ChipsAway reviews on the forums
Discussion
Hi There
I was hoping that someone could give some feedback on the skills of the Chips Away operative in the West Sussex area please? Picked up a nasty deep scratch to the front corner of my bumper hitting a high curb!
Also a question, they obviously come to your home/place of business, how do they stop dust and other debris affecting the paint job?
Thanks
Chris
I was hoping that someone could give some feedback on the skills of the Chips Away operative in the West Sussex area please? Picked up a nasty deep scratch to the front corner of my bumper hitting a high curb!
Also a question, they obviously come to your home/place of business, how do they stop dust and other debris affecting the paint job?
Thanks
Chris
ChrisCJ said:
Also a question, they obviously come to your home/place of business, how do they stop dust and other debris affecting the paint job?
SMART repair techniques and equipment are all about keeping the repair area as small as possible. Small enough that hand flatting/de-nibbing and polishing the repair to remove any nibs or contaminants is perfectly viable. If you tried this on a traditional bodyshop repair (paint entire panel and blend adjoining panels - including lacquering them edge-to-edge) the time and labour costs involved would be prohibitive, hence the need for a dust-free booth for this sort of repair. But on a skilfully applied SMART repair, the scale makes hand finishing no problem.Tol
Edited for poor English and misspelling!
Edited by Anatol on Monday 11th May 10:34
russdunkin said:
Has anyone used Chips Away in St Albans? Or can recommend someone in North London/Herts area? I'd appreciate any comments or recommendations.
Used them years ago and they seemed to do an OK job, but the staff could have changed since then. They are in a bit of an odd location hidden behind a Mazda garage and next door to a warehouse.As Chipsaway lady who has been successfully trading for nearly seven years, I agree with Chipsaway man. We repair a few thousand cars per year between us. It costs less than a body shop and, being mobile, the customer doesn't lose his or her car. We often collect from their place of work, free of charge, and do the work on our own driveways. The downside is that we have to work with the prevailng light and weather conditions.
The vast majority of our work comes from repeat work and recommendation. However, like any commercial enterprise, there will always be something that can go wrong or and our customers cover a wide satisfaction rating from thinking we walk on water to being completely anal about a microdot. Of those thousands we probably, over seven years, have had about 5% that have needed full rectification, and I would agree that any percentage of rework is a perentage too much.
What ultimately matters is how we perform that rework and whether the customer is happy with the end result and can trust us not to leave them with a bad job. We offer value for money but only if the end result is what you have been led to expect.
The network does have a variety of skill levels, which is being addressed by Chipsaway at head office level, going forward, but there are also resourses and a customer care procedure in place now. Initially, the franchisee should sort out any problems - in the past we have either given a slight reduction, done a satisfactory rework or, in a few extreme cases, taken the vehicle to a bodyshop and had the work done, with us bearing the extra cost -less convenient but the customers still trust us to leave a good result. If the local franchisee doesn't resolve the problem, head office can get another experienced franchisee to look into it and do the work or get the franchisee to do what we do.
Seven years ago Chipsaway used to take on completely inexperienced people like me, with no knowledge whatsoever of what I was doing or of cars, not care if we survived or died the death as long as they had the money, and gave us an airbrush to repair cars! However, I have learned my trade quickly and well, as has the business partner I teamed up with. From 2" repairs with an airbrush we moved onto Iwata sprayguns and now use a welded dent puller to pull out wings and sills, and paint multiple panels - still from a van.
Over the past four years the management has changed and the emphasis is on the stability and longevity of existing franchisees, with an emphasis on training in all the practical aspects of the business. The bar is continually being raised. Head Office are moving into national advertising and brand awareness and part of that awareness is that all their franchisees are interlinked by the Chipsaway name and we all have to apply the same high standards or be retrained or terminated.
Incidentally, as you say, you know what products you get in any McD branch but take a look the diversity of customer service and hygiene. I've had orange juice from my local one but at one stage it was definitely watered down and the food certainly wasn't fast!
Lastly, the old sales cliche - it takes years to make a happy customer and ten seconds to lose an unhappy one. It's usually the unhappy ones who shout loudest and longest.
