wasn't contactable during the day I spoke to my wife in the afternoon to learn of the 4 items above - completely unacceptable, plus, to add insult to injury, a credit charge cost on top. Thinking my upset would be easily resolved I visited Toyotech to complain, explained my key concern that no mention of a charge would be made for my brake pads and tyre checks (accepting the tyres weren't checked) to be met with zero customer service. I just received a barrage of comments with attitude about how I needed to understand all the time he's spent on it and how I could have it checked by Toyotech and then go somewhere else,... madness! ''Toyotech is that somewhere else'', I have my Merc serviced at Mercedes, but all other works I have done at Toyotech e.g. tyres, brakes, electronic diagnostics and repair. Seeing what I thought might be an easy remedy I suggested he simply take the £45 bill off the works for the tyres and the brake pads (only fronts need doing), but no, he suggest I take my business elsewhere - appalling service that others need to take care of.
Russell, can I offer a little guidance, please take in the spirit to which it's intended, I've worked in customer service for over 38years and I've learnt a lot of lessons in that time, can I suggest that the next complaining customer you get, let them have their say, then apologise that they feel the way they do and that you'll take an easy fix when it's offered to you. Gatwick Tyres a mile down the road from you do free health check (also premier partner on Blackcircle that I checked after visiting you as of course I still need someone to complete the work), so given that you made no mention of cost it was perfectly reasonable for me to expect no charge on the basis any resulting works would come to you, you wonder why car repairers get a bad name, you are that reason. A complaining customer is a perfect opportunity if resolved properly to gain a customer for life, after all we only really know our providers when things go a bit wrong and your 1970's gun-ho approach will never win the day. Please take my advice, you have a strong growing business that won't benefit from a stressed leader with attitude. In the meantime I'll remain a very disappointed, overcharged and confused customer - you'll choose whether you wish to resolve that.
