[Mk2] [Turbo] 3S Service Centre - Shamed

[3S Service Centre]

Just for measures i do not lie.

Cheers
James

[slunk]

I really do hate to damage a good reputation. Everyone makes mistakes and unfortunately you can’t always expect garages to meet their deadlines due to the nature of their work. I assure you all that the decision to make this post wasn’t taken lightly.

I feel that James dug himself into a hole through his dishonesty. I would have shrugged it off at any stage if he had of come clean and apologised but he continued bull$h1t for whatever reason. I’m not a particularly paranoid person but at the time I was seriously concerned as to who exactly I’d left my pride and joy with and what they had/were doing to it…

Despite all this, I tried to put it all in the past and give James the benefit of the doubt but when I discovered what I did when fitting my downpipe, I felt I had to speak up about the matter. It was playing on my mind late last night and it seemed I wouldn’t get any sleep until I’d let the IMOC know about my experience.

At the end of the day, taking two weeks to change a clutch is one thing, lying to a customer and charging for work that hadn’t been done is entirely another.

There’s really no point in debating the matter any further as I’ve given my full account and it’s now there for anyone who cares to look. I would encourage other people to add their experiences with 3S, good or bad, as this will paint a broader picture of the service they provide.

Cheers,
Sam

[Tiamat]

Fitted my clutch - did a good job

Though, with no disrespect to James, I probably will be doing everything else myself.

Service was good but it was a long way to travel for me and the costs of the same means I will probably undertake future projects myself.

Though it will probably still end up at 3S when, and I mean when, I get it wrong

[[SiG]]

now im confused, im not a liar and resent the comment, how did i lie

Edit: i think you are refering to his comments and understanding of the situation, as already said there are two sides.

The way I understood it is that you were accepting Sams comments through your 1st post and in particular this section;

we must admit that sometimes things slip and like every business have struggles at times, our small workshop does not cut it anymore so new premises will be in operation as of monday which will make the operation more slick and assist in reducing small mistakes

Which obviously includes the (alleged) falsities which I think everyone will agree on is one of the most frustrating things when dealing with a garage! If people would just come clean (in general) then at least it would leave the customer to make other arrangements instead of finding out the hard way.

Si

[Gaz6002]

This makes an interesting read.

Not least because i've heard of nothing but good things about James.

In fact, I will go as far as to say that no-one in the car industry has given me service that has even begun to compare.

Reading this post made me particularly annoyed as it just seems like a public flaming on trivial matters.

Changing a clutch may well not take 2 weeks (it did for another garage I used when I had my '2) but James has a lot more than one car in at a time!!! As far as your downpipe goes, have you ever fitted one of these?

Patience is a virtue that is required in all aspects of the industry these days. So why are people so surprised when things are a little late? This sounds more like a bit of bad luck and circumstance to be honest.

Also, with regards to the garage, it has seen better days but everything serves a purpose and we all have to start somewhere! He's only been in business 2 years after all. Rogue have been around a lot longer but you should have seen the problems I had getting their front lights to fit! Swings and roundabouts mate.

Moving to the new premesis will be a great move forward for James and I hope this post doesn't spoil it for the huge amount of customers that speak so highly of 3s Service Centre.

[mikewright]

I have spent well over 2 and a half grand with James and the chaps at 3s and not had any real issues. They rebuilt my entire engine for me after a big end failure. When i picked the car up there were a few bits that were still not packed up to take with me but the guys got them together for me when i asked. James even had me go back after run in to check the car over before really giving it some welly. Now unfortunately my block looks like it's gone and cracked Spoke to James and he said to just bring it down and he would diagnose the issue for me and help me plan for bringing her back to life. Can't ask for much more help really, he has always been ok in my experience and helped me when another garage really let me down(they had my engine for a year and a half and did nothing!).
Maybe this is just a case of becoming too popular to cope at times?

[ryan]

IMHO going on holiday and leaving a car some where isnt a good idea then expecting it back (even if told so) the moment you return.

Why? if they agree it with you, i don't see the problem.

