Terrible business'

[Wahreo]

I've been trying to get my car stereo fitted for a week.

I've been contacting smaller local companies trying to get some responses but nothing. I've tried the one man band types and get no reply.

I go to visit a bigger company which is quite a way from me and it worked out that they wanted £300 for a 2 hour labour only install.

It makes you wonder how some people are in business. I genuinely believe that on the whole, the customer service in the UK is awful. When you do find a good company, they are greedy with their prices.

We could learn a lot from the Americans, a country where the customer is king.

Why is the simplest thing always a hassle?!

 

[xox Godders xox]

Not really a customer service issue, if a certain job isn't important to them a business will price accordingly. It would be nice for consumers if everything was priced on a costs plus (reasonable) profit basis but that's not realistic unfortunately.

 

[DarenD]

Order a new TV from Currys in their Easter Sale. They delivered the wrong one.

Purchased £120 of JD Sports vouchers from Morrisons. 2 weeks later Im still unable to spend the vouchers due to a technical fault and both companies blaming each other.

Cancelled T-Mobile mobile broadband cause Im sick of having to ring deepest darkest India to tell them to stop letting app companies charge my account for subscriptions I haven't authorised.

Bathroom company has decided they can't start on Monday even though the job has been booked in for a month and can only do the week after. This knocks the decorator out as he planned for next week and isn't free after that till mid-June at the earliest.

That's just this month. British companies suck at customer service. I often feel that no matter what I buy or what tradesmen I book Im having to waste my own days off to sort it all out.

 

[Wahreo]

Not really a customer service issue, if a certain job isn't important to them a business will price accordingly. It would be nice for consumers if everything was priced on a costs plus (reasonable) profit basis but that's not realistic unfortunately.

The stupid thing was that they said they could do the install there and then which means they had nothing else on. So effectively they would be sat around for two hours doing nothing because they wanted to charge me £150 per hour. I would've gone up to £100 per hour which is also disgusting as I have gone to see them. It's a little different if someone comes to you.

Got hold of a local fitter now that charges around £40 per hour and comes to me. Even if he takes four hours to install, he will still be half the price of the car audio company.

 

[Wahreo]

Bathroom company has decided they can't start on Monday even though the job has been booked in for a month and can only do the week after. This knocks the decorator out as he planned for next week and isn't free after that till mid-June at the earliest.

On a Bathroom related topic...I picked up 5 metres of cream tiles on Friday, I travel for an hour all the way to Andover, burn about £15 of diesel, open the boxes up and the Tiles are bright red.

Yeah, yeah, I should've opened up a box to check first.

 

[DarenD]

Know the feeling took the TV back to Currys and the girl behind the counter just looked at me with one of those lights on and nobody home looks. Been 5 years since I last walked into a shop and bought something that the guy behind the counter actually knew about what he was selling and that was Richer Sounds.

Too many low paid retail workers who couldn't give a monkey or too dim to care about what they selling. When I told her the NowTV box that came with the TV should have been the one with SKY entertainment pass not SKY Sports she asked me do they do different ones. For gods sake you are the retailer you tell me.

 

[wilbanat]

Just out of interest, what kind of stereo are you having fitted ? Or is it a whole system? Just seems like a lot of time if it's only the main unit and not enough time for a complete custom setup...

Just curious

 

[Wahreo]

It's a Kenwood DNX521-DAB. This is the unit which Kenwood made specifically to fit in certain VW group cars, so Audi, Seat, Scoda and of course VW which this is going in to.

The head unit is straightforward but a DAB arial needs to be run up along columns next to wind screen and and a Microphone and GPS receiver needs to be fitted also.

Here's the unit:-

 

[wilbanat]

It's a Kenwood DNX521-DAB. This is the unit which Kenwood made specifically to fit in certain VW group cars, so Audi, Seat, Scoda and of course VW which this is going in to.

The head unit is straightforward but a DAB arial needs to be run up along columns next to wind screen and and a Microphone and GPS receiver needs to be fitted also.

Here's the unit:-

That's smart. I have been looking at after market ones to go in the wife's focus, but most of what I found are a bit cheap looking IMO...Will continue the search....Have fun with the new toy

 

[Wahreo]

I've been looking into it for ages. I do a fair bit of driving in Europe so the sat nav was essential.

The DAB will be necessary before long too.

 

[Rasczak]

Forgive going a little OT - but what is the coverage of DAB like for driving these days? I tend to drive long distance (probably 90% motorways and A-Roads) and would like a wider choice - but is DAB very much still town/city only - or does it have good rural coverage.

 

[nowthatswhatica]

Have you got your head unit fitted? I've fitted around 7-10 in diff cars. Normally takes around an hour.

Where are you based? I don't mind helping you fit it. I would offer to help you over the phone but it's always best to see the physical unit.

 

[Wahreo]

Thanks for the offer but it's still not something I want to do.

