July 8, 2003
Rizwan
Customer Care Manager
Moben Kitchens
Cornbrook
Brindley Road
Manchester
M16 9HQ
Dear Rizwan,
Order Number: 6#####
Following our brief conversation today, I thought I would now take this
opportunity to put into words all the difficulties and unnecessary inconveniences
I have had to encounter since I agreed to purchase a fitted kitchen from
yourselves. I feel it is best if I list the problems below as and when
they occurred, thereby having complete confidence that we both are aware
of where we stand on the issues I have endured.
1. Following delivery of my kitchen on Monday 23 June 2003 I did not receive
a confirmation as to what day the installation was going to take place
the following week. On Saturday 28 June I called Sharps in Bristol and
they advised that there would be no-one to help me on this issue on a
weekend. Believing the installation may commence on Monday 30 June, under
the advise that your fitters begin work on a Monday or a Thursday, I therefore
cleared my kitchen completely and then eventually received a phone call
from yourselves on the Monday lunchtime saying that the fitting would
take place on Thursday 3 July. This was also after I had to make a call
to chase this problem up.
2. This delay in installation meant I had to resort to Takeaway Food and
eating out as I had cleared my cupboards and freezer of food in preparation
for the possible Monday installation date.
3. On Wednesday afternoon I received a phone call from Tuckers to advise
me that there would be a delay in the start time of my work as the installers
had hit problems on a previous job and would be with me by lunchtime on
Thursday. Whilst I was willing to be a bit flexible with the start times
I do not consider that a problem on another job should really delay my
job commencing, not service I would expect from Moben.
4. On Thursday I did not get a call as to a start time. After my second
call to Tuckers I was told that the fitters should have called to say
they would be at my property between 12.00-13.00. They eventually advised
that they would be at my address for 16.15. By this time not much work
could be completed but they did manage to gut my kitchen but leave me
with no running water downstairs or upstairs, or any cooking utilities.
5. I was also told that if installers started a job on a Thursday they
would work the Saturday to complete the job if this wasn’t possible
in two days. When I asked them what times they would be working they said
it will run into the Monday as they do not work Saturdays. This was contrary
to what I had been told at point of sale.
6. After returning home from work on Friday 4 July my kitchen was still
very much upside down and I still had no cooker, sink or running water
downstairs. I therefore had to use water from the upstairs bathroom.
7. Whilst I gave permission for my old units to be dumped into my driveway
to be collected by a skip Monday afternoon, I didn’t realise I was
also giving permission to have a previous customers rubbish collected
in the back of their van also added to the not yet created pile.
8. By 17.30 Monday 7 July the fitters had completed the kitchen, advising
me an hour before that one of the cupboard doors could not open as it
was inhibited by the positioning of the washing machine. This gave me
very limited access to pipes and loss of storage space as well as being
very impractical. I advised the fitters that I would be bringing this
matter up with yourselves as I believed that there must have been an error
made at the time of the kitchen being surveyed. This didn’t stop
me thinking that the fitters could also have made a big error. It was
also obvious that this part of the unit had been installed some three
inches in from where the original kitchen started and looked a good reason
why as to why the door wouldn’t open properly. I then gave the kitchen
a good inspection for other faults and the remainder of this list comprises
these problems.
9. The Work Top corner was covered in coloured sealant which looked unsightly.
10. Bracket Housing was missing off one of the drawer brackets.
11. The end support to the side of the drawers has a one inch gap which
again looks unsightly.
12. Door Stoppers were missing in most of the cabinets and one was even
found to be broken on one of the cupboards.
13. One of the doors needed readjusting as it didn’t close evenly
and would rub against a trim.
14. The support was not fixed firmly under the kitchen sink and would
move with ease.
Following the above discoveries I rang your Customer Care Centre first
thing Tuesday morning and I had to phone a further two times, and stay
on hold, until you were available, where I mentioned most of the above
listed installation errors.
One of your fitters called round to see me that evening and displayed
much concern as to the lack of quality of workmanship that had been carried
out. In his time there he managed to render one of the above problems,
and also noted to me that the fitters had also put the legs of the drawers
on the wrong way round. He did provide encouragement though, that work
would be undertaken to correct all the mistakes that have been made.
I feel since my kitchen was delivered I have just been faced with problem
after problem and have been astounded at the outcome of all this. What
should be a really good experience of having a brand new kitchen has just
been spoilt from near beginning to end. This was a very expensive venture
for me to get involved with, and have been so very surprised and disappointed
to have had to experience such a poor level of service and workmanship
from Moben.
I trust you will regard this letter with all the importance it deserves,
and fully appreciate the problems I have encountered.
I look forward to your response to settle this matter.
Sonia Allen
Manager – Customer Care
Moben Kitchens
Cornbrook
Brindley Road
Manchester
M16 9HQ
Dear Sonia,
Order Number: 6##### It is with great regret that I have had to escalate
this complaint to yourself.
Please find attached a letter which I sent to your Customer Care Manager,
Rizwan on 8 July 2003. This letter has never been acknowledged, so I believe
it should be of some interest to you, and a hope for me, that something
is actually going to be done to rectify my kitchen and compensate me for
the massive inconvenience and shoddy workmanship that I have experienced.
Since I contacted Moben, the day after my kitchen was installed, a different
Fitter was sent to my house in the evening to assess my complaint. The
main one being that I have a cupboard I cannot open due to hitting my
washing machine. I drafted a list for the fitter and he himself collated
a report which he said he would then submit the next day.
Since that day I have heard absolutely nothing form Moben. I have phoned
them probably a dozen times during the day, the majority of the time requesting
Rizwan to call me back but he never has. I have left voicemails and still
no call back. This is so frustrating, I am a very busy person and it can
be very difficult to phone about personal matters during my working day,
but I make the effort and still achieve no result from your team.
I waited patiently on the phone last Friday lunchtime to speak with Rizwan.
When he came to the phone he said that he was just in the process of speaking
with the Fitters and would get back to me that day with a date and time.
Needless to say I didn’t receive a call. Having rang your office
I spoke to one of his assistants, and I asked for Rizwan’s Line
Manager to escalate this now massive problem, hence this letter to you.
I am so disappointed in all that has happened to me since I have had this
kitchen installed. I cannot believe that a company with your alleged reputation
can act in such an inefficient way. This customer service level is the
worst I have ever experienced. I even visited the showroom where I made
my first enquires only for them to say they would contact Rizwan and get
him to phone me. He didn’t!
I have also had to cancel my Tiling which was due to be done a week after
my installation, and I am unable to paint the walls, until the kitchen
has been fitted correctly as per the plans. My kitchen is a disaster and
this whole unhappy episode has been made so much worse by the inability
of your staff to bother to return my calls or offer me any crumb of comfort
that this work will be done, and as to when it will be done.
As mentioned in my letter of July 8, 2003 to Rizwan,
this is the most expensive project I have undertaken since I bought my
house, and I chose your company purely because I was convinced that the
job would be a professional one. I could easily (as quoted by your salesman)
have chosen a competitor of yours and paid less money, but I should seek
solace in the fact that this work would be carried out to the up most
professionalism. This clearly and categorically is not the case. I feel
I have been totally conned!
Please can you show me the common courtesy of replying to this letter.
If I do not hear from you within a week of this letter, you can rest assured
that I will now be taking this to the local media who I know enjoy advertising
scenarios such as what I have so sadly been faced with.
I shall hear from you soon with a positive and comforting solution I trust.
