To never buy anything from John Lewis ever again?

[Grrrrrrrrr8]

Anyone else wondering what's going on with customer service at John Lewis?

It's taken me months to sort out a simple exchange. I speak to a different person each time who tells me something different. There seems to be lots of hoops to jump through. Totally fed up, I don't think they're worth it anymore. Recently bought a TV from a smaller retailer and they've been so much better when it developed a fault.

Sorry OP but I have had a similar experience with a washing machine which was broken on delivery. The online/delivery part is awful; in store is a lot better, but only if you can take stuff away with you on the day.

In my case, we paid £25 extra for them to take out an old machine and put the new one in. The "experts" they sent couldn't do either. When we eventually got the ordered new machine, DH &I had removed the old one, and under his tuition, I plumbed the new one in. Took me 5 minutes. Their "experts" had barely a brain cell between them.

I’ve only ever had positive experiences with them so I’m sorry so many people have had a bad time. Excellent customer service was always their USP so they need to sort this out sharpish.

They won’t be around much longer, they’re going the same way as places like BHS and Debenhams etc. I’d find somewhere else to purchase things.

We used AO recently for new appliances for my elderly mum, for exactly these reasons. They were fantastic, rang me 3 times on the day with more accurate time slots and installed and removed both appliances expertly. Would not go to JL now, it's such a shame as it was the go-to for years, but they can't be trusted if something goes wrong.

They work for JL probably😁

I stopped using them a couple of years ago after another failed dishwasher saga.
The local shop/ servicing agent is a little more expensive, but installs, removes etc without charge, arrives when they promise and stand by the products they sell. You know like JL used to be.

Had the same experience- fault with my babies car seat - even though the manufacturer agreed it was faulty JL were impossible to deal with. Have been left with the situation where a replacement seat was delivered but still have the old one “if you could drop it into the shop when you can”

John Lewis is an established British retailer whose reputation preceded them. That reputation was based on high standards of customer service. Posters are lamenting that those standards have dropped and are disappointed. Your post just seems to want to stifle any discussion which is strange

Yup! We had a faulty pushchair and JL made me deal with the manufacturer directly to sort a replacement.

I had a 4 week old at the time so wasn’t like I was twiddling my thumbs. I had to ask them for a voucher to make up my time spent and they sent me £20, so stingy seeing as it took me hours and it was their problem!

Ordered an item from them; it wasn't right so tried to return it. They refused the return saying it was used and in bad condition (it wasn't used at all and was returned with tags). They sent it back to me but in an open mailing bag so the tags etc. I had sent back fell out in transit.

I asked them to look at the tracking info for them mailing it back to me as the delivery photo proved the item was returned back to me in an open bag, they couldn't care less that the Item was returned to me in worse condition than I had sent to them.

Told to return item to a store for inspection, my nearest store is 1 hours' drive away and I don't drive. Even If I do take the item to a store, it's now missing the labels due to them sending it back to me in an open bag so the return is likely to be refused for that reason alone.

I feel John Lewis has gone downhill & (yes, I have started to shop elsewhere!)

I had my MacBook repaired this year but they didn’t fix all the problems. They agree the problems are in their remit to fix so I had to send it off a 2nd time for repair. I think that was very sloppy of them.

I generally find them a faff to deal with in recent years. Once I ordered a watch strap online, and asked to return it as it arrived faulty as the metal was discoloured. They didn’t give me a return label but instead asked me to visit my store and speak to customer services. I don’t live near a store. I went anyway and the store processed the refund, no questions asked, they had no idea why I was asked to visit the store. So I found that to be a waste of time, when I could have easily posted it back for a return.

I had problems with a television that we purchased from JL. They logged our call and set a time to call us back in the early evening. This did not happen so I called them back to chase. I asked why the call back had not occurred (politely), and the call handler said was I interested in getting my tv fixed or just nit picking their service?- in short very rude. I think they have gone down hill. I would tend to use Amazon rather than JL.

I had my John Lewis Mega-Shit Customer Contempt experience some years ago (MN threads: passim) and we haven't bought anything from them since.

If it's of interest, in order to sort out the fiasco I eventually emailed the CEO's office and member of their team dealt with it much more efficiently and politely than the odious arseholes in their 'customer care' dept, the vileness of which passeth understanding.

YANBU.

It's gone really down hill.

It's such a shame. My dad wouldn't buy his electronics anywhere but JL for years because of the great customer service. I remember a visit to the store always felt a bit luxury and exciting. Wouldn't touch it with a bargepole now.

Awful place. With so many fantastic retailers to choose from, there's no need to even consider JL.

Yes this! I had an absolute saga with curries over a washing machine, they tried to get me to jump through 500 hoops with the manufacturer. I stood my ground that it was curries fault. The manager tutted and laughed at me, I had to drive to the store on 6 occasions as the phone help never got answered and fight tooth and nail for the refund. Eventually I resorted to google reviews and tweets- amazingly I got an email with a refund within the hour…. I’ll never use curry’s again!

Never had any problems. You need to select the correct service at the time of ordering, and check the spec - for instance we had an oven replaced recently, paid the extra to have the old one removed, checked the spec to see what access they would need to electrics etc.

I've just had an awful experience too - spoken to six different people who have each given me a different answer. I've given up trying to get anything back (with about £40), but I'll never shop there again. I just don't trust them anymore.

It's annoying as I'm an ex partner and we really tried hard with customer service, if only cos our bonus depended on it! Its awful what they've become and the lack of bonus is pretty reflective of that.

I had the same issue. Fault with washing machine within a year and palmed me off to the manufacturer. Never got it sorted and had to replace at full cost. I think they’re crap.

It is still the case. Retailers try it on. The manufacturer's warranty is IN ADDITION to the protections you have by law under the Consumer Rights Act.

If you ever have a problem with an appliance, it is worth looking at the Which? advice about buying goods. Of course, you have to get through to the retailer (often they have an IVR which directs you to the manufacturer) but they can't wriggle out of it. Customer can choose what they want to do.

I agree, YANBU. But I just think 'customer service' is a thing of the past with most of these name High Street retailers, unfortunately.

It should be easier than ever in these days of instant communication, but I've had similar experience with other outlets and just yearn for the days when you could open up a phonebook, ring your local branch, and speak to a human being who was more than happy to help.

A sad indictment of our times.

(edited for typo)

Yes I had it with 02 once - they said "oh not that doesn't apply to us". Like you I stood my ground and said they didn't have an exemption from the law. They went off to have a confab, came back, and gave me my replacement phone. They rely on people not knowing their rights and being compliant.

Blimey, that was really rude! No doubt if you said something like "are you interested in doing your job properly or being rude to customers" they'd say you were being abusive.

Memo For years and years John Lewis was considered the one and only shop to buy for the home, in particular electrical and white goods. This was because they offered a customer service that was second to none. This is now no longer the case which is why we ARE shopping elsewhere.