Yes, that’s right, another one of those Customer Service rants.
In the UK we are having a Credit Crunch. Hey, maybe you guys are in yonder are too, but I just know I can’t turn on the TV without hearing those two words, and the whole consumers are tightening their purse strings business.
Money is tight. Things are extraordinarily expensive, even the price of bread, and don’t me started on the price of chicken. Even the battery farmed ones!
And there is more choice than ever, no? Where we eat, where we shop.
So I am tired of the extremely lame customer service we get in the UK (please do share if you also have lame experiences in your part of the world).
I can’t remember the last time I left somewhere with a sense of quiet warm gratitude because someone was just polite and efficient.
What’s worse that the high street retailers? The online retailers. I don’t know why I bother sometimes, but I do.
ASOS is a prime contender for repeatedly lame customer service. They have a snazzy website you see – they have pretty models who make the clothes look amazing. When you receive the completely overpriced goods, that some child person has made in the worst conditions in China in a snazzy plastic wrap, there’s never a ahhhhhh that’s wonderful! Just what I wanted! feeling. It just looks – lame. (come on, you get that ALL the time with catalogue clothes, no?).
I am lazy. Most people I know are too damn lazy to return stuff that is meh. (You have to wrap it, PAY FOR THE RETURN, queue at the Post Office where they’ll be full of smelly people, then wait 5 days for it to get back, if it ever does.) If its horrid beyond belief its going back, or going to the sister in law at Christmas. If its Meh, maybe-I’ll-wear-it-one-day, then you’ll throw it on a heap and there is £30 in Mr ASOS bosses pocket.
Now if I bought it in Topshop, I’d just walk over and take it straight back. I can’t do that with asos – everything costs money; delivery, returns etc. etc.
I can’t stand the rigid customer service on their website. I used to shop on it when it was just a crappy little site called – As Seen On Screen, and people bothered to respond to your emails. Nowadays, when you do get a reply its always standard – computer-says-no, kinda stuff.
Example -
They actually once sent me a parcel with two things missing and charged me anyway – erm, yes I did notice. I emailed them. Yes I want a refund, RIGHT NOW. Oh yes, they said, the items were out of stock. You don’t say?
And the what really got on my nerves today was that I requested an exchange for an item. Not hard to process is it? But they gave me a refund – I emailed the CS and they responded, snottily – apparently the item was out of stock at the time so they just refunded it. Really? Because in the few days it took to arrive back, how come two of my friends saw and bought the same item? So it was out of stock for a magic 5 hours or something? If the item was out of stock, can’t the department exercise some common sense and say, we’ll have some coming in tomorrow so lets sort that out then?
COMPUTER SAYS NO.
Methinks that Asos has to pay for the exchange postage, and they are so big for their boots that they can’t be bothered. If I don’t buy it, they still have hundreds and thousands of women that will, right?
They have a big selection of clothes I guess, but unless you are a genuine size whatever, which I don’t think many women are, be prepared to send a lot of things back. (Do you KNOW how much jeans or shoes cost to send nowadays? a good £3-£4.).
The clothes are expensive for what they are and I have never noticed exceptionally good quality (unless it is a branded item) – its on par with Primark, with the look of Jane Norman (if you have never heard of Jane Norman clothes you really should google – they make clothes for women in their twenties who have spare money (£100 for a coat?!?! £60 for a lycra dress?!?!) and absolutely no taste. You know the ones that desperately don’t want to turn 30 and still wear crochet mini skirts, think white pants are a good idea, and wear bustiers with little ti*ies? those girls.)
If you like leotards –
Or baggy pants –
Or wearing nightes as dresses –
Then Asos is great!
Back to quality – I’ve got holes in a bunch of Asos stuff I’ve worn once. What they have is an amazing styling crew, a great website and gorgeous models. But the products and service? – A big fat meh. For the amount of hassle I get for spending hundred of pounds with them, I expect more than a meh.
I’m going to completely remove them from my shopping radar from now on. Really! I will!
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I have had 1 experience with Asos.
I bought a teal coloured dress that looked stunning on the website, paid £45 for this piece of prettiness & received what basically looked like a fancy dress costume your mam knocks up in 5 minutes – it felt & looked like crepe paper
Then I had the joy of paying to return said dress made of crap, after emailing them to advise very disappointed with the quality and getting no response. I will never, ever order from them again.
Who else are pants?
Oli – sent me the wrong top, COMPLETELY different to the one I ordered & then I had to pay to return it!!! never got my money back for the cost of returning and couldn’t be bothered to argue over the £3 or whatever it was.
Pfft. I don’t buy clothes online anymore, i’ve given up on finding a company that actually offer good customer service.
Yeouch, sorry for the rant!
Reply
I think it might be the prevailing culture in Britain. I had a bad experience with sellers from the UK.
I once ordered a package from the UK, and when it didn’t arrive a month later, I sent the seller a missive. The seller tried to disavow any responsibility. Fortunately the package arrived a few days after that, but the seller continued to use a patronizing and nasty tone in correspondence. I wanted to fire off a scathing response, but at that point, I was just happy to have my package (as I got the impression that the seller wasn’t going to do anything if it never showed up).
Reply
Hey chica
Do NOT get me started with Oli!!!!!
I was enticed by their lovely catalogue, and ordered stuff – all of which was horrible when it arrived (and expensive). It cost me £5 to return it all, which is utter madness! then, I never got the statement and they charged me £12 late payment fee. When I argued it, they refunded, but they were like – “It is ENTIRELY our discretion, next time please double check your post” blah blah blah. Whatever. There’s a million places to buy nicer and cheaper clothes, Oli!
Reply
Heya. I just don’t understand how can you order some clothes online that you don’t even know if they are gonna fit you. My very limited experience was ordering online from mango. You can just take the pieces that you don’t like back to the shop. Nowadays I tend to only buy accessories online, which doesn’t need any sizing guide.
It’s nice to read your blog.
Cevest
xoxo
Reply
Hey Mandy
I think you may be right. This is basically in every store – I mean myself and a lot of friends feel dread when about to return something that faulty with or without a reciept cos u know there will be a battle. I feel like they dont care if you go back or not, just as long as they get to keep your money! Not thinking in the long term I guess.
Thankfully your package turned up! Im like that a lot, if the item turns up, ok, I will just take it and run.
Reply
Hi Cevest
Yeah – not matter how standard you think you are, when you check measurements and things, you never know untill you try something on. I wear a UK size 10, but if I followed meausrements for clothing according to my bust, i would be a size 20! Not kidding!
Accesories is a good thing to buy though.
Reply
ohh thank you for this post! i have surfed ion a Asos a few times but have not bought anything, now i have more reasons to avoid this!
Reply