Hello community,
after being a loyal IKEA customer for a very long time, I had a really bad experience today during my first complaint. It upset and frustrated me so much that I decided to forward my dissatisfaction to the IKEA service email.
Here is my message to IKEA... make up your own mind:
"Dear Sir or Madam,
With this letter, I would like to provide feedback regarding an experience I had at the Dortmund store during a complaint process.
Background information about the complaint
Since April 2010, I have owned a cabinet from the Besta series with the dimensions 60x40x128 cm (23.6x15.7x50.4 inches) (001.340.47). It was wall-mounted by me on a sand-lime brick wall using 8 mm (0.3 inches) plugs and appropriate screws according to the instructions. The items stored inside had a total weight of 28–29 kg (62–64 lbs).
Last week, I unfortunately discovered damage to the top panel of the carcass. Two of the four rear screws were pulled out of the particle board along with large parts of the board itself. The cabinet shifted down on the wall by about 10–15 cm (4–6 inches), held only by the front screws of the top panel. Fortunately, no one was injured and the contents of the cabinet were not damaged.
I disassembled the cabinet, removed the two doors (501.784.68), and brought the carcass to the Dortmund store for the complaint (date/time: 12.xx., xx.xx, service ticket # xxx) along with the receipt.
Experience with the complaint handling
The service employee asked me several questions about the installation. I was told that it would be necessary for an IKEA team to visit my home to determine the exact circumstances of the damage. I responded that I had no problem with an IKEA employee traveling the 25 km (15.5 miles) to Bochum, but I was convinced that the damaged carcass I brought in and the precise mounting details should be sufficient to resolve a damage claim of over 55 EUR.
Next, the employee asked me what exactly I had stored in the cabinet. When I explained that various items such as vases, photo books, etc. were kept there, I was told that this cabinet was only suitable for up to 128 DVDs (reference to a note in the computer system under the heading "Customer Benefit"). My question about whether videotapes could also be stored there was met with surprise. It took a few minutes of convincing on my part to explain that while a furniture load limit is certainly understandable, the type of items stored should be less relevant.
The service employee then informed me that I would receive a replacement top panel for this carcass. After I retrieved a replacement carcass from the shelf, I was asked to remove the top panel from my defective carcass. Then, the new top panel was handed to me from the box. I was kindly seen off by the service employee with a half-assembled carcass.
Personal conclusion
In 20 years as a loyal and devoted IKEA customer, I have spent roughly between 25,000 and 30,000 EUR in your stores. Your products have always met my expectations until now. Believe me, after all this time as an IKEA customer, I am very aware of what I can expect from a 55 EUR carcass.
After my first real complaint case, I am deeply disappointed by
a) the way the complaint was handled.
At times I felt more like a supplicant than a customer with a serious concern. Especially being left standing with a half-assembled carcass was by far the most humiliating customer experience I have ever had.
b) the outcome of the complaint.
Thank you for the replacement top panel, but a new replacement carcass would have been exactly the outcome I would expect from a customer-oriented furniture store.
Looking ahead to my future furniture purchases as a consumer, IKEA could certainly generate another 15,000 to 20,000 EUR in sales from me.
Unfortunately, I must inform you that I am ending my loyal customer relationship with you and will no longer buy any more furniture from you.
Kind regards"
Yours, Tomtom
after being a loyal IKEA customer for a very long time, I had a really bad experience today during my first complaint. It upset and frustrated me so much that I decided to forward my dissatisfaction to the IKEA service email.
Here is my message to IKEA... make up your own mind:
"Dear Sir or Madam,
With this letter, I would like to provide feedback regarding an experience I had at the Dortmund store during a complaint process.
Background information about the complaint
Since April 2010, I have owned a cabinet from the Besta series with the dimensions 60x40x128 cm (23.6x15.7x50.4 inches) (001.340.47). It was wall-mounted by me on a sand-lime brick wall using 8 mm (0.3 inches) plugs and appropriate screws according to the instructions. The items stored inside had a total weight of 28–29 kg (62–64 lbs).
Last week, I unfortunately discovered damage to the top panel of the carcass. Two of the four rear screws were pulled out of the particle board along with large parts of the board itself. The cabinet shifted down on the wall by about 10–15 cm (4–6 inches), held only by the front screws of the top panel. Fortunately, no one was injured and the contents of the cabinet were not damaged.
I disassembled the cabinet, removed the two doors (501.784.68), and brought the carcass to the Dortmund store for the complaint (date/time: 12.xx., xx.xx, service ticket # xxx) along with the receipt.
Experience with the complaint handling
The service employee asked me several questions about the installation. I was told that it would be necessary for an IKEA team to visit my home to determine the exact circumstances of the damage. I responded that I had no problem with an IKEA employee traveling the 25 km (15.5 miles) to Bochum, but I was convinced that the damaged carcass I brought in and the precise mounting details should be sufficient to resolve a damage claim of over 55 EUR.
Next, the employee asked me what exactly I had stored in the cabinet. When I explained that various items such as vases, photo books, etc. were kept there, I was told that this cabinet was only suitable for up to 128 DVDs (reference to a note in the computer system under the heading "Customer Benefit"). My question about whether videotapes could also be stored there was met with surprise. It took a few minutes of convincing on my part to explain that while a furniture load limit is certainly understandable, the type of items stored should be less relevant.
The service employee then informed me that I would receive a replacement top panel for this carcass. After I retrieved a replacement carcass from the shelf, I was asked to remove the top panel from my defective carcass. Then, the new top panel was handed to me from the box. I was kindly seen off by the service employee with a half-assembled carcass.
Personal conclusion
In 20 years as a loyal and devoted IKEA customer, I have spent roughly between 25,000 and 30,000 EUR in your stores. Your products have always met my expectations until now. Believe me, after all this time as an IKEA customer, I am very aware of what I can expect from a 55 EUR carcass.
After my first real complaint case, I am deeply disappointed by
a) the way the complaint was handled.
At times I felt more like a supplicant than a customer with a serious concern. Especially being left standing with a half-assembled carcass was by far the most humiliating customer experience I have ever had.
b) the outcome of the complaint.
Thank you for the replacement top panel, but a new replacement carcass would have been exactly the outcome I would expect from a customer-oriented furniture store.
Looking ahead to my future furniture purchases as a consumer, IKEA could certainly generate another 15,000 to 20,000 EUR in sales from me.
Unfortunately, I must inform you that I am ending my loyal customer relationship with you and will no longer buy any more furniture from you.
Kind regards"
Yours, Tomtom
M
Maverick18549 Jan 2012 06:53To put an end to this, I agree with the Ikea expert and will close this thread. If you have any further questions, I am happy to assist via email.