Currys — Local services in Reading

I took delivery of a new fridge and electric cooker. Both were delivered at the start of the four hour delivery window.

Living in an upside down house, the appliances were left in my hallway.

The fridge was unpacked, taken upstairs and put in place. The cooker, however, was unpacked and found to be damaged. It appeared twisted with a large dent in one side.

Within 15 minutes of delivery, I was on the phone to Currys, dealing with a phone robot. After answering lots of questions, I was told to hold so that a callback could be arranged, only then to be told that a callback wasn’t possible, and the call was terminated. This happened twice.

Eventually, I got through, only to be told it would need to be returned to store. As a store bought item, customer services unbelievably couldn’t help. When I told the man on the other end of the phone that this was “ridiculous”, I was told to watch my language. I politely told Bolly in a call centre South Africa that his oversensitivity to my frustrations was ridiculous and that his manner and lack of empathy was doing nothing to alleviate them.

I visited the Reading store and explained the situation but was told nothing could be done right away - despite there being a good three hours left of my delivery slot. A lorry was out doing the rounds but it couldn’t return to me.

Further frustrating was that a straightforward exchange could not be arranged. I would need to await the manufacturer’s agreement to refund the item, get that back and then arrange to purchase another item. It seemed like an unnecessarily complicated way of doing things.

Throughout the attempted refund process, faced with an argumentative and defensive gentleman on the customer service counter, I did come across a helpful manager, who saw sense and recognised the inconvenience caused to me. Each time he came up with a suggestion to make things right, his staff member shot him down. It was a constant “it can’t be done, it can’t be done” followed by “well you do it then”. Clearly this particular employee wasn’t unpleasant towards just the customers - but his peers and managers too.

Sadly, there was total disregard by the store for the cooker in my home, blocking my only exit from the property. It was suggested that I simply “move it” as necessary! Presumably, in the event of a fire, I just move it. If I need to use my bathroom, I move it again. Living alone in my newly purchased home, moving a knackered and heavy cooker around my possessions until Currys could be bothered to take it back, was acceptable.

In the end, I had to order a cooker for delivery the next day, and simply pursue the refund at a later date. The same manager agreed to discount the purchase bun £50, which seemed generous, but I didn’t realise that was to include the costly £30 delivery too. Eventually, and perhaps realising the stress I had encountered that afternoon, the replacement cooker was delivered for £200.

A few days later, the damaged cooker was collected but I had to pop into store to get my refund as my card had expired and a new one issued. In typical Currys Reading fashion, one utterly useless employee told me to return when her colleague was back from lunch as she couldn’t do anything. I offered her the voicemail on my phone, confirming my outstanding refund and my receipt too - but she didn’t want to help. I told her that I wasn’t prepared to wait and that she should call a manager to help. That manager never materialised and no effort was made by her to chase them up.

When her colleague appeared - Mr Difficult from before - he couldn’t grasp the card situation. Explaining one had expired and one was new, offering both and both showing the very same account number, I was told “it has to go back onto the same card”. Rephrasing several times, it took an equally as astounded shopper to step in and explain himself - reiterating that it was all rather straightforward!

Overall, an...

If I could give a 0 rating I would have.

I went in to the Reading branch on 29th Oct at 7:30pm to purchase an iPad. this was for a gift that I was giving on the today (31st Oct).

After waiting around for 10mins I was approached by the store manager who asked if he could help.

After telling him what I wanted he then proceeded to check the stock on the computer, he then advised that he would go and get it for me and will be back in a couple of seconds.

He then went off and spoken to a couple of young female customers and then went to the doors to close all the shutters and then went off to speak to a colleague. after this he disappeared.

10 minutes had passed before I was then approached by another member of staff. I explained it all to him and he advised that he would deal with it. Whilst he was going to get it from the stock room I was told to go to the desk to go through the trading in (trading in an old tablet).

When I approached this desk I was greeted by the most miserable and unhelpful member of staff you could imagine. after checking his watch he told me that the systems were down and to come back in tomorrow as they were closing and wanted to go home.

