Getting decent service from shops seems to be a herculean task. For instance, one would expect a shop to try and compensate you for your trouble if they’ve seriously screwed up on their part…

I’ve had the misfortune of buying some pieces of furniture from the Furniture City group, specifically the Somerset Mall branch. Since they didn’t have stock of any of the items at the time, I told them to order it for me and I’d pick it up sometime the following week, which the saleslady confirmed. Come the following week, it hadn’t arrived yet, but I paid for it so long, since it will be there soon. I get no news until the next week, when I’m told that it will be arriving any day now, the truck has already left the depot. Called back again a number of times, and I’m just told “we don’t know where the truck is.”

Now, if I was running a furniture warehouse, I’d be pretty upset if I lost a shipment/truckment of slightly expensive furniture. The saleslady is unperturbed, despite her assurances that “this has never happened before.” Ultimately, I give up a month later, and call the store manager. I think I’ve been more than reasonable in allowing them a generous month worth of sleuthing to find the missing furniture and/or truck. She promises to investigate and call me back within the hour.

I actually get the call back (against all my expectations), and get informed that she’s spoken to the factory, and that my pedestals are still in the process of being manufactured. Nevermind all the bullshit about a missing truck — they haven’t even made the sodding things yet! Now, being the softie that I am, I let this one slide. I actually get the call that the pedestals are ready within the same week — quite impressive, given their track record to date.

However (you were expecting this, weren’t you?), the computer workstation I’ve ordered was delivered completely assembled. This after I explicitly asked for it to be delivered unassembled. I own a Jetta MK 4, and even though its boot is cavernous, it still won’t fit a fully-assembled workstation (measuring about 2 cubic metres). By now I’m pretty much fuming; the best they’re willing to offer me is a discount that essentially means free delivery of the workstation. This means I have to be at home at some ungodly hour during the week to wait for hours while the delivery van searches for my place. I’m not being pessimistic — that is exactly what happened.

So, I finally have the desk delivered. Everything all neat and looking smart, and I start removing the styrofoam packaging. Only then do I discover that one side panel has been broken out of its connecting joint — this in addition to the one pedestal having had a gash taken out of its one leg. I cringe, since this means more dealing with completely inept and disinterested staff to get my problem fixed. By now I’ve escalated it to the regional manager, who is the only person offering me some decent service. She’s managed to get the delivery guys out within a day from my speaking to her. But even she seems to have run into a wall with these guys.

I get a phone call somewhere in the weeks following; they’ve spoken to the manufacturer, and there seems to be a factory fault with all their desks — all the side panels have been broken in the same way. So they’ll get a rep in to sort it out. Weeks pass. We’re now in month 3 of the saga, when I get another call that they’re at my front door — they want to swap out the desk. My home being in Cape Town, and me being in Stellenbosch at the time, that doesn’t quite work out well. I tell them the weekend is the only suitable time for me, they promise they’ll call me before 12 on Saturday when they leave the warehouse for my place. I don’t hold my breath; the call never comes. I’m completely despondent by now.

I will never again support Furniture City. While they have some great deals from time to time (which is why I bought from them in the first place), they have a far way to go in terms of customer care. I’ve paid a pretty penny for this desk, and I haven’t gotten my product delivered yet, almost three months on.

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In a similar situation, Volkswagen Stellenbosch (aka Stellenbosch Motors, aka Lindsay Saker) must be the most terrible car dealership / VW workshop in existence. Having spoken to a number of friends and family members, I haven’t heard one positive word for them. Just a number of issues I’ve had:

• I’ve bought a second-hand Jetta from MasterCars (their “approved” used cars franchise). I get assured that its been through all its checks (a 80-point check at that), but I receive it with a non-functioning air-conditioner, unreadable trip computer and intermittent central locking issues. I have to take it back a leave it for a few days.
• I get the car back after a week(!), but the central locking is still acting up, the OBD is still unreadable, and now they’ve cracked my left-hand mirror somehow. The car goes back again for a week.
• The mirror isn’t ready by the time I collect it again, since they’re still waiting for parts. I take it back after getting a phone call, only for them to discover they’ve ordered the wrong model mirror.
• A week or so passes, and I get another call that the mirror’s ready. I take it back, and they repair everything nicely, except for the black mirror lining and plastic cover, which seems to have been broken in the initial smash as well. This needs to be ordered as well.
• I’m not in Stellenbosch for a few weeks, which gives them just under a month to make sure that they get everything right. I get there, the cover still needs to be spray-painted to the correct colour.
• A few days later, I get there, but they’ve ordered the right-hand side lining, instead of left.
• I’m returning there tomorrow. Who knows what will be waiting for me this time…

As above, I will never be using Stellenbosch Motors for any sort of service whatsoever. According to everyone I’ve spoken to, they are simply technically incompetent. I’ve told their service reps that, as well as their telephonic follow-up customer care people, with no apparent effect. They will not see another cent from me.