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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think John Lewis customer service is crap?

80 replies

ThomasinaCoverly · 26/06/2017 18:36

I had an issue with a delivery - I'd ordered three things and only two of them turned up. Delivery driver had no knowledge of the third thing (£199, so not a trivial item), so I called JL.

Customer service guy totally uninterested, patronising, arsey (and then took very flouncy offence when I got cross - I might add that I wasn't rude to him, just making it plain that I didn't appreciate the way he was talking to me). I was supposed to know, presumably by telepathy, that the things were coming from different warehouses and although the website said 7 days for each thing, I shouldn't have interpreted that as meaning they were going to arrive on the same day, and when their text message said my "delivery" would come today, that didn't mean all of it. I will, apparently, hear when the third thing will come when they graciously decide to contact me about it.

The stupid thing is that till I rang them I just wanted to know what was happening: now I'm really pissed off! AIBU to think that my next lot of furniture should come from somewhere else?

OP posts:

KatherinaMinola · 26/06/2017 22:42

I've always had good customer service from JL, which is why I continue to shop there. However, I've just realized I've always gone into the store to request a refund, rather than phoning - shop floor staff have seemed empowered to solve the problem (unlike, say, M&S, who are crap).

That said, I've just placed an order and noticed that the 90 days refund period (which I also liked, as it meant I could order school uniform etc in advance) has dropped to 35 days, so maybe they are going the way of M&S...

Collidascope · 26/06/2017 23:09

Yes, I was going to say they outsourced to Capita. As someone who had the misfortune of working for Crapita for several months, it's very obvious why they've now gone to shit. Horrible, horrible company.

WindyWednesday · 27/06/2017 06:46

That explains why they were so rude in the phone. Really tried to get me off the phone, but I wouldn't get off until they had sorted out my issue. In the end I ended up speaking to a "manager" and he was really rude as well. I did say at one point "I can't believe I'm speaking to a John Lewis member of staff"

OhtoblazeswithElvira · 27/06/2017 06:58

I had problems with them almost 7 years ago so it's not a new thing. A large item of furniture, very rude delivery driver ignored the very specific delivery instructions (the reason why we chose them) and dumped the flat packs on my back garden where they got soaked in heavy rain. I was 9 months pregnant and unable to move the huge packs. Did he care? No. The quality of the furniture was very disappointing and it was only fit for scrapping 3 years later. Wish I'd complained.

I'd never order from them again.

IHateUncleJamie · 27/06/2017 08:35

If they haven't already, I think they're also going to outsource the catering. Doesn't bode well for the restaurant food. 😐

Stopnamechanging · 27/06/2017 08:58

Capita is going to affect a lot of businesses I think. One that our company works with closely has been taken over by them and previously loyal staff who have been there for ten years plus have left, probably 20% of old staff.

I am surprised at JL risking their reputation like that.

I am waiting on a customer service email from them about a faulty item.

Clickncollect · 27/06/2017 09:59

I had a bad experience with their comedy 'never knowingly undersold' line recently (and started a thread on it in S&B) and got nowhere with them. I also had dealings with a very rude/unhelpful lady instore a while back and complained by email so they sent me a free coffee and cake voucher for two.
I only use their website to research products now and take my custom elsewhere.

lanouvelleheloise · 27/06/2017 10:01

I've had mixed experiences. They were totally unhelpful when I needed to return an expensive electrical item, but they were brilliant when my dishwasher malfunctioned spectacularly and the manufacturer (Bosch, never EVER buy their appliances, the customer service is awful) was nowhere.

HemiDemiSemiquaver · 27/06/2017 13:41

I emailed customer services a couple of days ago with questions, and just had a reply now to tell me that they think customer support would be the best team to deal with my issue, and that they'll contact me within a few days. I'm not sure I realised that there was any difference between services and support! Maybe it's just a way of extending the time that they give themselves to reply. Or perhaps I will get a nice, comprehensive answer rather than the one I'm expecting, which is 'we don't know what the product was or who manufactured it and it's not discontinued so no hope of finding one that matches. sorry'.

WindyWednesday · 27/06/2017 14:11

I had the same, they passed my complaint onto customer support who had a different "tone" and were actually helpful.