The vast majority of our work comes from repeat work and recommendation. However, like any commercial enterprise, there will always be something that can go wrong or and our customers cover a wide satisfaction rating from thinking we walk on water to being completely anal about a microdot. Of those thousands we probably, over seven years, have had about 5% that have needed full rectification, and I would agree that any percentage of rework is a perentage too much.
What ultimately matters is how we perform that rework and whether the customer is happy with the end result and can trust us not to leave them with a bad job. We offer value for money but only if the end result is what you have been led to expect.
The network does have a variety of skill levels, which is being addressed by Chipsaway at head office level, going forward, but there are also resourses and a customer care procedure in place now. Initially, the franchisee should sort out any problems - in the past we have either given a slight reduction, done a satisfactory rework or, in a few extreme cases, taken the vehicle to a bodyshop and had the work done, with us bearing the extra cost -less convenient but the customers still trust us to leave a good result. If the local franchisee doesn't resolve the problem, head office can get another experienced franchisee to look into it and do the work or get the franchisee to do what we do.
Seven years ago Chipsaway used to take on completely inexperienced people like me, with no knowledge whatsoever of what I was doing or of cars, not care if we survived or died the death as long as they had the money, and gave us an airbrush to repair cars! However, I have learned my trade quickly and well, as has the business partner I teamed up with. From 2" repairs with an airbrush we moved onto Iwata sprayguns and now use a welded dent puller to pull out wings and sills, and paint multiple panels - still from a van.
Over the past four years the management has changed and the emphasis is on the stability and longevity of existing franchisees, with an emphasis on training in all the practical aspects of the business. The bar is continually being raised. Head Office are moving into national advertising and brand awareness and part of that awareness is that all their franchisees are interlinked by the Chipsaway name and we all have to apply the same high standards or be retrained or terminated.
Incidentally, as you say, you know what products you get in any McD branch but take a look the diversity of customer service and hygiene. I've had orange juice from my local one but at one stage it was definitely watered down and the food certainly wasn't fast!
Lastly, the old sales cliche - it takes years to make a happy customer and ten seconds to lose an unhappy one. It's usually the unhappy ones who shout loudest and longest.
Sorry chaps
Being new here, I hadn't realised that there were multiple pages and that this was an old chestnut. Still, it does no harm to remind you that there are many good and conscientious franchisees out here. With the move towards taking on major national accounts and growing brand awareness, moves have already been taken on board, and are continuing, to assure good standards of quality and customer service across the board.
Being new here, I hadn't realised that there were multiple pages and that this was an old chestnut. Still, it does no harm to remind you that there are many good and conscientious franchisees out here. With the move towards taking on major national accounts and growing brand awareness, moves have already been taken on board, and are continuing, to assure good standards of quality and customer service across the board.
telboy66 said:
What is the situation regarding the 2 year guarantee? Who is liable if the Chipaway guy you've hired goes bust after the repair within the 2 year period?
In all the examples I'm aware of, if there's no continuity of business to a current operator, the network itself underwrites the warranty to ensure that a customer isn't left in the lurch. I've known them both to fund reworks at a bodyshop, or pay for the cost of a nearby ChipsAway business to sort out any warranty issues.There's no strict obligation on the network to do this, but the benefits to all are obvious, and plenty of the network's marketing emphasises the after-sales support that is available above and beyond what you would get with an independent business - it's a useful USP.
HTH
Tol
Quite a few PH'er testimonials quoted here:
http://www.chipsawaycambridge.co.uk/testimonials.h...
PM me if you've got questions on our particular operation.
HTH
Tol
http://www.chipsawaycambridge.co.uk/testimonials.h...
PM me if you've got questions on our particular operation.
HTH
Tol
I cant speak of Cambridge - but the process is good. I have used a mobile unit (Nick, Fleet, Hants) and a Worksop Unit (Steve, Reading) and my car is booked in again at Reading next week after a car Vs Gate incident.
I cant fault the work so far, 2 years on and the work done in the Chips Away workshop is still 100% perfect.
If anyone is in doubt about ChipsAway as a whole - speaking from my experience I would say dont be!
I cant fault the work so far, 2 years on and the work done in the Chips Away workshop is still 100% perfect.
