*sigh* Whatever happened to your customer service Scan?

Taken from the forum header:

"SCAN is arguably the UK's most customer-focused retailer of PC technology"

I always thought that was the case, and for the last 10+ years I've been using and recommending Scan almost religiously (unless they were out of stock of the things I needed) - even on the odd occasions when they haven't been the cheapest - and I did this because (from experience) I could always trust them to give me a great service.



Then this week arrived.

We're building new PCs for our business and so I placed my first few orders this month - nothing huge but still over a thousand pounds. The first couple of orders arrived, no problem, great next day delivery well packed etc, I was a happy chappy.

Then I placed another order yesterday for 2 items (memory and a graphics card). Both items were in stock, order was placed, payment was authorised, all looking good so far.

5pm rolls around and I see that I still haven't had an email to say that the order had been picked/despatched. No worries I thought - perhaps they pick and despatch until later in the evening, I'll probably hear from them later.

Later comes to pass, and still nothing has been picked yet despite payment being taken. No email from Scan to highlight any issues, but by this point, the Scan offices were closed and so I fooled myself into thinking that perhaps the automated email just didn't send out.

Today, still no update on the order tracker - "Payment Authorised", but still not picked. So I contacted Scan using their live chat facility. The chap I spoke to advised me that both items were "missing" and therefore deemed to be out of stock. I'm assuming this was caused by a warehouse error - perhaps the stock levels were not updated correctly?

Anyway, I asked when the stock would be in and was told the graphics card tomorrow but no ETA on the memory. By this point I was thinking "ok it's not the end of the world, it's all paid for so at least I'll have the graphics card and the memory will follow when it arrives back in stock".

But no no no - not according to Scan.

When I asked if my order could be part-shipped (not an unreasonable request - I think - since it wasn't my doing that caused the website to show stock when there was none), I was told categorically that I would not get a part shipment. There was no offer going to check with management to see if something could be done, just a case of 'we don't have that kind of a contract with the couriers'.

Scan - what I was asking was whether you would foot the bill to ship my graphics card when it arrives in stock tomorrow and send the memory to follow on a second shipment. My business - and countless others - do this all the time. You use the same couriers as my company does, and (for us at least) part-shipping it isn't a contractual agreement - if it's our fault that a customer has to wait longer than expected, we pay the extra £6 to have DPD send the in-stock items and put the remainder on back order. The result is we're a few quid down, but we demonstrate good service and we retain that customer's business for the future.

During the entire conversation I had with the agent at Scan, not once did he commit to telling me when I would receive the items I paid for - I had to prompt him for this, and even then our conversation ended without me having any slightest idea when I will receive my goods.

I don't want to stop using Scan because I'm nostalgic like that, but after today, I feel as far from a valued Scan customer as I could possibly be.
Yes no doubt my order values are just a drop in the ocean as far as Scan are concerned, but what the on earth happened to the notion of customer service and not putting a customer out when a delay has been caused?


I just wanted to share my feelings here really, I know nothing can be done as the chap I spoke to already made that clear.

Rant over :(

A member of our customer service team in currently investigating this and will reply shortly.

Regards

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mark@SCAN

A member of our customer service team in currently investigating this and will reply shortly.

Regards

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Thanks Mark, I'll look forward to an update

I hate to say it, but as predicted, here I am - 3 days after paying Scan, still with no indication whatsoever about when my items will arrive.

When I logged into the Scan website this afternoon, there was a note on my order telling me that there was a delay (not helpful, but at least it was something), but that now seems to have been removed and replaced with... nothing at all.


Come on Scan - please, please give me something to work with here - I've given you my custom, my money and my time, and in exchange you've given me delays, and a distinct lack of information.

If you are registered for free delivery then it might be worth taking the out of stock item out from your original order so you can the other item sent and then placing another order for the second item or alternatively swapping the out of stock item for something else that is in stock.