B&Q rant

[vossy]

Today my better half convinced me that after 6 months of moaning our leaking shower hose needed replacing so on to the net to find one, B&Q have them at £7.98, so I checked my local store (6 miles away) and it said in stock, so I reserve one for store pickup, off I trot on my trek to collect my hose and kindly present the lady on customer service (loose term) the order number

She: one moment sir, she then searches the shelves of pre-ordered goods for 10 minutes and then disappears into the store to return in 15 minutes with - I'm sorry we are out of stock,

Me: what do you mean you are out of stock - my piece of paper with today's date on clearly shows you have stock and have reserved mine for collection.

She: I'm sorry but we sold the last one a week ago and are waiting for stock to arrive, we do have another hose similar to that one - it's £18.99,

Me: I can have it for £7.98 can I?

She: No sir it's £18.99

Me: But you buggered me about and I have a 12 mile round trip to collect this, it's your fault because the system says it's in stock and here waiting for me.

She: Well I can only apologies sir, would you like me to order one for you.

Me: No, I want you to sell me that £18.99 one for £7.98 as a gesture of goodwill because of the time and fuel I have wasted coming here.

She: I can't do that sir.

Me: Well perhaps you can find someone higher who can.

She: No sir I can't, I have the final say.

Me: Okay then Lesley (that was the bitches name), I will find someone higher myself to deal with this, perhaps you will explain to them how well you do your job of customer service.

She: Thank you sir I am just doing my job.

Me: Pity you are not doing it very well - goodbye


Email fired off to Martyn Phillips, I await his reply in earnest.

[PriorityOne]

Re: B&Q rant

Joined up thinking went out of the window some time ago..... managers "can't" seem to do lots of things that they used to be able to and some of them are very simple

I once reduced a manager at New Look to tears because she "couldn't" get the jacket I wanted in a smaller size off the shop dummy because they arrrived dressed like that and she "couldn't" change what they were wearing. I got the jacket eventually after making her feel an inch high.... but how stupid can you get?!!

You should complain to Head Office and you might get a voucher..... worth a shot.

[SaltnVinegar]

Re: B&Q rant

I once reduced a manager at New Look to tears because she "couldn't" get the jacket I wanted in a smaller size off the shop dummy because they arrrived dressed like that and she "couldn't" change what they were wearing. I got the jacket eventually after making her feel an inch high.... but how stupid can you get?!!

Once she took it off the dummy, I hope you decided that it was definitely at least another size too big and handed it back to said New Look Shop Manager and left the shop?!

[MrsD]

Re: B&Q rant

don't tell me you were expecting "customer service"

how quaint and old fashioned you are!!!

rarer than hen's teeth, most eejits who work in so called "customer sevice" don't know what it is!!! and what's worse is that they don't generally give a toss!

[Handyman]

Re: B&Q rant

When I'm looking for anything in B&Q Mrs Handy always P's me off by insisting she asks a member of Staff if they Have the Item or where in the store it can be found?

The usual result is a meeting of the Brains Trust
And the end is always the same 10 minutes wasted and still no wiser.

By the time they have finished I have found what I wanted or an alternative and I am on my way to one of those stupid self service checkouts.

I once got a pair of lights from one of the clearance bins.

When I got to the till I was charged the reduced price for one and the full price for the other. I asked the girl why this was and she said the label had to be signed by the manager or she had to charge the original full cost. I said I wanted them both at the reduced price could she not use her initiative, or call the manager to put his X on the Label.

No she said as he was on his break and couldn't be disturbed
And she dare not risk acting alone.

As I have tried to explain to Mrs Handy if the staff knew anything about the products they sell, they would be working on the Tools and not stacking shelves in B&Q.

Regards all, Handy

[BBoo]

Re: B&Q rant

I'm preparing for my brilliant business idea by keeping a list of all those offering outstanding Customer Service. I've been compiling my list for several years now so it has grown over the years to two people. One works for 3 Mobile in Bombay, the other in the Broadband Tech section of Sky Broadband in Ireland.

Everyone else is mediocre or crap. Good job I've not had the idea yet!

[Handyman]

Re: B&Q rant

What is it with all the people in service industries these days.
OK so I know a lot of employers are taking the Mick with the current employment climate. But a lot of the companies that are struggling need to get on top of Staff Training and Morale. The staff that can't be motivated need a wakeup call.

Today I went into the local branch of the coop bank (well it is now, it used to be a branch of Brittania till a few months ago).

There were two women at the counter one was dealing with an old guy who had lost his books to a closed account.
The other Woman was opening an account for a customer and was reading her the T&C's of her premier account. There were two other members of staff hanging around drinking coffee in the back office, while the desk and interview area stood empty.

35 blinking minutes I stood in an ever growing line, just to pay in one small cheque.

When I got to the counter the girl appologised saying that they were extremely busy.

Busy my Ass, if they get more than 20 customers a day they are pulled out.

Someone tell me is this anyway to build a business.

Regards, Handy

BTW don't get me started about our local petrol station. 20 cars on the forecourt and only one on the tills while the manager was chatting up the tobacco rep. AAAAAAAAAggggghhhh.
20 minutes to put in a fivers worth of petrol to get me home.

[BBoo]

Re: B&Q rant

I think a large part of the problem is that many of these businesses have grown so big that they seem to think one customer doesn't matter. What they don't seem to realise is that it is lots of individual 'one customers' who are their client base. They don't need to knock that too hard before it starts to knock them.

There's also the problem I discovered when, after my illness, I tried to get back to work by working for Comet as a Customer Service Adviser in one of its call centres. We were paid next to nothing, treated like dirt, but expected to take the majority of the flack from customers who were complaining.