If anyone is in doubt about ChipsAway as a whole - speaking from my experience I would say dont be!
TomM said:
I cant speak of Cambridge - but the process is good. I have used a mobile unit (Nick, Fleet, Hants) and a Worksop Unit (Steve, Reading) and my car is booked in again at Reading next week after a car Vs Gate incident.
I cant fault the work so far, 2 years on and the work done in the Chips Away workshop is still 100% perfect.
If anyone is in doubt about ChipsAway as a whole - speaking from my experience I would say dont be!
TomM - have you got contact details for Steve in Reading? I may have some work for himI cant fault the work so far, 2 years on and the work done in the Chips Away workshop is still 100% perfect.
If anyone is in doubt about ChipsAway as a whole - speaking from my experience I would say dont be!
My local ChipsAway only takes on the easiest of jobs. I don't bother trying them anymore. A different operator who covers my workplace is the opposite. I have seen him spraying a bumper on a 2008 Mercedes, under a gazebo in the rain!! I found a local independent who gives a proper evaluation & does a great job for a fair price. If it needs proper bodyshop attention he tells me..
Must be good ones, but not around my way..
Must be good ones, but not around my way..
Stig said:
TomM said:
I cant speak of Cambridge - but the process is good. I have used a mobile unit (Nick, Fleet, Hants) and a Worksop Unit (Steve, Reading) and my car is booked in again at Reading next week after a car Vs Gate incident.
I cant fault the work so far, 2 years on and the work done in the Chips Away workshop is still 100% perfect.
If anyone is in doubt about ChipsAway as a whole - speaking from my experience I would say dont be!
TomM - have you got contact details for Steve in Reading? I may have some work for himI cant fault the work so far, 2 years on and the work done in the Chips Away workshop is still 100% perfect.
If anyone is in doubt about ChipsAway as a whole - speaking from my experience I would say dont be!
I was supposed to collect my car, and got a call from Steve - he had found a slight imperfection and asked could he have the car another day to re-do the bumper. On collecting the car I was happy with the work - I also got him to refurb my 2 front alloys whilst he had it, so my car is looking as new again.
One thing I would say - the job was to repair and repaint damage to OSF wing and bumper, which is repaired very well - however I wish he had called and asked if I would like the entire bumper done - as now looking front on you can see one side is pummled in chips (the 350z paint is the worst ever - so fragile) and the repaired side is like new. Something that will even out in time, but had he asked I would have happily paid extra to get the entire bumper done.
Otherwise - good work, good service. He does all the smart repairs for Lancaster up the road (Jag, Aston, Range Rover etc)
Jimboka said:
My local ChipsAway only takes on the easiest of jobs. I don't bother trying them anymore. A different operator who covers my workplace is the opposite. I have seen him spraying a bumper on a 2008 Mercedes, under a gazebo in the rain!! I found a local independent who gives a proper evaluation & does a great job for a fair price. If it needs proper bodyshop attention he tells me..
Must be good ones, but not around my way..
Complaining that a company only do easy jobs that they can garuntee to do well sounds a bit daft to me, if you had taken your car to them for a simple repair that they messed up then you may have had a point. The guy spraying under a gazebo in the rain was either lucky or prepared to do a less than perfect job.Must be good ones, but not around my way..
Hi
Im New to this site and thought id register as i have recently been looking into the chipsaway franchise module. I am impressd but like so many of these franchises worried that if i put 22.5K into it although i think you only need about 10K cash and can loan the balance.
Is it possible for them to train you to be able to do work in 10 days when a qualified time served bodywork person takes a full 3 years, this is what put me off plumbing franchises and others.
Could you give me some help and direction, i have no bodywork experience could this work for me or could I end up being one of the black sheep that affect the whole name
Thanks
Im New to this site and thought id register as i have recently been looking into the chipsaway franchise module. I am impressd but like so many of these franchises worried that if i put 22.5K into it although i think you only need about 10K cash and can loan the balance.
Is it possible for them to train you to be able to do work in 10 days when a qualified time served bodywork person takes a full 3 years, this is what put me off plumbing franchises and others.
Could you give me some help and direction, i have no bodywork experience could this work for me or could I end up being one of the black sheep that affect the whole name
Thanks
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