Non-Existent Customer Service at Currys/PCWorld

As I've posted a few days ago, we had problems with our washing machine. Not really a surprise when you come to consider how our beloved landlord had it installed (see earlier post.) We went to Curry's in an attempt to purchase a new one. I do on-line surveys and had redeemed vouchers to the value of £140 which we wanted to put towards a new machine. We had visited Currys/PC World at their Elder Gate branch in Milton Keynes a week or so back because it was going to take at least a week for the vouchers to arrive and to have a look at what they had on offer. This company seems to have a very poor reputation as regards customer care/service. In some respects it's non-existant. They are probably the last company where you can go to find domestic appliances in a warehouse retail environment, although it's easy enough to buy products like this online. We had even gone to their website to have a look, particularly at availability as the current washing machine needs replacing immediately and we need to do some washing fairly rapidly. The old machine won't spin properly, so that, at the end of a wash cycle you are left with a load which is totally sopping wet. All very well when the weather is fine and sunny as it is at the moment, but how do you dry clothes this wet when it's cold and wet outside and have to resort to drying things on radiators and clothes dryers. Not very convenient if those clothes are wringing wet.

We drove over to the Currys/PCWorld branch at Elder Gate. It was around 9.15 a.m. There appeared to be very few customers in the store. We went directly to the washing machine area. We had decided when we visited a week or so ago that we'd have a Hoover model and had intended ordering it there and then, part-paying for it with the vouchers which came in the post yesterday. No staff came towards us as we browsed, as we looked at other washing machines in the display, but the price of the Hoover model suited our budget. The a male assistant appeared, but as soon as we said we were interested in buying a machine he disappeared, saying he'd get another assistant to help with our enquiries. Then a female assistant appeared. When we asked if we could buy this particular Hoover washing machine she said she would have to look at their computer to find out whether one was in stock. It soon turned out that they didn't have one in stock and they weren't expecting another delivery until Friday. It would be another two days after that before we could have it delivered and plumbed in as well as having the old washing machine removed. She made absolutely no effort to offer us an alternative model at a similar price nor did she attempt to find out stock levels. So we left somewhat annoyed. It was at this point that Carol decided we should complain. When we returned home we found Currys/PCWorld's phone number on their website and after around 10 minutes waiting in a queue I spoke to an agent and I told him the problem we had endured in their store in Milton Keynes. He was very apologetic when I explained how our enquiry had been handled. He said he would pass on our complaint to the manager of the store and we would get a response when the complaint had been dealt with. So I await some sort of feedback. We mentioned how we wanted to buy a washing machine and he said any machines which were in stock would be shown online. Carol found a suitable model which appeared to be in stock and available for delivery (something which should have been apparent to the in-store staff, but wasn't.) Carol began to order it through the website but when she came to enter the long line of digits on the vouchers she couldn't get it to work. So we decided to return to the Currys/PCWorld branch, somewhat reluctantly it has to be said since we had put in our complaint. On returning we went to the customer service desk where a lone lady was on duty. She didn't seem to know exactly how to make the transaction on her computer and needed to be shown by the manager of the store. Not exactly helping with our trust in the company. Eventually the transaction was made and we will have the new washing machine, a Kenwood, delivered and installed on Sunday. We were further annoyed when it turned out we would have to pay delivery when it had said it was free on the website but we managed to get it free. We also added extended warranty for the machine in case it breaks down. We have this for our fridge/freezer (the old one broke down and began defrosting when we were out visiting Twycross Zoo, you may recall if you read my earlier blog post.) But I'm afraid this whole incident has put us off buying anything further from this particular company.

When we walk out of the store and into the carpark, there is a lady about to get into her car, parked near us. She is carrying a pile of shoe boxes. It's evident that she's been to Brantano, the shoe store, which is a few units along from Currys/PCWorld. They have a sale on and she tells us she always buys her shoes in Brantanos sale. We discuss our recent trip to the Doc Marten factory shop in Wollaston where we have bought shoes for really low prices. She hasn't heard of this and says she will have to visit. We mention our recent experiences in Currys and she says she never shops there because of their non existent customer care. It seems the store has a really bad reputation. I don't personally blame the staff. I think the company needs to train their staff better. It seems none of them have any idea how to deal with customers. If you have a customer who is eager to buy a product you don't let them walk out of the store until they have bought something. That is surely a bad salesman or woman. If they can't get a sale then they're not doing their job properly. It seems the first assistant had no idea how to keep a customer. If they could't get the product we wanted she should have made some effort to find out and it was more than annoying that we did eventually manage to find what we wanted through their website.

