Quality/Customer care issue

[Peter Seager-Thomas]

As a regular customer of Hornby/Tri-ang etc products since the 1960's I have encountered many problems with products, all resolved without problems. it does seem however that hornby have turned over a new leaf, and not a good one.

I have found that my newer Scalextric cars are suffering with tyres cracking up when less than a year old. The cars were stored in a garage which shares the ambient conditions of both cold and damp. The new tyres of Fly, SCX, Carrera etc have not suffered. 

An email to customer care regarding this issue was for the first time acknowledged, but no reply given.

I therefore wrote directly to Lynn Szarzynski, the newly appointed QA manager for Hornby Hobbies. Again no reply.

Are Hornby now ignoring complaints?

Peter.

[Alun1969]

Hello Peter,

My own experiences with Hornby Customer Care would suggest that you are right.  Ignored at best and if not fobbed off or even lied to.  I will be actively seeking alternative suppliers, of which there are a number, from now on.

Alun

[CornishJim]

I beg to differ Admin, I too have emailed on 2 occasions recently and both have been ignored.

[Alun1969]

Hi,

I've just checked the dates: my emails to customer services were ignored on 9th December and specifically to Mark Lodge on the 10th, 14th and 20th May after some appalling service.  Lied to on the telephone regarding delivery 8th December.  Second hand and second items delivered but I had purchased new on 19th December and 2.5 weeks late.  Auto repsonses say that there will be no response for more than 5 days (I am confident there will be no response at all) and the telephone lines are constantly engaged.  Do you think we're stupid, saying you don't ignore customer contact?

Alun

[Yelrow]

Hi, i have no axe to grind, on this post, but must make the point that as far as hornby, customer care  are concerned, this is far from my experience. I have telephoned Mark lodge, on several occasions. He always phones back, not only on the same day, but  at hours that are far and beyond, his normal working day. As for emails, ones that are sent to his personal email address, are answered promptly I cannot comment on other products, but on the train side, cannot speak more highly of the level of support. john

[2e0dtoeric]

 

 

To all the Customer Service 'knockers' -

I've just received this in my email, regarding the discounted coach from last Wednesday that I ordered -

 

<p >We have been made aware that your order may not make it to you <strong >before Christmas. This is despite our teams operating a 24 hour shift since receiving your order, and for this we are truly sorry.<p >                       

We wanted to let you know as soon as we became aware so that you have a choice whether to wait for your order or to make alternate plans.

<p >                        <p >  <p >You now have a choice of two actions: <p >                        <p >                 1. DO NOTHING - Proceed with your order which will be delivered in January <p >- We will process your order as quickly as we possibly can <p >- We anticipate you will receive your order no later than Monday 5th January 2015 <p >- No further action from you required <p >                         <p ><strong >             <strong >    2. CANCEL - Cancel your order and receive a refund <p >-Please email our Customer Care Team on [email protected] <p >- Include the word CANCEL and your order number (deleted) in the subject line <p >- Refunds will be made to the original payment card <p >  <p >We are extremely sorry for the delay to your order, and the inconvenience that this may cause so close to Christmas but our <strong >first priority is to make you aware of this issue, and allow you to alter your Christmas plans accordingly. <p >                        <p >This time of year is the peak for our Customer Care Team, and we regret we cannot speak via the phone to each one of you. Hence the reason we are contacting you, and ask you to respond via email so that we can process your request as quickly as possible. <p >                        <p >Our team are focused on getting as many orders despatched as they possibly can in time for a pre-Christmas delivery but we can see some orders will not make it. Unfortunately we cannot easily identify which ones will not as we are pushing to get as many through as physically possible and therefore we wanted to make you aware of this potential issue. <p >                        <p >We are once again very sorry that we haven’t been able to meet your expectations on this occasion and we very much hope that you will allow us to fulfil your order.  <p >  <p >With sincere apologies,  <p >  <p >Hornby Hobbies Customer Services <p >  <p >So how is THAT poor service? They are doing the best they can, with limited staff. Give the poor folk chance - they want to go home, too! <p >Well done, Hornby staff. <p >Happy Christmas to you all. <p >          <p >       ((Sorry about all the <p>'s whatever they mean!))

