KitchenUnits.co
Queja 145984 Detalles

The Kitchen Factory
Kitchenunits.co
Letter of complaint:Monday 30/7/2012

My call to the company was answered after a few minutes, at 13:28. The company name was not mentioned. I was merely asked “How can I help?” I asked for customer services and the receptionist asked me to hold the line. Automatic voice says “Thank you for your patience” once per minute. 13:47
13:48 an advisor picked up my call. I asked “Who am I speaking to?” to which she replied “The Kitchen Company”. I said, “Yes, but can I have your name please? She said, "Hannah, how can I help?" I then told her that when I had spoken to the advisor named Becky on Thursday, she seemed very helpful, and told me that the remainder of my kitchen would arrive the next day, (Friday between 8am and 8pm) but no-one turned up, and could she find out what’s happening with that. Without taking any details, she says “Yep, hold the line.” Automatic voice then says “thank you for calling; please wait while I try to connect you; then; thank you for your patience once per minute, until
Sherry picked up call at 14:04 and said “customer services, can I help you. I said "Is that Hannah?", and she said, "No, this is Sherry." I explained that I had been talking to Hannah who put me on hold. Sherry came back to me at 14:06 and asked what she could do for me. I explained again, that I was expecting a delivery on Friday which did not arrive, and that I haven’t received a call about it. She asked me to hold the line, then came back to me a couple of minutes later, to say that there was no record that delivery was to be on Friday, and that it would be on 8th August. I asked to speak to Dean in the fitting department and was put through at 14:16. I told him the situation, and he asked if I had heard from the granite fitters. Told him I haven’t and he asked me to hold on for one second; he came back to me promptly, and told me I would receive a call from the granite fitters within 10 minutes, who would sort everything out for me. Dale (the granite fitter rang and told me he had not been informed of this job before now, (11 days later), when I had been told by the delivery man on 20th July that I would hear from him as soon as he reported that the delivery had been received. Dale then arranged to come and fit the granite on Wednesday the 8th, after getting the kitchen fitter (Andy) to return and attach the units to the walls, which had been left unattached to allow necessary pipe-work to be carried out (I had incorrectly been given the impression this would be done by the company's fitters). Dale called to re-arrange the fitting for Thursday, due to a delay at his end. After speaking to Dean, Dale called me back, and told me he would bring any missing parts with him that had been specified by Andy, the kitchen fitter, when he came to fit the granite.

