Wates Group Reviews 416

I thought we lived in united kingdom but services we receive from wates are like we leaving in third world country, they need to get better, I don't understand how come the hierarchy don't look into this matter.

We are currently in the middle of having a new kitchen fitted and I feel the need to warn others about how atrocious Wates are. We have come across a number of issues with them.

The first being that we were given the option to keep our current lights (2x pendant lights) or have them replaced by TWO strip lights, of which we chose the latter. However we have been left with one pendant light and one strip light, which looks ridiculous. If we were told they would only do one, then we would have decided to keep our old lights. We have raised this issue several times, yet have been ignored by Wates. Both Pam and Lesley (Liaison officers between tenants and Wates) stood in our kitchen and told us we would get TWO lights, yet all the workers we have mentioned it to say "Oh, yeah, they only do one light." Who in their right mind would choose to only have one done?!

The second is that the paint and electrical work is just plain shoddy. The paint is cracking already, there are stains on the wall and paint drips on the door and it hasn't even been two weeks since it was painted. We haven't caused this as the kitchen is unusable so we haven't even been in there to cook. All the plug sockets have holes surrounding them.

The workmen have left a bag of floor leveler on the driveway and it has spilled out all over the neighbours driveway. I have asked Wates for someone to come and clean this and have again been ignored.

We have no itinerary of when people are coming, so have had to wait in all day Monday-Friday since the 20th of November, just in case anyone does show up, even though most days no one does. The work had an expected time of 12-15 working days, today is day 15 with no end in sight.

We've had a new fan fitted that says "Mansfield District Council" except we are in Sutton and this is not a Council property. We have raised this several times and have been assured it will be rectified, but as of yet nothing has been done. We were even advised to just cover up the logo or pop it out (which I tried, but it isn't actually possible).

The cooker does not fit because it hasn't all been measured properly. You can also see that where the cabinets meet the wall that things haven't been measured properly. There are parts that overhang and stick out. The workers never clean up after themselves and there is a complete lack of clarity around everything, you ask a question and get told it will be looked into and then no one gets back to you.

They have also scuffed the wall outside the kitchen and haven't painted it. We have a newborn baby (which I made them aware of) and have been left without a washing machine/cooker for days and even left 6 hours without any water or heating and no warning of this, despite being assured we would have constant access to water and would just need to make sure we had water for the first day, but this wasn't the case.

When you email Pam (the Liaison officer between tenants and Wates) you very rarely get any response. Some of the workers are standoffish when you ask what they are here to do (but again, we have no itinerary to know), yet surely we have a right to ask? They are entering our space after all!

Edit: A workman has come this morning to say that he cannot put the linoleum floor down, because the person before him who put the floor leveller down hasn't done it properly, leaving it uneven. The workman today is having to relevel the floor. Then that needs to dry.

I would advise you to employ a different construction company! Wates provide shoddy work, have poor communication and it just feels like they simply do not care. If you want to see pictures of all the issues mentioned above then see my review on Google reviews.

This company is one of the worst wishy wishy companies ever.. we are having a kitchen renovation at the moment by these guys and they always turn up to the house without giving notice so when we decide to go out, we have missed them that day. They bought the wrong kitchen units round for our house.. they gave us somebody else’s units. Some of the staff are incredibly rude, the kitchen plan was wrong they had to come and re-evaluate the measurements. We had to chase them up to come and do the work because we have been left without appliances for a couple of months and we have children.. (struggling to cook and wash clothes) I definitely recommend that nobody ever goes with this company ever!

Not even 1 star. But to leave a review you have to give a star.

I am overcome with the lack of competence of Wates contractors and the customer service provided.

I raised several repair Jobs back at the beginning Aug 2024, and this soddy company can't even complete the work.

I even requested for a Lambeth surveyor to get involved and that has not helped.

They book jobs and then call to say the contractor is on holiday, sick or there is no one to do the jobs. They even book for contractors to attend, without telling me they will be coming round.
Plus, they closed a job which was not completed and then reopened it. Rude!

Then when someone does turn up, they say I'm only here to assist the job.

I currently have someone here to replace the bath panel their plumber damaged and the boxing around the toilet in my bathroom. Which cannot finish, because he is blaming his trainee for cutting the panel wrong.

