Posted by Tony gould on December 6, 2010, 1:40 pm Message modified by board administrator December 7, 2010, 3:22 pm
Hi Has anyone used the company "servicing stop"?
We have recently been doing a few jobs for them and today we spoke to one of the customers direct. He has told me that he was specifically told that outside of the dealership areas (we have no main dealers near us) he must use this company to maintain his warranty.
For those of you who dont know "servicing stop" are basically a middle man company who take the booking, pass the details onto a local garage who then has to arrange collection/delivery and carry the work out.
We all know main dealers have a tendency to say that they must do warranty servicing however this takes the biscuit, now it seems they are recomending people who dont actualy do the work themselves, who dont follow manafacturers schedules and who have no quality control over work carried out, all at our (the small buisness) expense.
Before raising this issue further i would like to see if we are alone in our assesment or if others have come across this situation?
Regards Tony
Re: Servicing Stop
Posted by Peter Warman on December 6, 2010, 1:50 pm, in reply to "S Stop" Peter Warman - Administrator
Posted by sean savage on December 6, 2010, 5:57 pm, in reply to "S Stop" Sean Savage
hi tony. as i previously said i did about 7 or 8 jobs for this company guy was called toby if i remember right. They stated the job and the price (which was always slightly more than i would have charged to be honest) which is good. the vehicles have to be collected and cleaned when returned, i never had them request a major service,they were always interims. they always paid instantly and there customers then came to me direct after the first. they then started ringing me telling me to keep the work i have to sign a contract stating how and what would be done etc etc,as soon as the word contract appeared i refused and havent heard from them in probably 10 months. sean
Re: S Stop
Posted by Tony gould on December 8, 2010, 9:33 am, in reply to "Re: S Stop" Tony Gould
Thanks Peter,found it + loads of negative feed back on net,which makes interesting reading As Sean said they pay us almost as much as cuctomer would if came direct to us and pay up before car leaves They have as yet not asked us to sign any contract or to do MOTs at £35 So will wait and see
Thanks Regards Tony
Re: Servicing Stop
Posted by Mark Murphy on July 24, 2012, 7:31 pm, in reply to "Re: S Stop" Mark Murphy
Hi Guys Sorry to drag up such an old post but it looks like these guys have made their way over to this side of the pond. Is anyone doing work for them and if so how is it going? I got a call from them today to know if i would be interested in doing some work for them. The pricing looks a bit Sh!te but thought I would try it out to see if it would be viable. In saying that I dont want to find out the hard way if it is a waste of time. T.I.A. Mark
Re: Servicing Stop
Posted by Steve Nicholas on July 24, 2012, 7:43 pm, in reply to "Re: Servicing Stop" Stephen Nicholas
Hi All
I had a call recently.
I stated that we had more than enough work and would be unwilling to stick our necks out and risk taking on too much to the detriment of the service to existing customers.
My second point is that I run my business and I decide what the labour rate is - they obviously don't like that one!
Still, I've only been in business for 26 years so what do I know ;-)
Regards,
Steve
Re: Servicing Stop
Posted by Mark Murphy on July 24, 2012, 10:48 pm, in reply to "Re: Servicing Stop"
26 years?Sure you'r only a chap Long time no see mate, Hows things?
Re: Servicing Stop
Posted by Steve Nicholas on July 25, 2012, 10:35 pm, in reply to "Re: Servicing Stop" Stephen Nicholas
Thanks Mark!
But I was working for the great industrial world for umpteen years before that!
60 next year...if I make it...
Steve
Re: Servicing Stop
Posted by Rodney Lace on June 23, 2017, 12:30 pm, in reply to "Re: Servicing Stop"
Hello. Sorry to drag up a really old thread.
Does anyone currently deal with this outfit? (Servicing Stop)
I've just been approached by them promising thousands of pounds worth of work a month, but seemed very sketchy/vague when I questioned them a bit more deeply about how it all worked and how I would get paid.
Does anyone have any up to date feed back on them?
Re: Servicing Stop
Posted by aidan birley on June 23, 2017, 1:27 pm, in reply to "Re: Servicing Stop"
Google reviews make interesting reading only seem to get 1 or 5 star
Posted by Rodney Lace on June 23, 2017, 2:16 pm, in reply to "Re: Servicing Stop" Gordon Lace
Yes. I've seen similar 'fabulous or disastrous' reviews and wonder if the 5 star ones are by the company themselves. The 'special oil' thing crops up a lot too. A lot of cars do need specific oil these day, and it is dearer, but where do they get the charges from? The servicing garage or is it an easy mark-up for Servicing Stop to apply... (?)