In the meantime the gentleman came back from the stock room with the tablet and asked the gentleman to check the system again for the trade in. After he checked his watch again and gave another sigh it was back up and working again surprisingly.

With vouchers in hand we then proceeded to the tills to pay for the item. They had taken the payment off the 2 gift card which I gave them however the remaining balance which I was paying off using a card would go through due to one of there systems being down.

I was then told that they couldn't do anything that night and they wanted to go home and that I had to go back in the following day.

They voided the transaction and advised that the money would go back on to the gift cards within 24-48hrs (so I wouldn't have been able to go back in the following day).

I rang the customer services number yesterday (30th Oct and spoke to a very helpful gentleman. After explaining to him all of the above and telling him I needed it for a gift for the 31st Oct he advised he would email the store and regional manager and ask them to call me straight away with a solution and to offer a gesture of goodwill or a discount on the product for all of the inconvenience.

Guess what.... I didn't get a call and more than 24hrs on, I still haven't. oh, and I still haven't got the money on the gift cards (more than 48hrs now).

I have just called the customer services again and he called the store to find out what's happening. Store advised it wasn't dealt with and they have just actioned it and that it was now going to be another 48hrs.

I explained to the guy in customer services that this wasn't good enough and that I needed the item today (now) and he just kept saying there was nothing he could do about it. I asked to speak to a manager and he declined to pass it over and said he wouldn't want to speak to me. When I asked for his name so I could write a complaint he refused to give it.

Absolutely appalling service and I will certainly not be using them again. It's there loss as I was just in the process of buying an Apple Mac and a...

I wanna start with the positive. After quite an ordeal just trying to make a return CJ was incredibly helpful and polite and kind. Truly fantastic service on his behalf.

Now for the one star (frankly 0 if I could give it) review: Manu. I assume a manager and frankly Currys if that’s the case perhaps review who you put into positions of leadership. I arrived to make a return at 16:05 ish. I waited for 5-10 mins at the returns counter before a member of staff even spoke to me. I could see another member of staff who was busy, but aside from that nobody. After this first wait a member of staff came to ask if I was making a return or collecting, I explained it was a return from the day prior and it was an online orders this young man wasn’t able to help as it was a return so he said he’d got ask someone. Enter Manu - the villain in this story. Manu, who looked as though he was a manager given the high vis and the telling other staff who had now appeared what to do. He said something to the effect of he couldn’t help me so he would add me to the queue. At this point it is myself and a lady waiting for her laptop to be repaired. I said yep sure, he said 10-15 min wait max as we are short staffed today. Fine no problem. 10-15 mins have gone by, an still I wait, now there’s a queue forming, Manu, man of the hour reappears and now tells me it’ll be another 30 mins, myself and another lady waiting now for returns were likes we have been here for ages already? Manu then tells us he is short staffed and cannot help because and I quote here “people have called in sick, one person called in because of their mental health”. I then as “are you a manager” “yes” “okay so can you do a refund?” “No I can’t help you with that” “so there’s one member of staff in the whole store who can help with a refund” “yes and he’s busy” “right okay” so I continue to wait, the queue forms more so, and then Manu, who hasn’t helped with collections OR with refunds suddenly leaps into action and helps with the collections and payment. He then found CJ who was a delight and able to actually help me. By the time I left it was 16:45!

In the time I was in the store I saw at least 7 members of staff (many appeared after Manu realised that hey there’s quite a big queue) despite the “short staffed”. It got to the point people trying to PAY had to use the tannoy service to say “hello customers waiting to pay”. Manu then told them that they should have come over to the same area I was waiting to pay… which was then pointed out that they couldn’t have paid there because AGAIN there was nobody there.

Manu… and whom ever gave him the role of leadership… please consider actually assisting rather than just putting things into queues. Currys - train more staff on returns and collections. What a horrible way for several customers to view your store.

CJ tho, delightful give him a promotion and let him be in charge and tell people to do.

Thanks CJ. No...