advice needed on M&S refusal to let me amend an order date on wedding cake

tomwakefield

rufydoofyM wrote: »

I feel too many companies get away with poor service and a lack of empathy in a crisis. I'm sure they could have dealt with the situation far better and quickly, so preventing the stress it has caused. I believe that sometimes compensation may make them review bad service issues. like I said not everyone will agree and I for one don't seek it in all situations but, depending on the degree of inconvenience/stress caused I think its justified. Only the op can decide in this case. It was just a suggestion.

And how did you arrive at the figure of £50?

bris

rufydoofyM wrote: »

I feel too many companies get away with poor service and a lack of empathy in a crisis. I'm sure they could have dealt with the situation far better and quickly, so preventing the stress it has caused. I believe that sometimes compensation may make them review bad service issues. like I said not everyone will agree and I for one don't seek it in all situations but, depending on the degree of inconvenience/stress caused I think its justified. Only the op can decide in this case. It was just a suggestion.

What are you talking about? The OP was the one who ordered and messed up, so why should they get compensation for their mistake.
We don't know what happens to the order after its placed, but I assume it is automatically forwarded on to the bakers and the process kick started.
While I agree that the timescale involded in cancellation should have been enough, M&S clearly feel differently. They have also agreed to try and sell it in their store to mitigate the OP's loss, so they are also fulfilling their legal obligation to the OP.

Valli

rufydoofyM wrote: »

I feel too many companies get away with poor service and a lack of empathy in a crisis. I'm sure they could have dealt with the situation far better and quickly, so preventing the stress it has caused. I believe that sometimes compensation may make them review bad service issues. like I said not everyone will agree and I for one don't seek it in all situations but, depending on the degree of inconvenience/stress caused I think its justified. Only the op can decide in this case. It was just a suggestion.

Hang on a minute - this wasn't the COMPANY'S error but the OP's! Why on earth should the company accept any responsibility when the OP ordered an item for the wrong date?

And how is it a crisis?

And, just for the record, I do NOT work for M&S. Actually I don't work for any company in a customer-facing role.

llyamah

I love it how people spout on about what the law requires etc. M&S are clearly being unreasonable in these circumstances. The will not have started making the cake yet. It would make far more commercial sense to change the date of the order - that way you keep the order still and ensure that the customer will return. What the law says and what makes business sense are two very different things. Even if they pass this order on to a third party supplier, they have enough commercial clout to tell the supplier they don't want the cake for another 23 days and they won't pay the supplier any more money.

OP, I really feel sorry for you here. I hope M&S sort it out for you.

tomwakefield

llyamah wrote: »

I love it how people spout on about what the law requires etc.

Isn't the law the basis for consumer rights? Anything that's not a legal requirement is not a "right".

Bear in mind the original error was the OP's, and it may cost M&S to change the date.

visidigi

llyamah wrote: »

I love it how people spout on about what the law requires etc. M&S are clearly being unreasonable in these circumstances. The will not have started making the cake yet. It would make far more commercial sense to change the date of the order - that way you keep the order still and ensure that the customer will return. What the law says and what makes business sense are two very different things. Even if they pass this order on to a third party supplier, they have enough commercial clout to tell the supplier they don't want the cake for another 23 days and they won't pay the supplier any more money.

OP, I really feel sorry for you here. I hope M&S sort it out for you.

Given you know so much about the m&s order process I can only assumed you work for them? Or are you yet another poster who thinks the company has a responsibility to resolve a mistake for the customer.

After all m and s have offered to resell, again far more than they are obligated to do.

rufydoofyM

We all make mistakes. In my opinion m and s have not shown understanding and could have handled it better.

andyrules

I sometimes wonder about this site.

OP made an error and rang them as soon as they opened. They could have at least made an effort - the chances of a 3rd party having the ingredients in the bowl by then are probably not that great.

Also online forms often change data if you refresh the page/click back/miss something etc etc - although it might not be that here it's not uncommon.

there was a thread on here a while back about an overcharge error made by the shop and some people more or less said it was OP fault for not noticing until they had left!

As for the crisis, it's a wedding cake that might be no good now, Valli, watch 'Don't Tell the Bride' then you'll see what brides stress over

Well if all else fails thanks to OP for pointing out the poor CS at M&S cake department!

Fosterdog

andyrules wrote: »

I sometimes wonder about this site.

OP made an error and rang them as soon as they opened. They could have at least made an effort - the chances of a 3rd party having the ingredients in the bowl by then are probably not that great.

Also online forms often change data if you refresh the page/click back/miss something etc etc - although it might not be that here it's not uncommon.

there was a thread on here a while back about an overcharge error made by the shop and some people more or less said it was OP fault for not noticing until they had left!

As for the crisis, it's a wedding cake that might be no good now, Valli, watch 'Don't Tell the Bride' then you'll see what brides stress over

Well if all else fails thanks to OP for pointing out the poor CS at M&S cake department!

I also sometimes wonder about this site.

As you said OP made the mistake not M&S so why should they be held responsible for this? Maybe the ingredients weren't already in the bowl but maybe they have a contract in place with their cake bakers that means M&S still get charged if an order is changed/cancelled. If that is the case I can understand M&S taking the hit if they had done something wrong but in this case they haven't.

Again yes sometimes online forms can change data, but like you said only if you do something to cause it (refresh or back button) but most forms have warnings that you shouldn't press refresh or the back button (the browsers one at least) that's why a lot of forms have their own back button on the page to retain the data that would be lost or changed by using your browsers back button. And again if this was the case and it was incorrectly refreshed then it would still be OPs mistake and not M&Ss.

I've never used M&S for a cake and have no plans to but if I did ever decide to use them their actions with this really wouldn't put me off, they have done nothing wrong and have actually gone above what they needed to do by offering to resell to help OP recover some of the money.

Another point that seems to be overlooked is the timescales involved, the order was placed on Tuesday, with the incorrect date being put in as 2nd October that is just seven days to get the order to the baker, get the cake made and decorated and delivered to OP, M&S weren't contacted until Weds which leaves only six days. If the mistaken date had been put in as say 20th instead there is is bigger timescale to sort out any issues and more chance to change the order.

mattyprice4004

50 quid because the customer made a mistake, not M&S?

Can I have some of what you're smoking?!