Let's hear it for Quality Service - in Weston Super mare -
Rare to find Quality and Service nowadays, eh ..?
They are always very courteous -
They take about half an hour for careful work , including removal and replacement of a tricky tacky undertray that my Focus has underneath - I gave him the option of slinging it away but he persevered...
They drain it properly - no sucking out via top filler/stick
They replace with Duckhams QXR 5W/30 Semi synth. for my Ford Focus diesel - I think it is good quality stuff
They didnt have my filter -"come back in an hour and we will have" -and they did
Some people worry about the filter -
It's by QIX which some of the best cars in the world badge as their own ....see www.wixeurope.com/oecontracts/index.html
All for £21 including a tax of £1 for disposal of oil -
And no hard sell ever, although I do go back to them for other services cos they are fine and fair.
Don_lynch@hotmail.com
{Slight alteration to wording. DD}
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I too have had excellent service from National. Only differences on my Focus last July were:
1. It only cost £20. Is the oil disposal tax new?
2. They left the aircon on full (well it was a hot day and the fitter probably wanted to cool off!)
Still going back to the main dealer for the 'proper' 12 month service though (the oilchange above was an extra interim one, which I will repeat next summer).
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Plaudits here as well. They give Tesco points - so when you're replacing BMW tyres that is some deal ! They always undercut the best quote including BMW Dealers (which were exactly 4 quid more but 38 miles further, some things are good value at BM dealers including oil and tyres you know), they tourqed the wheel nuts to correct setting, and the guy who runs our local branch actually likes cars !!!!
Oh yes, they parked my car on a single yellow line, it got a ticket through lack of communication with a warden and they paid it (well they knocked the cost off the invoice)
They fitted internet sourced tyres at at £6.00 a corner on the MINI - perhaps I shouldn't mention that.
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I will add to this, changed the oil on the Saxo with no fuss, no mess, just good straight forward honest service.
If only Renault weren't so stubborn about their warranty, I would take the Scenic in for a 6000 mile oil change!
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But could you not buy a genuine Renault filter, some nice 5/40W fully synthetic and get them to change it?
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Nope, National will only use their own specific filters and oils. Now we both know that they will be as good as Renaults but Renault won't honour the warranty.
As per the attached from Renault:
Thank you for your recent enquiry regarding the servicing of your Renault Scenic 1.9dci.
I can confirm you are entitled to take your vehicle to a fast fit centre to carry out your service if you wish to do so. However, please be aware that any servicing must be carried out to Renault standards and using genuine Renault parts to prevent any implications on your warranty.
Thank you for taking the time to contact Renault and if you would like any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our dedicated Customer Services department on 0800 072 33 72. Our department is open from 8.30am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank holidays) and is committed to providing the best service in the industry.
Regards
Kirsty Bolderston
Renault Customer Services
www.renault.co.uk
Tel:0800 072 33 72
customer.services@renaultco.uk
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Yes but why won't National fit a Renault filter if you take it in?
I would like to know what oil National use, Renault dCi's need a top quality fully synthetic in my opinion.
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National uses Visco 7000 fully synthetic. Details of its oil and filter changes at:
tinyurl.com/dp7go
Click on Latest Offers and then on the last of the four newspaper advertisements that are displayed.
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They told me it was company policy that they would only use their own. I offered to supply a Renault one and still pay full price but they point blank refused!
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>>but they point blank refused!>>
The reason is simple and applies to any other spare part that you might offer to supply in most garages etc in that an outlet is normally not prepared to guarantee its work if it has not supplied the part(s).
It's done to cover itself against any possible future problems with the part(s) supplied and is a logical approach.
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bobbyg -
challenge renault about the letter they sent you.
ask them how it complies with
www.oft.gov.uk/news/press+releases/2004/85-04.htm
14 May 2004
The remaining manufacturers whose new car warranties included servicing ties have all now lifted their servicing restrictions (see note 1). Consumers will now be able to choose freely where they have their new car serviced. ...
1. Manufacturers who had servicing restrictions and lifted them following the OFT's recommendations were: Citroen, Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, Peugeot and DaimlerChrysler. Renault and MG Rover removed their servicing restrictions before the OFT study was published.
and copy the letter to the oft.
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But Renault are not saying that national can't do it - they are just saying that they must use genuine Renault parts?
Surely OFT can't insist that Renault honour a warranty if they have no say in what parts are getting bolted to the engine?
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>>they are just saying that they must use genuine Renault parts?>>
In many cases the parts being used come from the same manufacturer who supplies Renault or any other marque with OEM parts...:-)
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Exactly!
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which is exactly why you must write to renault challenging them and copy the leter to the oft.
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I used a non-VW filter on my car a few years back and it was much noisier from a cold start. I then replacd the filter with a genuine one, the noise disappeared. I then cut the old filter apart with a hacksaw, there was no non-return valve in it which explained the problem.
National are obviously sticking tightly to their company policy which is their right. However, they must be losing quite bit of business. Like BobbyG, I would be more than happy to supply a genuine Renault filter (with receipt) and still pay the full Natinal oil change price. Their loss, I shall do the change myself.
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Their loss, I shall do the change myself.>>
My Bora uses 4.5 litres of semi-synthetic oil along with the new oil filter and the staff at the Ormskirk National centre I use take around half-an-hour to do the work; the reason is that they are very thorough and are also careful to ensure that the correct amount of oil is put into the engine.
The half-a-litre of oil below the maximum amount permitted is invariably given to me for toppping-up purposes, although in fact the VW doesn't use any between oil changes and nor did my two previous Jettas.
