Appalling Customer Service from Homebase

IanP38

I am not sure how many other people have experienced appalling customer service from Homebase but it has angered me so much I have been driven to posting on this website. After purchasing a four and half grand kitchen I would have expected them to care how they dealt with me as a customer. Not only did the 'kitchen designer' make errors which meant the the freezer would not fit in, a door was missing and a piece for the extractor fan was the worng size - the store would not accept any responsibility and would only offer me vouchers for the wrong sized piece ordered. Obviously they claimed I did not notice the errors with in 7 days - well until your joiner begins to fit them it is hard to notice! Delays in recieiving the correct sized piece meant paying for a joiner who was waiting for the correct stuff.
I wrote a letter to the managing director and customer complaints and rfeceived a letter a week later asking me to phone them (I was given a specific name - Sonia Pickstone) when it was convenient to me. So I have...4 times. I left two messages detailing all the numbers they could reach me on and my email address...no reply. I then spoke to who I can only assume was Sonia's secretary and left the same information...I gave her two weeks to get back to me and again nothing. I tried phoning about 10 days ago only to be hung up on...3 times. It is now nearly two months since the original letter to me asking for me to call them - they simply are not bothered about my complaint. I feel really frustrated and angry - I am not going in their store ever again but don't know what else I can do to at least get somebody to listen to my complaint and give it the attention it deserves.:mad:

No1

IanP38 wrote: »

I am not sure how many other people have experienced appalling customer service from Homebase but it has angered me so much I have been driven to posting on this website. After purchasing a four and half grand kitchen I would have expected them to care how they dealt with me as a customer. Not only did the 'kitchen designer' make errors which meant the the freezer would not fit in, a door was missing and a piece for the extractor fan was the worng size - the store would not accept any responsibility and would only offer me vouchers for the wrong sized piece ordered. Obviously they claimed I did not notice the errors with in 7 days - well until your joiner begins to fit them it is hard to notice! Delays in recieiving the correct sized piece meant paying for a joiner who was waiting for the correct stuff.
I wrote a letter to the managing director and customer complaints and rfeceived a letter a week later asking me to phone them (I was given a specific name - Sonia Pickstone) when it was convenient to me. So I have...4 times. I left two messages detailing all the numbers they could reach me on and my email address...no reply. I then spoke to who I can only assume was Sonia's secretary and left the same information...I gave her two weeks to get back to me and again nothing. I tried phoning about 10 days ago only to be hung up on...3 times. It is now nearly two months since the original letter to me asking for me to call them - they simply are not bothered about my complaint. I feel really frustrated and angry - I am not going in their store ever again but don't know what else I can do to at least get somebody to listen to my complaint and give it the attention it deserves.:mad:

Ian,

Did they provide you with a drawing/plan of the kitchen design? That would (or should) show all dimesions, the kitchen (product list) would be supplied from this and would be your best bet in the first instance regarding any dispute re errors in measurement(s)

You need to be clear as to if THEY designed the kitchen including measurements or, they supplied on YOUR instructions.

trumpton

I read the Screwfix forums and Homebase have a poor reputation for kitchens, especially in respect of parts being missing and taking ages to replace. We were put off getting a Homebase kitchen by all the comments about them.

Sometimes when you are typing in the heat of the moment you don't always pay attention to grammar etc. Ian - you can click edit and tidy up your post a little to make it easier to read.

Regardless of whose fault it is, failing to respond to a customer - especially when you have asked them to ring a named individual - is very poor customer service. In a large kitchen order it's not unlikely that bits will be missing/wrong - but a decent company would want to resolve the issues quickly.

Laz123

It was poor customer service that brought MFI to its knees. Silly really.

benjysmith

I have also had awful experience with Homebase - the designer messed up so that the kitchen didn't fit properly, my existing appliances were damaged during installation because the fitters were so heavy handed, a glass splashback fell off the wall and shattered into thousand pieces.....could have caused serious injury but luckily it fell off at night.....I was offered compensation but then it was withdrawn, now they want me to pay full price for a kitchen that looks as if I fitted it myself! I wrote to MD and had a quick reply, but only to pass the buck and let his minions deal with the problem...the minions don't seem to understand my complaints, so nothing is getting resolved...my installation began 18months ago!

gratefulforhelp_2

In the Barnstaple store one of their staff bashed my 2 year old in the head with the security gates. Didn't apologise just walked off as she screamed. I complained but no one was interested.

Freddie_Snowbits

gratefulforhelp wrote: »

In the Barnstaple store one of their staff bashed my 2 year old in the head with the security gates. Didn't apologise just walked off as she screamed. I complained but no one was interested.

Why was your two year old running round the store and not under your control.

You have been Freddied

gratefulforhelp_2

Actually, she was standing with me holding my hand in just in front of the gates. What a strange conclusion to jump to.

