Nightmare Valet, ICC Garage Next to Haywards Heath Station

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Mon Nov 25, 2002 6:05 pm

Well some of you might remember my post about a poor hand wash service recently experieced near Haywards Heath Station, Sussex.

Me partner has a client who owns another valet service Next to Haywards Heath Station called ICC Garage.

So I took her merc coupe down there this afternoon an dropped it off to some guy with an earing through his lip. Says it'd be an hour.

Came back 70 minutes later still not ready. Stood around, noticing he left the drivers door open while cleaning an dirtied up the cloth lining inside the bottom of the door. He tried cleaning it so hard he made the material fray

The he tells me how he hates people complaining about him to his boss

(Alarm bells rrrrrr)an he and his boss drives the porshes and a Marcos up n down the car park to see how fast they drive.

an how he noticed this merc was a little slow in first gear when he drove it into the garage

Got home, noticed the alloy wheels wern't cleaned well at all. My partner rings up the client as she's his bank manager and tells him what his monkey has been up to. Client tells her it must all have been a windup up and asks me to come back, so I get on the phone, tell him the story and explain I have no intention of returning after such treatment.

Why can't even a simple valet job be done properly without damage. An to top it all the guy who did the valeting was FRENCH

Robbie.

Pukka Pug · Post by **Pukka Pug** » Mon Dec 02, 2002 12:42 pm

I sympathise with you-Im such as fussy sod I can find fault with most things people have done on my behalf.Take for instance a tyoe place with a good reputation...they even managed to put 4 scuff marks damaging the laqueur on my CC's beautiful alloy.As for pug main dealers,I think my 5 yo nephew has more common sense.Seen 'valeters' drop the chamois on a gravelly surface then continue drying a car without even a shake or rinse-do they not realise grit picked up from the ground rubbed over bodywork WILL caused damage.Take my old car-Nice ethnic gent rear ends it,new rear panels,valence,tailgate etc,goes to 'insurance recommended' repairers,comes back with a 20 inch long scratch,2 mm wide,down to bare metal on nearside rear door,they deny all knowledge.Great!!!! Well,thats my monday morn moan.be good

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Tue Dec 03, 2002 1:06 am

Yes I really worry now about valet companies after two bad experiences, they brag how they race the flash cars an look totally disinterested in cleaning like they've never washed a car properly in their lives before. Suppose their employers pay em peanuts an get inexperienced monkeys. At least if you get a firm willing to come to your home you can keep an eye on them.

Re: Approved Garages, I wrote a post 10 months ago about my nightmare experinces with Direct Line approved repairers. Had the same problem with 2 approved Direct Line garages, one put a dent in the car so insisted this was repaired and it went to the second "approved garage" who repaired the fresh dent but didn't bother repairing all the original damage. After my experience I suspect the term "approved garage" was merely someone willing to undercut competition to supply the repair at the lowest possible cost, not exactly a receipe for good service.

I subsequently found out that I could have had car repaired at the main dealers providing I got 2 quotes, Ok its more hassle getting it there if its not drivable, but its something I'll insist upon if it happened again.

Robbie.

Craig Atkins · Post by **Craig Atkins** » Thu Dec 05, 2002 12:49 am

I had my cc valeted a few months ago by a guy who came to my office.
He was doing one of the girls cars, so I got her to call him and book mine in at the same time.
He spent about 2 1/2 hours on the car... and asked if there was anything specific that I wanted done that he might possibly overlook, so I got him to clean the dirty burn type marks of the exhaust, which he polished up a treat.
I have to say I was suitably impressed with the whole service, and happy to pay the Â£35.00 it cost.
He even told me to change my parking space, as my space at work is quite near the railway line, and hot fine shards of metal come up from the tracks when the trains brake and land on the paintwork, causing pitting and poor shine

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Thu Dec 05, 2002 2:53 am

Just goes to show, like most things, its best to go by recommendation or otherwise.

Robbie.

Julia · Post by **Julia** » Thu Dec 05, 2002 11:09 am

Craig
As you are local to me can you pm or post the valeters name and number as I have valeters at work which are "ok" but could do better!
Thanks
Julia

grainne. · Post by **grainne.** » Mon Dec 09, 2002 12:11 pm

Craig,

Coud you pm me the details as well please!

Thx,

Grainne

Craig Atkins · Post by **Craig Atkins** » Mon Dec 09, 2002 12:13 pm

I will pop the details up here, but I don't know them off the top of my head.

The girl I work with is the one who called them, so she's supposed to send me their number (I've emailed her twice!)

Will post it here when it appears in my inbox!

Craig

paul_y3k · Post by **paul_y3k** » Mon Dec 09, 2002 1:24 pm

huh you should all wash your own cars .. only after the plesure of an 8 hour clean can you stand back and smile in the glymn .. and it's alway much better than a valeters ! I mean do valeters take the alloys off and clean the inside of the wheels hmm i think not.

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Mon Dec 09, 2002 1:29 pm

So Paul you'll be buying a 4x4 and covered trailer to get you lovely clean CC from A to B

Craig Atkins · Post by **Craig Atkins** » Mon Dec 09, 2002 1:34 pm

I found the details!!!

The guys name was Julian, and this is the company:
http://sites.yell.com/passport/goto/ash ... able=false

My valet cost Â£35, and was well worth it...

Need to do it again, interior is dirty in all those hard to reach (or can't be a*sed) places...

Washed the car at the weekend, and ended up driving through a muddy road and now have a shiny CC with great big mud splats up each side!
GRRRRR!

paul_y3k · Post by **paul_y3k** » Mon Dec 09, 2002 2:54 pm

hmm actually i am thinking about it for next years round of shows.