But I Smile Anyway…

I left it a few days.

But these guys are still totally incompetent!

I guess certain things can’t be changed on a whim.

I sent my big long message to the #notsohotpoint guys at Twitter and they never actually acknowledged receipt of the messages.  However we did get calls back.

As you may remember from the previous post, they were just as dim as the last lot of clowns we had been speaking to, and I held out little hope that the CEO would even acknowledge the email Hubby Dearest sent.

Well, it actually got passed on to the CEO’s Support Team, and we got a message back apologising for our complex case… (It’s not that complex, 2 out of 3 of our appliances are dangerous because of a manufacturing fault. We want a refund.  Because it has taken so long to acknowledge the complaint, and the lack of communication, we are requesting compensation for all the time and phone calls that we have had to make, Plus, we have lost faith in the company, and want the third appliance refunded too!)

I explained that in a few lines. Does that make it complex?

They got back to Hubby Dearest and expressed their apologies, and offered the refund for the 2 faulty units. The rest would be a different process.  Fine, we were getting somewhere! He was assured that though there was no direct number for this department, that the email was a 24hour manned email, and they were a special team, the CEO Support Team. Fine. We look forward to the cheque!

I got a text from Hubby Dearest with the good news, so I called him back.  My happiness was short-lived. After the conversation, an email was sent, stating that they need to arrange to pick up the units before the cheque would be sent.

Er, sorry but NO! Had this all been dealt with in a timely fashion, that would have been ok, but after all the cr@p they have made us, plus all their other customers, go through, we have no faith that a cheque would follow swiftly, thereby leaving us machine-less, with no money to buy new units either.

Hubby Deareast messaged them to ask why he didn’t bother to discuss this on the phone a few minutes earlier, and that he would appreciate another call, or an email to discuss this further. No reply. Yesterday or today.

Then, at my Mother-in-law’s suggestion, I also had invaded their Facebook page.

No reply on there either! I had even posted my blog posts, thinking they would get removed, but nothing. I did respond to someone else’s post with this comment.

Well it looks like this page isn’t being looked at, or they would have a removal frenzy! I’ve blogged, and started on Twitter. #notsohotpoint.
Got the DM us your details message, so sent them a whole host of emails sent to and received from them, last night… No contact today!
They don’t know their arses from their elbows! Im disgusted!

And I got a response!

Hi there,

Can you confirm whether you sent the details via private message on Facebook or sent them via email?

Could you please send these via private message on Facebook?

Kind regards, Tyler.

Really? After all the phone calls, emails, and Twitter promises? Now Facebook Hotpoint reckons they will sort things out instead! This was my response…

Hotpoint here’s the thing. Your customer services have been phoned by us, emailed by us. Your Twitter team contacted. They replied with “so sorry! DM us your details.” I did so, and that was on Tuesday evening. NOT ONE RESPONSE FROM THEM! We emailed your CEO direct and got a call from the team  this email was redirected to. Certain points were agreed then other ‘conditions’ sent in an email after. In order to clarify and question these things, we replied, and NO RESPONSE AGAIN! Today we called AGAIN and were told AGAIN that the customer service reps didn’t know who these people were. Then after admitting there was indeed this special team around, we were told we can’t speak with them. They are outbound only.
The best bit? After being put on hold for 30 minutes, then we are told that yes we could be put through… But this ‘dedicated 24hour response’ team finished 15 minutes ago! You what??!!
It’s not cool, no.
Do I send you these email trails too? What’s the guarantee you will even respond? Let alone do anything? Your Twitter team didn’t. Your main CS team is abominable…
Will you be able to actually deal with stuff, or will it be another ‘we need to pass it on/I’ll get someone to contact you asap” scenario??????

Does it come across, how frustrated I am??!!

Then another gem from them. Hubby Dearest called again, to get put through to the CEO Support Team, which is meant to be so super good, but no.

This time, he called at 5.15pm, and today’s operator says they don’t know who he spoke to, and that he couldn’t put him through to anyone. After much faffing around, and being kept on hold for the best part of 30 minutes. The guy comes back and says “Erm I would put you through, but the department closed 15 minutes ago.”

Livid does not come close to describing the anger my Hubby Dearest was experiencing at this minute! After all, if the guy had put him through straight away, he may have been able to resolve certain issues! Goodness knows where we are with this all now,  but that CEO has had another message from Hubby Dearest…

I have just spent another 40 mins on your customer services line (as there is no phone number for CEO support) demanding to speak to Ishmail or Alison. They said they could not put me through, by the time I was put on hold the agent said the office closed at 5.30,why not just put me through 40 mins ago when the department was open.

You have now aggravated things yet further. Just so we are on the same page here ;

1 see my points below regarding additional compensation points. A response as per my chases should be acknowledged. 24 hour response on emails instead of the standard 10 days I was told for the SPECIAL customer relations email address!
2 I was not told by Ishmail that you needed to collect the faulty units and that I would be called to arrange collection?Again no phone  call, but more importantly I will not be waiting for a cheque after you collect the units, that is to be sent in advance. I simply no longer trust your company any more, there is no guarantee of a cheque and I need that refund to be able to order replacement products BEFORE you collect anything and there is no timeframe at all for this process given the urgency and continuous delay of my complaint.

Mr Pettorino, I demand a full response and phone call from you personally explaining your company’s incompetency yet again in this matter.

I too have run several companies, but when a loyal customer has to email you to get a response, you should at least feel a duty to respond personally, especially given these circumstances, or is that too much to ask of somebody like you in an apparent position of authority!

Regards

What will happen next?????

Again, any retweets would be great!

#notsohotpoint