Marks and spencer - pitiful customer service

ThumbRemote

mynameisdave wrote: »

They can't offer a replacement - presumably no stock.
They can't offer a repair - they do not have a team of tailors on hand to repair

They offered a gift card which could be used to buy an alternative jacket.

Don't see it as bad customer service at all.

They didn't offer a gift card to buy an alternative. They offered a gift card to the value of a repair that the OP would have to sort out themselves.

Legally in this situation M&S can offer a repair, replacement or refund. It seems they have offered none of these (unless OPs letter went on to offer a refund, but they didn't mention it in their post). Offering less than the legal minimum certainly is bad customer service.

pollypenny

High street shops don't usually offer a repair.

I'm surprised that you weren't given a straight refund.

Southend1

ThumbRemote wrote: »

They didn't offer a gift card to buy an alternative. They offered a gift card to the value of a repair that the OP would have to sort out themselves.

Legally in this situation M&S can offer a repair, replacement or refund. It seems they have offered none of these (unless OPs letter went on to offer a refund, but they didn't mention it in their post). Offering less than the legal minimum certainly is bad customer service.

They have offered more than the legal minimum. OP did not purchase the item therefore is legally entitled to nothing, however they offered a gift card. Not saying that's great service, but it's more than they had to offer.

sarahg1969

M&S are OK for returns unless there's something wrong with the item. The staff then seem to take the problem as personal criticism.

Pennywise

sarahg1969 wrote: »

M&S are OK for returns unless there's something wrong with the item. The staff then seem to take the problem as personal criticism.

Exactly my experience with M&S too. Just the same as the Argos staff. They're fine with simple things like returns within the period allowed, but fall over themselves trying to find excuses not to have to deal properly (i.e. according to the law) with faulty goods. I can only assume it's because it's more work for them and they're too lazy to deal with the paperwork etc. They tend to go into some kind of defensive mode and come out with all kinds of rubbish to justify doing little (if anything) about the problem.

Southend1

Pennywise wrote: »

Exactly my experience with M&S too. Just the same as the Argos staff. They're fine with simple things like returns within the period allowed, but fall over themselves trying to find excuses not to have to deal properly (i.e. according to the law) with faulty goods. I can only assume it's because it's more work for them and they're too lazy to deal with the paperwork etc. They tend to go into some kind of defensive mode and come out with all kinds of rubbish to justify doing little (if anything) about the problem.

It's probably more to do with the number of customers who try to abuse their returns policy. Sometimes it must be hard for them to spot the genuine return in among all the dodgy ones!

hgotsparkle

I find M&S staff to be very grumpy regardless of what it is you're doing. I purchased a skirt from them a couple of weeks ago for an interview and the middle aged lady at the till just glared and barely spoke.

If the food wasn't so good (as a treat!) then I would stop going there.

Asher

Dovah_diva wrote: »

I find M&S to gave the best customer service. I suspect there is more to this story than you are telling us.

I agree with you I have nothing but praise for M & S.

chesky

M & S used to have a wonderful reputation for returning goods with no questions asked - there were apocryphal tales of people returning jumpers they'd had for two years without problems.

Things are so different now and I think M & S are lagging behind other stores such as Debenhams or House of Fraser in their returns policies.

It seems to me that the item purchased was 'not fit for purpose' and should have been replaced or refunded without question. But it's also true that the person who actually bought it should have been the one to return it.

For them to offer the cost of a 'reasonable' repair seems insulting.

George_Michael

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the time between the jacket being purchased and the problem being noticed.
All the OP stated was that it was seen when they wore it for the 3rd time, and this could be 3 days from purchase or it could equally be 3 months.

The timescale makes a big difference as to what M&S are legally obliged to do if the purchaser takes the jacket back.