If we referred someone up to the next tier we were investigated to see if we'd acted correctly. Then here's the best part. My one and only Christmas there, in the same month I was voted Employee of the Month (I think I was only there one month!) I was also formally disciplined.

Why? What dreadful thing had BBoo done? 100% true, I was disciplined for resolving a customer's complaint.

These places should let those who have a brain use their initiative, and in my opinion not employ monkeys, paid peanuts to take the flack in the hope the person complaining will be fobbed off.

[MrsD]

Re: B&Q rant

I've always worked in sales at quite a high level

the secret to decent customer service is training, training and training

they've got to cover every eventuality, they've got to know what to say
and most importantly
if someone has messed up or doesn't know an answer, THEY HAVE TO ADMIT THAT!!!

no one ever says, gosh we made a right mess of that, let me put it right

banks in particular have a problem admitting they got it wrong but it is a very common attitude in a lot of businesses
a complaint is an opportunity to secure that customer and make them think your the bees knees, sadly everyone seems to have forgotten that

[vossy]

Re: B&Q rant

Here is the update, straight from the idiot board.

Thank you for your email, I am sorry you had reason to complain about one of our stores, we will investigate further and contact you again soon.

Yours sincerely

etc etc

They can feck off now, I brought one from Wilko £4,20 - bargain.

I will await the reply and maybe my £5 or £10 voucher towards my next purchase, that's what usually happens when I complain, most I ever had was £10 from Wilko funnily enough for complaining about a till operators attitude

[PriorityOne]

Re: B&Q rant

Once she took it off the dummy, I hope you decided that it was definitely at least another size too big and handed it back to said New Look Shop Manager and left the shop?!

No, I didn't actually. I bought it.... which as I tried to explain to her.... was the whole point. Fecking stupid excuse for a manager that she was...!!

On the plus side, the best consistent customer service that I have had is from Curry's. I'm not sure if it's just the branch near me or Curry's in general but they have always gone out of their way to help and resolve any issues.... which means that if I need anything, I will tend to go to Curry's for it, which is what good customer service does for a company (are you listening New Look?! )

They once priced a combination microwave/oven at a much lower price than it really was but sold it to me without me even needing to mention it! I was dumbfounded.... and that doesn't happen very often....

[BBoo]

Re: B&Q rant

They once priced a combination microwave/oven at a much lower price than it really was but sold it to me without me even needing to mention it! I was dumbfounded.... and that doesn't happen very often....

So was the salesman when he was sacked that night!

[Handyman]

Re: B&Q rant

Going off thread a little a lot what do you folks out there think of Pharmacists.

OK they are Handicapped by having to read Doctors hand writing, but have you ever had to wait for an Off Prescription, Over the counter medicine to be approved by the Duty Pharm.

Recently we went to Boots in Yeovil, Mrs H had been on antibiotics and had got a mild thrush. She wanted an over the counter cream.

A young Chinese Pharmacist saw her and told her they couldn't sell it to her unless she went to the NHS walk in Clinic which is in the Boots shop There would only be a 1/2 hour wait.

We walked straight out and went to Super Drug to get the preparation we needed.

Yesterday I went to the local on call chemist to get some over the counter Antibiotic eye drops for the Mrs as she had a mild Conjunctivitis. The Lady (Indian) Pharmacist said she couldn't sell be Brolene eye drops without seeing my wife first.

I was polite and to the point. It may be an Allergy but you should always treat for an infection first. You can not refuse an over the counter preparation. If she is no better in 24 hours we will be seeing our GP.

OK so I was in my wellies and body warmer, straight from the garden. If she hadn't relented I would have told her I have over 30 years experience as a first aider, I was a Section Medic and I have an ONC in Chemistry.

Before anyone calls me Racist, I am not but the three Chemists in our little town are like attending a meeting of the United Nations.

So they dispense some nasty stuff. But they should really stop insulting folks intelligence.

I bet if I had walked in wearing a suit the attitude would have been different.

Things are not always what they seem.

Regards, Handy

[SaltnVinegar]

Re: B&Q rant

No, I didn't actually. I bought it.... which as I tried to explain to her.... was the whole point. Fecking stupid excuse for a manager that she was...!!

On the plus side, the best consistent customer service that I have had is from Curry's. I'm not sure if it's just the branch near me or Curry's in general but they have always gone out of their way to help and resolve any issues.... which means that if I need anything, I will tend to go to Curry's for it, which is what good customer service does for a company (are you listening New Look?! )

They once priced a combination microwave/oven at a much lower price than it really was but sold it to me without me even needing to mention it! I was dumbfounded.... and that doesn't happen very often....

"I hope you decided it was at least another size too big"

Tch, you try and give a lady a compliment!

[BBoo]

Re: B&Q rant

Re your comment I bet it would have been different if I'd walked in wearing a suit. As many of you know, I'm not allowed to work for medical reasons. I now have a passion for consumer law and recently went, on somebody's behalf, to resolve a Voluntary Termination at a car sales room where the owner, who also does his own finance, was being a total twat and had no knowledge of the CCA.

I have a theory that if you look scruffy, as I do most of the time nowadays, many assume you're thick. I love this because they underestimate you. It actually puts you in a strong position much of the time, as, as in this case, they come out with the most ridiculous drivel imaginable. It is then easy to make them look like the dicks they are, and to cap it all, the mobile phone on my knee all the time wasn't a mobile but a digital voice recorder. The look on the man's face was a picture when he realised he'd been tied in knots and hadn't a leg to stand on.

On that occasion, had I been in a suit (which I did contemplate) I'd have been treated with much more caution. It can work both ways.