replacement windows

henryVIII

Any recent experience of Munster Joinery?

Gettingtogrips

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henryVIII wrote: »

Any recent experience of Munster Joinery?

On the basis of my recent experience of Munster Joinery, I would say avoid them at all costs. I was unfortunately advised by my builder to get them in to supply me with two new doors (front and back of house) and a window. The sales guy who came to measure up kept having to go out to his car to get information which I thought was odd as I would have expected that if he was experienced he would not need to keep referring to whatever information it was he had in his car. I would have also expected him to have brought his literature into the house as part of the discussions around my options and the choices available. I just thought that was rather strange. Anyway, long story short, they fitted the wrong size front door. I had asked for a wheelchair accessible door but the one they fitted was smaller (less wide) than the old one. It took a lot of emailing, phone calls and letters before I got a response from the salesman - (and, a call to my bank to ensure they weren't fully paid for the job) - well over a week after I contacted Munster Joinery to inform them of their mistake. In their literature they say customers have only three days to decide if they are happy with the job. But, I couldn't get the salesman to respond to me for over a week after I saw the door (I don't live near the house) by which time I was up to high doh! He promised to call to check out the door but he obviously didn't because the builder told me he called him to find out if the door has been plastered in. If he had called to the house to see the door, as he told me he would, he would have seen that the door wasn't plastered in. Basically, Munster Joinery's customer service and follow up service is nil. They have absolutely no concern for their customers. My dispute is continuing as I haven't had a replacement door fitted yet though he said it's been ordered. However, he hasn't met with me to discuss the new door and neither have I had any description in writing from Munster Joinery about the replacement door and I'll have to continue to fight like an alley cat with them to get a proper kind of business arrangement from them. My experience of Munster Joinery is that they are unprofessional, they offer no customer service or sales follow up and they most certainly are not cheap but they certainly are cheap and casual in their dealings with customers. That's my experience. I would not recommend them.

Mfitzy

"THE PROFESSIONALS YOU CAN TRUST" definitely not. I got in contact with the sales rep Kilkenny area back in March to come back to remeasure an extended porch. She had been out in Dec and given me a price for the existing porch and replacement windows. It took 5 weeks of calls and texts to her and to the office in Cork to get her to come out. When she did arrive to measure up she had no measuring tape with her and my dad had to give her one. At this point I should have gone elsewhere but I was eager to get them done and never had a problem with MJ in the past. So I ordered the porch and that night text her to amend the Windows quote so I could order them, she never got back to me. When the porch came four things were wrong:
The door we ordered was a wheelchair access 34" and we got a 30"
We asked for a double post on the door - wall and window - wall, for plaster work to be completed. It came for the door but no double post for the window - wall.
We asked for 14 1⁄2" sashes and got 12 1⁄2"
Both the outdoor and indoor corner covers are wrong and can not be fitted.

My husband first contacted her and she told him it wasn't her problem and went on about a contract, there was no contract. When I talked to her on the phone she told me my dad hadn't mentioned anything about a 34" door or larger sashes. She said there must have been a communication problem between me and him. She told me I should have been on site when she came as my name was on the account and she shouldn't have dealt with anyone else.
The conversation ended with her telling me she would ask her boss to refund me and take the porch and I said yea go do that.
The following day I got in contact with the Sales Manager, he knew who I was and told me that the rep was upset about the situation and they would refund me. I asked was he really going to give up a €8000 deal, the penny dropped then that he didn't know about the Windows or the fact that she hadnt got back to me with a price. But he didnt want to upset her so he was going to refund me. Sales morans to be honest.
A month later my porch was taken away and i was refunded.
Good business NO
Good sales NO
Good experience Definately NO

My advice would be stay award rom Munster Joinery.

Daanka

henryVIII wrote: »

Any recent experience of Munster Joinery?

AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS FOR SURE..

EXPLODING GLASS: No satisfaction when I contacted them.. The guy refused to give me his name.. Taking it further "OMBUDSMAN" A total disgrace of a Company.. I wouldn't take their windows/doors for nothing... NO CUSTOMER SERVICE WHATSOEVER..

BryanF

‘Exploding glass’ you probably mean ‘nickel sulphate’.

It’s the glass suppliers that won’t cover/insurer against this.

It’s a standard exclusion in the documentation of even the biggest window suppliers

Surprised at Munster Joinery still getting negative reviews. When I was replacing all the windows and doors this time last year the vast majority of online reviews for Munster Joinery were extraordinarily poor. However, many people said they learnt from the Celtic Tiger/bubble when they did loads of crap, cheaply, and they were much better quality now. They do a huge volume still just by looking around at the contractors doing neighbouring houses so they're bound to get more negative reviews.

I went with Rationel at the end of the day, though, and am very happy with them (although both the patio doors and front/back doors are shockingly easy to dint/damage - nobody had prepared me for that). The Rationel guy reduced the price by c. 14% from his initial quote as I went back to him at the end of the month and he said all the salesmen are under pressure to get their monthly sales up on that day so he said if he didn't give us a discount the guys in the competing firms would. It worked out something like €700 extra to do the entire house in tripleglazed aluclad, which was a no-brainer. At the end of the day, Rationel was not that much dearer than Munster Joinery so I wouldn't exclude them because you think they'll be too expensive. See what you like, and then see how you can reduce the price.

Lastly, whatever firm you choose, remember you will be entitled to money back from SEAI grant for your windows etc and that took several thousand off the overall cost (in our case, Rationel simply reduced our bill by the size of the grant upfront but for external insulation etc I'll be refunded through my salary for I think 2 years so check how your window supplier applies the SEAI grant).

Better Homes Energy grants: new windows

PS: Get vents in your window! Pay the extra few hundred. This is especially so if you're doing external insulation as you'll need to put a vent through the wall otherwise (you'll still need that wall vent wherever there's a real fire, but you won't need it if you buy windows with vents). You live and learn!