Screwfix customer service

[Essex Barn Workshop]

371 days ago, I bought an ebauer track saw from screwfix. Today, after about the 12th cut through 1.5" solid oak, it gave up on me. All sorts of sparks and burning smells.
I had my receipt lovingly filed away in my filing system (or bunged in a top drawer with dozens of others!) so took it back, and without any testing or problems at all, I was given a brand new one. I was in and out within 2 or three minutes.
I said "Do you want the other bits?" meaning the two 700mm tracks, clamps and bag but he said no, I could keep them as he thought they'd be thrown away anyway.
Nice to get good, and easy, replacement.

 

[baldkev]

Yep, screwfix have been good on the odd occasion ive had to take stuff back

 

[robgul]

Ditto

The manager at the local branch told me that they're pushing the Screwfix App very hard as in September they are moving to totally online ordering (but still click and collect or direct delivery) - that said he did admit that they would still take over the counter orders, but discourage them.

I got the impresson that the new plan would enable them to keep staffing levels low and relatively low-skilled - just picking from the warehouse with minimal till-processing/taking payments etc. Everything would be paid for and just require the usual last 4 digits of the order and a name.

At the moment the local staff are pretty helpful for people that come in and "I need a thing that does that to the thing with the handle" type questions!

 

[Doug71]

I returned some safety trainers to my local Screwfix at the weekend, I ordered them online and when they turned up they weren't quite what I expected. The return was no problem, the girl didn't even look in the box, I could have put anything in there.

It seemed a bit busy when I got there and I realised it was because there was an old gentlemen at the front of the queue holding things up . He wanted some screws just like the one he had brought along but a bit longer and a bit thinner. The lad who was serving obviously had no idea about screw sizes because it was the 4th box he opened to compare sizes before he got it right. The funny part was when they got the right size the old chap said "I'll take 5 please" the lad looked confused and said "What 5 boxes?", the old chap replied "No just 5 screws." After a bit more discussion the lad just gave the old chap 5 screws to get rid of him

I was catching up on my bookwork at the weekend and was surprised how much I spend with Screwfix considering I only use them for odd bits because they are handy.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Screwfix focus on trade not general public - although more advanced diyers will also use them. Product prices generally below the diy sheds on the basis that trade buyers know what they want before they go in or order.

Low overheads as they are basically a warehouse, no need for customers wandering the aisles, customer toilets, cafe, car parking etc. The traditional diy store have staff who know a little about the products (sometimes!) + kitchen and bathroom sales staff.

I assume part of the Screwfix ethos is "if it breaks, replace it" as traditionally they may not have wanted to risk alienating customers who may spend £'000s each year.

They also need to keep thier cost base low to differentiate themselves from the diy sheds (with which they are affiliated) - hence online ordering and probably little customer advice.

 

[Robbo3]

According to my local branch they are no longer printing catalogues. Probably common knowledge but news to me.

 

[Cabinetman]

Whilst it’s sometimes easier to find what you’re looking for in a book I do think it’s probably time from an ecological point of view that these mountains of books which are usually hardly used were discontinued.
Also I could hardly read the bloody numbers they printed them that small.

 

[Suffolk Brian]

According to my local branch they are no longer printing catalogues. Probably common knowledge but news to me.

I had one come through the post a couple of months ago - no. 145, Spring 2021. I must agree I prefer a book to the online catalogue. Sometimes I like to scribble in the margin….

 

[Owd Jockey]

Just to echo most of the above, good service, no quibbling. The vast majority of my DIY spend is split between Screwfix and Toolstation

 

[marcros]

I returned some safety trainers to my local Screwfix at the weekend, I ordered them online and when they turned up they weren't quite what I expected. The return was no problem, the girl didn't even look in the box, I could have put anything in there.

It seemed a bit busy when I got there and I realised it was because there was an old gentlemen at the front of the queue holding things up . He wanted some screws just like the one he had brought along but a bit longer and a bit thinner. The lad who was serving obviously had no idea about screw sizes because it was the 4th box he opened to compare sizes before he got it right. The funny part was when they got the right size the old chap said "I'll take 5 please" the lad looked confused and said "What 5 boxes?", the old chap replied "No just 5 screws." After a bit more discussion the lad just gave the old chap 5 screws to get rid of him

I was catching up on my bookwork at the weekend and was surprised how much I spend with Screwfix considering I only use them for odd bits because they are handy.

