Here is something you don't find as often as you should; Excellent customer service.
Yesterday I was due a delivery of a kitchen from Omega plc, quite a large kitchen so I was getting all the other daily things out of they way before it arrived. At 9.30am the back door bell rang it was a UK mail courier driver with a parcel, nothing unusual about that except I was not expecting a parcel, I opened the delivery note and it was from Omega plc. The note read 3x 450 drawer fronts Gloss Stone Shaker for customer Mrs x. I was a little perplexed as to why I had received these drawer fronts as I had not requested any because I had not yet received the main delivery.
Later that day Omega's delivery van arrived with the expected kitchen, I took the notes off the driver and read at the bottom to follow 3x 450 drawer fronts.
I have never in over 25 years in this job received a to follow remedial before even receiving the original order.
Later on that I evening I received a call from Omega customer service to explain about the unusual delivery sequence, the customer advisor informed me that the three drawer fronts had not arrived to them before the kitchen was loaded so they sent them via courier the moment they came in, subsequently the courier arrived before the Omega delivery van.
If all my suppliers took this stance then their businesses would be flourishing. Well done to the Omega plc Customer service team.
Thanks
Russell
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Friday, 4 November 2011
The cost of not knowing
Let me set the scene.
A customer has their kitchen "designed" by an employed kitchen professional (or so they think). The customer tells the professional that they want to hide their existing washing machine behind a door. (This is possible but not as straight forward as it sounds). The professional says no problem and costs in a 596mm integrated appliance door. The customer is thrilled to bits they they are going to have their new kitchen and guess what they can even hide away their five year old free standing washing machine. Having received professional advice the customer orders and pays for their new kitchen.
5 weeks later their brand new kitchen arrives, the customers installer starts to put the kitchen in place and fits the washing machine in the designated position on the plan.
later that day the customer comes home from work and sees that their old washing machine is on show, they ask the installer why he has not fitted the door that was supplied by the professional.
The installer explains that the door is 596mm wide, the washer is 595mm wide, the is no hinge space and the washer is deeper than the normal depth of a worktop and the adjacent cabinets, this also means continues the installer that a plinth cannot be fitted in front of the washer because again it is deeper than the cupboards.
Now infuriated with their new fitted kitchen the customer sets off to the shop where they bought the kitchen from and confronts the professional, after explaining to the professional what the installer had told them the professional looks very embarrassed and has to bring down his manager to deal with the situation.
The customer informs the manager that the only reason they went ahead and purchased the kitchen was that they were told they could hide their washing machine and that the professional employed by the company should have know that this was not possible using standard sized worktops, the customer then insists that they want this situation rectified and at the cost of the company.
There are two resolutions to this problem:
1. The company provides an integrated washing machine for the customer at a cost of approx £350 to the company and then there is the cost of a new continuous plinth, another £20, plus the space that the freestanding washer was fitted in is bigger than the space required for an integrated one, so the cupboards will need moving and the worktop removing and cutting (£200 labour), the worktop cannot be removed without breaking the corner joint result new worktops (£250), the seal on the tiles has to be broken thus new worktop sealing. the bill for the professional not knowing his job is £820.00 minimum. A plumber will be needed as well so now at least £1000
2. The customer keeps their washing machine but the company have to provide deeper worktops, but this means a re-design of their kitchen beacuse the adjacent return of units needs moving up by approx 80 to 100mm, this is a total nightmare solution and will cost far more that option 1.
Conclusion. The customer eventually gets the hidden washing machine but has to go through a lot of disruption and upset to get what they wanted in the first place.
The professional not knowing their job has cost his company a lot of money and it's reputation not to mention any future recommendations, who knows the value in pounds of that.
It is not considered a mistake because a mistake is something done in error, not knowing the job you are paid to do is not deemed as an error, ordering the wrong colour worktop is an error, not knowing the consequences of your actions if foolish.
This will not have been the first time that the professional would have given the "hide your washing machine behind a door" advice it's just that that last person didn't complain. Lets hope that they have learnt a lesson.
If you absolutely know the all the consequences of what you are about to do then dont do it unless of course you are prepared to face the wrath.
Do not assume that the installer will get round it, " preparation is the key to success"
Russell.
A customer has their kitchen "designed" by an employed kitchen professional (or so they think). The customer tells the professional that they want to hide their existing washing machine behind a door. (This is possible but not as straight forward as it sounds). The professional says no problem and costs in a 596mm integrated appliance door. The customer is thrilled to bits they they are going to have their new kitchen and guess what they can even hide away their five year old free standing washing machine. Having received professional advice the customer orders and pays for their new kitchen.
5 weeks later their brand new kitchen arrives, the customers installer starts to put the kitchen in place and fits the washing machine in the designated position on the plan.
later that day the customer comes home from work and sees that their old washing machine is on show, they ask the installer why he has not fitted the door that was supplied by the professional.
The installer explains that the door is 596mm wide, the washer is 595mm wide, the is no hinge space and the washer is deeper than the normal depth of a worktop and the adjacent cabinets, this also means continues the installer that a plinth cannot be fitted in front of the washer because again it is deeper than the cupboards.
Now infuriated with their new fitted kitchen the customer sets off to the shop where they bought the kitchen from and confronts the professional, after explaining to the professional what the installer had told them the professional looks very embarrassed and has to bring down his manager to deal with the situation.
The customer informs the manager that the only reason they went ahead and purchased the kitchen was that they were told they could hide their washing machine and that the professional employed by the company should have know that this was not possible using standard sized worktops, the customer then insists that they want this situation rectified and at the cost of the company.
There are two resolutions to this problem:
1. The company provides an integrated washing machine for the customer at a cost of approx £350 to the company and then there is the cost of a new continuous plinth, another £20, plus the space that the freestanding washer was fitted in is bigger than the space required for an integrated one, so the cupboards will need moving and the worktop removing and cutting (£200 labour), the worktop cannot be removed without breaking the corner joint result new worktops (£250), the seal on the tiles has to be broken thus new worktop sealing. the bill for the professional not knowing his job is £820.00 minimum. A plumber will be needed as well so now at least £1000
2. The customer keeps their washing machine but the company have to provide deeper worktops, but this means a re-design of their kitchen beacuse the adjacent return of units needs moving up by approx 80 to 100mm, this is a total nightmare solution and will cost far more that option 1.
Conclusion. The customer eventually gets the hidden washing machine but has to go through a lot of disruption and upset to get what they wanted in the first place.
The professional not knowing their job has cost his company a lot of money and it's reputation not to mention any future recommendations, who knows the value in pounds of that.
It is not considered a mistake because a mistake is something done in error, not knowing the job you are paid to do is not deemed as an error, ordering the wrong colour worktop is an error, not knowing the consequences of your actions if foolish.
This will not have been the first time that the professional would have given the "hide your washing machine behind a door" advice it's just that that last person didn't complain. Lets hope that they have learnt a lesson.
If you absolutely know the all the consequences of what you are about to do then dont do it unless of course you are prepared to face the wrath.
Do not assume that the installer will get round it, " preparation is the key to success"
Russell.
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