Personal experiences are fine to post btw

I agree too. I left my car with a bodyshop for 4 weeks for a respray while travelling, and when I came back they still hadn't bleedin finished it! Four weeks later they finished it, leaving me without a car for a month!!
Sometimes the more time you give a garage, the more time they take! lol
Hope you get the zorst sorted

[slunk]

Thanks for your comments all.

Just to clarify, by replacing my cat with a downpipe I solved the blowing exhaust problem. Now its much louder and goes like xxxx off a shovel

[Mikey P MR2]

I have taken both my passed two MR2’s to 3S and will probably take my new one there again if I needs major work that I can’t undertake (not very local of else would go there even more often).
I wouldn’t say they offer a professional service more a friendly and very competent service which is even better in my book. Ok they might take on a few to many bookings at once occasionally (and accidentally miss deadlines as a result, my take on what might have happened here) but they always try hard to fit you in a short notice and are happy to answer all questions (more so than normal garages) they are nearly always cheaper and happy to fit second hand parts.

[dawolf]

Fair play for someone to be so honest about their experience. Personally, I think that Rogue are a more 'professional' garage. That's certainly not to say that 3S are no good but it seems that their prices are cheap compared to other places. I haven't used 3S myself but I did speak to someone there about an engine conversion, I just get the impression they are very busy and don't have much time.

[3S Service Centre]

wow

Anyone who knows me here knows full well i dont lie,

I disspute the aggreement of the car being finished on the exact day of landing.

I disspute that we were finishing the gearbox on the customers arrival.


I disspute that we didnt supply and fit a thicker gasket to the exhaust to remedy a damaged flange that wouldnt hold gas.

I am offended by being refered to a a lier but am pleased that plenty of guys here can support me during these slanderous remarks.

What we are guilty of is the odd small mistake, inefficiency at busy times, due to the restrictions of our workshop and in this particular case being late in finishing when the customer arrived.

I will not direct my comments to slunk, only to ask those that know me to consider who is falsifying the truth and using backhand tactics to releive some frustration at a small delay.


Cheers for the support guys!

[mattcambs]

wow

Anyone who knows me here knows full well i dont lie,

I disspute the aggreement of the car being finished on the exact day of landing.

I disspute that we were finishing the gearbox on your arrival.


I disspute that we didnt supply and fit a thicker gasket to the exhaust to remedy a damaged flange that wouldnt hold gas.

I am offended by being refered to a a lier but am pleased that plenty of guys here can support me during these slanderous remarks.

What we are guilty of is the odd small mistake, inefficiency at busy times, due to the restrictions of our workshop and in this particular case being late in finishing when the customer arrived.

I will not direct my comments to slunk, only to ask those that know me to consider who is falsifying the truth and using backhand tactics to releive some frustration at a small delay.


Cheers for the support guys!

Very well put James. I'm sure though that you and Slunk have saved the email correspondence between yourselves, which would surely prove one way or the other whether you stated that his car would be ready? Does 'all the work has been done' mean the car will be ready for example?

The fact that you are so confidently fighting your corner, James, is encouraging.

I hope you manage to resolve your issues, Slunk.

[3S Service Centre]

loving the dury by imoc members

If i can remember correct there were two mails exchanged whilst sam was out of the country, in which it was explained the clucth was all finished, and the exhaust was yet to be completed. we actually had two attemps at the exhaust, the simple new gasket approach didnt work because of the damaged flange, so we done it a second time for good measures with a thick ally flange custome made to absorb damage in the flange. I dont keep mails dating back that far because my "box is filled too regular"

[mattcambs]

I dont keep mails dating back that far because my "box is filled too regular"

Personally I don't think you, as a business should delete any emails from customers . You should archive them if necessary. Outlook's PST file should be able to hold thousands of "inbox" emails anyway.


Anyway, none of my business really

[rossdymond3352]

I really do hate to damage a good reputation. Everyone makes mistakes and unfortunately you can’t always expect garages to meet their deadlines due to the nature of their work. I assure you all that the decision to make this post wasn’t taken lightly.

