This is the second Kitchen that we have had from Magnets. The reason that we chose to go with them for a second time is quite obvious, the service we recieved the first time around was quite good.
Now we are wishing we hadn't!!
Wes started planning to install a new kitchen when my father, who is 77, decided to sell his house and move in with us.
We went to our local Magnet Showroom, on the Thorpe Industrial Estate, perused all that they had to offer and finally decided on the one we wanted.
We then arranged for a designer/salesperson to visit, a nice man called Steve.
The job was not easy for Steve, due to the fact that at this point we could only try to visualise what we wanted as a wall had to be taken out.
Steve duly set about designing what we wanted and between us we decided on what we now are in the process of trying to have installed, lovely so far.
At this point we paid a 10% deposit, no problem.
Now our building work started.
We were told that there was a 6 week delivery period and were told we had to pay in full before we could be given a delivery day. Again, no problem. If this is the terms of their contract, that is what has to be done.
We discussed installation costs, but after the last kitchen we had from Magnet the installer at that time explained how the cost of installing paid by the customer was split between Magnet and the fitter. So, not entirely based on cost, although that was a major factor, we decided to use a carpenter friend of ours, who incidently has fitted a few Magnet kitchens anyway.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS STORY, SO PLEASE REMEMBER!
Our building work was duly carried out and our kitchen was delivered last Thursday, 30th August.
We knew that the installation would'nt start until Monday(3rd September) but we had a bit of space to store it until needed.
Two really nice delivery guys came with the kitchen and counted and checked everything off. There was an item missing! The missing item was part of the work top, the breakfast bar!
They told us not to worry as it "would be delivered in 48 hours". that was Thursday.
By Tuesday of this week it wasn't here, so our fitter rang the store in Thorpe to ask when it would be here. He was told it should be with us NEXT Wednesday(12th).
He then went on to explain that this wasn't really good enough as it was needed quite urgently. They said that they would call their Head Office in Darlington. John, our fitter, said not to worry as he would call them directly. This he did.
Now starts the reason for starting this Blogg.
They re-iterated to John that it was indeed the case, our breakfast bar wouldn't be here until probably next Wednesday. The delivery would be at Thorpe sometime Monday, so by the time the load was sorted it would be here by Wednesday.
At this juncture they dropped into the conversation that if we had ordered our fitting to be done by Magnet, directly, the missing item would have been with us within 2 days.
When John told myself, and my wife, I didn't believe it.
So, today, Thursday, I gave them a call. Not only was I told exactly the same by someone in their "customer services" department, at the point that our conversation started to become an argument, I didn't swear or raise my voice, she also tried to tell me that the driver shouldn't, and couldn't tell me when it would be here as "he was ONLY a driver and that he worked for their sub-contracter, Wincanton, anyway".
I tried to explain to her that our "contract", she had also told me at this point that I should have read the small print in the contract, by the way, was with Magnet and if they decided to use outside entities that was entirely up to them, and as far as I was concerned our problem was with them and only them.
Hence the reason for writing this now!!
I consider this to be totally unprofessional and also shows a complete lack of understanding of customers needs and expectations. I am not a serial complainer, this is the first time I have ever started anything like this, but I am sick and tired of people/businesses/tradespeople treating me and my family as idiots.
This is not about the missing item anymore, it is about people and companies resolving complaints or questions in a manner that is not surly or dismissive.
The person I spoke to today said sorry in a manner that seemed as is it was from a script, with no empathy or true understanding of my issues.
Surfice it to say, this is the last time that I will be ever buying anything from Magnet.
