Marks & Spencer complaint & a word of warning to all those who ordered yesterday.

lizziebutton

I agree M&S customer services are dreadful and the quality of their products is disappointing.

Several years ago I had problems with a sofa and they sent out an independent service technician who clearly didn't have a clue what he was doing but they insisted that his decision was final and there was nothing further I could do. Foolishly I left it at that - there comes a point when it all just takes up too much of your valuable time.

In September this year I bought a bed online. The bed was delivered on 6th November although it nearly wasn't as M&S did not give the drivers the right number to contact me. The guys delivering were in such a hurry that they completely bodged the installation and cross threaded two of the screws leaving us with an unusable bed (the bed end had so much movement in it the bed would have collapsed), although they said they "didn't think it was a problem". I was almost immediately called by a customer services guy who tried to bully me into accepting money back if I kept the bed as it was. As I decided not to accept the money they had to send another service technician to look at the bed and I was told this could take 2 weeks. I explained that we had got rid of our other bed to make way for the new bed and would have to sleep on the floor, and they managed to get us an earlier appointment.

The service technician confirmed the blindingly obvious - that the bed had been incorrectly installed and we would need a replacement footboard and bolts. Four days after his visit I called to find out when we could expect the replacements, the lady I spoke to said she would order the parts that day and that they would take 5-10 working days. A couple of days before they were due I called to find out when the delivery would be and was told to "give them a chance" as they had only been on order "for a few days", turns out the original woman did not order them when she said she would. I got cross understandingly and the woman said she would see if anything could be done and call me back. Unsurprisingly she did not call me back. When I called again I was told that the items were out of stock and not due in until mid-end December and that there would be a further 10 days for delivery, leaving us without a useable bed for almost two months! When I got cross the guy said he would see if anything could be done and would call me back - guess what, no call back!

I then called the head office in Baker Street and asked for the Chairman's office - they have a team of people dedicated to dealing with really cross customers who have been fobbed off by the standard disinterested customer lack of service people. I spoke to a really helpful lady who managed to get us a new bed - ridiculous that they could not get me a footboard until January but could get me a whole new bed in December - that would be delivered on the 16th December. When this arrived I personally supervised the installation to make sure it didn't go wrong again, and all seemed fine and I was happy (although there was a scratch on the footboard). Until we used it! My partner knelt on the bed and some of the slats snapped - he is not exactly heavy. So yet again an unusable bed. This required a further technician visit and long delay.

We have now, almost 3 months after the original delivery, received the replacement slats which we will have to fit ourselves - unless we want to wait a further 2 weeks for a technician.

To add insult to injury the technician who inspected the bed sat on the sofa I had had problems with and said "oh, this isn't right"!!!!!! Unbelievable!

I should say that I have received £100 for the scratched footboard, and £125 for the inconvenience, but as we have lost something like 4 half days holiday because of this bed, that amount comes nowhere near making up for it.

My advice if you experience problems with M&S customer service, don't waste your time getting wound up by the standard customer services, but get straight on the phone to Baker Street and ask for the Chairman's office, then you will get somewhere.

I don't think I will be buying anything from M&S again, I bought an umbrella the other day and within the first five minutes of using it it had blown inside out and snapped......

angelsmomma

I never got my free ipod docking station at all. I ordered it with 3 hand soaps in the three for two like the op. I got the soaps and ipod touch and an email saying the docking station was out of stock.

I just couldn't be bothered in the end and bought one from argos. I got them to refund some of the money so ended up paying around £100 for the ipod touch which was cheaper than anywhere else.

I don't know how they worked out the refund price though as the (free) item was £69 99 and I was refunded £48 99.

Track_It

I bought a 37" LCD TV from M&S online and have been told that there is a compulsory £100 fee for returns of large electrical equipment.

They won't even waiver the £100 fee if I want to do an exchange for a more expensive TV.

The annoying part is that before I placed the order I was told that I could return to any M&S store.:mad:

rentawitch

I have just visited the Marks and Spencer store at High Street Kensington. One would have thought this would be something of an important store given its location.

I found two items I wanted - a pair of shaped leggings and a pair of purple sandals marked at £15 - size 6. Wow!

I went upstairs as the queues at the downstairs pay desks were huge.

When I got to the counter. I remarked I just fell in love with these! - Nothing, the woman just completely ignored me, did not address me and did not make eye contact. she scanned the items and said £47 - I asked her how she arrived at that figure. She then showed me the shoes label which said size 7 - too big and price £35 NOT £15. I told her on that basis I did not want them.

She was very rude and offhand.

What happened? Marks and Spencer used to be good. I tried to find someone to complain to. No luck.

I'm mad now.:mad:

jasminewok

I applied for a job as a shop assistant in M & S once. Despite being extremely well qualified with a grammar school education, in fact much too good for the job, I didnt get a reply much less an interview. I was offered a job at selfridges to train as a buyer so Im not quite sure why they couldnt be bothered. I also notice they dont have many black employees/

conflab

I worked for M&S Customer Service in the Manchester area.

The customer service operation is deeply flawed. Firstly, it is not as you would expect, it is run by a company called Vertex. I worked for them for 16 months.

We took on average 5,000 calls per day, and the same number of calls were taken by our other office in Scotland, which in total amounts to around 10,000 calls a day. very nearly 90% were complaints from Customers about delivery and poor quality goods.

In all 9,000 people per day are not satisfied, that's around 45,000 to
over 60,000 per week!! Vertex employ absolutely anyone will to do the job, and many (not All) are just not up to the job. It's not hard to see why, when nearly all of your calls are Customers complaining.

