Wickes’ Jeremy Bird in ‘not god’ shock
‘Jeremy Bird is steeped in Wickes experience… he has acquired a broad understanding of the Group’s strategy and culture…. combined with Jeremy’s vision, drive and grounding in Wickes…’
– Travis Perkins press release on appointing Jeremy Bird, MD of Wickes
No business is perfect, so I aspire to be a forgiving customer, keen to provide an opportunity to correct mistakes before flying off the handle. But there’s little worse than being patronised in response to a letter of complaint.
I recently made the mistake of ordering a door from Wickes. Now I know you’re supposed to open the package and thoroughly inspect the contents before signing for delivery, but nobody keeps the courier waiting that long. So it was a day before I realised Wickes had delivered a rather nice oak door with glazed panelling, sadly unsuitable for a bathroom, instead of the cheap thing I’d ordered.
Then came the bizarre attitude; the refusal to deliver the correct door until the wrong door was safely back in their warehouse. This came with the heavy implication that I might be wrong about them delivering the wrong door in the first place; like they were calling me a liar. There was a begrudging repayment of a premium paid for delivery before noon. Normal delivery is next day, but repayment of the remaining delivery charge was phrased as a ‘good will gesture’. Hardly; if you promise next day delivery and fail, a refund should be automatic and come with an apology.
But where was the wrong door? Wickes’ courier was certainly taking its time. For about a week nobody knew where the wrong door was and so the right door could not be dispatched.
Fortunately the joiner intervened. Tutting and shaking his head, he explained this is usual for Wickes and offered to get a door from elsewhere.
But who says Wickes can’t dispatch the right product until the wrong product has been returned? This said the ever polite and patient call centre guy was company policy, like company policy was set by the gods and delivered to Moses in tablets of stone. When I asked for the name of the person responsible for company policy, call centre guy audibly gulped – just like I was asking for the name of god – and eventually suggested the board of directors.
So I’m picking on Jeremy Bird, the managing director (and apparent god) of Wickes who can’t be bothered to deal with customers. Jeremy Bird’s minion explained that ‘customer service is a key ingredient to brand integrity… we have fallen short of our service aspirations’. But it’s no good having ‘service aspirations’ if you’re not prepared to consider revising company policy from time to time.
My proposal that when Wickes deliver the wrong product, they deliver the right one to the customer at the same time they take the wrong one back, has fallen on deaf ears. The current policy maximises customer inconvenience and aggravates Wickes’ initial mistake.
It’s clear that Wickes’ culture is such that MD Jeremy Bird is regarded as something of a god. His company policy statements may not be challenged. That needs to be changed; customer service people are frontline staff witnessing Wickes’ failures firsthand everyday. Jeremy Bird has no idea. Wickes requires a cultural shift so the little people aren’t afraid to speak up.
So reading Jeremy Bird’s boast of being steeped in Wickes’ failing culture, is very disappointing. He’s clearly not a man capable of delivering change.
Comments (7 comments)
When you ordered your door online, you accepted the terms and conditions of sale, inc: the returns policy, so Im slightly confused at to why you are grieved.
Either you didnt read them before agreeing to them, which is odd and slightly juvanile, or you think you can complain, after reading them and agreeing to them, which is a clear and obvious acceptance of the conditions.
It might be advisable, to not order online in the future, as it clearly confuses you. Remain in the post internet age, and shop in store, and return faulty, unwanted, etc goods in store. This is perhaps slightly more understandable for you, with out the long worded terms and conditions you clearly struggle with.
Chris / March 26th, 2008, 11:54 am / #
FYI - Actual copy of agreement YOU agreed to reading, understanding and accepting, outling the collection of goods, prior to re del of correct items, of which you legally accepted, and then bizzarly decide to dispute.
” Dont make a formal contract by agreeing to the terms and conditions, if you are going to winge and cry about them after the event ”
Its rather silly
http://www.wickes.co.uk/page/terms
Returns and Refunds
If you want to return a product for any reason, we promise to give you a refund, excluding any delivery charges, within 30 days of the date it is delivered to you.
In the unlikely event that a product is faulty or it has been damaged during delivery, we will exchange the product or provide you with a full refund. Notification of any defect must be made within 30 days of the product being delivered to you. We reserve the right to inspect all returned products prior to agreeing to any part-refund, full refund or product exchange.
Products can be returned to your local Wickes store, with proof of purchase. Alternatively, collection of the product can be arranged through our nominated carrier, where the cost of the return will be at the customer’s expense. We require the return of the products within 30 days of the refund request being made.
Certain products offered on the website have specific, stated delivery times which supersede the standard next-day delivery proposal (please see individual product details on the website).
Referred to as ’special order’, ‘extended lead time’ or ’supplier-delivered’ products, these items are shipped directly from Wickes’ suppliers. In the unlikely event that a special order product is faulty, the item can be returned to your local Wickes store, with proof of purchase, for a full refund (including delivery charge). Alternatively, collection of the product can be arranged through our nominated carrier, where the cost of the return will be at our expense. Should a special order product need to be returned for any other reason, it can be returned to your local Wickes store, with proof of purchase, for a full refund (ex. delivery charge). Alternatively, collection of the product can be arranged through our nominated carrier. There will be a minimum charge of £22 for this service, increasing significantly dependent on customer location and product type.
Chris / March 26th, 2008, 1:27 pm / #
You’re so right Chris, we should all pay far more attention to small print.
I note that your second comment, which contains the relevant clause, is posted an hour and a half after your first. Is that because it took you, someone using a Travis Perkins (Wickes’ parent company) PC, that long to find the returns policy?
Stephen Newton / March 26th, 2008, 7:12 pm / #
While looking for the MD’s email in order to make my own complaint about customer service, I came across your blog.
However, I also came across a link that would suggest that Mr Bird has flown the nest and gone to Focus…no doubt to mess it up there too.
http://www.diyweek.net/news/news.asp?id=10648&title=Former+Wickes+md+joins+Focus+revolution
Greg / April 30th, 2008, 9:28 am / #
Hi Greg
I think you have your Birds confused; Jeremy Bird succeeded Richard Bird. That DIY Week story is from last summer.
But thanks for stopping by and I hope you get satisfaction from Wickes… although I doubt you will.
Stephen
Stephen Newton / May 1st, 2008, 9:40 pm / #
[...] this kind of thing is far from unusual. After criticising Wickes, the builders’ merchants, I received a letter form Paul Fertleman, apparently a commercial lawyer [...]
NCP and Wickes: so immature / May 22nd, 2008, 10:46 am / #
Did you manage to get the address of their corporate HQ to write a complaint to Jeremy?
Phil Wilkinson / August 21st, 2008, 9:54 am / #
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