Timpson

Put a pair of expensive shoes in for re-​soling and re-​healing. Needed them in a hurry — dropped them in at 3pm and they were ready at 5.10pm. Shoes are perfect and the guys in the shop were exceptionally cheerful and pleasant. On picking the shoes up, my friend was with me and when I picked up my shoes she asked could they cut 2 keys for her and they did this before they closed at 5.30pm. Will use again.

I swear to god these guys don’t actually have a proper key making machine. Instead they have a blind alligator with ill fitting dentures who nibbles at shards of metal, that just so happen to end up looking like keys.
The ‘gator mangled shrapnel is then handed over with some sort of ‘listen we are pretty sure this ain’t gonna work, so here’s a stupid ass guarantee and we’ll see you in a week’.
Poor unfortunate metal holder is then sent home to spend a really rather frustrating 20 mins shouting at keys, door, door, keys and in the end hurting there wrist and collapsing on the floor in a puddle of sweat and tears.
Apart from that, this place rocks! Service was good. Product was… eh… as above.

My favourite, beautiful winter boots were coming to the end of their life — — not only did they need reheeled, but resoled and on one zip was dodgey as well. So, I figured I’d go to Timpson just down the road — job done…
Not so. Not only did it cost almost half the cost of my boots to get this soleing business sorted (and they were expensive boots!) but they said it would cost a bomb to get my zip replaced — and that they’d have to be sent away for three weeks! No thankyou.
So I kept them, and thought I could fix the zip elsewhere for cheaper. I wore them a couple of times after, to try and heal the wound of the loss of my money, and on the third wear, the stitching of the new sole came away completely from the boot and left a massive hole on the side of my shoe! What kind of craftmanship is that?
As for getting keys cut there — walk 5 mins up Great Western Road, or down Dumbarton Road and you can get it done at a little independent place for a fraction of the cost. Seriously, don’t bother. They take advantage of their prime location to hike up their prices.