A H&M Customer Service Story

[drcollie]

A few weeks back I had a local couple that read the forum come into my store searching for a two new sofas to replace the ones they currently owned. When I asked if they were looking for anything in particular I heard "We would like to look at brands other than Hancock and Moore, that's what we have now and it hasn't held up at all."

Well, that was like a laser lock for me, my curiosity peaked and I had to know why they were unhappy with their H&M - that's a rarity.

Turns out they bought their H&M from a store about 15 miles north of mine, about 7 years ago. At time of purchase the store sold them a 'Guardian' protection plan and applied a treatment to their leather. H&M of course, tells everyone nothing but soap and water on the hides or products from Leather Master - its right on the label under the seat cushion. The dealer they bought it from SHOULD NOT have sold that to them, but those protection plans are a profit center so they did.

They had a cushion from their existing sofa in the car and brought it in. Sure enough, there was a drastic pigment loss on the leather and it looked terrible. A classic issue of incompatible topcoats reacting to one another. I explained that all to them and after another trip back to the store they decided to buy H&M again and we are now building them two new sofas.

Neither Guardian nor the store would honor the 'warranty' on the protection plan. Guardian claimed the leather was defective (of course they did, that's standard operating procedure for them). The dealer said it was up to Guardian, and the customer was left holding the bag on a warranty treatment program they paid good money for, that caused failure of the color coat.

This is why I refuse to sell these add-on warranty protection programs. They don't work, the companies don't pay out, and it can ruin the furniture. I stand by that statement 101 %.

While I was at the factory last week, I was walking into the finish are with Jimmy Moore and told him the story. He nodded his head when I told him about the 'protection plan topcoat' that ruined the leather. He's seen that more than a few times.

Then he said to me, "You have them get those two older pieces to me and I'll fix them up and make them look brand new again. No charge. All they have to do is get them to my dock and back home again when they're done."

I knew they planned to move these into their media room once they new ones arrive, so I was very happy to call them up this past Saturday and make that offer to them. They were surprised and that seems to be the plan!

You won't find many companies that are willing to take back seven-year-old product that has a failure not cause by them and fix it free of charge.

[Briant73]

Nice to hear H&M stepped up to the plate when the both dealer and fabric protection company failed to do so.I usually avoid extended warranties and/or protection plans because of stories like this.

[Barry]

That is good to hear. It is wonderful to hear of American companies taking care of people when they can. You think those folks will tell anyone how they were treated. Best advertising is a referral.