To whom it may concern, I write to make a formal complaint regarding my recent service from Marks Electrical. Having previously been a very satisfied customer, who has recommended your company to both friends and family for a number of years, I find the recent events to be wholly unsatisfactory and unacceptable. My husband and I are in the middle of a kitchen renovation, and due to previously excellent service, we decided to order all of our new appliances from yourselves. Due to the property being full of boxes, workmen in and out, we came to the date of Tuesday 2nd April, which was the day before the quartz worktop company, Purple Granite, were coming to template. Prior to this we had to sign off to say that everything was on site for the cut outs to be templated, including the hob. Should they arrive and we not be in a position to have the work done, for example if everything was not here, we could be charged £250 and the work would need to be rearranged, meaning an up to two-week delay on having a working kitchen. When my kitchen fitter and I went into the study where all the appliances were boxed up and ready to go, we were unable to find the hob. I am disabled and suffer with M.E as well as mental health conditions including anxiety. I quickly became highly anxious and called my husband to come home from work in order to help me check. Whilst awaiting his arrival, I phoned Marks Electrical. The time of the call was 16:45. I was caller 10 in the queue. When I finally reached the front of the queue, after 13 minutes of waiting, the call taker said she was unable to hear me, and promptly hung up. I was on WIFI calling, so found this difficult to understand. I then had to call back, again from position 10 in the queue. I finally got through at 17:08 and spoke to Naomi for 22 minutes. She was able to find the order from the details I gave her, SI – 1362034, an AEG induction hob. Naomi informed me that the item was shown as having been delivered. She stated there was no confirmation however, which was unusual, and so she would email APC overnight and get an email back from them. I explained the situation in that the kitchen worktop templater would be arriving on Wednesday 3rd April, and that we needed the hob here as they could arrived from 0800. She promised me a call back at 0900 on Wednesday 3rd April, and I was hoping that the templater had not arrived by then. I also sent a message via your WhatsApp service at 1705 and got no reply. The templater arrived at 0855 on Wednesday 3rd, and I awaited Naomis call at 0900. No phone call was received. I phoned Marks Electrical at 0927 and was advised that Naomi was not in until the afternoon. I once again explained the situation I was in, expressing the urgency, and was assured that I would get a call back once it had been looked into. No phone call was received. I ended up resorting to WhatsApp chat again, and finally made contact as per the following conversation: 0946 DF: I’m waiting to hear back from a phone call regarding a missing order. I ordered five appliances for a kitchen renovation, and they have been stacked up in a room. The templaters are here today to template the worktop and the hob isn’t here. 0947 DF: I was supposed to get a phone call back from Naomi at 9am as she sent an email to APC overnight yesterday to clarify, but I haven’t had a call. 1007 DF: Hello is anyone there? 1007 ME: Thank you, do you have a sales order number I can take please? 1007 DF: SI 1362034 Left waiting for over 20 minutes. 1029 ME: I am just looking into this for you, bear with me one moment. 1030 DF: Thank you, I am very stressed out as it is being fitted today. 1037 ME: Thank you for your patience. I have looked into your order, and I can see that this was dispatched with APC on 11/03, I have emailed our APC rep to see where this order is as she responds very promptly. Naomi is out of the office this morning until later on this afternoon so I am unable to see the response she may have received. 1037 DF: Ok thank you this is critical as our templater is here and we will be charged £250 if we cant go ahead. 1038 ME: Please allow me time to get this sorted for you, however I will advise this will not be delivered today as we need to locate where the parcel has got to. 1039 DF: OK, so what do I do please? 1040 ME: We have to allow time for APC to respond and then we will be able to advise on next steps, as soon as our rep responds I will update you and I will also see if Naomi has a response when she arrives this afternoon. 1042 DF: Ok, I have an electrician coming tomorrow to do all the wiring in as well. 1043 ME: We will get this sorted for you as quickly as we can 1056 ME: Our APC rep has advised that this will be delivered tomorrow, there was an issue in the warehouse which has caused delays with your order, I am very sorry about this. 1057 DF: I think it’s about 3 weeks late, surely it isn’t just a delay. Did they lose it? 1058 ME: They have told me the label was lost at the hub. 1118 DF : Ok this is causing me issues; I would need it here first thing in the morning for the electrician. 1121 ME : You will be notified with a time slot, I will request morning for you but this is no guarantee. Y89IB. 1122: DF: And how do I claim for compensation for the issues caused by this misplaced parcel? I have ordered a Bosch cooker, dishwasher, AEG hob and extractor fan from yourselves in the last few weeks, this has delayed my kitchen workmen and caused me distress. 