B&Q delivery date turned out to be fiction

[rafezetter]

Your attitude may or not be right that is for you to decide but i have come to the conclusion that if trawling the internet for the lowest price you need to factor in that things may not go as well as they might have if you had paid slightly more to a local supplier.

This wasn't buying from Bodgit & Scarper - this is a major national chain who are currently running a big ad campaign for home improvements.

If they can afford to spend millions on the advertising, maybe they should spend a few more millions making sure they have sytems to back up the advertising, otherwise it's a total waste of time. Any marketing person worth hiring will tell you it only takes one botched transaction to lose a customer.

I worked at B&Q in my late teens 3 evenings a week and customer service was VERY different then, each till had a human being, each till person gave you a "Please and Thank You", we'd carry items to cars for older customers and the staff were assigned specific sections, and required to learn about products and even give basic DIY advice.

The company also gave out small performance bonuses EVERY MONTH for one or two members of staff who had gone above and beyond, so there was a real incentive to help, and more crucially the staff wasn't a collection of several dozen part-timers (zero hours) who hardly know each other by name.

Last year I was asked by a client to go into the local B&Q (since closed down) and go and talk to her son who worked there to collect something he had put aside - I couldn't see him so asked for him and the "customer service" person had no clue who he was not even by description (and Addy is fairly distinctive), so I asked to speak to the manager and he didn't know either !! - I had to call Zohra to call Addy to come to the front of the shop.

It's really no small wonder the large chains have lost a good portion of their retail sales, and although the internet is in part to blame, there are some aspects of retail where "on a shelf in front of you" is still the preferred method.

Jim_Hanna - I'd make a post on their facebook page, they do actually respond with it when it's been made so public.

POST MERGE

As part of my ongoing project to reduce the size of my workshop i needed some items to complete the roof. None of the local suppliers had them in stock but via the internet i found a stockist 25 miles away who assured me that according to the computer they had 5 in stock i needed 2 so with cash in hand i set off.
On arrival it turned out that they didn't have any so arriving home after a pointless 50 mile round trip i have to decide whether to post on the internet what a cxxxp company they are and make signs to that effect or just get on with other jobs and wait the 3 weeks until they they got them in.
What i decided to do is clearly is different to what other members would have done.
Life is short and best not wasted winding yourself up.

Sure stuff happens, I managed a retail outlet for 9 years - supplier trucks get delayed a day, or the supplier has only half filled your order and not told you or the delivery van breaks down, or it's stuck traffic or a dozen other possibles, but B&Q having a system that is clearly not correctly set up is THEIR FAULT and no-one elses. ANY COMPANY that states "delivery date of X" then that's the day you expect it and make plans accordingly, in the OP's case using one of his yearly allocated days off work, no small thing, and if you think it is - tell your staff you're going to remove 1 day from their yearly allocation and see what happens.

As for the above I learned many years ago if you have to make a trip to get something - DO NOT RELY ON THE COMPUTER STOCK NUMBERS - tell them to put thier hands on it and PUT IT ASIDE (which is exactly what I did regardless of how many we had), as even driving to the centre of town and back can take up to two hours (8 miles total). Doing a 50 mile trip without making them physically check, because 5 isn't 50, was just asking for trouble.

I'm not sure what you are trying to convey with " i have to decide whether to post on the internet what a cxxxp company they are and make signs to that effect" but if people don't make it known that it's NOT OK, to mess people about, then they will continue to do so ad infinitum, and more and more companies will start to wonder why are they spending extra money on staff and training when a good portion of customers clearly don't give a fpinapple that they are being fpinappled around.

and that includes service given to you.

 

[DiscoStu]

I can forgive any company for making an error but as others have said it's how they deal with it. It seems they've not dealt with it very well and I can see the frustration. That said I personally wouldn't be worried if it took a few days to get a refund as long as it happened when it was promised although it appears this isn't the case with B&Q.

My parents ran the shop next door to Mr B and Mr Q when they first started out. I think they had very different ideas on customer service back then.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[thetyreman]

wow, if I did this in my company that I run, I'd go out of business, they are lucky that anyone even buys stuff from them at all, this is despicable, amazed that they get away with it.