They have tried to book for the contractor to come back on the 10th Dec, but I refused as I said ‘ I am writing a letter of complaint because I am not happy with unprofessionalism.

The garden post which needs to be fixed, before the gate falls on a pedestrian, has not been fixed because they said ‘the contractor is on annual leave’. Question...Shouldn’t they know that before booking my job or pass the job to someone else?

The lady who called to tell me this, 'Kerry' hung up the phone on me when I was explaining the inconvenience of all this.

How the hell did this company impress Lambeth Council to give them the job to provide repairs to their properties? Or does Lambeth just don’t care? All about saving a penny or six.

This contractor has used my electricity to charge his power pack and blames his trainee.
If you are training someone or they are shadowing you, you should be present.
Then to top it all off. The contractor left the property, without telling me and the disgraceful he’s done. I’ve uploading a video of his disgusting work which has taken him two and a half hours to do.
I am disgusted with the whole of Wates and their incompetence.
I may live in a council property, but I take care of my surroundings and don’t expect contractors to damage it and then not repair it.
Would like the fence post the bath panel and the toilet panel fixed promptly.
I am waiting for your reply to this outrage of service.
Please check my repairs file for the job numbers and the name of the surveyor who came out to see my property and repairs.
I am too p**** off to find the paper with the job number on it.

This company are a joke I've had to deal with wates in dunstable sadly
This we don't give names to who we speak to but are happy to give your name phone number an address out but them they have a no name policy to who is being rude to you on the phone
You call customer services to be told they don't know nothing about the depo your dealing with an tell you get this to get a name of the place or a name of who I'm talking too (so funny)
So Wendy (only got the name of her tonight)i believe calls me last week an quote
"Your work will be done on the ducking 20th that's you told ok an hung up my solicitor who is dealing with cbc council should of been the one contacted in reff to this not myself as she was told a 2 day job being done on the 13th an 14th so i called customer services of wates just to be given the eun around with no name policyI wait all day until 4.40 obviously nobody will start a all day job at that time so went to pick up my shopping I'd been gon 5 mins an another workman calls to say they are outside so I came bk I was not happy the next thing I know another wates guy shows up saying we can't do the job !
I asked to speak to the boss I was told no asked for office number no asked for his name no like wta....
So I decided to walk down the rd an saw 3 poss 4 wates vans entering a depo so I went to stand my ground an tell them.the situation
This is where one wates guy decided he would reverse in to me an mam handle me to get rid of his rubbish from the van saying I ain't stopping him from going home god love his wife if that's how he treats one woman he will treat them all that way
Still the boss of this sub group decide to call perry Shane an Wendy did they come down to sort this NO did they call to sort this NO
They left there sub contractors dealing with me an there own staff waiting to go home while they called the police
This company have been told but don't listen when I say do not call me it's in my solicitors hands do not give my number out either but there they go a Mr Jacob calls just last week to say he was coming out to do this job an he decides also its not something he can do anymore this lot are a joke
They care nothing about the clients or there OWN contractors wouldn't just come literally 3 mins down the rd to help there contractors or staff with this problem
They shouldn't allow cbc to put there hands up there ba sides an make wates there puppets but also wates should consider when sombody is trying to .ake a complaint due to rudeness not doing the job but saying they will be out then coming out to say they can't do the job
So for all the ppl who want to know how to contact wates dunstable
It's Franklin house brewers hill Rd dunstable the number they phone from is 02034297394 but it's a number you ca t call bk on
03003004296 is Mr Jacobs number but he don't like to talk unless he has repairs team at cbc hand up his backside either can try 01908875918 to speak to customers services who will tell you they can't give there name like the others but then expect you to have a name when there a no name policy
Well turns out the lady swearing at me is called Wendy apparently an the managers today are Shane an the rude man who didn't want to deal with it an called police waste of police time perry should of spomen yo me rather than be cbc puppett even though one of there workers reversed his truck in to me an man handled me but as you can imagine nobody saw a thing except the two workmen watching one who actually opened the gate to let the deliver back up in to me
To go on an man handle me away from the ba k of his truck so to empty taught well at wates on how to be rude an abusive but that's a wife problem lol
However if you want to work with a company y who don't care about there contractors or own staff for that matter these are your ppl
Rude incompetent running a no name policy so you can't complain
Main switch board not knowing where to put your call to discuss this joke an useless
Good luck with these guys you will need it
Well done Wendy Perry an Shane nice job showing your contractors an staff an customers just how rude uncaring an stupid you are
Sort your policy out so ppl can actually complain an tonight wouldn't of happened
Now il say again
CBC IS WHO NEED TO TALK WITH AN ARRANGE WITH MY SOLICITOR STOP BEING THERE PUPPETS STOP CALLING ME STOP GIVING OUT MY NUMBER
AN PLS SGOP YOUR WORKERS FROM REVERSING THERE TRUCK IN TO PPL AN MAN HANDLEING THEM
I HOPE THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR JUST HOW USELESS AN RUDE PERRY AN HIS TEAM ARE
as for the sub contractors apologies for the disturbance an taking up your time I only wish wates had considered you properly before leaving you to deal with there incompetence rudeness an stupidity the two workmen. Waiting to go home know who the wates driver was that reversed in to me an man handled me as it is it's him that can answer to his actions what a shit show you run I'm going to get a check at the hospital
Goodluck anyone working with this lot

