[not_impressed]

Just to warn you all - RAC Windscreens replaced a windscreen on my fiancee's car yesterday. Firstly they used pattern glass rather than an original manufacturer part.

More importantly, the cowboy they sent badly scratched the paintwork surrounding the glass and (somehow) the dash. Not to mention leaving the car covered in hand prints and traces of glue & broken glass.

An 'incident manager' apparently will be contacting me in '48 hours' and alledgedly the problems will be resolved by a local repairer. We'll see. How much easier it would have been for all concerned had the job not been carried out to such an astonishingly shoddy fashion. I'd not have credited that the RAC become such a poor quality organisation (though having quickly googled 'RAC Windscreens cowboys' tonight I notice this is clearly not an isolated case).

I'll not be renewing my RAC membership and neither shall my fiancee.

Tony

[haggis@home]

Originally Posted by not_impressed

Just to warn you all - RAC Windscreens replaced a windscreen on my fiancee's car yesterday. Firstly they used pattern glass rather than an original manufacturer part.

as do most glass fitting centers I.E auto-glass ETC ETC .... rac actually manufacture there own glass , and i think i am correct in saying its usually better than the original part !!!

Originally Posted by not_impressed

I'll not be renewing my RAC membership and neither shall my fiancee

yep ... by the sound of it i think that would probably be for the best ..... grow up will you man , some one by the sound of it has made a mistake . we all make mistakes , i am sure you make them as does you fiancee as do i as every one . i find your situation unfortunate and hope rac will sort out the mess your car was left in , but to say your also not going to renew your breakdown cover is just petty and childish !

i am sure if you Google for other windscreen companies it will show the same results ! .. give them the chance to put things good , and chill out a little bit .

[not_impressed]

Easy for you to (patronisingly) dismiss my complaint as "someone making a mistake" when it's not your car that's been damaged by a supposedly professional service.

I do hope that they come good, do the decent thing and sort things out... But the fact remains it's aggravation I could do without. I suspect you'd feel the same were you in the same situation.

[haggis@home]

yes and i totally understand .. i would be upset as well , but to start saying the both of you are going to cancel your breakdown cover is a bit excessive don't you think ?

[haggis@home]

Originally Posted by not_impressed

Easy for you to (patronisingly) dismiss my complaint as "someone making a mistake" .

i am sorry you feel that i was patronising you , i was not dismissing your complaint and by the sounds of it you have good reason to do so . may i ask you a question ?

have you ever had a bad day at work , or made a mistake ?

[not_impressed]

I'm not planning to cancel - just not renew when the time comes.

There are equivalent breakdown services which cost less in any case. RAC isn't the organisation it was before it stopped being a club, fell into the hands of private equity, was asset stripped and eventually bought by Aviva. These days it's trading on the name it established many years ago but to which now does not live up.

[not_impressed]

Originally Posted by haggis@home

i am sorry you feel that i was patronising you , i was not dismissing your complaint and by the sounds of it you have good reason to do so . may i ask you a question ?

have you ever had a bad day at work , or made a mistake ?

Absolutely, everyone has.

But I don't see the relevance to a shoddily executed windscreen replacement. Do you have reason to believe my experience was unusual?

[little one]

rac dont do there own windscreen.its pilkington??????????????????????:confused::confuse d::confused:

[haggis@home]

Originally Posted by not_impressed

I'm not planning to cancel - just not renew when the time comes..

that's your option .... :)

Originally Posted by not_impressed

There are equivalent breakdown services which cost less in any case. RAC isn't the organisation it was before it stopped being a club, fell into the hands of private equity, was asset stripped and eventually bought by Aviva. These days it's trading on the name it established many years ago but to which now does not live up.

i think you have us mixed up with the AA :) . rac was not asset stripped by lex plc ? i don't know were you got that from . the aa was stripped by a private equity company .. and now all brake down organisations are privately run .

we have had lots of investment put into rac , things are going well . voted No 1 by jd power (again)

seeing as your not going to renew , may i suggest greenflag (:p) or the AA ( :p )

[haggis@home]

Originally Posted by little one

rac dont do there own windscreen.its pilkington??????????????????????:confused::confuse d::confused:

i thought they had there own manufacturing plant :confused:

[not_impressed]

I take it you represent the RAC, or at least work for them?