There is actually a demo online, it's in German:-

 

[Egg White]

On a Bathroom related topic...I picked up 5 metres of cream tiles on Friday, I travel for an hour all the way to Andover, burn about £15 of diesel, open the boxes up and the Tiles are bright red.

Yeah, yeah, I should've opened up a box to check first.

I did that with a centre speaker from richersounds year agao - they ordered it in for me...was supposed to match my speakers...school boy error not checking tho...

 

[captainarchive]

The Council run swimming baths I go to has two women who have no customer service skills whatsoever. Last week I went in and you pay for admission through a glass hatch and the two women on the other side were having a furious row, I could hear them as I climbed the steps to the entrance. When they noticed me standing there through the sliding glass panels, one siad to the other, 'Are you going to get that!' meaning me. The other women slide back the panel and said 'What do you want?'...I kid you not.

 

[Exemplar]

Thanks for the offer but it's still not something I want to do.

There is actually a demo online, it's in German:-

Childish giggle - ARS!!!

 

[Lancia34]

Agree with the OP. Recent experiences include trying to get my fence fixed after the storms over Xmas, virtually no one replied or contacted me back and one said they couldn't do it (even though they specialise in home fencing etc...). These were small local companies.

Then we ordered 2 sofas from Next over 2 months ago. Got a letter last Monday saying one was delayed until May then got a call on Tuesday saying they were both ready. I checked about getting our old sofas picked up by a local charity and called Next back who then said only one was ready for delivery. I questioned and they came back and said that actually they were both ready for delivery on Sunday. All seemed good...

So, we get our old sofas picked up Saturday morning, then get a call from Next saying that only one sofa is available!!! WHAT?!! After a lot of complaining, got a tiny discount and have ended up with just a small 2 seater sofa while we wait for the main large one to be delivered in about 3 weeks. We can't even both fit on there with our trays so as you can imagine we're not happy and a major letter of complaint is going to be winging its way to Next head office soon.

 

[Epicurus]

Wahreo did you try and negotiate the price? Maybe they have expensive insurance!

I had a carpet fitted last week from a local independent. Not only was the price excellent, but after removing my old carpet and seeing the state of the floor, carried out a number of repairs without charging a penny more. The job took him 3 hours longer than expected, but was still all laughs at the end. Because of this attitude he's had a huge number of jobs from my family and businesses I'm involved in.

The company that did the original crap job are now out of business.

What's surprising is that even in the recession when companies need to fight for business, there are plenty that still think customer service is optional.

 

[Deleted member 51156]

The Council run swimming baths I go to has two women who have no customer service skills whatsoever. Last week I went in and you pay for admission through a glass hatch and the two women on the other side were having a furious row, I could hear them as I climbed the steps to the entrance. When they noticed me standing there through the sliding glass panels, one siad to the other, 'Are you going to get that!' meaning me. The other women slide back the panel and said 'What do you want?'...I kid you not.

We had a similar experience at our local council baths when we enquired about swimming lessons for our three year old...
Our question regarding prices and times was met with "It's on the website" in a dismissive tone..

I briefly fantasised about throwing a left jab followed by a swift right cross, but resisted the temptation...

 

[Pisto_Grih]

Our question regarding prices and times was met with "It's on the website" in a dismissive tone.

Aah hate this! Sorry to take off-topic, it's usually big companies that do this, you call them up and they say "it's on the website", would I really phone you up on your 0845 number, go through your interminable phone system and then wait on hold for ten minutes if I hadn't already pored over every inch of your execrable website?

 

[Wahreo]

Faith in the human race restored. Local fitter installed stereo in just over an hour for £55+VAT.

Cartronics in Byfleet, Surrey wanted £250+VAT

 

[Saldawop]

Faith in the human race restored. Local fitter installed stereo in just over an hour for £55+VAT.

Cartronics in Byfleet, Surrey wanted £250+VAT

You named the dodgy one, why not give the good one a mention?

 

[Pisto_Grih]

Faith in the human race restored. Local fitter installed stereo in just over an hour for £55+VAT.

Cartronics in Byfleet, Surrey wanted £250+VAT

Good to know, they are my local independent so will know what to expect if I ever need them.

 

[Sonic67]

Forgive going a little OT - but what is the coverage of DAB like for driving these days? I tend to drive long distance (probably 90% motorways and A-Roads) and would like a wider choice - but is DAB very much still town/city only - or does it have good rural coverage.

How goods the aerial? Stuck to the inside of a windscreen or outside the car? I live in a village and get three mux's in my car. If you listen to Radio 5, 4 extra, Talksport or like rock then DAB is worth it but a lot is all down to the aerial. Only time I ever lost DAB altogether was in an area of Wales. In which case switch back to FM or something. From what I can remember that was a bit patchy too.

 

[Wahreo]

You named the dodgy one, why not give the good one a mention?

Shocks away, based in Farnborough, Hants.

I contacted him yesterday, he came out specially this evening and fitted the unit, perfect job.