I feel that James dug himself into a hole through his dishonesty. I would have shrugged it off at any stage if he had of come clean and apologised but he continued bull$h1t for whatever reason. I’m not a particularly paranoid person but at the time I was seriously concerned as to who exactly I’d left my pride and joy with and what they had/were doing to it…

Despite all this, I tried to put it all in the past and give James the benefit of the doubt but when I discovered what I did when fitting my downpipe, I felt I had to speak up about the matter. It was playing on my mind late last night and it seemed I wouldn’t get any sleep until I’d let the IMOC know about my experience.

At the end of the day, taking two weeks to change a clutch is one thing, lying to a customer and charging for work that hadn’t been done is entirely another.

There’s really no point in debating the matter any further as I’ve given my full account and it’s now there for anyone who cares to look. I would encourage other people to add their experiences with 3S, good or bad, as this will paint a broader picture of the service they provide.

Cheers,
Sam

any need to be so aggressive?

[rossdymond3352]

wow

Anyone who knows me here knows full well i dont lie,

I disspute the aggreement of the car being finished on the exact day of landing.

I disspute that we were finishing the gearbox on the customers arrival.


I disspute that we didnt supply and fit a thicker gasket to the exhaust to remedy a damaged flange that wouldnt hold gas.

I am offended by being refered to a a lier but am pleased that plenty of guys here can support me during these slanderous remarks.

What we are guilty of is the odd small mistake, inefficiency at busy times, due to the restrictions of our workshop and in this particular case being late in finishing when the customer arrived.

I will not direct my comments to slunk, only to ask those that know me to consider who is falsifying the truth and using backhand tactics to releive some frustration at a small delay.


Cheers for the support guys!

Well put mate, and as for the support, i believe happy customers should say so!....unhappy customers do the same!

[steve b]

Don't know whats wrong with Mr Clutch to do a clutch, got a Spec stage 2 fitted in 3 hours for £100, its been in for 6000 miles and is A1. Way I have decided to operate is "specialists",... not for the car but for each bit of the car,.. i.e. want a clutch fitted take it to somewhere that does 200 clutchs a week, they will be more experienced. You want an EMS tuned take it to somewhere that has a person trained by the manufactured. You want an engine built take it to an engineering shop. Have an electrical problem get an autoelectronics guy out to it.

It appears to be the way Rogue have gone

i.e. , employing individual specialists, like lyndon to do electronic stuff, the engine building guy to build engines, patrick the front guy, they even have a receptionist etc its not a case of you drop this work on this, everyone has a role. It works better.

p.s. I'd be livid if I was told my car would be ready for collection and it wasn't for no good reason except "we've been busy" .. yeah not doing my car! An EMS firm lost out on a £1000 sale for messing me about like this, i'd booked my car in, came to deliver it and got told, "too busy come back in 2 weeks,.. "WTF Its been booked in for 3 weeks! I took my business elsewhere.

[dawolf]

James, it's admirable that you have explained yourself but I think now it's best to just let this lie. I don't think anyone will change the view of the customer. Seems like a disagreement on both sides which was probably best sorted away from this forum.

Suprised the moderators haven't locked this yet.

[redmr89]

hmmm an interesting post. i dont know james or have any experiance with 3s. being to far away from me. but what i can say is ive been on here for a while and the good posts about him outway the bad ones. ive been to a lot of garages and there service is nearly always borderline crap. i think james needs to be cut a little slack here. maybe he shuold put his hand up and say he fucd up on this occasion. running a buisness is hard. and from what ive read he tries hard to give good service. maybe james needs to take on more staff and manage his time better. certainly by what ive heard he has his heart in the right place.

[Owen @ Kent Car Craft]

My 2p
Everyone is allowed their own opinion,it is a given.I must say though (an i'm not mentioning this carelessly(word)) i have made some improvements on the work carried out at 3S by myself just recently and through my own trial and error and fault finding,have found various repairs that have been needed post return from 3S.
Having said that,
Custom engine work (i know this does not apply in a straight-forward clutch change job) is a hard thing to carry out 1st time and spot on.
I dont want to be just a 'chime-in' but i too would have reconsidered the £2000+ i spent at 3S with buying some of the parts and fitting myself.