AIBU to be pissed off the John Lewis after sales service?

[TigsytheTiger]

Just that really? Am I expecting too much?

Back story is that I moved recently and decided to use the spare box room bedroom for additional wardrobe space. I did my research and ordered a JL double wardrobe.

A factor in buying from JL, was that they assembled the wardrobe on site and took away the rubbish for no extra charge.

So I ordered knowing there was a 5 week delivery lead time. 2 weeks ago I got a text from the logistics company offering me a Sunday delivery of 02 September. No time slot but you get a call on the day giving a two hour window. However the day is effectively written off as you can't make any advance plans.

So Sunday comes, get my time slot, delivery turns up and they take everything up to assemble. I've emptied the room out to give them space to work and 15 minutes later they appear to tell me they can't assemble the wardrobe as the back panels are completely split and new ones need to be ordered. They were lovely guys, very professional and very apologetic. They took photos of the damage and left the unassembled and unpacked wardrobe in place. They said the new parts would come quicker in about 2 weeks and they would call to arrange another installation date.

So although these things happen I'm a bit fed up as I'm now in a bigger mess as the stuff I did have in the room is now in bin bags and boxes in other rooms while I wait.

So Monday morning I call JL because as efficient as their logistics company are, I bought from JL and that is who I have the contract with.

Very apologetic on the phone, it's been passed to the after sales team and someone will call me later in the day to update me.

No call by the end of the day, although I have received a text from the logistics company to say new parts have been ordered, so I call JL back.

In my mind, I'm expecting them to take some ownership, apologise and look at compensating me. I'm either going to have set another precious Sunday aside or worse take annual leave on a week day to get this sorted.

So according to JL, I shouldn't have been told to expect a same day call back as after-sales have a current 3 day SLA to return calls and they will be in contact. Oh that's ok then, silly me. Here we are on Wednesday and not a dicky bird!

Quick enough to take an order, but not quite so caring or responsive after they have your money.

So AIBU to be a bit pissed off or just accept that at least their logistics company are on the ball?

YANBU, I hate companies customer services sometimes (with the exception of HSBC who have always been outstanding). Spend ages on hold being passed from person to person then 99% of the time I've been told I will be called back I haven't.

But the parts are ordered,it's been quick

What are you angling for? It's nobody's fault, damage happens!!!

She's looking for someone to own the problem.
And apologise.

Yes it's shit. Keep complaining op.

If the replacement panels arrive in 2 weeks it is still within the original 5 week expected lead time.

I ordered a carpet from them last year. They took my money then 2 weeks later told me there would be an 8 week wait as the carpet was out of stock. Then after 8 weeks they offered me a delivery slot a further 8 weeks away. In the end I complained so much they gave me about half my money back. Still would never order carpet from JL again - ordered from a local place and was fitted in less than a week.

I'm not angling! I said in my OP these things happen.

I'm looking for a timely response and apology from JL and some compensation for the fact that this will have an impact on me. Either by having to cancel forthcoming weekend plans/keep a day free again or take a precious day of annual leave, I work full-time and live with teenage daughter who is working full-time before heading off to Uni.

No sorry, I got a text to arrange delivery 3 weeks after placing the order with a 2 week delivery date. So they came dead on the 5 weeks.

Compensation!!

Lol so you are angling for something.... how much you looking for then?

If you accept that these things happen I'm not sure why you expect compensation? They've ordered the new panels; goods do occasionally arrive damaged and they have been prompt at trying to rectify the problem.

There are lots of cases where companies really mess up but I don't think this is one of them.

So your angling for compensation ... 😏😏 can you not schedule It for when your daughter is in if you cba with the wait

@Lovelydovey In the end I complained so much they gave me about half my money back

Sorry - HALF your money back? And you accepted that???

No not angling! I will be asking

YADNBU. I've had trouble with John Lewis too. Took them 3 weeks to refund 500 for my return onto my card. Had to keep calling and chasing them because "they forgot". I actually didn't even want the damn refund, I wanted to exchange and pay the extra but they apparently couldn't do that

I stopped shopping at John Lewis after buying all my white goods for my new kitchen in my first house & every one of them arriving damaged, they all had to be replaced & when the second set were delivered the fridge freezer & dishwasher arrived damaged again. I complained & got compensation, plus replacement goods. I have since used other retailers when needing other large appliances & have never had a problem.

Asking for what? How much were the wardrobes and how much will you ask for?