Re: Servicing Stop
Posted by Keith Simpson on June 28, 2017, 6:23 am, in reply to "Re: Servicing Stop"
I wouldn't touch any of these outfits with a barge pole, also the other sites where you have to compete on price to get the job.
It's pretty sad how things have changed.
Keith
Re: Servicing Stop
Posted by Peter Scott on June 28, 2017, 10:24 am, in reply to "Re: Servicing Stop"
I agree with Keith
I feel these middle men are parasites and they get short shrift from me.
Maybe I'm a bit of an old school dinosaur but I also want to get an idea of the type of customer we're dealing with before booking them in or making our excuses.
Peter
Re: Servicing Stop
Posted by SImon Kefford on June 29, 2017, 6:26 pm, in reply to "Re: Servicing Stop" Simon Kefford
I have a had a rant on different forums about this.
They are trading off the back of your reputation - if you are any good you don't need them.
Better off spending a little on local marketing.
Its about a face to face relationship of trust.
They are not here for the long term to support our industry F'em.
Si
IMHO
Re: Servicing Stop
Posted by John Ritchie on July 1, 2017, 2:37 pm, in reply to "Re: Servicing Stop" John Ritchie
I'm with Simon on my thoughts about this, I don't believe these companies have the customers interest at heart, they only look at what margin they can get & do you really need a customer who is looking for the cheapest job they can get ?. That said I can't fault anyone where their business isn't doing well & trying to get more work in the door but like mentioned local advertising might be worth more in the long run IMHO
Regards John
Re: Service Stop #
Posted by Chris Angus on July 20, 2017, 3:26 pm, in reply to "Service Stop #"
These were on rogue traders last night, seems they're a bit naughty!
Re: Service Stop #
Posted by Russell Davey on July 21, 2017, 4:01 pm, in reply to "Re: Service Stop #" Andy Davey
Posted by Simon Kefford on July 21, 2017, 4:35 pm, in reply to "Re: Service Stop #" Simon Kefford
MMMMM....(smug face) I just received this from IGA - copyright IGA
I also had an email from the AA today telling me how wonderful I was and I can now choose whether I give them a cut of job price or pay standard rate when they bring in a breakdown.
Aren't I lucky?
Exact same as all these parasites - suck you in get you hooked then start squeezing the price up. The same ethics as "smack dealer".
Guess what I have not signed up with the AA and I still get bills (I do not pay) from the RAC even though I am not signed with them either.
Dear Member,
Following the BBC’s Watchdog programme this week, we would like to make you aware of a feature highlighting a serious issue with an automotive work provision company. Companies such as this one are taking a ‘skim’ from your labour rate and are becoming more common. They present a commercial and reputational threat to our sector and whilst they appear to be offering cost savings to consumers, their business models are designed to up-sell.
The consumer’s perception of independent garages has always been positive and largely based on the relationship between the business owner and the customer, this is what independents do best. Using these ‘skimmers’ breaks that relationship and leaves a non-automotive call handler to explain the complexities of a repair and negotiate additional services which in many cases are not needed. It is always better when the garage explains any work required directly to the customer.
A recent study indicates that consumers are increasingly using independent garages. The IGA will continue to strongly defend the reputations of honest and trustworthy garages and we urge you to carefully consider whether you do business with any organisation that places itself between you and your customer, even if that organisation appears to benefit your business as a result of its high-profile brand.
Please click here to watch to the BBC’s Watchdog programme.
Best Regards,
Stuart James Director, IGA
Credit IGA
This today from the AA - notice is says "agree to T's&C's after you have signed up" WTF
AND - "We want to take our member to the best local garages"
My point exactly - they are trading on the back of our reputation!
Important changes to receiving vehicles towed to your garage from AA patrols
Hi S K Automotive Engineers,
You might already be providing a great service to our Members helping them when they break down and are towed to your garage by our patrols.
To ensure you can continue to help and receive tow-ins from our patrols we will need you to sign up to our new tow-ins network. This network has been created to improve the experience for our Members and patrols.
The good news is because you already have an active listing on the Garage Guide, signing you up to the new tow-ins network is very easy.
To sign-up simply fill in this quick form
After signing up, we will then need you to accept the new terms and conditions which will be sent in an email to you. We can take you through these if needed and answer any questions you might have.
Please note: This change does not affect tow-ins you may receive from non-AA Members.
What is different with the new network? We want to take our Members to the best local garages. It's free to join with no annual subscription fees You choose whether to pay a fixed admin or a percentage per job. We don't charge you for existing customers
To sign-up simply fill in this quick form
We very much hope you will join this new network and continue to help our Members.
If you need more information please give us a call.