[haggis@home]

yes i am a patrol

[haggis@home]

this thread is turning out a bit long , i really do understand that your not happy , the inspector will put things right ....

i don't want you to think i am trying to wind you up , i know its annoying when things go wrong . i am the world worse .. trust me . all i was trying to say is its a bit strong to say because a department of rac got things wrong that your not going to renew your membership . i just thought it was a bit harsh to tar us all with the same brush

[haggis@home]

Originally Posted by little one

u must b joking.this company is going the same way as aa.i no i work for this lot

are you a patrol ?

[not_impressed]

Originally Posted by haggis@home

this thread is turning out a bit long , i really do understand that your not happy , the inspector will put things right ....

i don't want you to think i am trying to wind you up , i know its annoying when things go wrong . i am the world worse .. trust me . all i was trying to say is its a bit strong to say because a department of rac got things wrong that your not going to renew your membership . i just thought it was a bit harsh to tar us all with the same brush

I can well imagine you are very professional in the way you carry out your daily work, and I'm sure there are many others in your organisation that are also.

I just wish the chap who was laughably termed a 'glazier' who attended to our vehicle yesterday had been equally proud of his work - or more relevantly, properly trained (probably symptomatic of a systemic problem rather than an individual failing).

[haggis@home]

indeed .... they will put it right for you ... please do think about not renewing , there are lots of good patrols out there

[little one]

Originally Posted by not_impressed

I can well imagine you are very professional in the way you carry out your daily work, and I'm sure there are many others in your organisation that are also.

I just wish the chap who was laughably termed a 'glazier' who attended to our vehicle yesterday had been equally proud of his work - or more relevantly, properly trained (probably symptomatic of a systemic problem rather than an individual failing).

all u have to do is ring customer care.and it will get sorted for u

[MerseyPatrol]

may I point out that none of our patrols have been involved in this incident and it was a RAC auto-windscreen fitter that may be at fault.

Where this turned into having a go at patrol is beyond me? :confused:

[not_impressed]

No one was having a go at RAC patrol (well, certainly not me). The handful of times I've used the service it's been extremely professional.

As you say in this case it's the windscreens fitter who let the side down here. Or perhaps it's more the organisation behind him, that pushed him out into the field without the skills (or appropriate attitude?) to do the job to a reasonable standard of quality. Only having had one experience of the service, it'd impossible for me to judge.

[Mike Gray]

Ordinarily I'd pass this on to RAC Customer Care for you - but it sounds like you've already contacted them? In which case there's not much more that I can help you with until you hear back from them.

I should also point out that anything patrols post on here is in a personal capacity rather than a formal, official one.

[not_impressed]

Mike, thanks for your reply.

Yes I have a case open with customer care - I've was told an incident manager would call me back within 48 (working) hours.

[stuart]

tony,

being a mobile windscreen tech for rac i no about the problems we have on the road so unless you have fitted a windscreen then you would'nt no! firsty we use "protective" sheets to help prevent scratches to our customers vehicles so unless the fitter who fitted your windscreen didnt use them that may have been what caused it but even with the sheets and tape when you slip with a tool its hard to control so if it marks the car then unfortunatly it marks it. we are only human just like you, so we do make mistakes just like any other company. and as for non genuine windscreen you had we do manufacture our own in chesterfield and are all meet quality standards the only difference is that it has rac in the bottom corner, their is no difference in strength, tint or heating elements. its just cheeper than ordering deeler parts and their is not such a long wait.

[stuart]

just to help you i work for rac auto windscreens and yes we make our own w/screen in h/q chesterfield.:rolleyes:

[stuart]

tony,

being a mobile windscreen tech for rac i no about the problems we have on the road so unless you have fitted a windscreen then you would'nt no! firsty we use "protective" sheets to help prevent scratches to our customers vehicles so unless the fitter who fitted your windscreen didnt use them that may have been what caused it but even with the sheets and tape when you slip with a tool its hard to control so if it marks the car then unfortunatly it marks it. we are only human just like you, so we do make mistakes just like any other company. and as for non genuine windscreen you had we do manufacture our own in chesterfield and are all meet quality standards the only difference is that it has rac in the bottom corner, their is no difference in strength, tint or heating elements. its just cheeper than ordering deeler parts and their is not such a long wait.

[darren]

rac autowindscreens do make there own glass and have done for a number of years , i have been to the head office in chesterfield twice and seen the factory where its made and seen how its done from start to finish

all windscreens have to be made to a standard ,autowindscreens do not make windscreens for every car and lorry,

[Nadiq38]

I agree with you both. Yes people do make mistakes, but as long as they fix them too, keep pushing as far as you can, till all sorted. Good luck.