Wickes Installation service - are there any successful outcomes when things have gone wrong.

LivelyHibbs

Hi all,

I am having a really terrible experience after having bought a Wickes bathroom and opted for their installation service. I thought, as Wickes was a well known brand, that their installation service would be better than the usual installers - where often it can be pot luck!!

A two/three week bathroom installation (as estimated by Wickes) is now into a fourth month. This is primarily due to non attendance, no shows,  often sending only one worker and making countless mistakes that need rectifying. The installer does not communicate and will not tell me when the work will be completed. I am constantly being fobbed off on this matter.

Wickes use a call centre referred to as the CEC, who seem to be useless, simply sending chase up emails to the installer or their field manager and not further chasing up when they don’t hear back. They also don’t keep me in the loop or informed on the status or feed back. I am left completely in the dark.

Has anybody else experience of this? Has anybody taken action? And if so what? Has anybody taken legal action? And if so how did that go?

I’m interested in any advice as I’m so close to being broken. It’s impacted my life and day to day living so badly including my full time job.

It’s just lucky I have a second toilet in my basement that I can use (and am having to share with the builder/fitter).

littleredhen

this article might help from Which 
https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/your-rights-when-home-improvement-work-goes-wrong-aI9MG3U4difV

ButterCheese

Sorry to hear this.  Generally it is better to keep ringing, try to get a managers number, make a nuisance of yourself until the job is completed.  Set out a realistic timeframe when you want the work completed, and you can then both agree on what will happen if this deadline is not met i.e. what losses you have suffered as a result and what you intend to do afterwards.  Unfortunately you have to shout louder than the next person, as many companies like this prey on the fact that most people are too polite and too "British" to kick up a fuss

Markdavid1962

Agree with Buttercheese but I also think you need to write it all down by date what has happened  and email the CEO david.wood@wickes.co.uk

If you have taken pictures by date I would include a few, if not take pictures now.

Keep it polite but say you are escalating this to him as you have no other choice, can he please look in to this and confirm when the work will be complete. How would he feel with no bathroom for 4 months!!.  I would state that you dont believe this is the service you paid for 

Also mention the only other recourse after your escalation to him is  you will have to put a negative social media post and contact BBC watchdog etc to try are get a resolution

The above has worked for me before, when the CEO gets involved stuff rolls downhill and they will be contacting you

LivelyHibbs

Markdavid1962 said:

Agree with Buttercheese but I also think you need to write it all down by date what has happened  and email the CEO david.wood@wickes.co.uk

If you have taken pictures by date I would include a few, if not take pictures now.

Keep it polite but say you are escalating this to him as you have no other choice, can he please look in to this and confirm when the work will be complete. How would he feel with no bathroom for 4 months!!.  I would state that you dont believe this is the service you paid for 

Also mention the only other recourse after your escalation to him is  you will have to put a negative social media post and contact BBC watchdog etc to try are get a resolution

The above has worked for me before, when the CEO gets involved stuff rolls downhill and they will be contacting you

I will start to get all my facts together and try going via the route you are suggesting - thanks you!

LivelyHibbs

ButterCheese said:

Sorry to hear this.  Generally it is better to keep ringing, try to get a managers number, make a nuisance of yourself until the job is completed.  Set out a realistic timeframe when you want the work completed, and you can then both agree on what will happen if this deadline is not met i.e. what losses you have suffered as a result and what you intend to do afterwards.  Unfortunately you have to shout louder than the next person, as many companies like this prey on the fact that most people are too polite and too "British" to kick up a fuss

I agree ButterCheese and have been on the phone so often - always talking to a different person and having to explain again each time. I am now shouting really loudly. I did so in the beginning but found it was constantly falling on deaf ears. The structure they have with this call centre is such that they are just a mediator and all they offer is "chasing". My experience is that there is no adequate escalation path in place, so it's always this call centre and nobody else.