Wren Kitchens - have they improved?

Spank

gettingtheresometime said:

Housewife2020 said:

JHoney said:

My Mum is very keen on a Wren Kitchen she's seen in the showroom, but I've read the terrible reviews - and saw the Rogue Traders about them and I'm having terrible misgivings. I'm just wondering, in the 6 months since RT, have they made changes? Has the customer service improved? We have a kitchen fitter lined up that isn't Wren, but there were problems reported with both supply and customer service as well as fitting issues. Any recent experience/feedback would be appreciated.

How wide is your kitchen?

Given the OP was from 2018, I'd have hoped the mum has bought her kitchen by now 

It's our old friend Tony, just ignore him

Sifils

Just been through the process with Wren and if they had improved they are now terrible again. Here's a summary review i've left on trust pilot about our shocking experience and we are still none the wiser as to when we will get a fridge/freezer despite paying them a lot of money. Poor doesn't go far enough....

 I think they are now too busy for demand and the positive reviews they have must be from before this busy period.

Madis at the Croydon branch designed a beautiful kitchen and although expensive in the end we felt it was worth it as Wren had a good name and would take care of everything... or so we thought. 

Like many though once signing up everything that could go wrong went very wrong. 

1. Extremely poor Customer Service. There is meant to be coordinators but this is only on paper. No one coordinates. No one communicates with you. Its a disaster. The call centre is a minimum 1 hour wait time to get through to. Ringing the branch is quicker but they are only for sales so are "powerless" to help. 

2. The fitting service is very expensive through Wren but due to the Guarantee and 0% finance we went with them. What a mistake. The fitting costs they say is only a partial fitting and a 3rd party "fitter" comes round and then quotes for the rest which is obviously a lot more as Wren dont include removing things/connecting things so be very careful. Unseen costs added to the Wren costs mount up quickly (and it wasnt cheap in the first place). The fitter explains he gets paid very little of that sum from Wren so makes up for it with the extras. Had we have known we would have removed and fitted the kitchen by a separate fitter with a proper quote so you know what you are paying in the end.

3. We bought the fridge freezer through wren but am truly shocked with how this outfit have behaved with this and will be taking this further. After spending £1300 on the appliance with Wren they had said it'll be delivered by a separate company to those who deliver the kitchen. For three weeks solid I have been chasing and waiting on hold to wren and multiple other "suppliers" who wren had said to contact. Surprisingly, after all that time trying, the "suppliers" hadnt even heard of our order. Incredible really but then it got worse. On chasing Wren they then said theres a problem with aeg and it could be months until we get our fridge freezer and they best they could do would be a refund. My wife is heavily pregnant and we have a baby and now we have a completed kitchen but no fridge. Customer services couldn't care less and said we had two options to wait for months or get a refund and try and buy the fridge ourselves when they know there are supply issues. This complete lack of coordination and care is what really irks especially as i had been chasing this.

In summary, loads of problems, no care, ended up being much more expensive than quoted and they are too busy to give two hoots

WGoodwin

JHoney said:

My Mum is very keen on a Wren Kitchen she's seen in the showroom, but I've read the terrible reviews - and saw the Rogue Traders about them and I'm having terrible misgivings. I'm just wondering, in the 6 months since RT, have they made changes? Has the customer service improved? We have a kitchen fitter lined up that isn't Wren, but there were problems reported with both supply and customer service as well as fitting issues. Any recent experience/feedback would be appreciated.

Can't stand them! Its more about getting people through the door and getting customers money!

I recently used a bespoke service in Derbyshire, a Kitchen design company called Sonna Kitchens (www. sonnakitchens .co.uk). They were amazing - totally bespoke, and for saying how many years a kitchen last, a kitchen that is truly yours...is worth paying for!

davidmcn

WGoodwin said:

JHoney said:

My Mum is very keen on a Wren Kitchen she's seen in the showroom, but I've read the terrible reviews - and saw the Rogue Traders about them and I'm having terrible misgivings. I'm just wondering, in the 6 months since RT, have they made changes? Has the customer service improved? We have a kitchen fitter lined up that isn't Wren, but there were problems reported with both supply and customer service as well as fitting issues. Any recent experience/feedback would be appreciated.

