Returning Argos home Del item - award for the most unhelpful and infuriating CS Assnt

HugoSP

Today a chair,part of our new 6 week old patio set from Argos decided to fall apart.

I phoned Argos Home Delivery who siad I must pack the whole set in its original packaging!

1) The rest of the set is fine but I suppose it's not easy to deal with one chair, so I would have conceeded this point.
2) I don't keep packaging for 12 months for large items such as a set of outdoor furniture!

OK, I was then to sort out packaging - I assume at my own expense I DON'T THINK SO!

I explained that this was not feasable, but I was completely stonewalled. I then asked to speak to a manager but this request was refused, I repeated the request several times as apparently the customer (dis)service assistant was convinced that the manager would say exactly the same thing. My suggestion to find out for sure fell on deaf ears.

I ended up terminating the call.

I then phoned their head office using the SAY NO TO 0870 website and eventually got through to someone in the same department that had not missed stages 1 to 15 of the basic customer services training scheme.

Result - a new item is to be delivered on Friday but I have to return it to the driver after removing a good chair and replacing it with our broken one.

h

hjb123

Sounds like the customer service assistant you spoke to first didnt know what customer service meant!

Glad to hear it is sorted - it surprising how when you speak to someone else - either by phoning a different number or by phoning again you get a different answer!

HugoSP

My wife works in retail and often bemoans me as being a difficult customer to other outlets. I don't disagree with her but I do feel that as a minimum the people you deal with should be:

curteous
Well informed
Know their obligations
willing to provide a resaonable service
prepared to allow the customer to escalate the matter to their boss should the customer wish.

The girl I spoke to met none of the above criteria, especially the last one. That is why her name was taken and a complaint filed with Argos. I shall probably back it up in writing to the MD. The good thing was is that although she only gave me her first name the manager could actually see a log of the call and identify the person I spoke to.

I shall be pressing the store for a full account of how this was allowed to happen and how they will prevent it happening in future. It may all sound a bit AR but the one thing I cannot abide by is a snotty little hitler in any CS dept who will not abide by a reasonable request and escalate the matter. I really think those people do not have a calling in ANY customer service department.

Everything else I can cope with. Even if the assistant is a complete tosspot at least I can speak to someone else if they do oblige.

H

hjb123

Good Luck!

Customer Services are meant to resolve queries and problems with good customer service - this assistant clearly fell well short of this - and teh company deserves to know how their customer service assistants are performing!

Good on ya!

HugoSP

Today I spoke to someone in the CEOs office.

Apparently they ARE supposed to refer the customer to a manager if that's what is asked of them, and they ARE supposed to be courteous.

I have re itterated my request for it to be dealt with.

With regard to the chair that needs replacing. The delivery driver - surprise surprise, would not wait for me to change the chair over. So I have yet another package at my house that I need to wait for another day to be collected, once I have changed the chair.

OMG this is so complicated!

H

damo101

Had a similar problem with argos home delivery, they delivered all the stuff to the flat next store and never said so when i rang to see where it all was, they sent it out again and this time to the chipper next door to my flat. Tried again to straighten it out and they said they'd call again to collect it but they never called back to my flat - possibly went to the flat or the chipper but never to my place.

Gave up trying to return the extra item as it seemed to fry the brain of the customer agent person, and supposed they let me have the extra item as compensation for their incompetence!

Milky_Mocha

Ever tried returning a product to IKEA? Now that's stress!