Letter of complaint submitted on website: 11/8/2012

When Dale arrived on Thursday, he also brought the wrong model of magic corner, which was exactly the same as the one I had before,which had been taken back by the kitchen fitter (Andy).
He brought me 8 handles which had been missing, but although they were the same design as the originals, they were of a dull, matt finish instead of a polished, shiny finish which the original ones were; they also had no screws with which to attach them to the cupboards.
I am still waiting for a chimney for my extractor, as I have received two now; both of which arrived damaged.
I never received a replacement for my 1000ml unit which arrived damaged.
The granite was fitted on Thursday, and although at first the fitters said they would drop the hob into the granite ready for the gas to be connected, before leaving, they changed their minds and told me that they couldn’t do that, as the kitchen fitter had not cut back the unit to received the hob, and it was not their job to do that, but that the gas fitter would do it before fitting the hob. After he left, I noticed there was a very obvious flaw in the granite, which during the work had been covered up by the fitter’s toolbox. During his visit, Dale replaced a cupboard door which had been fitted by Andy, on which damage only became evident after attaching a handle and looking inside for the first time.
On speaking to Dean on Friday, he spoke to Dale (the granite fitter), who told him that all the gas fitter would need to do was to unscrew the narrow shelf at the front of the unit. However, I hired a gas fitter on Saturday 11th to install the hob which I bought from the company. The screws in the front shelf were covered by the granite, and therefore inaccessible. The shelf at the back was secured not only by vertical screws, but also by horizontal dowels, into the unit. The gas fitter I hired had to saw out both shelves before the hob would fit in.
The gas fitter also told me there should have been a rubber ring supplied with the hob, which should sit between the hob and the granite; this was not included in the pack. There was also no sealant to seal the hob after insertion. We both noticed immediately after undoing the pack, that one of the knobs on the hob was out of alignment, and after connecting the gas, it did not function properly. The hob was found to be malfunctioning and after testing my gas supply which he found to be working perfectly, he ended by capping off the gas supply, and told me the hob needs to be replaced, as this one would be dangerous to use. He has e-mailed me a full report, along with his invoice, which I offered to forward to the company, as soon as they provide me with an e-mail address.
I have tried calling them on Saturday after the gas fitter left, with the following results:
Saturday 16:48 Rang Reception – 4th in queue waiting to speak to representative.
16:52 – caller no. 3.
16:55 – caller no, 2
17:08 – 1st in line.
17:18 – I hear a brief ring, then the recorded message saying: Thank you for calling; you are currently no. 5 – thank you for your patience.
Since my oven and sink were removed on Monday 23rd July, I have been unable to cook in my kitchen, and have had to pay to eat meals out in restaurants. It is now 11th August and the situation is still ongoing.
Once again I am left without cooking facilities, and have had to pay for the time the gas fitter wasted on fitting, then disconnecting the malfunctioning hob.
I would like:
1. The name, e-mail address and direct line telephone number of your customer services manager.
2. A replacement hob which is of a decent quality and in full working order.
3. E-mail address to send the gas-fitter’s report.
4. refund for the magic corner which I paid for, but was never installed - £240
5. The flaw in the granite worktop to be corrected.
6. 8 replacement handles which match the original ones I received
7. Compensation (amount to be discussed) for the cost of restaurant meals and use of a launderette throughout this process, over and above the agreed 3 days quoted for delivery and fitting, and also for several days of sitting on the phone waiting to speak to customer service reps, when all they do when you get through is put me on hold until I get cut off, or when I am eventually 1st in the queue, I get set back to the end of the queue again, after 30 mins of waiting; on Saturday, I waited from being fifth in the queue to being 1st in the queue, then got set back to fifth again after 30 minutes had passed. Being promised a fitting date the day after original delivery and fitters not arriving, only to ring customer services and after eventually getting through, to be told the fitters would not arrive until the following Monday. To be being told I would receive delivery of missing items on Friday, by Becky, and confirmed when I rang to check the next day, after waiting until midday, she told me they could arrive at any time up until 8 p.m. When I rang the following Monday to find out why the delivery didn’t arrive, I was told there was no such delivery recorded on the system.
I have also had to take several days off from my work in order to attempt to contact your office on the phone, and continually keep an eye on the work being done.
8. The way in which I have been treated by this company has been absolutely diabolical, and it has the worst ‘customer service’ I have ever experienced in my entire life. Quite frankly, to even call it that is a joke. This has all caused me a great deal of inconvenience; particularly as I made it clear I was expecting guests from America on 4th August, and was promised the work would be completed long before they arrived. As it is, I have had to stay home and deal with all the stress of this kitchen installation, instead of showing my guests around London, as planned.
9. I am very upset by this situation, and I have informed the company that if everything is not completed to my satisfaction, I fully intend to report them to the Trading Standards Bureaux, and that I intend to review my findings of my experiences with the company on various internet platforms.
10. I have previously submitted a complaint via the company's website where it is stated that I would receive a reply to my enquiry within 24 hours. I received a reply after 4 days, when a customer service representative, who refused to give her name, called me and told me to ring customer services if I have any further problems. I do not consider this to be a satisfactory response, when my complaint was partly about customer services. I asked the company to respond to me in writing, at my e-mail address: within 24 hours; this did not occur. I informed them that If I did not receive a satisfactory response from you in writing, at this address, within the time-frame stated, I shall take this matter further.

Spoke to Karen today 13/8/12 at 14:50 GMT who had been recommended to me by Dale, as the most experienced and helpful representative. I told her my electrical supply on one side of the kitchen had not been working since the fitters' visit, and I was unable to use my washer/dryer, dish-washer or dishwasher, and that the hob the company supplied was not working and needed to be replaced. She took my mobile number, and said she would find my paperwork and call me back. I had not heard from her after an hour had passed, so rang back, only to hear her phone ring for around 2 minutes with no voicemail, so hung up and have still had no response at time of submitting this report: 17:07.