i have had issues trying get these to fix my bathroom since july . They siliconed a tile down . They told me cant replace my skirting so sanded it and painted it . It has emotionally drained me as i pay for a service what service . They all say i promise to do better job than last person and i end up more broken as realise they dont

It's like working at auschwitz, no radio no joy no motivation no hoodies. Absolute joke of a company

This company has done nothing but change appointments over and turning up unannounced several times in a week
I work night shifts and been woken up by your incompetent company on several occasions
I have had enough this absolute nonsense get it sorted out

Went to work with Wates re. decarbonisation project for social house as a document controller. Lasted with them for 3 weeks. Absolutely shocking company to work for. No support given whatsoever. Management unsure what they are doing. Prone to becoming very stressed out then taking it out on workforce. Very unprofessional. Dont work for WATES!

Awful company, repeated promises made to residents local building project. Complaints made over noise pollution earlier than legal times and lorries (against their promises in writing). Complaints completely ignored and closed with no apology or acceptance! Will be reporting it further!

Been in the construction industry for awhile myself so know abit, the sort of low level work and the attitude of wates workers is atrocious. To think I applied for a job with wates and they had the nerve to turn me down. They actually did me a favour. This company is bottom class

AVOID AT ANY COST
EMERGENCY CALL WAS IGNORED FOR OVER 9 HOURS! Reported at 14:40 FOR A CONTRACTOR TO SHOW UP @ 23:10.
Rude telephone operator
None responsive service.
AVOID

Wates group worker came to my house and did an appalling job how do these people get work

Completely an utterly useless. Came to fit a new door. The door they have put on is way to small and filthy. Bodge job!!!.

Richard Crisp an employee of your group finds it amusing to mock the death of football fans
Utter vile human being, I hope you do not employ animals like this going forward

Just type into Twitter/X “Richard Crisp” and you’ll see the type of people you’re dealing with

This company employs a Richard crisps who was mocking and laughing about a West Brom fan dying.

Richard Crisp represents this company put his name into X, what a vile thing to say about another human being.

Project Manager - Richard Crisp (Crispy) likes to post on social media mocking the deaths from the Hillsborough disaster. His exact words he used were “when we reach 100 (deaths) we will throw a party”. Disgusting allowing people like this to work for a company.

Awful unprofessional staff and service. It has taken 7mnths just to get a survey and now you cannot get in contact with any of the Hackney Homes Wates staff as they ignore emails/texts/phone calls. As a ex employee of Wates It's like they just cannot be bothered with customer service anymore. First surveyor I get to check my social housing home was ignorant & rude and certainly has no people skills, and was asked to leave my home. Then it took another 5mnths to get another surveyor to attend. Now approvals have been made your left in limbo with no idea when or if the works will start and trying to contact them is the stuff of nightmares. Their head office reception is no better, as when they eventually pick the phone up they refuse to even tell you who you need to talk with. It's ridiculous. This is a million miles away from the Wates I once knew & was proud of working for. This lap lustre attitude is a red flag, as if the Wates staff are useless you can bet your last £ the sub contractors allocated will be even worse.