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Original poster

To think John Lewis have the worst customer services EVER?

124 replies

SwordfishSteak · 08/09/2021 18:21

First world problem I know but I have just experienced the worst ongoing customer services experience.

Mattress purchase- we decided to splurge and buy an expensive one as we will be using it for a good decade.

After a couple of months (has to be made, apparently) they schedule delivery 2 weeks ago.
Never show up, never call. We have to chase, the order doesn't seem to exist anymore (???) then after more phone calls they find it again and reschedule delivery for 2 days ago.

They give me a time slot, it comes and goes with no contact. I call to chase and as I am on the phone the driver logs the delivery as 'refused'.
Apparently the street was too small?

They reschedule for yesterday with a smaller van.
This time the driver calls me directly and tells me no-one mentioned the street being narrow and he showed up in a too-big van.

Finally today at 2 they show up in a small enough van... and it turns out the packaging is torn and the mattress ripped.

Drivers call customer services who offer a small discount which we refuse. He then tells me they will call me with an update on a replacement.

Except they didn't and when I chased I was told said replacement has to be arranged through the store and I was given an effing time slot (!!!!!) in which the store will call me back tomorrow.
A four hour time slot.

Apparently messing up delivery 3 times and finally showing up with a ripped mattress doesn't even warrant a call back.

Is it me or is it the shittest service ever?

The guy tonight was lovely and tried calling the shop directly but couldn't get through because their number was disconnected... the whole thing has been a farce.

Anyway sorry for the rant, I was wondering if it had happened to others? I used to love JL...

OP posts:
Tonkerbea · 08/09/2021 19:46

They should spend less money on those (erring on hackneyed) ads and more on proper customer service!

the80sweregreat · 08/09/2021 20:19

To be fair , nobody gives good customer service anymore do they ?
It's fine when your spending the money , try to get any of it back , or there is a problem and it all goes vague or your on hold with awful music for hours on end..always the same.
It's all gone downhill.

TableNiner · 08/09/2021 20:23

I did get a shock when I checked the Trustpilot rating for JL, it’s been terrible for years,

uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.johnlewis.com

You really find out about a company when things go wrong.

Hope you get things sorted out OP.

SpindleWhorl · 08/09/2021 20:31

And don't even get me going on the rude call centre staff.

NotPersephone · 08/09/2021 20:41

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

XelaM · 08/09/2021 20:42

Having been to John Lewis for my daughter's school uniform only yesterday, I couldn't agree more! They are completely useless

the80sweregreat · 08/09/2021 20:42

I'm sure that one or two are good but mostly it's all gone to shit :(
Hope you can get it sorted out op

HHSchultz · 08/09/2021 20:44

Sad to hear, I loved JL, don't live near one now though. I remember going on a sales course years ago and JL was used as the example for exemplary customer service.

SunShinesBrightly · 08/09/2021 20:58

@SwordfishSteak

Now whenever you call the store they send you back to a central customer services department. However, if there is an issue said department have to refer you back to the store. Which you can't seem to call independently. It's like a bizarre chicken egg situation.
Yes, it’s in Didsbury Manchester. I know several people who have worked in their call centre (sorry ‘contact centre’)

JL customer service, ordering, everything to do with your order used to be dealt with by specialist staff in store.
This changed a number of years ago and now (allegedly) poorly trained staff are on the end of the phone in an office block.

Worker’s reviews on INDEED are scathing.

’The contact centre will hire almost anyone because they need the numbers to cope with the work load. The place is full of unhappy people and is more like a school environment than work. Managers are inconsistent, power hungry and unqualified and the environment is so unprofessional . In principle, the partnership is great but this place is such a mess. There are NO opportunities to progress and there are huge discrepancies in pay for the same roles. Work here if you are desperate for a job and the money but this is not somewhere you can further develop your skills professionally.’

Just one of many.

SunShinesBrightly · 08/09/2021 21:00

Here’s another from 2018
’ I am working within the new Core Home Services department which has recently been centralised from all of the branches, and it has been a shambles from the beginning. Training was poor, patchy and dull and was poorly organised from the beginning. Horrible working environment, management do not communicate with staff and we are kind of just left to fend for ourselves.

Whoever is in charge of the restructuring of Core Home Services should lose their job. Customer orders are being forgotten about and the transition is moving too fast as you have not hired enough staff to handle the huge workload that is about to come in, and you just expect us to smile and get on with it. Horrible job - I dread coming to work every single day!’

SunShinesBrightly · 08/09/2021 21:02

@TableNiner

I did get a shock when I checked the Trustpilot rating for JL, it’s been terrible for years,

uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.johnlewis.com

You really find out about a company when things go wrong.