 

[Gerry]

I wish life was so simple for me, I have to deal with Scottish power!
In late February I contacted them to have an isolator switch fitted to my meter in preparation for a consumer unit upgrade. They rang me and made an appointment within a few days for an electrician to come out and fit one. I paid them £81 there and then over the phone and immediately received the confirmation email of the appointment.
I took a days holiday for the appointment and waited for the electrician to arrive. When it got to 6pm it was obvious he wouldn't be turning up so I rang Scottish power. After an hour on the phone I was told they had no record of any appointment. I was furious at having wasted a days holiday and demanded an immediate refund. I got the usual story of how it would take a few days to process this. Two weeks later and no refund so I contacted them and was told I would be called back within an hour. No call so I rang them, same thing happened again. A week later a customer service representative rang me full of apologies for the "failure" in their system asking how they could "make this right". In the end he offered to give me the full refund immediately, fit the isolator for free, arranged an appointment for the following week plus £30 compensation.
Bollocks!
A week later I received £31 of my £81 and a week after that I received the £30, No electrician.
Another round of calls and another appointment. This time the electrician actually turned up, Took one look at the meter which is an economy 7 unit and announced he didn't have an isolator suitable for it and would go and get one. He said he would be back within the hour with the switch!
He must have got lost because two weeks later (there are several irate phone calls an emails in between) I was given another £50 compensation and promised the rest of my initial £81.
Another two weeks and no sign of it.
I am told that due to the "unique" nature of my problem they are having difficulty resolving my complaint. What is hard about refunding a card payment of the correct amount, Did they have to raid the piggy bank to get the £31 they repaid and are saving the rest up? If I can pay £81 over the phone and that money be out of my account before I can put the phone down I'm sure a giant corporation can do the same back to me.
Anyway, It gets to eight weeks after I raised the complaint so they send me an email saying as it's eight weeks I can now contact the ombudsman but they hoped I wouldn't feel it necessary as they are working as hard as possible to resolve the issue.
After a few weeks (I'm loosing track of time here) I received a phone call. We are going to resolve this now I was told. I would receive the balance of my money and I could book the appointment for the switch there and then. I'm on holiday from the 21st July so I said I would book it for that week, Hang on she said, I'll just go and book it for you with our metering department. After half an hour waiting she comes back to the phone and said there is a problem with her computer and she will call me back within the hour to save me hanging around.
It's now nearly two weeks later and no call. My piss is now at boiling point and I have sent them an email stating that if I have no resolution to this by the end of the month I will contact the ombudsman and pass on my complaint.
Scottish power customer service, that's an oxymoron.

Gerry

 

[Droogs]

@ Gerry,
Try sending this chap (SP CEO) a message, it may help:
[email protected]

 

[Gerry]

@ Gerry,
Try sending this chap (SP CEO) a message, it may help:
[email protected]

Thanks, I'll try anything now my patience is at breaking point.

Gerry

 

[whiskywill]

It's poor training and poor management that WILL give UK a problem once Brexit bites. Even in retail.

This has got nothing to do with Brexit or am I missing something? Does the EU currently train B&Q staff?

 

[AES]

It's got everything to do with Brexit whiskywill, even though I admit it's an indirect link - IMO!

Of course the EU doesn't train anyone in UK - as far as I know!

But IF the UK is to stand "alone" successfully, that means building a strong internal economy across the board - in manufacturing, retailing, service - in everything. That means UK is then in a better position to build stronger links with other nations (companies) with/without whatever trade agreements that may come to be negotiated in the coming years. And as above, that's again "across the board" in all types and sizes of industry

As long as we see examples of ridiculously poor customer service as shown in this thread then the UK economy is overall weaker than it could be - and dare I say, SHOULD be.

NOT politics (I'm NOT going there) OR rocket science is it?

I repeat all that's just IMO, but to me it's just simple logic.

AES

 

[whiskywill]

As long as we see examples of ridiculously poor customer service as shown in this thread then the UK economy is overall weaker than it could be - and dare I say, SHOULD be.

I absolutely agree. But Brexit makes no difference. Our economy depends on a lot of things including good customer service whether we are in or out of the EU.

Are you a remainer by any chance? :?

 

[MrTeroo]

As long as we see examples of ridiculously poor customer service as shown in this thread

I absolutely disagree.

B&Q have got this wrong, but it means nothing in isolation without reference to all their order deliveries. How many arrived on time v how many didn't.

The op was up in arms about his refund on the day it went wrong. He cancelled the order and expected an immediate refund.

A quick look at The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation, and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 would have helped him to understand that the retailers legal obligation in the case of a cancelled order is to refund within 14 days from the goods being received back by the retailer, in this case when the courier returns the shed to the warehouse.

B&Q have promised the refund 4-5 days after receiving confirmation that the shed is back at the warehouse. Well within what is legally expected of them.

