B&Q, MFI, BT... all pants
16-Aug-2005
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I have just moved to a new house, which we refurbished. We've had lots of fun trying to get everything sorted out...
...firstly we ordered wallpaper from B&Q, who told us that it would be available in-store within five weeks. Six weeks later, no word. So we called B&Q who told us thta they had messed up the order and that someone from the wallcoverings department would call us back to see what they could do about it. ...no return call was forthcoming. So we called again, and were told that in fact the wallpaper had been discontinued (nice of them to let us know). Again, someone from walloverings would call us back to see if they could help us out. ...still no return call. So we called up and asked to speak to the wallcoverings manager, who we were told had left for the day. That didn't seem to ring true, so I called back again later and asked for him. The story this time was that he was with a customer at the moment. Doesn't seem to make sense, does it? THe upshot of that was that we got a full refund, ordered the paper from Homebase (who were much better) and vowed never to shop with B&Q again.
MFI aren't much better - we ordered a three-piece suite and were told that we would have it in six weeks time. Ideal, since we were moving into the house then. When we called up to arrange the delivery date, we were told that there was a problem and we wouldn't have it until the end of August (a full month late). MFI constantly referred us to Sofa Workshop, who constantly referred us back to MFI. Nobody seemed to understand that we had purchased the items on an understanding of a delivery date. Even though Sofa Workshop said delivery could take up to eight weeks, that doesn't explain why it's actually going to take ten. The people at MFI said Sofa Workshop should have kept us up to date. My problem with this is that it's MFI who have our money, and therefore it's MFI who we have the contract with to supply a three-piece suite! As a customer, I don't care who the supplier actually is... only that MFI have my money and they owe me some furniture. I tried to speak to the store manager about compensation, but was ably fielded by a customer service rep who told me that the manager wouldn't even consider compensation until we actually had the items. Result? We furnished the rest of the house (several thousand pounds worth of furniture) without even considering spending a penny of that with MFI. They did themselves out of a lot of business through poor customer srevice.
Finally, on to BT. BT recently installed a line in our house and we want to get boradband. It's meant to take 24 hours for BT to register the line as being broadband-capable, but that hasn't happened. So we've been told that it'll now take up to SIX WEEKS for the line to register. Great, except that means we'll miss out on a really good deal with Pipex because BT can't get their finger out. Phoning BT is a nightmare... being passed from department to department because nobody seems to actually know what BT do. The big quiestion is, why can a line be registered in 24 hours, but when you phone BT up it'll take six weeks? I really begrudge paying this company for such poor service!
Chris
MyCustomer.com 16-Aug-2005
Story read 3042 times
Why is it that Tele-Communications companies appear to be the worst at communicating?!
Pete
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B&Q are really pants !!!!!!!
One day Mr Prior decided that he wanted to improve his house and visted his local B&Q store to enquire about a new bathroom with all mod cons to make his modest abode more modern and comfortable for said Wife and Daughter. Little did he know at that time that this was to be the first step in a trial by retail ineptitude that would leave him grasping at the last strands of his sanity several months later.
Step 1 May 2005: Mr & Mrs Prior sit down with Dave Roden in the local B&Q store and go through a complete re-design choosing units, tiles etc to transform the bathroom. The 'EXPERT' neglects to include over 10 items vital to the completion of the new bathroom in the design specs, this is the first but by no means last pothole on the road to success!
Unaware of this error Mr & Mrs Prior place the order, PAY IN FULL the agreed price and walk away happy in knowledge that they have ordered from one of the largest DIY companies in the UK and that all is well.
Step 2: A few weeks later they recieive a call saying that the first delivery of parts will be with them at the weekend in anticipation of the upcoming survey for the job. They are also informed that the company installing their bathroom is one PACIFIC BATHROOMS. Goods arrive as promised and all is well still.
Step 3: Looking back this is where I should have spotted that things were not what they seemed.....Mr & Mrs Prior get a call from PACIFIC BATHROOM to say that the instaler is not available to do the survey and that one of his colleagues will be taking his place. Said colleague arrived on the agreed date with a pen and tape measure. (both of which remained unused throughout the entire evening). the "survey" lasted approx 15 mins and consisted of a conversation about radiator placement and plumbing.
Step 4: Mr and Mrs Prior recieve a call the following week to explain that the "survey" had identified a few issues with the order and that we will incure extra costs for removing and replacing the shower unit. I pointed out to the agent on the phone that the surveyor had not looked at the shower unit and we at no time had requested that it be moved! The agent apolgised and we dutifully paid the extra costs for other changes and were given an install date of the 22nd August. Mr Prior arranges to take a week off work so that he can oversee the instalation of the bathroom.
Step 5: 1 week before the due date we receive a letter confirming the 22nd Aug start date; On the same day Mr prior gets a call sying that the date has had to be moved to the 12th Sept. After much confusion and several calls it is confirmed that the date has to be changed and a dissapointed Mr Prior reluctantly accepts the delay.
I think the fairytale style of this email has got a bit boring so I will now switch to the style of a ranting consumer on the edge of insanity!!!
We now start the really confusing part of the story:
6th Sept 10am: I get a call confirming delivery date of the remaining pieces for the bathroom for between 9am and 1pm the next day
6th Sept 10.15am: I get another call from the sales and service centre to inform me that the installation will have to be cancelled again! I say that this is not acceptable and that unless a replacement fitter can be found to complete the order on time that the order would cancelled.
6th Sept 11.00am 'ish': I get another call to say that there really are no other fitters available to do the job but that PACIFIC BATHROOMS are willing to come on the week of 19th Sept. I explain that this is not possible as we are having a Conservatory built that week. I point out that B&Q have had my money for over 3 months now and I have yet to see one tile replaced yet!! I say I will check with my wife but that my feeling is to cancel the order.
After speaking with my wife we decide that unless the fiiting starts on Monday we will cancel the order. I call the Service centre, (At this point I think it only fair to note the efforts of Gareth Taylor who went out of his way to assist and took ownership of the problem without hesitation), and am told that they have managed to find a fitter to start the job on Monday. I agree and say that the delivery of the bath is fine for the next day.
7th Sept: Delivery of the bathroom is due between 9am & 1pm and so when the bathroom has not arrived by 12.30 I make my way home to relieve my wife from lookout duty.
7th Sept 1.30pm: A B&Q van arrives at my house and I greet the driver with bareley concealed excitement only to find the van almost empty except for a few boxes of tiles....."where's my bath, sink and toilet.?" I ask the befuddled driver........"I just deliver what they tell