I think he visited my local store just before I did too.

 

[RobinBHM]

I returned some safety trainers to my local Screwfix at the weekend, I ordered them online and when they turned up they weren't quite what I expected. The return was no problem, the girl didn't even look in the box, I could have put anything in there.

It seemed a bit busy when I got there and I realised it was because there was an old gentlemen at the front of the queue holding things up . He wanted some screws just like the one he had brought along but a bit longer and a bit thinner. The lad who was serving obviously had no idea about screw sizes because it was the 4th box he opened to compare sizes before he got it right. The funny part was when they got the right size the old chap said "I'll take 5 please" the lad looked confused and said "What 5 boxes?", the old chap replied "No just 5 screws." After a bit more discussion the lad just gave the old chap 5 screws to get rid of him

I was catching up on my bookwork at the weekend and was surprised how much I spend with Screwfix considering I only use them for odd bits because they are handy.

Im surprised how many people go up to the counter with no clue on the product or code -it seems they like to be spoon fed.

Im not complaining about the elderly gentlemen -he was obviously of a different generation, Im talking about the lazy peopel who cant be bothered to work out what the want first. boils my pizz TBH

 

[danst96]

Screwfix business model is genius and pretty unique in the global scene.

 

[accipiter]

My experience with Screwfix "customer service" is a bit mixed. I bought the Titan table saw they do at £99.99 and had one of the bolts snap during assembly. Sadly my branch didn't have another saw to replace it with - and in all honesty I didn't feel like dismantling it to return it to them... I'd almost completely assembled it.

A long story shortened a bit... Eventually I got my emails passed on to a CS supervisor who had a pack of fittings *taken from another saw at another branch* sent to me ~ making that saw unsaleable! However the box with the pack was somewhat over the top... but gave me some amusement - - - and (eventually) a £25 refund. At least they didn't fill the box up with bubble wrap or polystyrene bits

I know I could quite easily have got a small pack with the bolt/s from my local Homebase but Screwfix had by now wound me up. Why someone at Screwfix couldn't have got a small bag of nuts and bolts of the right size beats me - there's plenty of small packets available in such DIY stores. And for a customer service supervisor (at head office?) instruct staff to take the fittings out of a completely saleable unit??

 

[Stevekane]

After reading this thread I just been out to the shed and guess what, the last box of 500 screws I bought from screwfix only has 495 Screws in it,,,well Im never going there again, I was going to complain but I dont know what I would do if they sent me a Titan Table saw without a fixings pack,,,who knows where it would end!

 

[baldkev]

The catalogues are very wasteful, but i often find new things by looking through it when im bored.... maybe there'll be a full one on the internet to look through?

 

[robgul]

The catalogues are very wasteful, but i often find new things by looking through it when im bored.... maybe there'll be a full one on the internet to look through?

Argos & IKEA have both stopped their mammoth printing orders for catalogues . . . Toolstation has just issued a new one - I wonder if that will continue.

On the subject of catalogues - who remembers the little pocket-size catalogues that Wickes distributed in vast quantities by Royal Mail Household Delivery when Wickes (from the US IIRC) started up in the early 1980s in the UK ? It always amazed me with the massive difference (saving) in prices of, say, a pack of 10 against 1 of the same item

 

[clogs]

Screwfix made me go to the opticians......hahaha.....
in the past used their barnches all over the UK...
Gotta say cant be beat....I do compare prices between SF and toolstaion.....
Had a branded strimmer break in France.....phoned them up, bring it back for a refund or replacement they said.....
after telling them it will be at least 3-4months after the warranty ended before I could travel back.....
no probs they said, we'll put a note against ur name and the refund exchange will still apply whenever u get back.....
very happy with that.....wish there was a Screwfix here tho.....

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I remember when the Screwfix catalogue was about four pages.

 

[robgul]

I remember when the Screwfix catalogue was about four pages.

.... and nearly all the screws they sold (and little else) were steel slotted head.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yup.