s**t Customer service from Westfield

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

new dealers have been taken on board.

Are parts and service more readily available via the dealers ?? rather than via Kingswinford.

I do wonder about this; are WSC Ltd simply trying to become a manufacturer selling through franchised dealers and not a retailer in there own right?

(though if that were to be the case, what a strange way of going about it   )

[Norman Verona]

It's not strangre at all. The ordinary dealership is complex enough with a sales operation, warehousing and repairs to manage.

Now add manufacturing into that mix.

Selling is the hardest thing to do and most dealers I've met don't understand the parts and service sides as they started life as car salesmen (not all, just most). The irony is that both these departments of the business rely on selling, but they don't see that.

So, if you can concentrate on the design & manufacturing and let someone else do the selling you may be better off.

I'm not saying that's what WSC are doing, but it would make sense.

[Cleggy the Spyder Man]

trouble is nobody is doing the selling...arrghhhh

[originalgeezer]

I think we just need to be realistic to some of this, Westfield are a very "small" operation, minimal manufacture and design of "KIT" Cars.

One visit to the place confirms this is a small operation still - said before in previous posts, no showroom of such, no range of vehicles to look at GTM etc as well as Westies. Poor Website (which by the way I find the prices to be wrong if you call)

They do what they say on the tin, build up a car from a KIT of parts, many of which are available from other vehicles, manufactures.

I do think, that advice given that something is plug and play that then isnt, is wrong and full costs should be refunded. Personally I would have tried to trial fit the system, test before cutting anything to fit it, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

I do have my gripes, as have been on the end of poor service, but try to take it all into perspective of what they are.

I do however, once I have placed an order, ask for the stock to be checked, if to be delivered (which in most cases I dont, I prefer to collect as local enough to do so) i then also double check the overal cost.......That is of course if or when they answer the BL00DY phone - which is easy in any operation.

There are some good guys there, as mentioned previously, just need to cover the simple basic things better and it would help no end

[jak]

Look guys, the customer service is getting worse, basically the same people are still there, the only thing that has changed is the management  team now have the surname Turner instead of Smith. So, where do you think the problems stem from??

I echo Barrys' comments and saw this coming from the day the business was sold to Potenza. I'd hoped to be proved wrong.    

[Mark (smokey mow)]

When I read Julian's column in this months WSCC magazine regarding previous complaints on the boardroom I was reashured by his comments that he was "concerned that they had not been answered as efficiently as they should", sadly it appears from this latest thread that these words have not been followed up with actions.

Has anyone here received a customer satisfaction survey from WSC as according to Turner Torque many of us have. But I haven't.

[pete g]

i received one with my kit. never filled it in.

but if they want it warts and all im willing to give it to them .

[Johnson]

I got one with my kit but I didnt fill it in either  

I doubt it would do much good anyway as he refuses to talk to me anyway or respond to emails.

He passed all my complaints over to Paul Faithfull after my post I made about poor service. He was involved directly to start off to the extent of giving me his mobile number then it seems he lost interest.

BTW Pete good colour choice  

[John Williams (Panda) - Joint Manchester AO]

Just to stand up for WSC.

I was impressed with JT's involvment when i had an issue,  quick professional and left me a happy customer!

i was sorry to get the MD involved.

But like i was told... get crap service tell the owner; have good service and tell your friends.

cheers

john

[bo selecta]

I think it would be good for the management to spend some time on the shop floor,as some of the posts seem to suggest that staff are just standing around watching phones ring etc,as is not the case.I think then the MD might sort all of this crap out,we all hope!!!

[Thrustyjust]

I know from Westmetals experiences, that although he had paid for the car, he was fobbed off for the issues he had with it ( eventually after the phone was answered, but thats another story) It took him to drive the car unannounced 220 mile round trip to the factory to actually be noticed !!!! He was promised all issues would be resolved, from cooling problems, to fuel blowing out the tank when you undid the cap !!!!, rev counter irratic, headlight fell apart, exhaust issues, lambda sensor rubbing the bodywork,engine wouldn't idle below 1500rpm, gelcoat bubbling on the nose, side panels, bonnet and this is what I know about !!!! not bad for nearly 30k 'worth ' of car. The bodywork and repairs were nearly 2 months, so for a car he 'owned' for 4 months and paid road tax for, 2 of those were being fixed in the factory who promised 2 weeks............The car returned eventually, and as it came off the trailer (although struggled with the underslung pathetic clearance V8 system) idled at 1500 rpm erratically and the cooling fan came on within 1 minute at freezing temps. That sounds fixed to me.It arrived on the Monday and sold off on the Wednesday. To be honest, if it was me, I would have dragged Westfield over the coals with legal backing to get every single penny out of them, but Dale had just completely lost all want to keep the car.IT WAS CRAP....................I do frequent this forum occaisionally and it has changed over the last couple of years.Seems a lot of dispondant 'engineers, hobbiests and club members' Does seem a real shame, but I do think the competition in the sevens are overtaking Westfield now and they are left without any interest in this issue.Prices are sky high, for what seems a major drop in quality and leadtimes.The headlight on Dales car must have cost a tenner................I know if I had 30K in the bank, it would be buying a 'better car'

[Johnson]

I think it would be good for the management to spend some time on the shop floor,as some of the posts seem to suggest that staff are just standing around watching phones ring etc,as is not the case.I think then the MD might sort all of this crap out,we all hope!!!

I dont think anyone has implied that people are standing around watching the phones?

You previous posts in this and other threads seem to imply you are either an employee or ex-employee.

If its the latter why did you leave?

[tex]

sometimes it maybe better and quicker to deal direct with the part manufacturer if WF isnt making the part - gotta be cheaper too - as long as its out of warranty etc..

[pete g]

westfields seem to have took there finger off the ball.

but need to sort out soon .  or they will not have many happy customers left.

and a unhappy customer ,will  no longer be a customer.

seems more like a understaffed problem .which i hope they sort out soon .

plus some quality issues.

johnson, yes good colour choice      

[Mark (smokey mow)]

seems more like a understaffed problem .which i hope they sort out soon

Agreed, I have no gripe with anyone I have spoken to either in parts, tech or sales.  But becuase WSC are becomming increasing difficult to contact and then orders which have been placed are either lost or not delivered when prommissed, staff resource is then taken up by answering the telephone to people chasing revised delivery dates or having to give repeat orders.