B&Q made me blog

Why have I started a blog? And what has this got to do with B&Q? To fully understand, you'll have to read on and get the background.

I'm not an early adopter. I never have been. I was one of the last people I knew to get a mobile phone. Of course I have one now, but no doubt it will be a while before I bother getting a Blackberry or an iPhone. Likewise, everyone seemed to have a blog but me, but I knew I'd get there eventually. I knew it as soon as B&Q tormented me with the worst customer service imaginable. Well, I knew that some people had bad experiences in this area, as I'm a regular "Which?" magazine reader, but these things surely happen to other people, don't they? To be totally honest, I blame myself. Had I done a simple Google search with the search terms "B&Q" and "customer service" I would have found a plethora of rantings that would have convinced me to take my business elsewhere.

But I was lazy. I admit it. I suspect that this will be a recurring theme if I carry on this blogging thing. The DIY store was only down the road from me and I fell for the sales patter big time. I'm not going to get into details (not in my first blog, anyway) but needless to say that the bathroom wasn't finished anywhere close to when they said they would, the "Installation Service" was non-existent, and I felt that I had no option but to pursue legal action. I feel I must credit Cathy, whose blog inspired me to take my case to court (http://www.jog-blog.co.uk/?cat=3).

Of course I won. I knew I would. I also knew that I had to go through with it, even though the reality is that the awarded monetary compensation does not come close to making up for the stress of the whole experience. But at least I now have a sense of closure. Any other outcome would have left me feeling cheated by a large faceless company who at no time attempted to acknowledge their shortcomings and put effort into fulfilling their obligations. Sadly, I don't feel as if the outcome will change B&Q for the better. I believe that it's all about the money for such companies. They get business because they have a well-known name as a large DIY store, not as a result of an equivalent reputation as bathroom installers. I used to shop at their store regularly and have spent thousands of pounds over the years. Needless to say that I haven't been back since and I'll happily invest time recounting my experience with anyone who will put up with it. It's all part of the necessary healing process. The more people who know, the more I feel justice has been done. The one thing I can thank B&Q for is providing me the motivation for starting this blog.

If anyone else has had a similar experience with B&Q and would like to know how to go about taking it further, I'd be pleased to share my experiences further.