So where is National's loss?
Hardly a vast inbuilt profit margin undertaking such work.
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A lot of garages (and I assume National as well) buy their oil in big drums, they are therefore making enough margin out of it.
Also if they were prepared to do an oil change for my car using a provided genuine filter, then I might well consider their garage for other work. But I'm not taking it to two garages, haven't got the time.
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Had a National disaster when I had an oil change there, no oil filter on arrival(pre-booked the change). I left the car and went back after an hour, then took another half hour for the oil filter to arrive from a motor factor.
Came to pay and the guy hadn't got a clue of the oil he put in, got back to the car and found the rear view mirror moved (I hate that and there was no reason to do it). Got home, checked the oil and its been over filled. Then went to a different branch to get it changed for free, dreadful there too.
Some branches may be ok but i'm not going near them again.
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>>Some branches may be ok but i'm not going near them again.>>
I've been singing the praises of the National oil and filter change at £15 for semi-synthetic oil for some time in these forums and I have a choice of two of the chain's outlets.
Any franchise, whether it be National, McDonalds or whatever or, for that matter, any business or organisation, is only as good as its employees.
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I had no problem with them (National) either. The only snag was that the oil filter wasn't in stock, nor listed in the book so he had to ring a motor factor to get one. He said "come back in an hour" so I did and it was ready. £15, new oil & filter (01 1.8 Primera).
Filter is in a pig of a place on the 1.8, at the back of the engine near the back so it has to be 'got at' from underneath.
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First ever post. Not only mentioning good service, but also naming one of the fitters.
Right now I'm asking myself whether this is just a cheap plug for a mate who works at the Weston Super Mare branch of National Tyres? To top up the Christmas tip box maybe?
Could be wrong (it's not been unknown) but I have a suspicion that this author may not return.
By all means carry on with your comments, but I may well end up amending the topmost post and generalising it a litte, unless of course "cheapread" emails me and confirms that he has no connection whatsoever with National Tyres, apart from being a satisfied customer.
DD. dave_moderator@honestjohn.co.uk
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The only time I've done business with National Tyres (at Morley, near Leeds) was when I bought a new tyre from them following a blow-out on the way to work in the morning. Because I didn't want to risk the motorway journey home without a spare I went in my lunch break to the nearest tyre place, which was National. They charged 30% more than my favourite close to my abode at the time (namely Hi-Q Tyre Services at Bentley near Doncaster), they claimed they couldn't balance the wheel because it was buckled and on top of that they "lost" the disc out of the centre of my alloy. This cost me £10 to replace. All in all it was an expensive and totally unsatisfactory job. I never went there again. However, I can heartily recommend Hi-Q at Bentley, with whom I have no connection whatsoever. I had the wheel checked by my local Peugeot dealer in Doncaster, and for my own satisfaction they let me see it spun on their balancing machine. They declared it to be perfect and they balanced it for free.
--
L\'escargot.
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DD - a cynic indeed. Bearing in mind that most posts here about garage services are negative it makes a nice change to see a positive write up (bar a couple) on a national chain. Delete the guy's name perhaps ? I don't want to name the branch I go to as I don't want (for work reasons) my locality disclosed....but would happily recommend them (as I would a Ford dealer down the road where a relative takes her car).
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No connection whatsoever with KwikFit, and don't usually use them owing to rather steep pricing amongst other things.
However, a friend mentioned that my local branch were doing oil and filter changes for £12. I took my Polo there, job done quickly and efficiently. Not sure if this is a national offer, but at that price I'll be back again.
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Well they won't do my car. The advert says 'Any car' but it seems most Fords, one of which the UK's best selling car the Focus 1.6, are excluded. Yes, I'm aware there is an excuse about the oil they use but they say 'Any car' and then go on to exclude half the cars in the UK in the small print.
Nice.
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half the cars in the UK in the small print.
Half sounds a bit optimistic for Ford??
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I'd probably take out the words identifying the branch as well. { good point - done - undone again. DD}
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I thought that Duckhams QXR was a 10W-40.
This would explain why National will not do Fords, because they need a 5W-30.
Does anyone know if I am correct about this?
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>>Does anyone know if I am correct about this?>>
you are about the Ford requirements for its multivalve engines.
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Cheapread back again - I use cheapread as a standard login for about 10 years since the Daily Telegraph came on-line -
I can confirm for what it's worth that I have no connexion whatever with National -
The only reason I remember the fitters name was from the invoice as I keyed in the details on the PC of the car's oil change date and mileage (one of 3 cars in family, dear oh dear, VERY dear indeed.... and on a complete whim, I thought I'd share the info with you guys ( I still read honestjohn back page Telegraph on Saturdays- one of the few reasons to buy a Tory rag !!! sorry)
Anyway there is so much bad press and justifiably so with garages and ripoff, I thought I would pass on some good news- let's hear it for any garage that is half decent and from my experience over the past 2 years National are streets ahead of another tyre chain {edit by DD} which I used to use when I had the dubious 'luxury' of a Company car - they were very hard work indeed.
So there y'are now - that's cheapread in veritas -
regards and happy motoring/christmas to y'all.
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See above. National DO do Fords. Think perhaps is Kwik Fit that don't?
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Just to clear matters up here.
"cheapread" has been in touch with me by email and I am satisfied that he has no connection with National Tyres other than being a satisfied customer. I have amended the topmost post once more to include the location, but have chosen to leave the fitters name out of the post as he/she may not be happy to have their name included on a public forum without prior permission.
DD.
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