B&Q Reserve and DONT collect!

MancMatt

I went to a local B&Q store earlier this evening to collect a garden vac I reserved last night. To start with there was only one member of staff assisting 4 self service tills, for which every customer seemed to need assistance as no-one managed to successfully serve themselves whilst I waited. None of the other tills were manned.

When I eventually got served the till came up with a price £19 / 38% more than the price I ordered the product at. The person helping seemed perplexed, and asked me to wait whilst he tried to help other customers, and looked around for a colleague who could help me.

After another member of staff was eventually found, they spoke with head office, and the advised me that it was on one of their 'special weekend offers' and as the weekend was now over, that's it, I could pay the increased price and take the product or leave it.

To be fair when I double checked there is a note added to the confirmation email and on the site when reserving which states:

'*Prices may change on a daily basis. The price you pay will be the price in store on the day you collect and pay for your items, which may be different to the price shown on this site.'

I didn't notice this at the time of ordering which was an oversight, however nowhere did it state when offers end, and as I was ordering on a Sunday evening after the stores were shut, and planning to collect when the store opened next day, I never thought the price would change. When someone from the store called this morning to confirm it was in available for collection she made no reference to any price change, and I didn't get any additional text or emails advising the new price. Surely B&Q realise customers may not want to collect an item that is significantly more expensive.

If I'd been aware of the offer ending, I could have bought the product there and then online and paid the £5 extra for delivery, and wouldn't have had the hassle of going to the store, and still been much cheaper.

More frustratingly having got home this evening and looked at other options to buy the same product cheaper, an offer for 15% offline AND INSTORE at B&Q flagged up which started today and gave 15% off when you spend over £50 if you sign up for the B&Q Club.

Either the staff instore weren't aware of this, or just didn't have the time or people resources to offer it as an alternative.

Very annoying and a poor customer experience all round.

MancMatt

Credit to B&Q, as well as the power of social media in the world of customer services.

I had a response from Russ in the B&Q customer services team, after posting a brief comment on Twitter, acknowledging my complaint and requesting contact details. Soon after I was contacted by Adam in the Trafford Park store who apologised for the way everything had been handled in the store. He offered to honour the 'Big Weekend' price (which he said they should always do anyway, and he is in the process of making sure all the staff are aware) and he also applied the 15% off in addition.

How customer service should be done, and a good turnaround.

Jo_F

Morgan_Ree wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Do you think the delivery van turns up, driver jumps out and shouts 'SUPRISE!'

Of course these stores know what is being delivered and when!

Just because a particular staff member doesn't have the info to hand at the exact time you ask when such and such an item is going to be in stock doesn't mean they can't go spend 2 minutes finding out for you

Wrong (I don't work at B&Q, but used to), and when I was there, we had no idea what was coming in on deliveries, same with the place I work at now, until the delivery comes in and the manifest shows up on the system, we have no idea what's there (apart from what we can actually see in the cages), We do know that there should be replenishment for items sold since the last deliver, but that's all dependent on what was available at the warehouse when the deliveries are picked.

When an item comes up on the system as out of stock in our store, and out of stock in the main warehouse, we don't get the information on when/if it's coming back into stock (and they don't provide up with crystal balls).

peachyprice

Anihilator wrote: »

The B&Q Stores of a large nature receive truckloads of stock a day, near Xmas I'll bet they are full of Xmas items.

I take it you haven't been into B&Q in recent weeks? They've sold out of most of their christmas stock, with the display area for it diminishing daily and won't be getting anymore in.

I noticed the same in Sainsbury's too. I think retailers have finally got fed up of over-ordering for christmas only to sell it off half price on boxing day.

pulliptears

peachyprice wrote: »

I take it you haven't been into B&Q in recent weeks? They've sold out of most of their christmas stock, with the display area for it diminishing daily and won't be getting anymore in.

I noticed the same in Sainsbury's too. I think retailers have finally got fed up of over-ordering for christmas only to sell it off half price on boxing day.

Annihilator has been PPR for some time chick, this thread is 3 years old

peachyprice

Doh, that'll teach me :rotfl:

Jeez, how many times can one thread be resurrected!

pulliptears

peachyprice wrote: »

Doh, that'll teach me :rotfl:

Jeez, how many times can one thread be resurrected!

lol, done it myself

As for how many times, I suspect until B&Q can come up with a more effective ordering system because 3 years on and it still isn't working

Ninnut85

5 years on and it still doesn't work.
Checked yesterday if my local store had any weed fabric membrane in stock, yes, website states it's in stock.
Turned up, nope, none on the shelf what so ever.
Checked online again this morning, still showing as having them in stock despite the shelf being empty.
Awful system, they might as well just scrap it.