chris_d
Established Member
To future Screwfix customers,
As someone who is always doing some form of DIY or construction to my property, my friends and family regularly give me B&Q, Focus and Screwfix vouchers for birthday and Christmas presents etc.
I'm currently using a thermalite block and thin joint mortar system for a small extension and thus required an electric paddle mixer to mix the special mortar. I logged on to Screwfix, perused their products, filled a basket and checked-out but got presented with: "Sorry, we no longer accept vouchers over the internet". Already rather annoyed, I drive to Screwfix in Gloucester (22 miles away), duly fill in my little order form and go to the till but then get "Sorry Sir, your vouchers expired in May 2010". It appears that the £150 of vouchers I received as Christmas presents in December 2009 don't even last a year although I have another £50 of vouchers from a later birthday that have no expiry date whatsoever - beautifully consistent!
I remonstrated with the cashier who blurted out that: "...accepting them was at the manager's discretion...", to which I replied: "...you are a national chain and your processes should be consistent regardless of branch". The manager duly refused to accept them but rather surprisingly went on to say: "Try Cheltenham, they might take them". Now, if I hadn't been given the vouchers as gifts then I would have given up at this point as time is more important to me, however my conscious said that I had to try to redeem the vouchers for the sake of my kind benefactors. Off I drive to Cheltenham (another 8 miles), I waited for the dopiest looking cashier to be free and pounced - she didn't even look for an expiry date!
So, the lessons learnt:
1. Screwfix have stopped accepting vouchers online.
2. Always check vouchers for an expiry date.
3. Screwfix's policies are utterly inconsistent.
4. Screwfix managers are ignorant to the point that they can't see the possible longer term customer loyalty potential from a short-term concession. Had the manager looked at my account history then he would have learnt that I have spent several £Ks with them recently and historically!
5. Trainee staff need to be watched like a hawk, yet can really please customers in their own special way.
6. Vouchers are a pain in the pineapple.
7. There is a wonderful opportunity for a half decent, universal merchant in Ross-on-Wye.
Regards,
Chris
As someone who is always doing some form of DIY or construction to my property, my friends and family regularly give me B&Q, Focus and Screwfix vouchers for birthday and Christmas presents etc.
I'm currently using a thermalite block and thin joint mortar system for a small extension and thus required an electric paddle mixer to mix the special mortar. I logged on to Screwfix, perused their products, filled a basket and checked-out but got presented with: "Sorry, we no longer accept vouchers over the internet". Already rather annoyed, I drive to Screwfix in Gloucester (22 miles away), duly fill in my little order form and go to the till but then get "Sorry Sir, your vouchers expired in May 2010". It appears that the £150 of vouchers I received as Christmas presents in December 2009 don't even last a year although I have another £50 of vouchers from a later birthday that have no expiry date whatsoever - beautifully consistent!
I remonstrated with the cashier who blurted out that: "...accepting them was at the manager's discretion...", to which I replied: "...you are a national chain and your processes should be consistent regardless of branch". The manager duly refused to accept them but rather surprisingly went on to say: "Try Cheltenham, they might take them". Now, if I hadn't been given the vouchers as gifts then I would have given up at this point as time is more important to me, however my conscious said that I had to try to redeem the vouchers for the sake of my kind benefactors. Off I drive to Cheltenham (another 8 miles), I waited for the dopiest looking cashier to be free and pounced - she didn't even look for an expiry date!
So, the lessons learnt:
1. Screwfix have stopped accepting vouchers online.
2. Always check vouchers for an expiry date.
3. Screwfix's policies are utterly inconsistent.
4. Screwfix managers are ignorant to the point that they can't see the possible longer term customer loyalty potential from a short-term concession. Had the manager looked at my account history then he would have learnt that I have spent several £Ks with them recently and historically!
5. Trainee staff need to be watched like a hawk, yet can really please customers in their own special way.
6. Vouchers are a pain in the pineapple.
7. There is a wonderful opportunity for a half decent, universal merchant in Ross-on-Wye.
Regards,
Chris