It’s been three months since I’ve had a functioning hob in my new kitchen due to a necessary emergency shutdown by a technician.
Kitchen Installation Gone Awry
When my kitchen was installed by Wickes, I initially dismissed a strange, intensifying odor as a normal part of the construction process.
However, nearly two months later, I identified the smell as gas. Upon calling my gas supplier, an emergency engineer was dispatched who found a leak in the newly installed hob and deemed it an immediate hazard. The gas was promptly cut off from the hob. Wickes did send a replacement hob but failed to provide installation services.
Now, three months later, I find myself with two hobs, both unusable. Despite being aware of my ongoing cancer treatment and my consequent vulnerability, Wickes has not been responsive. The lack of cooking facilities is compromising my diet, and the stress and worry are exacerbating my health issues.
MA Maidstone, Kent
Under normal circumstances, one would be shocked at such oversight. Gas appliances require installation and inspection by professionals certified by Gas Safe. It’s astounding that the initial installation failed to detect the leak, which could have led to serious consequences. Regular readers might recall that Wickes has a history of problematic installations.
After repeatedly urging Wickes to address the oversight and ensure all gas and electrical installations were up to code, they seemed to ignore my requests.
They only sprang into action after I raised questions about their practices. Within two days, they had replaced the old hob, installed the new one, and issued a gas safety certificate. “Finally, I can cook again – it feels wonderful,” you expressed to me.
Despite resolving the issue, Wickes never acknowledged any wrongdoing in their communications with me. They claim to maintain high service standards and rigorously vet their installers and their work.
However, this assurance would be news to ES from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, who faced severe delays and damages in her extensive £35,000 Wickes project that extended well beyond the expected completion time.
Throughout her ordeal, installations had to be redone, fixtures replaced multiple times, and customer service failures abounded. “Our house hasn’t felt like a home for over eight months,” she lamented.
Although Wickes eventually apologized for the extended timeline and offered some compensation, they ignored further inquiries about the poor quality of work and communication.
The situation was similarly dire for MS, whose elderly sister’s bathroom renovation was left unfinished due to the erratic presence of the assigned fitter. Despite multiple excuses and demands for upfront payment for additional work, the project remained incomplete.
After months of my intervention, Wickes finally proposed a settlement that hardly covered the mishaps, leaving the client to manage and finance corrections independently, thus voiding any warranty on the work.
MS is now looking to hire independent contractors to provide detailed cost estimates for completing the project, potentially escalating the matter legally if Wickes refuses to adequately address the situation.
Celebrating Exceptional Customer Service
Amid these frustrations, it’s refreshing to highlight companies that excel in customer service. For instance, LR of Colchester, Essex, shared how a company readily replaced his damaged sunglasses under warranty, recognizing even pet-caused damages as valid under their policy.
In another instance of commendable service, the Canadian company 3 Sprouts surprised a London customer by replacing an entire organizer for free when she reported damaged parts during a move.
Similarly, JB from London narrated how Le Creuset honored their lifetime guarantee by replacing a damaged item, no questions asked, even though the damage was her own fault.
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