I just picked up one of my cars from Auto Spa of Saskatoon at 1738 Saskatchewan Ave. I have…read morethoughts.
TL;DR: These are all photos of *after* they allegedly cleaned my car. When I asked about it the manager got so mad that he accidentally sputtered out "We do BASIC CLEANING. You want it GOOD, go somewhere else!"
Here's how we got there:
On the day they cleaned my car - well, had the car in their shop - they were to start at 7:30am. I called at 10am to see how it was going. No one answered. I called again at 12:30pm and the receptionist (Erika?) said they were just starting but it looked like there was going to be extra vacuuming, so there'd be an additional charge on top of the package I bought. My total would be just under $400.
Fair enough, the carpets were dirty but that's why I was having it detailed. For an upcharge I expect the carpets and seats to look practically new. Spoiler: they did not.
In that conversation she said the car would be done at "some time after 4" but they close at 5pm. I wouldn't be able to make it in that narrow timeslot. No problem, she said, we'll keep it in the bay overnight so it's safe and warm and has extra drying time.
At about 4:30pm she called to say the job was done and could I come pick it up. No, I reminded her, I'll get it in the morning. Okay, but we have another customer who came in after and he wants his car inside overnight so we have to put yours in the parking lot.
Even though they already promised they'd keep mine inside overnight, that promise went out the window as soon as they promised the same thing to one later customer. Despite having three bays.
The next day Erika called at 11:30am asking when I was coming to pick up the car, and I told her I'd be there in a little more than an hour. A little before 1pm my Uber arrived at the "Spa" to drop me off. As we drove up I could see the wheels were still filthy.
I paid, including the upcharge for "extra vacuuming", and got the keys. I got into the car an immediately noticed the seats, dash, and carpet still had dust and hair on them, and now there were flecks of cardboard all over the place that match the cardboard they put over the floormats.
I told Erika, who texted the manager. He was pissed because he was eating his lunch but came to look at the car while grumbling.
I pointed out the wheels first. He claimed that usually they use acid to get brake dust off but they could tell by looking that it wouldn't work so they didn't. Why not use iron remover and a brush, like most detail places would? He ignored the question.
I opened the door and wordlessly pointed to the dust and flecks of material on the seats and dash. He immediately claimed the cardboard flecks were "paint" on the (dark grey) dash and was pre-existing.
You're telling me, I asked as I pushed one of the pieces of cardboard along the dash with my finger, that this is paint?
He changed his story to say the detritus was from the vents because they left my car idling for 3 hours that morning to warm it up.
Odd - when I drove the car over there I didn't have all that crud blowing out of my vents. And how did it get into the closed armrest console? And on the backs of seats?
We were only two minutes into it and already he stomped back to the office, opened the door, and stood there like Mussolini giving a balcony speech as he yelled that he was "tired of this SHIT. I cleaned this car for THREE HOURS and you've been complaining for fifteen minutes!"
a) yeah - that's why I paid $400 for your three hours.
b) no dude, it's been like a fifth of that time that we've ben talking. But yeah, I'm complaining. Because you didn't clean the car.
I asked this is your idea of being professional? Screaming at a customer who paid you to clean a car then points out when you give them back a dirty one?
He started yelling "Talk to David" over and over again, without telling me who David was. Wasn't he, the guy I was speaking with getting yelled at by, the manager?
This is where he said "We do BASIC CLEANING. You want it GOOD, go somewhere else!" then stomped off the parking lot. Seriously, he left and got in his car to sit there and pout.
I still don't know who David is.
Anyhow, I don't recommend Auto Spa of Saskatoon. I anti-recommend them. Not thorough, not professional, and while Erika was nice the manager is not stable.
EDIT:
I found out who David is - he's the owner. He somehow found out about this review and rang me up to apologise. He said he'll be speaking with the manager and "making some changes", then gave me a full refund.
While that doesn't turn back time and prevent the wound of the poor service I received, it is at least a salve that the owner acknowledges the error and gave an unsolicited refund.