Errata

IanP38 wrote: »

I am not sure how many other people have experienced appalling customer service from Homebase but it has angered me so much I have been driven to posting on this website. After purchasing a four and half grand kitchen I would have expected them to care how they dealt with me as a customer. Not only did the 'kitchen designer' make errors which meant the the freezer would not fit in, a door was missing and a piece for the extractor fan was the worng size - the store would not accept any responsibility and would only offer me vouchers for the wrong sized piece ordered. Obviously they claimed I did not notice the errors with in 7 days - well until your joiner begins to fit them it is hard to notice! Delays in recieiving the correct sized piece meant paying for a joiner who was waiting for the correct stuff.
I wrote a letter to the managing director and customer complaints and rfeceived a letter a week later asking me to phone them (I was given a specific name - Sonia Pickstone) when it was convenient to me. So I have...4 times. I left two messages detailing all the numbers they could reach me on and my email address...no reply. I then spoke to who I can only assume was Sonia's secretary and left the same information...I gave her two weeks to get back to me and again nothing. I tried phoning about 10 days ago only to be hung up on...3 times. It is now nearly two months since the original letter to me asking for me to call them - they simply are not bothered about my complaint. I feel really frustrated and angry - I am not going in their store ever again but don't know what else I can do to at least get somebody to listen to my complaint and give it the attention it deserves.:mad:

If your complaint is genuine and bullet proof and you've tried to resolve it with the supplier, you can always try the Small Claims Court.

Optimist

Errata wrote: »

If your complaint is genuine and bullet proof and you've tried to resolve it with the supplier, you can always try the Small Claims Court.

Bullet proof... Homebase really play rough :eek:

sashpi

IanP38 wrote: »

I am not sure how many other people have experienced appalling customer service from Homebase but it has angered me so much I have been driven to posting on this website. After purchasing a four and half grand kitchen I would have expected them to care how they dealt with me as a customer. Not only did the 'kitchen designer' make errors which meant the the freezer would not fit in, a door was missing and a piece for the extractor fan was the worng size - the store would not accept any responsibility and would only offer me vouchers for the wrong sized piece ordered. Obviously they claimed I did not notice the errors with in 7 days - well until your joiner begins to fit them it is hard to notice! Delays in recieiving the correct sized piece meant paying for a joiner who was waiting for the correct stuff.
I wrote a letter to the managing director and customer complaints and rfeceived a letter a week later asking me to phone them (I was given a specific name - Sonia Pickstone) when it was convenient to me. So I have...4 times. I left two messages detailing all the numbers they could reach me on and my email address...no reply. I then spoke to who I can only assume was Sonia's secretary and left the same information...I gave her two weeks to get back to me and again nothing. I tried phoning about 10 days ago only to be hung up on...3 times. It is now nearly two months since the original letter to me asking for me to call them - they simply are not bothered about my complaint. I feel really frustrated and angry - I am not going in their store ever again but don't know what else I can do to at least get somebody to listen to my complaint and give it the attention it deserves.:mad:

I sympathise B&Q are exactly the same.
Ordered Kitchen and was told 2-4 days for fitting - 10 WEEKS later kitchen was finished!
Absolute nightmare - items damaged, missing, items I didn't need, incompetent fitter. Items were sent back for a refund and after 15 WEEKS I got my money.
We were left without an oven for 16 days because the fitter said the wrong item had been sent, weeks later found out he had made a mess and it was the fitters fault.
Store had sent the wrong plan to the service centre and that didn't help - contacted the store and they didn't want to know said all fitting problems to be dealt with by the service centre.
Manager of the service centre and the fitter's manager have both been out to the house twice and tried to tell me that a hole in a visible end piece was ok for the fridge lead to go through into an extension lead which is then wired into the fridge socket!!!! Needless to say they were told to replace it and also fix the doors that were at different levels and the door handles that were not level.
Wrote a complaint letter to head office who sent me a letter saying all complaints would be dealt with by the service centre! After numerous phone calls to the service centre as they never actually contacted me about anything, they offered £100 max compensation on a kitchen and fitting that cost me over £5500! refused it obviously. Tried the head office and was told the service centre could offer more, then received another call from head office to say they had spoken to the service centre and that was all they were offering and if I wasn't happy with it I should have said at the time???? Then the ignorant cow told me they were doing nothing more and to go to trading standards, they weren't interested!! I assume because I questioned the service manager and told them to fix and replace items he has dug his heels in and is refusing to budge on the offer.
What a shining example of customer service. I have 7 pages detailing every contact I made with them and I am absolutely disgusted with the way I have been treated. How can you complain about something when they refer you back to the people you are complaining about??
Have seen my solicitor and am taking it further. I am a reasonable person, but their customer service and treatment of my complaint has been a joke.
So much for their adverts, my advice is You can do it if you DON'T B&Q it!!!!!!!!!
Wonder if watchdog would be interested, not fair large companies thinking they can operate whatever way they feel like.