Alexkate2468 · 27/06/2017 14:22

I've always had excellent service. There have been errors but JL have always apologised and given generous compensation. When I ordered a bed for my DD, they delivered the wrong one. It then turned out the one I ordered was out of stock so they said I could choose another bed in the meantime to use until mine came. I chose the cheapest in the range. When the bed I originally ordered finally arrived, they collected the bed I was using and said I didn't have to pay the significant price difference as a goodwill gesture. I'm sure JL will work to sort out any sliding standards.

MumBod · 27/06/2017 14:25

I bought a fitted kitchen from them.

I can't bear to go into detail. Suffice to say, it took about six months from start to completion.

I complained and got a bunch of flowers and a fifty quid voucher. Less than a year later, the gloss is starting to pick off the dishwasher door, the tap is knackered and the plug on the sink doesn't work.

I can't face complaining.

LineyWimey · 27/06/2017 14:32

I'm sure JL will work to sort out any sliding standards

Really, AlexKate2468? I'm not. Didn't see a shred of evidence of that during the lengthy saga I had with them.

LineyWimey · 27/06/2017 14:33

MumBod Maybe email the chairman's office. They were much more helpful than the Capita rudekids.

NoHatNoCattle · 27/06/2017 14:44

Absolutely, utterly terrible. I bought a new washing machine from them about a year ago. Four months later it developed an electrical fault and stopped working. It took them over a month with me phoning daily to determine it needed to be replaced, then two weeks until the replacement could be delivered, then the service department forgot to book for them to unplumb old washing machine and plumb in new one, and as it was terribly close to Christmas by this point and the delivery men were behind schedule, they simply couldn't do it. They then offered me another delivery slot after Christmas, but I said no thank you, asked for a refund and booked AO to deliver the same machine the next day.
I engaged with them via telephone, email and twitter and got absolutely no response and no joy. I was a loyal customer before but I will absolutely never shop there again. I'm know my expenditures are tiny compared to their bottom line, but we spent a good chunk of our household income at JL that is now spent elsewhere...

Sorry you're going through the same thing!

MumBod · 27/06/2017 14:48

Limey I emailed the chairman personally, in the end.

He forwarded my email to customer services.

No direct reply.

PippaFawcett · 27/06/2017 14:59

John Lewis has built its brand on good customer service - it certainly isn't the cheapest place to shop. If it is compromising on that, bad things will follow.

AshesandDust · 27/06/2017 15:05

Another one here had crap JL service. A fridge I bought wasn’t ‘gassed.’
Long story short phoned up 3 times and each time staff were terrible. They treated me as if I was up to no good.Wrote to the chairman and had a phone call from someone who said he fields these complaints to the chairman and gave me my money back plus £50 but not with good grace.
My overall view is they’re not nice people to deal with and I wouldn’t shop there again.

MaisieDotes · 27/06/2017 15:24

Maybe they are using the same "customer service" company as House of Fraser.

Really very very rude and stupid people.

LineyWimey · 27/06/2017 15:32

MumBod can you face emailing again? Ask for a phone call from someone in the chairman's team. Sorry it's so crap for you.

Mushypeasandchipstogo · 27/06/2017 17:14

TBH always found JL quite good but if you want totally shit service, with unobtainable Indian call centres, try Next.

Ninabean17 · 27/06/2017 18:03

For my DD2 I ordered a cot bed from them.

Sale went through fine, was warned it might take 2 weeks to deliver.

3 weeks go past and no delivery so DH rings up and is told they no longer stock said bed and we shouldn't have been able to buy it.

So we were £££'s out of pocket with no cotbed and if we hadn't have rung they wouldn't have told us!

Got onto twitter/Facebook etc and got an instant response, grovelling apology and a hefty money off voucher for our inconvenience.

Complain, complain, complain

Ninabean17 · 27/06/2017 18:03

For my DD2 I ordered a cot bed from them.

Sale went through fine, was warned it might take 2 weeks to deliver.

3 weeks go past and no delivery so DH rings up and is told they no longer stock said bed and we shouldn't have been able to buy it.

So we were £££'s out of pocket with no cotbed and if we hadn't have rung they wouldn't have told us!

Got onto twitter/Facebook etc and got an instant response, grovelling apology and a hefty money off voucher for our inconvenience.

Complain, complain, complain

Stopnamechanging · 27/06/2017 19:53

Well, I got a reply to my request for a refund.
It thanked me for my request for a VAT invoice and said it couldn't help

LineyWimey · 27/06/2017 19:54

Tweet them?

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