1128: ME: Unfortunately, we would not offer any compensation for the delay as this is just an error which is completely out of our control, as this matter has been rectified, we would not take this any further. I am very sorry for the inconvenience caused. Can you confirm that you received the cooker dishwasher and extractor fan? 1130 DF: Yes I received those. So if I hadn’t made contact nothing would have happened 1133 ME: The parcel eventually would have been returned back to us from APC and we would have notified you of this. 1133 DF: Ok but it's been three weeks late and they hadn’t returned it to you or advised of the lost label. 1134 ME: I am very sorry about this error; we have now followed this up and got this rectified for you. APC have advised a morning slot has been requested. So, I was left on site without a hob to template, facing a two-week delay and / or £250 charge. I was advised there was nothing that I could claim as as far as Marks Electrical were concerned, it is arriving three weeks late was still the matter resolved. I awaited my confirmation of a delivery slot, and frantically rang my electrician to explain that i was not ready for the work to be done to wire in the hob. I again would be charged more for further visits needed to complete the hob. On Thursday 4th April, I awaited a confirmation of a delivery slot, but nothing came. I waited in all day once again but no delivery. I finally made contact at 1514 via WhatsApp as follows: 1513 DF: Can someone please confirm a time slot for delivery of the misplaced hob as I have been waiting in all day and not been told. 1517 DF: I am due a delivery today of an item that has been missing for three weeks and I haven’t been given any idea of a time slot. 1518 DF: SI 1362034 1518 ME: I am sorry to hear that, let me have a read through your previous correspondence. I will be back with you shortly. 1518 DF: Delivery by APC overnight, thanks, really been messed about. 1526 ME: I appreciate your patience. Upon investigation, I would like to extend my apologies for the challenges you have encountered regarding your delivery. I have discussed the matter with the representative handling your case, and PAC has verified that your appliance is scheduled for delivery today. I have noticed that my colleague requested a morning delivery slot, which has not been fulfilled as of yet. The email did not specify a specific time slot. However, I have followed up on this to ascertain the estimated time of arrival for your delivery. I will keep this chat active until I receive further information. 1527 DF: Thank you, I was hoping to go to bed as I am very tired. 1531 ME: Hope to hear back shortly, I will be in touch with you as soon as I have heard back. 1531 DF: Thank you 1548 DF: Is there any idea how long before you get an answer, please? 1549 ME: Usually they are fairly quick with their responses, if I do not hear back within the next 30 minutes, I will chase this up again for you. 1549 DF : Thanks. 1550 DF: Please also advise them to use the back door. 1621 DF: HI! 1623 ME: Hello Donna, I have raised this with them and they have responded to me with “this is out today – trying to get an ETA for you, I will let you know as soon as a I have a further update on this” 1624 DF: Ok thanks, I am desperate for some sleep so can you ask them to expedite their answer please? 1627 ME: Of course, I originally did ask for this to be expedited, but I am hoping they get in touch with me soon. 1627 DF: OK. 1700 DF: Will someone still be there to help me as getting v stressed now. 1707 DF: Hello There were no further responses that day. I needed to go to bed to sleep, due to my disability, however I was unable to do so as I was waiting for the delivery that had been promised. At 2100 I went to bed, very upset and frustrated at once again not having the hob delivered and no one updating me. At 0902 on Friday 5th April, I once again phoned Marks Electrical, where I spoke to Chris, who said he was a manager. I explained the whole story once again, the missing hob, being told it had been delivered already, then being told it would be delivered on Thursday and that the label had been lost. I explained about being kept waiting all day and that the delivery had still not happened. Chris assured me that he would speak to APC overnight and find out what was going on with my hob. I was on the phone for 27 minutes. Some three hours later, I received an answerphone message from Chris, stating that he was still waiting to hear back from APC. On hearing this, I called again at 1224 to speak to Chris to find out what on earth was taking so long to get a simple answer. He was not in the office, due to return at 1300. I asked that he call as soon as he returned. I finally received a call back at 1427 hours, where I started to express my dissatisfaction, as Chris had no update for me. At 1530, having been waiting since 0900 for an update as to what was going on with my hob, I finally left the house with my husband to get his car looked at. Whilst waiting in the car, I made the decision to order another hob. This was based on it being 1556 and still no update from Marks Electrical, and