My actual AIBU was in relation to not having had a call from JL, not regarding compensation.

But to answer your questions. The wardrobes cost £650 and I will ask them if they will make a gesture of compensation for my inconvenience. They may say no, they may offer a gift card or a partial refund. Who knows but there is no harm in asking is there?

I used to buy all my large items from John Lewis online, even when they were more expensive because it was easier, things didn’t go wrong with delivery and if something did go wrong with what I’d bought (ie a technical fault), I knew there wouldn’t be any difficulty getting it sorted. However, the last few times I’ve ordered it’s been a nightmare, I’ve had to spend hours and hours complaining just to get what I’ve paid for, and then being treated like they’ve done me a favour, for finally delivering things that were meant to be in stock in first place (white goods ordered in sale, were meant to be in stock, then on delivery day didn’t turn up, so I had to chase them only to be told they wouldn’t be in stock for 6-7 weeks, then when eventually back in stock had to complain for the sale price to be honoured, they treated me like I was a CF for expecting this, they actually wanted to refund me and recharge me at higher price 😮). In my experience I’ve only had issues when I’ve bought something that’s delivered directly from the manufacturer. They have a separate team in customer services who deal with this who treat you like sh*te. When you phone up you get through to the normal customer service team who are great, but as soon as they realise it’s something being delivered direct from the manufacturer they transfer you to another team, whose customer service skills are shocking and not what I expect from John Lewis. I was expected to do a lot of running around to sort out my order and even had to ring the manufacturers direct myself (John Lewis told me to do this!!) Wtf John Lewis?!? When my items finally turned up it was in an old clapped out van. The delivery men didn’t speak English and even though I asked for the items to be taken into kitchen (which JL told me would be fine) they left the washing machine in the hallway blocking access to the front door and just left! I had to go out the back door to get in and out until my DH came home as our hallway is too narrow to get around the packaged up washing machine (but plenty of space to deliver it properly into the kitchen!) and was too heavy for me to move. I no longer buy from their website, but do buy from the shop from time to time. I was a very loyal customer, but won’t be treated like that, especially when for many items you’re paying over the odds - the only incentive for me to do this was ease of ordering/delivery and feeling like I was buying from a ‘decent’ company that would honour guarantees etc

I'd certainly send you a £20 gift card. No problem. The covering letter would offer the apology too

Sorted

@loveydovey - I'd never order carpet from JL again either - my stair carpet wasn't fitted properly as it was "too cold" and the fitters left razor blades lying around all over the house despite the fact I had a toddler... When I phoned JL to complain I was told that carpet fitters were all like that....

Oh dear, some of these stories put my experience into perspective

My main gripe is that you want to order and spend money, they'll take your call in seconds. Have an after sale issue and they think a 3 day timescale is acceptable to call you back within (or not as still no word).

JL have some of the worst customer service I have come across.

I ordered nursery furniture and got up early for them to just deliver a mattress with no other explanation. When I rang them they said we don’t sell it anymore. I had to ask them to refund the money for he products they were not going to send.

I have forgotten about the damaged washing machine they delivered.

I had a wedding list with John Lewis. When my gifts arrived over 2/3s of them were missing. Apparently after my guests had ordered and paid for items those items had become out of stock so they couldn't supply. So I got 1 hand towel and a flannel but none of the matching bath sheets or the second hand towel or flannel. I got 2 out of a set of 4 saucepans. I got parts of a cutlery set. We had always intended to make up any items missing from sets but we couldn't do that as stuff was out of stock and JL wouldn't give us the money for the items they did have. This meant we were left with 30% of a set of a variety of things. They did give me gift cards to the value of the stuff they couldn't supply but that wasn't sufficient to buy new full sets. They didn't even tell us - there was just an invoice in the cardboard box saying "X was out of stock and a credit note would be provided".

They didn't appologise, there was no goodwill gesture or acknowlegment that my wedding gift list was ruined by them despite my complaining. That was 12 years ago and I still boycott them as do my family. In fact despite my being a normally very emotionally stable person I can still feel some tears pricking at the back of my eyes when I think about that day.... I was so excited to open the box and it was such a huge let down.

@ShatnersWig half my money back and the carpet fitted. The local carpet was for a different room!

I think JL have massively been burnt by their own reputation for amazing customer service and after a decade of every second person imagining some terrible slight necessitating "compensation" and them merrily handing out gift cards like sweeties they've had enough