Dog-Walking, Lawn-Mowing and other Trivial Pursuits

Well, it's now a good deal cooler. We have had some rain, although hardly storm conditions. Certainly enough to lay the dust and freshen the atmosphere. The dogs have had three walks this week. One along the Redway and back along the Grand Union Canal and a couple of rounds of Eaglestone Park. Alfie is like one of those clockwork toys which you wind up and then let it go and it runs until the clockwork runs out. We let each dog off their leads once we reach the open area of grass and Alfie runs off madly, but soon comes back when you call. He likes to know that we're not too far away. Poppy, on the other hand, just potters along. She's really showing her age. But come across another dog and she has to run up to it and make friends. Alfie charges in, no questions asked, and the other dog is taken by surprise. We attempt to get them back on their leads, but it can be a difficulty. Try to get Poppy to respond and she does the opposite. Stubborn little minx that she is. 

I have managed to get the grass cut. Done last Friday. Just as well I did it when it was dry because I certainly wouldn't be able to cut it when it was wet. It would clog up the mower. 

I mentioned that our Hoover packed up a few weeks ago. It has now been replaced by a Vax model. Actually far more efficient in comparison to the Hoover. But now the washing machine has gone into decline. I think I've mentioned this on this blog before. It just will not spin. So we are looking at replacing it. We've been to Curry's to look at a replacement. It is actually owned by our landlord, but considering how long it's likely to take for him to replace the said washing machine, it is easier for us to do this ourselves. You may recall, if you've been following this blog, what happened when he replaced the last machine a couple of years ago and how his so called 'friend' came to install it and over-looked the fact that you had to remove the transit bolts which hold the drum inside the machine and how the machine behaved when it was turned on, pulling out the plumbing from the wall and fracturing the piping and so causing a leak which took some time to be repaired. So much for using unreliable workmen who have absolutely no idea what they're doing. We had to get this damage repaired ourselves at our own expense. Hopefully, we can buy the new washing machine next week and have it installed and the old machine removed .

Nandos Meal , Electric Daisy Carnival Noise and Conking Hoover

The weather has been warm and pleasant today. It's as if summer has decided to arrive at last. I know it's somewhat mundane to mention it, but the Hoover decided to pack up yesterday. I'm in charge of keeping things spick and span while Carol is at work and I was attempting to vacuum the lounge and I was using the Hoover and it just would not pick up properly. I had noticed that it had been playing up for the past few weeks but thought no more about it. I spent some time unblocking it. It soon gets full of fluff and dog hair (Poppy has a particularly long coat which sheds and there is quite a lot of this hair about the house.) The machine was also giving of a rather nasty smell, sort of hot. So, after mentioning this to Carol when she got home from work she thought it might need replacing. Not such an efficient machine as it might have been so we ordered a new cleaner from Very, the on-line company which we have bought quite a few items from over the years. The new vacuum was delivered promptly on Friday morning, barely 24 hours after being ordered. It is a Vax model.

One of Carol's work colleagues was leaving Milton Keynes Academy and returning to Canada, so a table was booked at Nando's in The Hub. We drove there at 6.45. It was a pleasant enough meal but it was so noisy in the restaurant that you couldn't hear anybody talking which really spoilt the evening. I cannot understand why they have loud music playing, which means you have to shout to be heard. As a result we didn't stay long. I was nice to get out for the evening. I'm not sure I'd recommend the place if someone else wanted to go out for a meal. It seems a problem in most of these places. People seem so obsessed by mobile phones, texting and so on, that the art of decent communication seems to have gone out of the window.

We've had to endure another weekend of the most awful din from the National Bowl. The Electric Daisy Carnival were on. I don't personally know why we have to have so much loud noise (not in the slightest can it be described as 'music.' Just bang, bang, bang, thump, thump for must of the afternoon on Saturday and didn't finish until 11 p.m.) A bit difficult when it's so warm and you want to get to sleep, have the window closed because if you don't our two dogs bark when they hear odd noises outside. I know, sorry, I'm not of the age which is supposed to like this sort of thing, but it's so intrusive and unpleasant. I just hope they leave the site of the National Bowl clean and tidy because last year when this event was on and we drove past the following morning, the amount of litter left along the Grid Road near the site was disgraceful.

A new vacuum cleaner and back to work for Carol

It's raining hard and very windy here at the moment. Carol has gone back to work this morning. A day of staff training. She tells me it's usually very boring. I have some idea, as the training I used to have to endure when I worked in care was not always that interesting, generally in one ear and out the other and handed a certificate just to show you'd been there and done the course.

We purchased a new vacuum cleaner on Monday. The old one had seen better days. The cleaning head wouldn't fit back on the hose, so I had an idea it wasn't worth repairing. We went to Asda and spent some time comparing different models and came away with a Hoover with hepa filter and a special filter for pet hairs. We have tried it and it's extremely powerful. Almost sucked up the rug in the lounge and made short work of Poppy's hair. I have been round the house with it and I am somewhat impressed by it.

I gave Carol a wild-bird feeding station for Christmas. It is set up in the garden and we can see the birds feeding on it. It seems really successful.