                     

[Alun1969]

Hornby are very capable of good customer service and I have received both good and bad.  Of the 3 orders I made at the end of last month, one was on time, one was a week late (I can cope) and one was 2.5 weeks late and the contents not fit for purpose.  They are Christmas presents and the customer services department not being available - if they will respond at all - until after Christmas, is awful.  One of the items I have had to travel to Leeds today to replace - when I should have been at work.  Who knows whether Hornby will see fit to refund me.

I have online accounts with a number of online retailers and my experiences are generally excellent.  My contacts with Hornby are outside of the norm.

With regard to Mark, we spoke on the phone a couple of times and he was engaging and helfpful.  But I gave up trying to get my issues resolved with a very expensive model, 7 months ago.  Maybe the customer care team ignored my emails and not Mark himself.  But that is still unacceptable.

Alun

[CornishJim]

I am not talking about orders 2e0dtoeric, I am talking about customer service.

[brando]

I have to say that I have had sterling service when dealing with Hornby and find they offer an excelent sertvice.

[Alun1969]

I have to say that I have had sterling service when dealing with Hornby and find they offer an excelent sertvice.

I'm really pleased for you, I would have said the same until a couple of years ago.  Have you read the Black Friday orders thread?

[Yelrow]

I dont think the Black Friday thread has been very helpful to anybody. If people really expect any supplier to pay unlimited overtime, or to employ seasonal staff to handle a  black friday large reduction, which only benefits the customer, they are living on another planet. Most of us  were delighted to have been given this chance to buy things that we could not normally afford. No, time limit was placed on  goods arrival, and the  human nature of something on the cheap led us to buy. The choice was ours. We only have ourselves to blame, if our demand flooded their resources. Do we want it next year, of course. Both amazon, and Hornby, enabled   the poorer amongst us to benefit. All power to them, for  giving us the chance. I wish both companies  a happy and prosporus new year. This initiative should be encouraged, not complained about. john

[Alun1969]

I dont think the Black Friday thread has been very helpful to anybody. If people really expect any supplier to pay unlimited overtime, or to employ seasonal staff to handle a  black friday large reduction, which only benefits the customer, they are living on another planet. Most of us  were delighted to have been given this chance to buy things that we could not normally afford. No, time limit was placed on  goods arrival, and the  human nature of something on the cheap led us to buy. The choice was ours. We only have ourselves to blame, if our demand flooded their resources. Do we want it next year, of course. Both amazon, and Hornby, enabled   the poorer amongst us to benefit. All power to them, for  giving us the chance. I wish both companies  a happy and prosporus new year. This initiative should be encouraged, not complained about. john

That's simply not everyone's experience.  The delivery time was quoted 3-5 days, not 19 days.  I wouldn't have purchased the items at all if I had known that Christmas presents would be second hand and that I would struggle to get in touch with customer services.

 

I would turn your argument on its head and say Hornby would be better doing sales through their retailers (Hattons, Kernow, Track Shack and many more), who largely seem much more able to deal with this kind of thing.  If you haven't got the resources to adequately cope with a sale and the associated commitments, then don't do it!

 

Alun

[trainlover23]

I dont think the Black Friday thread has been very helpful to anybody. If people really expect any supplier to pay unlimited overtime, or to employ seasonal staff to handle a  black friday large reduction, which only benefits the customer, they are living on another planet. Most of us  were delighted to have been given this chance to buy things that we could not normally afford. No, time limit was placed on  goods arrival, and the  human nature of something on the cheap led us to buy. The choice was ours. We only have ourselves to blame, if our demand flooded their resources. Do we want it next year, of course. Both amazon, and Hornby, enabled   the poorer amongst us to benefit. All power to them, for  giving us the chance. I wish both companies  a happy and prosporus new year. This initiative should be encouraged, not complained about. john

That's simply not everyone's experience.  The delivery time was quoted 3-5 days, not 19 days.  I wouldn't have purchased the items at all if I had known that Christmas presents would be second hand and that I would struggle to get in touch with customer services.

