Buyer Beware

Clyde Kitchens promise an amazing product and quick installation and this was one of the reasons we decided to use them to install our new kitchen. I apologise in advance for such a lengthy review but I felt I had to make people aware of our experience. Below I have tried to summarise the main problems we encountered which should be enough to give an overall view of the way this company conducts its business. We still have ‘issues’ but we are quitting while we are ahead!! The installation started on 5th August and the final work was done 22nd September - in total 6 weeks and 6 days on a kitchen that measures less than 4m by 2m. The most important thing you should be aware of is Clyde Kitchen’s ‘professional team’ of installers are self- employed. So if the job is not completed in the quoted timescale it might be difficult to get the fitters back to sort things as they have moved on to other jobs, or as in our case, they go on holiday in the middle of the job without telling us!!!! At no time did Clyde Kitchens or the fitters have the courtesy to tell us this and we only found out when they did not turn up to do the work and then only after several calls and texts to find out why they did not attend. This you would think is not great but at least another of Clyde Kitchens fitters could finish - but no - Clyde Kitchens cannot send someone else because that would mean they would have to pay the other fitter. The only person I would recommend in this debacle is the decorator, who did his best by doing the fitter’s work as well as his own because he was embarrassed at the poor service from Clyde. As well as the kitchen installation we asked for extra work to be carried out as Clyde Kitchens offer this service - or so we thought from reading their website. http://www.clydekitchens.co.uk/kitchen-fitters-glasgow-installation-service The work involved included replacing socket covers, decorating and new flooring with all materials supplied by us. To keep our costs down we were told to pay the fitters directly but when problems arose the company tried to say our contract was with the fitters and not Clyde Kitchens as this was extra work?? If that was the case then why were we not told if we wanted extras done then we would have to arrange that with the fitters directly?? Clyde Kitchens tried to renege on their responsibility so when I pointed out I had emails to prove that the quote for the extra work came from them and not the fitters they agreed to rectify the snagging. I have just had my final phone call with one of Clyde Kitchens directors and told him that because of this unprofessional business practice of trying to make the fitter responsible, our expensive marmoleum flooring was ripped in 2 places as the original installation fault was being rectified. This happened because it was only one fitter working when this was a two man job. The fitter did have concerns about the flooring tearing but to have another man would have meant the fitter paying him for a day’s work, not Clyde Kitchens, and the fitter was not prepared to do this. What sort of way of working is this? Surely if Clyde Kitchens have a professional team of installers as their website states then they should be responsible for making sure the requisite fitters are present to carry out the work?? I now have the floor laid correctly but a damaged floor was too high a price to pay. The director wanted me to consider having the same fitter out again to try to repair the tears. I categorically refused as it would be the same scenario all over again….one man trying to do a two man job!!!! Unbelievably I felt so pressurised on the phone to say I was happy with the way this director was dealing with our issues I actually said yes just to finish the call. I would like to state here and now that I am definitely not happy with the work but as Clyde Kitchens are not prepared to send anyone other than the same fitter my only option is to draw a line under the whole experience, learn from it and move on. One last issue we have with the professionalism of Clyde Kitchens is that we did not receive any paperwork after we made the final payment. I enquired about an itemised receipt and paperwork for the guarantees. I was told that our original emailed quote was our receipt and that was the way most companies operated and that Clyde Kitchens other customers were happy with that arrangement!!! In all the years of having improvements done to the various houses I have lived in I have always received a final itemised receipt!! I have insisted that they send one. As for the guarantee, nothing in writing is available so I was told that there is a year for the workmanship and 10 years for the cabinets!! Over the weeks I have filed numerous emails and logs of phone calls that I would say is excessive as I thought it was the only way to get our kitchen finished to something near to the standard that was promised but sadly even after all my efforts this was not achieved. Finally I want to point out that I have read the good reviews for Clyde Kitchens which is another reason why we hired them and I only wish I could have written similar but our experience has been one big hassle from start to finish.

G. C. - 28/09/2013 | report this review