If after 14 days they haven't refunded, then you have cause to complain.

Put down the burning torches villagers, Dr Frankenstein's monster isn't in the castle right now.

 

[AES]

@whiskywill: I'm neither - not having been on a UK Electoral Register within (I think the last 15 years is the rule), then I have no vote at all on anything in the UK - quite correctly in my view.

But that doesn't stop me having a personal opinion. But since a decision to leave has already been made, my opinion on In/Out is immaterial - as is yours with respect.

I simply state that in some way or another UK is now going to have to "go it alone", and again IMO, that means generating (and maintaining) a strong healthy UK economy in all areas.

@Mr.Teroo: I think your view of what I was saying is being taken (by you) too narrowly. I was really talking in terms of broad brush general business principles. I agree with a lot of what you've said in the specific case/s in the origin of this thread, but as I said, and as I repeated above, the general "business-like" approach is wrong and that ultimately does, and will continue to, have a negative effect on the UK economy. Again, for me that is just simple logic. If you disagree, fine, that's your prerogative. We'll agree to disagree.

Personally I think this thread has gone on long enough (too long?) and has wandered a long way off the original topic. The reason for that fault is primarily mine, for which I apologise.

Back to wood working?

AES

 

[MrTeroo]

@Mr.Teroo: I think your view of what I was saying is being taken (by you) too narrowly. I was really talking in terms of broad brush general business principles. I agree with a lot of what you've said in the specific case/s in the origin of this thread, but as I said, and as I repeated above, the general "business-like" approach is wrong and that ultimately does, and will continue to, have a negative effect on the UK economy. Again, for me that is just simple logic. If you disagree, fine, that's your prerogative. We'll agree to disagree.

Personally I think this thread has gone on long enough (too long?) and has wandered a long way off the original topic. The reason for that fault is primarily mine, for which I apologise.

Back to wood working?

AES

Sorry AES, I wasn't having a go at you :? Not your fault at all.

 

[powertools]

Are you now going to start the same process with a different supplier or could it be that you have changed your mind and that is why you are so worried about your refund?

 

[AES]

No offence taken Mr. Teroo.

AES

 

[RogerS]

Bathroom City 'do' it for me. Ordered several shower screens for the house renovation. They arrived safely but no warning. Fortunately I'm on-site most days. Then a couple of weeks later a call from Despatch asking me to check one of the items. Apparently they had mixed up my order with someone else and I had a LH and a RH (his) and he, my LH. 'Would I be in on Friday for a collection ?'. 'Yes but you will need to send a small van and a two-man team as the item's very heavy'. The largest vehicle we can accommodate is a 7.5 tonne lorry and only if there are few cars onsite.

4pm Friday and no show. Ring up to ask and told 'There was a mix-up at the courier. Collection would be Monday'. No apology. No 'Is it convenient'. It wasn't. 'I'll call you back' he says. Get an answer phone message 'Collection will be tomorrow (i.e. Saturday)'. Again, no 'Is it convenient or even 'will you be in'. Numpties. We popped in to the house Saturday morning to be greeted by ......

....a 12.5 tonne lorry and a one-man crew. 'Sorry, mate, you've had a wasted journey and it's a long reverse down the drive'.

Then there was the ArrowXL debacle that went on like Groundhog Day. I ended up with a nice bottle of wine, some chocolates and £100 refund from the supplier. But I spent a fortune on expensive phone lines and hours trying to resolve it.

But you also have to feel sorry for some of the delivery guys. The Parcelforce guy was a no-show one day. Tracking said 'The driver couldn't find your address and so he left a card'. Mmmm...that does not compute. Turns out he had a puncture but ParcelForce's bizarre 'Health and Safety' rules won't allow him to change the tyre. So he waited 3 hours for the recovery truck to make the 20 minute journey.

Most times stuff does arrive OK.

 

[RogerS]

And, of course, there is NorthWest Hardware who think it perfectly acceptable to advertise stuff on their website but then send out something completely different, take ages to respond and then in a most unhelpful way leaving you, the customer, high and dry.

 

[AJB Temple]

I get the vast majority of delivered goods (not food) from Amazon. I would say easily 99% success rate of delivering correct goods, undamaged, on time. I do 70% of my grocery and household shopping with Waitrose on-line. Zero issues with delivery. Substitutions are good usually and if not then refund is prompt. Both Waitrose and Amazon communicate perfectly on-line.

The point I am making is retailers can get it right, and when they do it engenders loyalty.