M&S are simply playing the numbers game, both in terms of their Call Centre Staff (through Vetex) and Customer orders. Call centre Staff are worn down very quickly, and move on. Vertex employs another out side company called Kelly Services who also recruit call centre staff, for the M&S Operation. Unfortunately, the Kelly operations leave a lot to be desired, they like Vertex employ literally anyone, without proper security checks.

I have seen these people take down Customer Credit Card Details and other information and keep it. then a few weeks later, those same people worn down by the stress of work, simply leave. The Companies Vertex and Kelly simply work on "Bums on Seats" there is no consideration for Quality, and you the Customer suffers, and some may find unauthorised transactions on thier Credit Cards.

The M&S Operations use a Delivery service that is Laughable, but for Customer Service Personnel is very frustrating and stressfull, with Customers calling with reports of parcels thrown over garden fences, or left in a "Secure Location" (the wheely Bin on collection day) and notes left through the Customers letter box, with the message tried to deilver, but you were not in. Yet the Customer had been in all day! or parcel left "next Door" when it had not.

You see, the Delivery service M&S Use can only be paid when they successfully deliver the parcel, hence the reason why drivers either dump parcels at the front door of an address, for all to see, so they can go back to their depot having delivered the parcel AND GET PAID. Driver do not get a signature, and do not try. The whole system is flawed, and insecure, and open to abuse, and the Customer suffers as a result.

M&S do not care, they really don't M&S Management are of the view that all is OK! because a majority of orders are completed successfully, so why worry if a few Customers are disatisfied, they turn a blind eye to the 45,000 complaints, and pay them off with incentives. It's amazing, the actual amount of money they pay out in compesation, which are called "Promotions to the Customers Account" is staggering. Customer are now becoming aware of this, and rely on the fact the M&S is goping to !!!!-up, and get ready to apply for compensation. There are Customer that keep coming back week after week, placing orders by Phone and on-line, and again come back week after week complaining of the service, and getting big Promotions to there account.

Not only do they get "Promotions" and "Credits" but they also get Free Replacements of goods that they had originally ordered, which they say did not arrive.

So that's why M&S keep on going, and are able to retain their customer base. Because M&S pay them off, and continue to play the "Numbers Game" M&S is very profitable, but just think how profitable they would actually be, if they ran a better operation, and did not !!!!-up all of the time, and therefore have no need to pay out Compensation.:T

katslondon

Around 18 months ago I ordered furnishings from M & S. Took 3 months for delivery.
I wanted to try the Chez settee that I was about to purchase online and was advised to go to the Marble Arch store, being the only one who had a display on the floor. No display and no plans to display it in the near future.
I went ahead and purchased it anyway. Cost £1,200.00. After 3 months of both the smaller seat cushions and the long chez one slipping off the edge, I complained, they sent someone out, their response:
Well it's quite a new style, the fabric is slippery and the fact that nylon was used on the underside, didn't help but added to the slipping of the cushions. But, they couldn't exchange it or offer a solution. They told me with time, it would 'settle', 18 months later, it hasn't, we're still constantly getting up to reposition the cushions.
I now find, that a large chest of drawers is showing large cracks along the length of the top, that cost £400.00. I'm loathe to contact them again. Last time I had to ring several times, sent numerous emails often unanswered. I definitely will not buy furnishings from Marks again and will advise anyone planning to, not to do so. The quality is appalling, despite the furnishings looking cosmetically very nice.
If I get a spare few days to chase them, I will do so, but don't hold out much hope of the latest problem being resolved.
Kats

useruseruser

slightly different complaint that i'm going through with marks at the moment, i went to try on a load of bras as i've recently gone down a few cup sizes (good ole kids hey) found the size i was, but didn't like any of hte bras enough to buy them.

Now i'm a qualified bra fitter myself so i know what size i am and how to make sure it fits perfectly, the 2 women in the middle of the changing room told me i wasn't a 32 back but a 34-36 and told me to go back in the changing room and they would measure me, both very rude, but not really a problem so far.

In the changing room one of the fitters locked the door and asked me to take off my bra, so i faced the wall (covered in mirrors) and did so, she then put a new bra on me and asked me to turn around, when she then put her hands down my bra and adjusted my boobs!!!! I'm appauled at this behaviour and have written a very stern letter to m&s about this, i'm still in shock that this has been done. I will not be settling for compo but want these women put through a disiplinary proceedure, with hopefully an outcome containing their p45's.

Whilst all this was going on, when i was in the changing room on my own i could hear them discussing my size in front of anyone who could hear, and about how i wasn't the size i thought i was etc all in a very vicious and bitter manner. And after all that molesting they still didn't manage to measure me and fit me correctly, having the wrong back size and cup size.

Shocking, shocking behaviour, i will not be stepping foot in a marks again after that treatment, and will recommend all ladies go to bravissimo for fittings, they are polite and professional rather than rude, ignorant, acidic ladies!!

ahrimaniac

'I applied for a job as a shop assistant in M & S once. Despite being extremely well qualified with a grammar school education, in fact much too good for the job, I didnt get a reply much less an interview. I was offered a job at selfridges to train as a buyer so Im not quite sure why they couldnt be bothered. I also notice they dont have many black employees'

Ha, 'much too good for the job'. Clearly not love, as you didn't get it.

need_the_help

I know this ia a little late- but totally agree m&s are discusting!!