To serve or not to serve ... that is the question

 

Number 1: how to retain a customer

Back last September, the heating system was having a few hiccups so I went to the local Screwfix Limited store (they had late opening) and purchased a fan heater over the counter.   It was fairly late, fairly cold and I still had work to do.

This December the heater broke down.  Being me, I took it apart to find out why.  A connector had not been properly insulated and had burnt through.  Naturally, of course, I couldn’t find the invoice (in my haste to use the heater I think I must have thrown in away in the packaging).  I resigned myself to writing off the cost.  In any event, according to the warranty I had voided that by
opening the casing.

I was concerned however about the manufacturing fault and so emailed Screwfix with photographs of the damaged component.  They replied asking for the purchase order number.  “Hello”, I thought, “this is going to be a bad experience” but I emailed back saying I didn’t have any purchase documentation. I told them them where and when I purchased the heater and I wasn’t trying to claim on the warranty, but I wanted the manufacturer to know that there could be a manufacturing fault.

The next day I got a reply.  Screwfix had traced my purchase, had credited back the purchase cost to my bank account and given me a voucher for a future purchase on top of that.  They had also checked their records of complaints and were satisfied it was one off fault.

Needless to say, I was impressed.  I’ve told others therefore about this and I am writing this blog to expand that reach.  They deserve it.  And I will be back to them again.

Number 2:  How not.

I have a set of headphones I use for video conferencing.  I’ve had them for years.  Not surprisingly their usage has gone up rather a lot recently.  In December, the foam ear-pieces started to fall apart.  The particular headphones were no longer made and it wasn’t clear from the manufacturer’s website which of their current ear-pieces would fit.  They don’t show dimensions on the web-site, of course, that would be too helpful: they only show part-numbers.  Pre COVID I would have called into a shop and asked.  But at present, there was nothing for it but to email the manufacturers.  

“Can you give the model number?” they responded. 
“Yes,”  I replied, “I already did in my original email along with the dimensions of the ear-pieces I need.”

“We don’t make that model any longer” they said.  “I know!” I replied, “I’m asking whether any of the ear-pieces you make for existing models would fit.”
“We’ll get back to you”….

Three days later I got an email:  “Which of the new models would you like ear-pieces for?”
“I DON’T KNOW.  I’m asking you.  Please – ears have not changed that much in shape in ten years, something must fit.”

I’ve still not had a reply.  How difficult is it to look at the dimensions I gave and compare them with those of the models they currently make?  Apparently extremely difficult.

In any case, we’ve made some replacements ourselves which work.  I’m not throwing away a perfectly good set of earphones because of incompetent sales people.  They’ve lost a small sale but, more importantly, I won’t be buying anything else from them for a long while.

Motto:  treat your customers with respect.