Marks and Spencer - potted plant gift plus failing to answer phone for 16 minuites!

HugoSP

Today we received a potted plant arrangement from a relative via or M and S. Whilst we were very grateful for her generosity we were less enthusiastic about its condition on arrival.

Despite all the markings on the box such as "fragile" and "keep upright" the pot was tipped to the side and the plants were falling out.

So I decided to complain to M and S. Only I started to lose the will to live after being on the phone for 16 minutes. This was around 9.00 am, so not the busiest time for them.

So, this Christmas parcel handlers and courier drivers up and down the country are auditioning for World Cup football team selection, and thrown into the bargain M and S can't be bothered to answer the phone to take my complaint. Well they may as well all go home and forget about running a business because they're just wasting peoples' time.

dmg24

Any retailer is going to be incredibly busy today, whether it be 9am or later.

So have you actually spoken to M&S? I can't see how you can complain without actually getting a response from them!

Hoddie_2

I was charged twice for a plant in M&S today, didn't realise until I was in the car on my way home. Called them when I got home, took them a while to answer but when they did they simply said bring the receipt in and they'll refund me. I don't think I've ever seen a store as busy as they were today, though having said that there seemed to be plenty of everything left at 3pm.

HugoSP

dmg24 wrote:

Any retailer is going to be incredibly busy today, whether it be 9am or later.

So have you actually spoken to M&S? I can't see how you can complain without actually getting a response from them!

I rang the 0845 number (central switchboard?) - not that of any store. I would have expected them to answer within 16 minutes whatever time of year.

Hoddie_2

Try ringing the number on the receipt. It should be the local branch.

alex2796

The number you need to rang is 0845 609 0200 or 0845 601 2 601 which is "flowers direct" and they will deal with your complaint....

dmg24

So what you are saying is that you haven't spoken to them?!!

Morglin

M&S made a mistake with some floral arrangements I sent to my mum a few years back which got delivered to the wrong address, and then finally turned up dead.

I phoned them, and they sent a huge bouquet to my mum, plus a gift box of wine and chocs with a letter apologising.

They got it wrong, but put it right brilliantly.

Lin

dmg24

Lin has just made the point perfectly. If you don't let someone know that there is a problem, how are they supposed to sort it out?!!

HugoSP

dmg24 wrote:

Lin has just made the point perfectly. If you don't let someone know that there is a problem, how are they supposed to sort it out?!!

DMG24 - Maybe I wasn't clear, but I resent the comments that seem to imply that I had made no effort to let them know, because, as you will see from my OP this is clearly not true. Had I not bothered to try then the comments would have been fair.

Let's put this in perspective;

1) Received package - it was a complete mess
2) Tried phoning one of the numbers posted by a previous poster - 0845 601 2 601, as written on the side of the parcel. That is the phone number that wouldn't answer after 16 minutes.
3) Yes, Lin has made the point perfectly - If I don't let someone know how can i expect them to sort it out. I couldn't agree more - that is why I wasted 16 minuites on the phone to 'let them know'.
4) How can I let them know if they don't answer the phone and that's the only phone number I have?
5) If I had spoken to them, my guess is that it would have been resolved, and I may have posted in the '5 Star Service' board instead.
6) Now I have 2 phone numbers plus the suggestion of phoning a local store. For that I am grateful and will go back and thank the posters who made those suggestions, although I thought that deliveries were organised by a depot, not a store. I may be wrong.
7) To those out there who appear to have skimmed my opening post and missed half of it (not mentioning any names but DMG - you're in my thoughts ), then I guess I just have to be judged. Life's too short to worry

Merry Christmas

dmg24

I didn't miss a thing in your post.

If you think sixteen minutes is a long wait then you clearly do not deal with call centres too often! Also, you made no effort to find another way to contact them.

I'm sorry that M&S did not send round an employee with the flowers to make sure that they were absolutely perfect, in order to save you sixteen minutes (yes, a whole sixteen minutes!) on the phone.