John Lewis poor customer service

[xmyboys]

Grrrrrrrrr
Purchased Bosch dryer in Sept 2010
Spent over £700 as we are high users and I wanted to be as economical as possible and wanted a good brand.
In 2012 we had to call out the repairman several times. Heater stopped working and then stopped altogether.
Christmas/New Year 2011 and it breaks down again. Call first thing in jan to get repairman out, two week wait.
Six visits since this time and problem still not sorted.
Usually fix it then one load in and it breaks again, then another week before a repairman can come out!!!
One time they arrived with pre ordered part which was broken, another two week wait!!!!
This Monday out again. Requested different serviceman, though different person might actually get to the bottom of it.
He shows up. Tells us warranty has expired, will not work on machine unless we pay another £99. My partner sends him away.
We have a five year warranty.
I phone John Lewis customer service and tell them the story, they are horrified. One hour later I was told they are replacing the machine and will confirm details with me following day.
No phone call.
Call today, NO record of Mondays conversation and cannot locate the 'Hannah' that I dealt with on Monday. They are now telling me they are not replacing the machine and will send another repairman.
It has been two months since I have had a working dryer, we cannot dry in the house as we work from home so I have been using an expensive laundromat to keep on top of the drying, about £15 a week.
I was super impressed on Monday with John Lewis, now I am disgusted with them.
I just want a very expensive dryer to do it's job. To make matters worse I am waiting for repair company (Bosch) to cell me to book the next repair, which they have not done.
Grrrrrr to poor customer service John Lewis!!

[Sarcalogos]

We had a similar experience, only advice is KEEP on at them, eventually we got problem fixed and 100 in vouchers as compensation.

[ivykaty44]

Is this the shop or the online store?

If it is the online store - well they are all round crap and seem to trade on the good name of the actual shops.

There seem to be a big difference think bejams compared to harrods between the two and I bet you spoke to someone at the actual shop on monday and now are speaking to an online person

[ellybett]

John Lewis are scum of the earth and I had the most appalling customer service experience over some curtains for DD's new room so we could move her out of our own. It took 4 months, several phone calls, lengthy letters to result in the curtains being delivered by a random taxi and no further contact from John Lewis with any sort of apology. Will never shop there again. Not sure if the problem was because the customer service was in store but they certainly didn't give a shit about it!

Rant over. I'll be over it eventually (maybe) but until then my entire extended family are banned from going there!

[Mrsrobertduvall]

I've had nothing but amazing service from them.
They replaced a faulty £179 machine with a £550 one at no cost to us, which is still under a 5 year guarantee.
My whole house comes from there.
They replaced a faulty made to measure blind with free curtains which cost £500 more, and even came and put them up for us.

[xmyboys]

Monday
Today
Tomorrow?

[missuswife]

I would call back customer service again tomorrow and tell them that unless they respond to your complaint in a satisfactory manner, that you will be calling Consumer Direct (08454 04 05 06) and also tell them that you have complained about their terrible service on Mumsnet. Be calm and nice, no matter how wound up you are. Take names and direct extensions if possible. If you don't get any joy, write to them, send it recorded, and say you expect a response in a certain number of days. Oh and when you ring them, specifically ask for your call to be logged as a complaint. Most call centres log their calls in some kind of software, and I know at mine, the supervisors and even MDs read the complaints.

You can also complain to them/about them on Twitter. I work in customer service and read a really interesting blog about how Twitter is being used in this way and apparently companies are paying attention to it.

[xmyboys]

I called back at six to enquire why I was still waiting for booking phone call.
Escalated the phone call to complaint, apparently someone will call within 48 hours.
Wouldn't be such a huge problem if I hadn't been told one thing on Monday and then changed today!

[JojoLapin]

They may have been good at some point (and for a long while) but I agree that they don't deserve their excellent reputation any longer. I also had troubles with them recently (made to measure blinds which were total rubbish and problem with the price of an item). On each occasion I would have been better looked after at Homebase :)

[GavisconJunkie]

We had a massive problem with online order for Christmas. Repeated non logging of calls, crap, conflicting information & downright lies.

In the end we had two of the ordered product as well as being £35 better off! This was AFTER flagging up that we'd received 3 of the item (having waited in 4 times over the course of 3 weeks for one) & sending one back. We were trying to be honest, but just got to the point that we thought if they can't sort their arse/elbow interface out, that's not our problem!

Despite this '2 expensive products us £35' situation, we will still never use them again.

[Clawdy]

I ordered a pushchair in the JL online sale for £70. The day it arrived I was looking online and saw it was now reduced further,to £42. I rang customer service,and a delightful young man said immediately that they would refund me the difference. And they did. Have to say I was very impressed.

[technodad]

The service we have had from JL (both in store and online) has always been AMAZING.

When they have had stock issues and late deliveries (which is very rare) they offer compensation before you even get a chance to ask for it!

[ivykaty44]

(which is very rare)

How do you know it is rare technodad?

Op hasn't been offered compensation, I had terrible CS from them and wasn't offered compensation and another lady on this thread has had two faulty goods and been served very well - seems they are very inconsistent with their CS, from down right awful to excellent and putting mistakes correct.

Be better if they where consistent and perhaps they wouldn't make so many mistakes

[technodad]

I should have said "when they have had stock issues and late deliveries with the products that we have personally ordered (which is very rare).....

We order LOADS of stuff from JL and I think they rock (from my personal experience of their service).

e.g. I order expensive MB Handcream for DP for christmas and it is the wrong type (my mistake not JL's). I phone up and ask if I can send it back and swap, they say not to worry and to keep the one they sent to see if we like it and they send another one of they type DP wanted out for free.

Their prices are very competitive and you get 2 year guarantee for free at no extra cost.

I agree that consistency would be good. I do know of a friend who says she had bad CS from them, so they do have the odd issue, but it is totally opposite from any experience of mine. Maybe you are not middle class enough for them .

[ivykaty44]

good gracious I am not going to lower myself to middle class juts to get decent service at JL

Gone are the days of Gamages and Dickins and Jones

[technodad]

[Ladyjaxo]

I second missuswifes suggestion re twitter and Facebook and if not a little sales of goods fit for purpose and durability etc but usually John Lewis are good.

[TheCrunchUnderfoot]

I'm sorry to hear this but we have had BRILLIANT service from them.

Dodgy washing machine - not getting clothes clean - replaced without a murmur.

[HalfPastWine]

I bought some tableware from them recently (online). Unfortunately one piece was broken in transit. I called customers services and they sent out a replacement right away. No fuss. I was impressed.

[EnjoyResponsibly]

I believe John Lewis are like the Emporers new clothes. Others tell me in awestruck tones of their marvellousness.

I believe them to be utterly shite.

[xmyboys]

A new day, another day of wet clothes, will be waiting anxiously for a solution.

[DoodleAlley]

We previously had great service but this year have had nothing but trouble with John Lewis delivering faulty goods and shocking customer services so the OPs situation doesn't surprise me.

I think they've gone downhill

[SuchProspects]

I refuse to deal with them by phone now, following an horrendous experience before Christmas which is still ongoing and involved lots of dissembling, contradictory statements and outright made up stuff from them. Email isn't much better: I email with details, some 1st level rep responds with a cut and paste reply that does not actually deal with my request and indicates that they haven't really read it, I respond with "Please actually read the email.", I get a response telling me they apologies for my experience and will pass my email to the right department and I will hear from them soon, I wait, and wait, and wait, I email them again asking who the right department is and when is soon, they respond with a cut and paste reply that is nothing to do with the issue, I respond asking them to read the email thread... Etc. It isn't fast but it is building an evidence trail they can't deny. I intend printing it all out shortly and send ing it to the CEO with a request to settle the order for significantly less than I currently owe (which is itself less than they are trying to charge me).

The sad thing in my case is that the mistakes they made in delivering the goods weren't too bad (not god, but not worth ranting over), but the misinformation from their customer service cost me quite a lot in expenses, hours and hours of my time and a fair amount of stress.

I'm in a fairly strong position at the moment because I haven't paid for the whole order yet. In your situation I would probably try and find out what they were legally obliged to provide (through CAB maybe?) then write a letter to senior management outlining the issues and proposing a solution that you think reasonable.

Good luck.

[Mzguilty]

My heart is sinking. I bought my daughter a JL dryer, and it broke after eleven months. Same old story of engineers not turning up, then they do but haven't got the part. Numerous phone calls to John Lewis CS (online), countless promises of calls back etc, and still a broken machine.

After 25 years of good service from John Lewis, all I can say is "never again." Absolutely appalling customer service, being lied to, and as others say, no record of calls and they deny knowledge of them. (all made to same number)