A week or so ago I went into Marks, Bury St Edmunds, with three bras (roughly the same style and price - £15/20) - all of which became unwearable after one underwire had snapped on each of them. They were in otherwise good condition, but I had not bothered to return the first two because I couldn't find receipts - and I thought I had probably just been unlucky as I had older bras, also similar, still in tact. Third time unlucky, I thought it was about time that I brought the problem to the attention of the shop, but they were not prepared to make amends and instead sent the most recently purchased off to Customer Services for inspection. The assistant in the shop tried to be helpful but said one would not expect much more than a year's wear out of a bra. I think it's irrelevent how old the bra is - it's how often you've worn it that counts and the bra they sent off looked fairly new - certainly unfaded. She also said that few people had returned bras for that reason, and I pointed out that I hadn't - the first two times. 'Oh - but other people do!' she added. Make up your mind lady!
Anyway, here's the first paragraph of the response I got from a Customer Adviser... let's call her Emma (as that's her name).
Dear Ms...
Thank you for allowing our Bury St Edmunds store to send your bra to us. I was concerned to hear the underwire has snapped and I can appreciate why you feel let down, especially as it has happened on several occasions (this is comedy material isn't it?).
Is she taking the p*** or what?
There follows a another patronisng paragraph or two. Apparently it 'concerns' them when they hear their customers have been disapponted with something they have sold. Does it? Does it really?
Emma goes on to say she 'feels' ( yes, she has some sense of how I treat my laundry).... she feels that I must have washed it on too high a temperature at some time, and so they are unable to offer me a refund.
Well Emma, I wash very little on temperatures over 40 degrees as you have suggested - certainly not black bras. They would fade and probably the wires would not even stay in the bras, but travel out as has happened in the past (yes, M&S variety), and get stuck in the machine drum. You would think I would have learned my lesson by now - but I do like that particular style of bra.
Marks and Spencer Customer Service? What ever happened to that? I experienced some time ago uncooperative customer service over another issue, but didn't think they would sink so low as to make such stupid statements just to save themselves a few quid (and yet at the same time lose their reputation). The irony is I will write again Ms Emma and it will cost your company more than the price of a bra in the long run. The customer might not always be right but in this case I beg to differ.
I don't want your 'concern' M&S, I want you to write to me and thank me for my bringing the matter to your attention (even though the matter could have been settled in the shop).. Then you might offer me a goodwill gesture - a gift token possibly or even a replacement bra. I think that's the least John Lewis would do.. But yes, that's another story isn't it? And sadly there's no John Lewis Department Store in Bury... yet. Watch out M&S, because it might only be a question of time.
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