Currys...can I elevate a complaint?

hollydays

This thread was started in 2008-7 years ago

Gavin83

Lizzie_Kent wrote: »

I stated after this I would never use PC World/Currys again, and nor would my friends who generally buy without issue from Argos, with me spending thousands with the latter. The Currys operator could not have cared less!

Seriously what were you expecting? The Currys operator to turn around and go "Oh sorry, you spend THOUSANDS in a rival. We'll do literally anything to make you happy now!"

Never really understood making the above comments to a company. They're not just going to overturn their policies because you spend thousands at a rival company. I also think it unlikely that everyone you know if suddenly going to stop shopping there, especially when I don't think they're being unreasonable here.

Lizzie_Kent wrote: »

This all made no difference, and before I rang off I stated clearly I would now go to my local store, with me being inconvenienced, to seek a refund for the whole system due to their failure to simply resolve my issue. What a shower this company is, and painfully I remember, as a senior retail professional of almost 40 years, that my company's customers used to complain dreadfully about this company failing to meet their expectations.

Good luck with that. The company is perfectly entitled to offer a repair as an acceptable remedy. Beyond this your basically relying on the goodwill of the manager.

If you get a refund of the item then to me that actually displays great customer service on the part of Currys. However I'd imagine you aren't going to see it like that.

Lizzie_Kent

Gavin83 wrote: »

Seriously what were you expecting? The Currys operator to turn around and go "Oh sorry, you spend THOUSANDS in a rival. We'll do literally anything to make you happy now!"

Never really understood making the above comments to a company. They're not just going to overturn their policies because you spend thousands at a rival company. I also think it unlikely that everyone you know if suddenly going to stop shopping there, especially when I don't think they're being unreasonable here.



Good luck with that. The company is perfectly entitled to offer a repair as an acceptable remedy. Beyond this your basically relying on the goodwill of the manager.

If you get a refund of the item then to me that actually displays great customer service on the part of Currys. However I'd imagine you aren't going to see it like that.

What do I expect?! I expect when spending good money Quality, Serviceability, Realiability, and a Great level of Customer Service when things go wrong!

A product costing £600 I expect to last longer than 6 weeks, and under the Sale of Goods Act it is Reasonable to expect it is Fit for Purpose. This product is not, and after spending good money I do not want a repaired item; I might as well have bought second hand in the first place!

When things go so quickly wrong I expect instant resolution, not very unhelpful staff who just tow the company line with a "take it of leave it" - "tough" attitude, not offer me a repair that will take over 2 weeks, leaving me without the product that I expect to enjoy, coming back to me as a devalued item.

As I stated I have almost 40 years experience in the retail trade, 25 at a senior manager level, and I am very acquainted with product supply from the manufacture, it's sale, excellence of Customer Care, and the manufacturers returns/credit policies when things go wrong, when your first priority is to resolve the issue to the customer absolute satisfaction. I also know that companies are run by PEOPLE, and they are very aware of the need to retain customers to meet targets and earn a bonus, let alone keeping their jobs. So YES it does make a difference when a customer lets you know of the business YOU could lose for you and your company; I did everything possible to win that customer back, even thinking outside the box to do so. My comments are therefore worthwhile.

I called Currys the next day and strangely the three staff, after reading the notes on my calls of the previous day, could not have been more helpful and sympathetic (5 STAR level!) and I feel now I am on the road to full resolution to my problem.

Carry on as a consumer accepting poor product and bad customer service and that is what YOU will get. Yes I spend large amounts of money and I demand service, a fact not lost on the Currys staff I spoke to on the second day, who I know personally, whilst they were guarded on what they said, agreed with me on the poor "Returns" Currys policy and how there are many retailers / online retailers who are satisfying completely customer demands and now are being rewarded with fast growing sales. Sales, like mine, that Currys are losing, and thus placing in jeopardy the jobs of staff working for PC World / Currys, a point certainly appreciated by at least one of the three staff I discussed it with on the second days of my calls. I feel for them as a fellow retailer, as they will pay with their jobs over Currys policies.

I gave Currys my business again to give them a chance to impress me; they failed. What other customers do after dealing with Currys is up to them ("Trustpilot" have over 1100 people like me giving Currys 1 star for very poor customer service levels) but I know many of you will just accept it all and merrily go on your way without protest!

Gavin83

Lizzie_Kent wrote: »

I called Currys the next day and strangely the three staff, after reading the notes on my calls of the previous day, could not have been more helpful and sympathetic (5 STAR level!) and I feel now I am on the road to full resolution to my problem.

I'm happy you received the resolution you wanted. Seeing as Currys went above and beyond what they needed to I'd suggest that they have in fact provided a great level of customer service and I'm sure you'll now adjust your opinion on them.

To be honest I've never received poor customer service, I'm pretty good at getting the resolution I want from a company should a situation arise.

Esqui

Lizzie_Kent wrote: »

A product costing £600 I expect to last longer than 6 weeks, and under the Sale of Goods Act it is Reasonable to expect it is Fit for Purpose. This product is not, and after spending good money I do not want a repaired item; I might as well have bought second hand in the first place!

As it stands, the Sale of Goods Act does not give you the option to decide on the remedy. And a repair would put you back in the same position as if the item had not gone wrong - either way you'd have an 8-week old, working soundbar.

Sales, like mine, that Currys are losing, and thus placing in jeopardy the jobs of staff working for PC World / Currys, a point certainly appreciated by at least one of the three staff I discussed it with on the second days of my calls. I feel for them as a fellow retailer, as they will pay with their jobs over Currys policies.

I'd wager that more would lose their jobs if they immediately exchanged every item, ending up with thousands of faulty items that they couldn't get credited for. That would lose a lot of money very quickly.

Money-Saving-King

Lizzie_Kent wrote: »

As I stated I have almost 40 years experience in the retail trade, 25 at a senior manager level

I agree with Esqui, your way would push a company under much more quickly, I'm surprised with you experience you don't know much about the bigger picture of what can really generate problems for a company.

Your understanding of retail law is also incorrect.

Lizzie_Kent wrote: »

the Currys staff I spoke to on the second day, who I know personally, whilst they were guarded on what they said, agreed with me!

The best way to deal with a disgruntled customer is to pretend to agree with them even when you don't, it calms them down which then makes the situation easier to deal with.

Lizzie_Kent wrote: »

and painfully I remember, as a senior retail professional of almost 40 years, that my company's customers used to complain dreadfully about this company failing to meet their expectations.

Seeing the "pain" that memories of this company give you why did you use them?

Lizzie_Kent wrote: »

I stated after this I would never use PC World/Currys again, and nor would my friends who generally buy without issue from Argos, with me spending thousands with the latter. The Currys operator could not have cared less!

Everyone will do this, they probably hear it 60 times a day 5 days a week. I can imagine after a while it's a bit samey.