Every little helps?

[Hans Mum]

our fridge freezer died on friday afternoon last week just as I'd got home with the large monthly shop
rang our local engineer who came & told us it would cost more that it was worth to repair, panic stricken now as contents slowly defrosting and new stuff sat in a cool box!!!
Went to our local independent guy at 3.15pm, chose the one I wanted and by 4pm it was delivered, unpacked, and in position, old one and packaging removed, fantastic service and when i checked the price afterwards was still cheaper than the 'big boys' as delivery etc., were not hidden extras.

[Rhona]

I'm John Lewis's number one fan. For anything reasonably expensive, I trust them more than anywhere else. We bought our fridge freezer two years ago from them, but have recently had problems with it (only on a one year warranty). Within three days, it was repaired, with a new two year warranty - really great service.

We bought a superking size bed from them last year, and noticed a very slight cosmetic crack on one post - immediately offered new bed or £300 as compensation.

I broke a zip on a dress and the woman on the sewing machine counter sat and repaired it for me for nothing (I bought her a box of choccies). My brother in law broke our pram brake, and they sent us a brand new chassis, free of charge.

They're doing our new carpets at the moment, not the cheapest in town, but like I say, I trust them.

I've really got to the stage where I'd rather pay a bit extra and know that if we get any problems, they're likely to sort it out properly.

Actually looking at that list, maybe we're just unlucky and keep buying duff items!

[OllieMartin]

Thanks for reminding me, I've got £130 of John Lewis vouchers sat at home. I got them from 6 month's worth of Hilton Hotel stays and was going to get a range of Polo Allure Sport toiletries only to discover they don't stock Polo!
Might treat myself to a dishwasher

[ginger ninger]

I went into our local H.M.V shop in our town center on saturday to buy "Battle Star Galactica" Box set for OH as a surprise, after looking all round the store I asked an "ASSISTENT" if they had any in stock, She said "it hasn't been released yet" at this I told her " It has been released in June and on there web site it was advertised at half price". She gave me one of those looks, tutted, shrugged her shoulders and walked off...I was fuming . So I stomped of the counter and asked the young man there about it, He said "Just one moment please, I'll go and look" 5 mins later he came back with with the box set, I payed for it and went looking for the assistant...When I found her I showed her the box set saying " Not bad to say it hasn't been released yet love" Tutted at her really loud and walked out of the shop.....
Ginger Ninger 1, Shop Assistant 0
Young man at the counter 10/10.

[OllieMartin]

I went into our local H.M.V shop in our town center on saturday to buy "Battle Star Galactica" Box set for OH as a surprise, after looking all round the store I asked an "ASSISTENT" if they had any in stock, She said "it hasn't been released yet" at this I told her " It has been released in June and on there web site it was advertised at half price". She gave me one of those looks, tutted, shrugged her shoulders and walked off...I was fuming . So I stomped of the counter and asked the young man there about it, He said "Just one moment please, I'll go and look" 5 mins later he came back with with the box set, I payed for it and went looking for the assistant...When I found her I showed her the box set saying " Not bad to say it hasn't been released yet love" Tutted at her really loud and walked out of the shop.....
Ginger Ninger 1, Shop Assistant 0
Young man at the counter 10/10.

Ah the death of customer service.

You're not a customer, you're a hinderance to them getting away with doing nothing for their wages. At best you're a statistic.
Some people need to learn why they call it "work".

I was going to say that I notice it more having worked as a Customer Service Trainer for 4 years, but to be honest; you only have to picture yourself as a consumer (which everyone is) and it's easy to see what customers like. Some people just can't be ars*d.

/rant

[Rhona]

A few years ago, someone bought me Withnail and I on DVD, which, like all right-minded people, I already had. I took it back to Virgin, and the guy on the counter confirmed that they would swap my gift etc., I took it out of the bag, and he took one look and asked "why are you bringing this back?"

I replied that I already had it, and he relaxed and said that was alright then. I just loved the fact that he was vaguely distressed that someone wanted to return THAT particular film.

[OllieMartin]

Have you played the "Withnail and I" drinking game? You have to match them drink-for-drink, the lighter fluid moment is quite interesting!

[Flummery]

Thanks for reminding me, I've got £130 of John Lewis vouchers sat at home. I got them from 6 month's worth of Hilton Hotel stays and was going to get a range of Polo Allure Sport toiletries only to discover they don't stock Polo!
Might treat myself to a dishwasher

£130 of toiletries! Only dirty people get washed THAT much!

[bobleponge]

I had never heard of Withnail and I until I joined the Vine. Am I the only man of my years never to have watched it?

[OllieMartin]

£130 of toiletries! Only dirty people get washed THAT much!

Well, maybe not all of the £130, but aftershave, deodorant, shower gel and moisturiser can cost over £100.

Just found a glass-doored wine fridge for £129 on there. And I think I've already convinced myself that I need it!

[Snadger]

This reminds me of a Rab-C-Nesbitt sketch where his Mrs asks if she can take the new washing machine NOW!!!! and proceeds to push and drag it out of the shop and down the high street by it's electrical cord!

[allotmentlady]

tescos haaarrruuummmpph bought 3 tv's off em lol.....had to take one back, peeeed me about for over an hour, eventually swapped it, along with a 10.00 giftcard, neva been back since, me I like to go to curry's.......epxecially in bolton, very helpful and efficient
#
good to hear u got a new washer bernie!

[Hilary B]

I bought new undercounter fridge and freezer units a couple of months ago from Argos direct.
Once delivered, I unpacked the freezer to discover it had a large, iron bar shaped, dent in the front side. I immediately rang them to request a replacement. The girl on the phone offered me £20 off instead of a replacement, which I'd have happily accepted if it wasn't so obvious and so large.
Having got off the phone I unpacked the fridge unit to discover I'd got a fridge with a freezerr compartment in it...no point as I had a completely separate freezer unit. So I rang back up and asked to exchange that for the correct model.
So it was another 10 days before I actually got what I wanted, but they're both very good.

For future reference, Argos class a "Fridge Freezer" as a tall unit with a fridge door and freezer door on the front, a "Fridge" as a unit that includes a freezer compartment inside the main door, and a "Larder" as a fridge with no freezer!
It took this error to learn this, and I expect I'm not the only one to do so.

Those are the definitions mostly used. It isn't so long since a frdge without a freezing compartment was rare!
We have a fridge (with frezzer compartment), a fridge-freezer (never again, it is designed to be kept indoors, and we only found this out when we had had it in the shed for a few months, the freezer part defrosts if the room temp falls below 10 degrees C) and a small chest freezer. The freezing compartment of the fridge comes in handy for chilling those bottle cooler things to keep the wine cold on the table, and for making ice cubes etc....

[bramble]

regarding customer service. We bought a washing machine a few years ago. When it was delivered and we had unpacked it we realised it wasn't the one we had ordered.
We rang the shop and they said they would deliver the proper one the following Monday.
We packed the other one back in its box and waited.
Monday came and the delivery men brought the proper one but told us they couldn't take back the first one as they only did deliveries but another truck would come and collect it.
Many weeks and many phone calls later and the first machine was still sitting in my hallway in its box.
After 2 months I gave up and gave it to my daughter who had just bought a house.
They never did come back for it.
So much for customer service.

[dexterdoglancashire]

At least you got a free washing machine bramble - result!