the electrician who had already been rescheduled twice due to the hob not having arrived, had promised to come on Saturday to wire it in. I had been left in a position where I had no option but to order another in order to have one for Saturday. At 1558 I finally receive da call from Chris saying that someone was on their way then with the hob. I was made to feel at fault for the fact that I was not at home at that moment, despite having waited in all day and evening the day before. My husband and I had to leave the garage to rush home to take delivery. I was still on the phone to Chris when I arrived home and saw the delivery van. Rather than say he would call me back once I had time to check it over for damage, I was made to call back in once again. I then asked that he cancel the new hob, which he said that he had done. By Monday morning, I still had not received a payment back on my Paypal account, and therefore was forced to call in once again to chase up my refund. All in all, having recommended Marks Electrical to many friends and family members based on past experiences, this experience has completely ruined the positive regard in which I held the company. I had believed that the customer service you offered was second to none, however on this occasion I have been badly let down at every opportunity. To recap: 1. My item was not delivered, and I was not notified of this. Apparently, this was due to a lost label. 2. When I phoned in a panic, I was told that the item was shown as having been delivered, which is difficult to believe if there was no label attached. 3. I was promised a phone call at 0900 on Wednesday by Naomi. 4. I was informed that Naomi was not in on Wednesday morning and that the person I phoned would investigate and call me back. I did not receive a call back from her either. 5. I was left having to make contact again via WhatsApp, and was told that the hob would definitely be delivered on the Thursday. This is despite me having quartz worktop templaters on site on Wednesday and needing the hob on site. 6. I was assured that APC had been made aware that a morning slot had been requested for the Thursday. 7. I was assured that I would receive a time slot for delivery. 8. I did not receive a time slot for delivery, and I had to make contact again with Marks Electrical on Thursday afternoon. 9. I was speaking with a representative on WhatsApp who was trying to locate my parcel, who seems to have just left me mid conversation. 10. I waited in all day and all evening for a parcel that did not arrive. 11. I had to make contact with Marks Electrical at 0902 on Friday and did not receive any news about my delivery until 1558. 12. I have been caused much distress and incurred financial costs due to the lost parcel and subsequent poor communication. Whilst I appreciate that the delivery firm was not your own, I entered into a contract with yourselves and it is yourselves who I must complain to, as it seems to have taken you three days to locate my parcel. During this time, I have been made to wait in the house from morning to night, and had to rearrange work being undertaken on site at cost to myself.I am very upset and disappointed at the service that you have provided on this occasion, and seek some form of resolution that is agreeable in the circumstances. Yours Faithfully, Mrs Donna Flowers Addendum: This complaint was sent to your complaints email on address on 9th Aprio, nearly a month ago. Your complaints process is for me to hear back within 48 hours, however I have had no contact whatsoever. I chased this up on 19th April with a phone call to customer services, where I was advised that the matter was being looked at and that I would hear back soon. I did not hear back whatsoever. I then contacted you again via WhatsApp on 29th April to express my upset, and was told ‘this has been sent over and a member of our complaints team will get back to you today. I contacted again via WhatsApp on 1st May, and had no response. I contacted again via WhatsApp on 2nd May, and was told ‘I am very sorry, I will chase this up again for you.’ I replied “thank you. I’m finding the service unacceptable and far below the standard to be expected. Marks electrical replied ‘I do apologise, I have asked my managed team to look at this as I believe they have an update with APC.’ I replied ‘ok but it’s the customer service with yourselves that’s just as big a part of my complaint. It’s been shocking. I sent a formal complaint on 9th April, have chased three times and still heard not one thing. Your complaints policy says I should hear within 48 hours. I was promised your management team were going to contact Monday and they didn’t.’ Marks Electrical replied ‘ I completely agree and do apologise, management have advised that they had sent a request to APC and they have said the appliance was delivered on 5th April.’ I replied ‘Are management going to contact me or do I need to take this publicly?’ Marks Electrical replied ‘I have advised management to call you’ I replied ‘thank you, please ensure it’s this afternoon as I will be here waiting.’ Marks Electrical replied ‘No problem, Charlotte, my manager , has your details and will call you once possible.’ 2nd May , no call received. To say this matter has gone from bad to worse is an understatement.