to think John Lewis Partnership is going down the swannee?

[suedonim]

I really used to like JLP but I've had nothing but bad service of late.

Earlier this year I bought a large amount of goods to be freighted abroad to where we live as expats, which was to go direct to the shippers. Next morning, our postman arrived with all our goods, which JLP has posted to us. Not only that, the goods weren't even wrapped securely, they were in loose carrier bags! It was days before JLP could come to collect it again, during which time we were having to clamber over and around piles of stuff.

In April we ordered a Mont Blanc pen for ds2's graduation, to be engraved with his initials. First of all, I ascertained that the pen we received would not be the display one as it was scratched. When the pen arrived (having had to change the engraving because the one we chose wasn't compatible with that particular pen) it was obviously it was the one that had been on display. Another pen had to be ordered but by then, it was too late for ds's gradution and we had to make do with a facsimile which dd2 printed off the internet.

I recently arranged to have a quote for carpets from JLP. When the guy arrived the shop had failed to tell him all the details so consequently, he couldn't quote for all that we wanted, meaning I didn't get a full costing.

Yesterday I bought a new kitchen bin (exciting, I know!) from them. When I opened the box at home, it was the wrong bl%dy colour - red instead of cream! So now I have to make another 40 mile round trip to swap it.

So, have I just had an unusual run of bad luck with JLP or are they now rubbish??

[Overmydeadbody]

They're a huge department store, what do you expect?

[WaynettaSlob]

I think you've just been unlucky....now go and wash your mouth out!!!

I lurve John Lewis..........[saddo emoticon]

[Pannacotta]

I think they have gone downhill too.
They offer "never knowingly undersold" but when I tried to buy a dishwasher from them at a lower price (was on sale in local shop) they wanted me to pay the delivery fee the other place charged, even though they never charge a delivery fee when you spend over £100.
HAve had probs with the undersale thing before and find their service worse than it used to be.

[suedonim]

I expect service like they used to give, Omdb. I thought I could depend on JLP.

I'm having a bad time in general. Fell down the stairs in Ikea last week - nice bruises! One of our new windows wouldn't shut and I had to sleep on my own in the house with the spectre of a Mad Axe Murderer getting in. (He didn't) I lost my glasses when out on Saturday and had to get a new pair yesterday. Came home with dd and her friends who found the old ones on my drive, which I'd carefully searched several times. And I've had a throat infection and now my shoulder/neck have developed some painful condition. And my feet keep swelling up. Apart from that, everything is fine!

[warthog]

ha! me too!

bought a cot, came scratched and the varnish looked awful. i wrote and complained and they didn't even bother to respond.

then got them to quote for a carpet a couple of weeks back. they estimated an extra 10m2 than someone else! expensive carpet so worked out to be a few hundred quid. needless to say we didn't go with them and i will think twice about buying anything from them in future.

[Pannacotta]

I really wouldnt bother getting quotes for carpet or curtains etc from JL, they are simply too pricey.
I know someone who makes curtains for JL and if you go to her direct you save about 60% of the cost or thereabouts, a no brainer IMO.
suedonim you arent having a good time are you! Hope things improve.

[suedonim]

I've gone local for carpets, Pannaccota, though even that's gone pear-shaped. I was expecting to have had them fitted by now but they haven't even arrrived in the shop yet. Apparently, the manufacturers have run out yarn to make them. Maybe they're waiting for this year's lambs to grow enough wool.

[suedonim]

bump for more bad experiences!

[suedonim]

My best friend is retiring sooon and one of her retirement projects is 'To get to know JLP better.'

[greenlawn]

Sadly not what they used to be, but still trading on their former excellent customer service.

People like my parents will always say "John Lewis" for everything from carpets to cots because they remember the days when JL customer service was the best around. Now its patchy - depends very much on the dept you're dealing with.

And I think the never knowingly undersold promise has now bitten the dust what with internet deals etc.

[suedonim]

I forgot the occasion last year when I went to the children's shoe dept at 5.15pm and they refused to serve me because it was 'too late'. I did get an apology from them over that.

[theyoungvisiter]

I think you've been unlucky - we had our wedding list there late last year and have bought some furniture this year (using up our vouchers!) and have had nothing but great service all round - everything arrived exactly as specified, exactly when specified, and the one item that was out of stock they offered a refund straight away which was wired into my account.

[suedonim]

Anymore JLP horror stories?

[bundle]

not horror story but bit disappointed that i couldn't pay for a greetings card at their instore florists in oxford street (cos it's a concession??? what about the perfume bits then?? >

[onceinalifetime]

The trouble is that they're still better than anyone else!

[Lucifera]

I don't think the shop staff are that good now (grumpy old bag emoticon). Example: person processing my card payment is chatting to a colleague; another time three members of staff carry on conversation as I approach obviously wanting help, so I have to interrupt them - this really annoys me. But generally I still do love JLP.

[SueW]

I had a bad time with them c. mid 90s but then they improved again.

They've recently (er, past year/2 years) changed the Nottingham store though so that it has banks of cashiers and single queues instead of being able to pay in each dept. Hideous.

I'd hesitate to make a big purchase e.g. white goods from anywhere else but things I used to buy from there e.g. bedlinen, I now get from Dunelm (their hotel range).

[notcitrus]

They cocked up our commitment ceremony list quite a bit (you had to specify what sort of list it was when searching for people by name, so rellies who didn't enter the code number were told we didn't exist because the default category is 'wedding'), some items were discontinued without telling us, and then organising delivery took forever.
Also when our virtually-new Bosch fridge-freezer died, took forever to get them to come and confirm it was buggered and get a new one installed (about 3 weeks).

But on the positive side, when I took a couple broken plates from the gift list delivery to be replaced, I was given new ones with no hassle; curtain rails were fitted with good advice and no hassle, and whenever I've been in the Oxford St store in the last few years, the staff there have been fantastic, whether it's bra-measuring, opening an extra checkout for me because I was having problems walking, searching the racks for a certain bottle of booze during the Christmas rush, and most recently letting me return a maternity pillow because it was uncomfortable, no problem, even collecting it from my door because I can't walk.

It's still way better than any other store I know of - and I know where everything is, which helps no end.

[derelicte]

I got a Magimix last xmas, and it broke while making dough (as per the recipe booklet). They exchanged it for another one and exactly the same thing happened again immediately. When we went back to JL again they treated us with blatant suspicion. No hint of an apology, just lots of muttering of "This has never happened before" and "there's definitely something funny going on here" I was seriously pissed off.

I'm such a wuss about returning faulty goods anyway, and felt like some kind of crim. (They did however agree to swap it for a CuisinArt, which has been faultless).

[suedonim]

Our store now has those banks of tills, SueW. I think it's actually speeded things up but they are hard to spot in a large store. Is the JLP in Notts still called Jessops?

I suppose my gripe boils down to a lack of attention to detail by the staff. All my moans could have been avoided if someone had taken the time to actually read the details and know their products.

[SarahLeosMum]

I can add a moan. We had our wedding list there and put cutlery on it. I looked at the manufacturers website to see what other matching bits they did and found out that you could buy from them over the net or at their shops (about 6 nationwide) for 1/4 of the price. I thought that JL had put a cheeky mark up on it and asked them to price match. They wouldn't as the nearest shop was about 5 miles too far away so I returned the whole lot and repurchased from the makers and got 4 times as much. Made me just think they rip people off.

[claricebeansmum]

I went in there today for BIG shopping.
They were lovely.
I love JLP.
Sometimes they get things wrong but in an age where customer service is non-existent at companies such as Talktatlk or talktalk or talktalk they are refreshingly polite, reasonable, offer real customer service.

Ooo and they thanked me for choosing to shop with them today.

And then the man who had been helping me called me on my mobile to let me know I had left my purse by his till.

Trying to buy shoes in Clarks today - DS and I counted eight shop assistants wafting around whilst three customers waited to be served. Whilst in JLP children's department you get a time to go back so no waiting around.

[MrsMuddle]

They wouldn't let me take back an expensive Freya bra because I had put it in the washing machine, even though it was the hand-wash cycle of the machine. And the assistant was very snotty when she told me that bras should always be hand washed.

However, 99% of the time, I think they're great.

[MrsMuddle]

Sorry - the whole point of the bra thing was that the underwire had come out, apparently as a result of the vibrations of the washing machine.