I recently used a bespoke service in Derbyshire, a Kitchen design company called Sonna Kitchens (www. sonnakitchens .co.uk). They were amazing - totally bespoke, and for saying how many years a kitchen last, a kitchen that is truly yours...is worth paying for!

I've heard they're terrible, and that they employ an inept marketing agency run by a Will Goodwin...

Spank

davidmcn said:

WGoodwin said:

JHoney said:

My Mum is very keen on a Wren Kitchen she's seen in the showroom, but I've read the terrible reviews - and saw the Rogue Traders about them and I'm having terrible misgivings. I'm just wondering, in the 6 months since RT, have they made changes? Has the customer service improved? We have a kitchen fitter lined up that isn't Wren, but there were problems reported with both supply and customer service as well as fitting issues. Any recent experience/feedback would be appreciated.

I recently used a bespoke service in Derbyshire, a Kitchen design company called Sonna Kitchens (www. sonnakitchens .co.uk). They were amazing - totally bespoke, and for saying how many years a kitchen last, a kitchen that is truly yours...is worth paying for!

I've heard they're terrible, and that they employ an inept marketing agency run by a Will Goodwin...

I'd be careful what you say or they might send round the guy from the website to kill you in your sleep

Anglichanin

WGoodwin said:

JHoney said:

My Mum is very keen on a Wren Kitchen she's seen in the showroom, but I've read the terrible reviews - and saw the Rogue Traders about them and I'm having terrible misgivings. I'm just wondering, in the 6 months since RT, have they made changes? Has the customer service improved? We have a kitchen fitter lined up that isn't Wren, but there were problems reported with both supply and customer service as well as fitting issues. Any recent experience/feedback would be appreciated.

Can't stand them! Its more about getting people through the door and getting customers money!

I recently used a bespoke service in Derbyshire, a Kitchen design company called Sonna Kitchens (www. sonnakitchens .co.uk). They were amazing - totally bespoke, and for saying how many years a kitchen last, a kitchen that is truly yours...is worth paying for!

Odd how marketing works. We are literally just along the road from Sonna , and looking to replace our kitchen. It only takes a quick web search of “sonna kitchens Goodwin” to strongly suggest that the above has indeed been posted by a marketing agency, so that’s them out.

My wife favours Wren (we tried to call IKEA but simply could not get them to answer the phone) but I’m going to try to steer her towards Benchmarx. I don’t mind paying extra to avoid huge stress once the firm have taken our money.

Laz123

Anglichanin said:

WGoodwin said:

JHoney said:

My Mum is very keen on a Wren Kitchen she's seen in the showroom, but I've read the terrible reviews - and saw the Rogue Traders about them and I'm having terrible misgivings. I'm just wondering, in the 6 months since RT, have they made changes? Has the customer service improved? We have a kitchen fitter lined up that isn't Wren, but there were problems reported with both supply and customer service as well as fitting issues. Any recent experience/feedback would be appreciated.

Can't stand them! Its more about getting people through the door and getting customers money!

I recently used a bespoke service in Derbyshire, a Kitchen design company called Sonna Kitchens (www. sonnakitchens .co.uk). They were amazing - totally bespoke, and for saying how many years a kitchen last, a kitchen that is truly yours...is worth paying for!

Odd how marketing works. We are literally just along the road from Sonna , and looking to replace our kitchen. It only takes a quick web search of “sonna kitchens Goodwin” to strongly suggest that the above has indeed been posted by a marketing agency, so that’s them out.

My wife favours Wren (we tried to call IKEA but simply could not get them to answer the phone) but I’m going to try to steer her towards Benchmarx. I don’t mind paying extra to avoid huge stress once the firm have taken our money.

As an ex advertising studio owner I dealt with half of MFI's press advertising. They sold the Schreiber and Hygena flat pack units. Along came the recession, coupled with their poor customer service record, so they went into liquidation. A few years later along came Wren. I don't know if any of the MFI staff were taken on, but how good or bad a company operates always comes from the top. I've seen footage of a Wren sales meeting and they acted very hard-sell in such a way as they do in timeshare selling, in a completely mercenary way, with no concern for customer care.

If in doubt show this to the missus. It'll save you both a lot of anguish.