Hope you get things sorted out OP.

Wow. Not good!
Jakie7700 · 08/09/2021 21:08

They have gone from one of the best at customer service to the worst imo! I brought some lovely hotel chocolat slab sets as a gift, the arrived partially melted and reset and smashed to pieces. I called customer services who said you cannot return as it is a food item so non returnable. I tried explaining multiple time the items were not fit for purpose and damaged but they were simply useless.

BrilloPaddy · 08/09/2021 21:10

I had a fault with a pair of Bose headphones recently that were still under warranty. Phoned JL, and had a replacement set delivered to store the next day and the packaging to send my faulty ones back.

Couldn't have been simpler.

These sound horrendous.

funnelfanjo · 08/09/2021 21:16

@Jakie7700

They have gone from one of the best at customer service to the worst imo! I brought some lovely hotel chocolat slab sets as a gift, the arrived partially melted and reset and smashed to pieces. I called customer services who said you cannot return as it is a food item so non returnable. I tried explaining multiple time the items were not fit for purpose and damaged but they were simply useless.
That is poor - but why not order directly from Hotel Chocolat? their customer service has always been good and fingers crossed seems to be staying that way…
Original poster
SwordfishSteak · 08/09/2021 21:22

On one occasion in this ongoing saga I had the surreal moment where CS wouldn't speak to me because the order was in my husband's name- even though I had the delivery number, all the relevant info and they had my mobile as their contact number.
It was ridiculous.

OP posts:
Paranoidandroidmarvin · 08/09/2021 21:26

Glad I read this thread. We are hoping to move soon and wanted to by some new stuff. Don’t think I will chance it.

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 08/09/2021 21:28

I bought some expensive towels from there as a treat. I didnt have the receipt but they started pulling and looking awful within a week. I could prove I bought them from there (had bank details etc) but they refused to refund me, as they must do hby law, because I didnt have a receipt, when the law states I don't need one. They kept saying 'our store policy is x...'. It took 3 visits and a complaint and a letter to their head office before they refunded me. It shouldn't be that hard to uphold your consumer rights

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 08/09/2021 21:30

The hotel chocolat example above also is breaching consumer legislation

NotPersephone · 08/09/2021 21:32

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

Jakie7700 · 08/09/2021 21:34

@funnelfanjo
I usually do but on this occasion I was ordering some other bits from John Lewis too and though I would just add them to that order. Lesson learnt I always order from them directly now.

Clarice99 · 08/09/2021 21:36

JL customer service has really gone downhill.

I used to buy a lot of things from JL, but due to the overall decline, I'd rather shop elsewhere.

OP, I highly recommend John Ryan By Design for mattresses/beds. The products are fabulous quality and the customer service is excellent:

johnryanbydesign.co.uk

.

1990s · 08/09/2021 21:38

Always had excellent service from them.

userxx · 08/09/2021 21:41

@MattDamon

Ever since they outsourced their customer service it's gone downhill. I won't buy from them again after a terrible experience last year.

Same. I always thought JL offered no quibble returns on faulty products, it seems they do but only if it's their own branded products, not the 100's of other brands they stock.

katemuff · 08/09/2021 21:45

I am so sorry that happened to you OP, but thanks for this great thread.

I ordered a dishwasher 3 years ago and paid for fitting and removal of the old dishwasher. First time it didn't arrive I was told I'd missed him as I'd been out. I have CCTV. Nope. They did not acknowledge this despite being sent the footage. Redelivery and things got surreal. It was a Friday afternooon. They arrived and I showed them in, Mr Angry took one look at the awkwardly situated dishwasher (which I had added notes about on the booking fgs!) and stormed out. Then they came back in, and said that they couldn't fit the dishwasher because the way I was behaving was inappropriate. I had literally said hello and shown them in, then watched them storm in and out at this point so I asked what he meant. Apparently something about me made him think I might accuse him of something. I couldn't make head nor tail of it, they left. He was very aggressive. I called and they said they'd call me back. 3 days later a very important man (cba to remember the job title) called me and told me I had been fully refunded and that they were banning me for life as a customer! I was told I had accused the delivery man of being a potential rapist. I was so shocked I was utterly speechless. Trustpilot is full of reviews of them not turning up or arriving and leaving suddenly on a Friday afternoon. Twats.

ohthatbloodycat · 08/09/2021 21:46

@TheLadyGrayson

YANBU. I sent a complaint after they posted my AirPods in a Jiffy bag, then took over a month to refund me for them when surprise surprise, Hermes posted me a ripped, empty envelope. Their customer service was appalling.
I don't understand. Did JL deliver your AirPods in a Jiffy bag (not sure what would have been wrong with this), or did Hermes deliver an empty envelope?