British Heart Foundation Furniture & Electrical Stores
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Dreadful, ungrateful customer service
I booked a generous donation collection online and the process for this was unnecessarily long and complicated. They do insist on a phone call, so eventually this was organised but the customer service was unbelievable. I understand that the woman I spoke to was very likely an unpaid volunteer but BHF should have at least a basic minimum level of professionalism? The first few minutes of the overlong phone call consisted of her trying various ways to actually pull up my details, despite my having a reference number which BHF provided, plus name of course, address, postcode... Anyway, eventually she found it but bizarrely she brought up the fact that I was donating a single item and BHF expect a collection. Well why does the website allow you to book donation of one item if it's not allowed?! Seriously, how about sorting out the website to block this in the first place, instead of kindly donators like myself having to put up with incompetent staff telling me over the phone that they don't like it?! After begrudgingly accepting this (it's amazing how picky a charity can be), the next few minutes of the call consisted of her trying to get me to bring my kind donation to their shop! I appreciate she may have had some sort of mental difficulties and I'm all for being inclusive in the workplace but seriously, why on earth would I even go to the trouble of booking a collection if I had the means to deliver my large donation myself?! Still, she continued to try and talk me out of it and eventually gave in but at no point was any form of gratitude expressed! It's like, who is doing who a favour here?! But not even just two words 'thank you' were spoken. Perhaps some training is needed for even something as fundamental as this as well?! An awful experience and next time I'll just go to freecycle after all. I just thought I'd try and help out a charity but it's clearly not appreciated.