 

I would turn your argument on its head and say Hornby would be better doing sales through their retailers (Hattons, Kernow, Track Shack and many more), who largely seem much more able to deal with this kind of thing.  If you haven't got the resources to adequately cope with a sale and the associated commitments, then don't do it!

 

Alun

Then why did you and do you use Hornby ?

[walkingthedog]

I agree Trainlover. I buy very little from the Hornby shop. Did get 3 wagons in the sale and wasn't bothered when they were going to arrive. It wasn't rocket science to work out that a sale in the depth of the Christmas rush was going to end with late deliverys. 

[2e0dtoeric]

To Cornish Jim  I consider the email post I mentioned above to BE customer service.

They are letting the customer (me) know what is happening, and why.

As WTD put, it is Christmas, and the postal sevice will be going berserk anyway, so I was expecting the item to arrive when it does.

I used to work for a BIG courier firm, and at this time of year, we had no hope of 'clearing the floor' daily, but in a week's time, the lads will be scratching for work once they have shifted the back-log, and there will be next to nothing coming in for the next month or so. The job used to 'die' until after the April budget, but that no longer applies.

[Alun1969]

Then why did you and do you use Hornby ?

 

Because I believed that a brand I have used since I was a young child in the 1970s would do what they said they would do!  New items and on time, I thought that would be obvious.  Actually, on time wasn't even an issue.  They didn't hang bout taking my money.  If there were problems, they had plenty of opportunity to let me know.

 

If Hornby aren't careful, they'll end up on Watchdog.

[trainlover23]

Then why did you and do you use Hornby ?

 

Because I believed that a brand I have used since I was a young child in the 1970s would do what they said they would do!  New items and on time, I thought that would be obvious.  Actually, on time wasn't even an issue.  They didn't hang bout taking my money.  If there were problems, they had plenty of opportunity to let me know.

 

If Hornby aren't careful, they'll end up on Watchdog.

And what good would that do ? None what so ever all you do is moan moan moan.  I suggest you back off for a while and take a long hard look at your pointless posts.

[Alun1969]

How dare you!  I bought Christmas presents for my 11 year old son.  I take it you don't have children or Christmas isn't a big deal in your house.

 

I got second hand and damaged items 2.5 weeks late.  I have every right to moan.  Thank heaven I have a bit of spare cash so I can replace them.

 

On a forum where I am a regular contributor (not just consumer of information) I was told that the only way of getting a response from Hornby was to post here.  That was right.  I have also posted that Tanya called me this morning and was extremely helpful.  That wasn't a moan.  I suggest YOU back off and try putting yourself in someone elses situation, rather then a selfish and ever so cosy "I'm alright Jack" approach.

 

Alun

[RDS]

Excellent response admin - well done.

[Graskie]

What a lovely bit of Christmas spirit!

 

I didn't order anything because I have so much money that I would be only too happy to buy at double the RRP! (l:-l). Might have to sell a bit more gold but......

[walkingthedog]

Graskie you old stirrer.  

[2e0dtoeric]

And with reference to my earlier comments, I've just received another email -

Thank you for your order from Hornby Hobbies Ltd. Your order reference (removed), has been shipped on tracking consignment number (removed) and is due for delivery on Wednesday

[Peter Seager-Thomas]

With regard to my original post, acknowledgements of my complaint were received on 1st December for the first mail and 10th December for the second.

'..If your email was regarding Airfix or Corgi spares please allow up to 28 days. For all other enquiries we normally endeavour to reply within five working days....'

So, 16 working days later no reply. 

My aim was not to receive replacements which alas, would not be worth fitting anyway.

My concern is that Customer Care did not immediately, on my opening this thread, reply with such words as 'We apologise, we were unaware of the problem and will take immediate steps to rectify the situation and will stop selling items we know to be defective.'

I trust that in due course heads will be extracted from sand and efforts will be made to restore the ever waning reputation of Hornby. Start by bringing back more manufacturing to the UK.

Peter.

[2e0dtoeric]

My Pullman brake coach arrived at about 1pm.

Thanks, Hornby!.