Great website - poor service (dixons.co.uk)

Member Name: jaybee

Product:	dixons.co.uk
Date:	20/03/01 (485 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Website well designed easy too use

Disadvantages: Very poor customer service

Dixons online is pretty similar to going into a Dixons high street store. The website offers a good range of electrical audio/video goods like, hi-fi’s, digital cameras, video recorders, televisions, phones mobile/cordless, playstation2, computers and peripherals and software. They also sell items like blank videotapes, films, etc.

One attractive feature about using the website is avoiding the Dixons sales people, I might be generalising here, but any I’ve come across (in a few different stores) must have been recruited from the Jack-the-Lad employment agency. They don’t listen to any of the questions you ask, they try to sell you things you’re not interested in, and in general are just a pain and make buying anything a bit of a hassle.

So to avoid this I’ve used the website a few times. I’ve also used it on two occasions when my local store hasn’t had a specific item I’ve seen advertised, either in the newspaper or on the website. The website itself is very easy to use and the different sections are clearly marked and you just click on whatever you are interested in and it takes you to a list of available products in that category.

The product lists show the name of the product the manufacturer and the price. There is an add to basket function for purchasing the item too. You can click on the product name and a picture of the item appears. Unlike some other websites I’ve used, the picture quality of the goods is pretty good and there is a zoom function that makes the item as large as you want. To use this a little red box appears on screen and you just position it on whatever area of the item you want to magnify and it does so. (Very handy)

Beside the zoom button there is an information button, click here and it shows you how to spin the object and see it from different angles. You can also run a slide show that tells you about any special features about the product you are l
ooking at.
Underneath the photograph are the dimensions and technical data about the product and any other information about the item, like if it comes with any accessories and what they are etc.

The site is very user friendly and the prices are okay not exceptionally cheap compared to some places, but not expensive either. There are normally specials or sale prices on some items, just as there is in-store. Coverplan insurance against theft is available on most of the items as is guarantees. The guarantees vary according to the products purchased.

Of any online shopping site I’ve used this site must definitely be up near the top for ease of use. Once you’ve made your purchase you travel to the checkout to pay. You fill in details (I’ve only used credit card but they also accept debit cards) credit card no etc. then it displays the full cost. You do have to pay postage and packing, unlike some sites it’s not free. Once this is done it then takes you to another screen where it shows you the status of your order and displays an order number. You can then track your order so you know the exact status at any time. Delivery is normally made within 4 days.

So all in all a really great place to shop – er, well no … not really! You see the actual buying of the items is really easy and the website works like a dream, but if you get any problems with your order – beware. Dixons customer service is appalling.

I ordered a pair of binoculars for my father-in-law for his birthday. I looked at the order on screen and saw within two days the items had been despatched.
And like they said, I received my order four days after placing it. It was well wrapped well protected and the items were the ones I ordered. Brilliant! Only slight snag -no delivery note or receipt, but that was a minor thing. So I was really pleased that I’d received my items on time and in perfect condition.

I was s
lightly less pleased the next day - when I received another parcel with the same items inside, and surprise surprise, no delivery note, and no receipt. I was even more annoyed when I found out my credit card had been debited twice. The on – screen order tracker showed one order despatched –but I’d now received two, and been charged twice. There is a customer service number to phone (at 50p a minute) I tried all day to get through without success. (I also emailed them and got no response to my questions, I sent three emails in total and I’m still waiting on a reply). The next day was the same. Eventually on the third day my wife got through to someone and explained the situation. No problem we’ll send you labels and you can return the item free of charge. Great.Will I get a refund when my items are returned. I asked "If they are in good condition ,and comply to our returns procedure " Well that was okay, then wasn't it?

A week later no labels - On the website their returns procedure says any returns must be made within seven days of receipt – I’d now had the items ten days. More phone calls to find out where the labels were, and to check if they’d still accept the goods. We were told labels had been sent but we never received any. Still no receipt either by the way.

After nearly three weeks (19 days) I got so fed up I returned the item to my local store. To be fair the manager was pretty helpful and made a few phone calls and eventually sorted things out and gave me a refund – no apology, or we’re sorry though. Two days later the labels arrived – Whoopee! A bit late, but they did arrive. Six weeks after my purchase my receipt finally arrived.

Now I had previously purchased items without any problems and had receipts within a reasonable time 10-14 days. (Why they don’t send them with the items I’ve no idea) so this might have been a one-off. but
I’m afraid it put me off using them again. It was too much hassle

The lack of response to emails was just poor customer service, as was the total lack of urgency in sending labels or getting anything done.

The website is great and easy to use, but what’s the point of that if the level of service and care is poor after that. It’s as if they’ve got your money, so that’s all that matters.

Maybe they should have used some of the money they spent on their website on training their staff instead. I’m afraid I’d definitely think long and hard before ever buying anything online from them again.

Summary: