DONT BUY RUSSELL HOBBS EVER

Here’s a tale of 2x vastly differing experiences, one the betrayal and disappointment received from a leading brand of small appliances in South Africa, the other – the “Small Guy” supplier of parts, probably eking out a living on the side. With the current state of things in the world today, I think it’s made us all re-evaluate how and what we spend our money on. Granted, not many have had that luxury for the longest of times, and I for the most part may have fallen into the bracket of spoilt. This does not mean however, that a) I do not appreciate the money my husband and I have worked for, nor b) I am of the wants exceed needs or practicalities mindset. Having said that, I decided that instead of buying and replacing household items around the house, I was going to fix what we had, and in the process save some money - I’m not sure when we became the throwaway generation, I just have to think of my grandfather and my dad always doing their best to fix that iron, or that toaster, and then we come along, toss it at the smallest problem and simply replace replace replace – probably with the next best and bigger thing. So I have my list, 3x Fridge Baskets for my Double Door LG Fridge and 1x Russell Hobbs Jug for my Blender (I added a coffee jug onto this at a later stage)

Experience 1 I email a few places on the 28th January 2021 asking how much for my 3x Fridge Door baskets – the “Small Guy” I land up dealing with, emails me the actual parts brochure and asks me to choose what parts I want. So firstly I was a tad taken aback when I received that first email, I had already given him the make and model, and explained it was for the Fridge Door not the Freezer Door, but ok, let me give you the code dude as you are obviously lazy right? Wrong!! When I opened the parts book, there were 3x different types of basket on my fridge door, the top one being for the eggs, the next 2 baskets were wider, while the bottom 2 baskets were designed for cooldrinks and were slightly narrower due to the veggie basket in the fridge. Feeling a little sheepish that I as the consumer should have known this, but feeling oh so damn grateful that I was ordering the right items out of my 5 baskets, I placed my order, paid for it, and had my goods by 3rd February 2021. Yeah to you “Small Guy” – you may not have been the friendliest, but your service level was unmatched, and I will DEFINITELY use you again, and RECOMMEND YOU too. Experience 2 The same day I mail “Small Guy” for my LG fridge parts, I email Russell Hobbs (RH) – so we are talking the 28th January 2021. As of the 15th February 2021 I still had no proper happy outcome to my purchase, and even today as I am writing this, I can feel the bile in my throat rising due to the complete ineptitude of theirs and their “ambassadors” - Home of Living Brands (HOLB) total lack of interest in their customers dilemma and rising frustration as their many requests for assistance are ignored. They appear to be of the mindset of, let them complain, eventually the wind will blow out of their sails and they will move along, aka “who cares!” – “did you hear something?” – “small money” – “not our problem” Kindly note that at Home of Living Brands we put our product through very stringent quality standards, and we take pride in the quality of our products and we strive towards consumer service excellence. I want to laugh myself silly when I read that, this is what they print on their invoice when they are ready to take more of your money. I have ALWAYS been a fan of Russell Hobbs, always!! Through my 20 odd years of domestic bliss, since leaving home, I have used their Kettles, toasters, sandwich makers, coffee makers, and blenders ad nauseum! And that all changed – all because no one, not one person out of all the people I had the displeasure of dealing with at Russell Hobbs via their website, and their Facebook Page, and their “ambassadors” – what a laughable word, recognized the absolute frustration I was having just getting parts for my blender, which just for your information retails for R849 at Makro (serious money people) but you know what, that actually is a lot more money than some people do have, so getting the part makes sense right?

So here is a summary of the what it took to get my Blender Jug from HOLB So at this point, on the 28th January 2021 – it has taken me 3x emails from myself to go, ok here is my jug, please invoice me, and how do I get it – simple enough right? Nooooo – absolutely WRONG!!! It then takes a further 2x Emails, to say, please can you email me an invoice so that I can pay you, and please let me know how I can get my item. But it gets even better I then get a different email on the 1st February 2021 requoting me for the item that I wanted to order already on the 28th January 2021. SO to be very clear 3x days after I want to order my item, I am getting requoted for it. HOLB then advises on the 1st February 2021 Please note that we have two options – I can collect or they will courier, I ask them the same day to quote for courier. On the 2nd February 2021 I have to remind HOLB LEBO again that I am still waiting for Courier Costs to Springs – she replies R150.00 (mind you not inclusive or exclusive VAT) Oh my word, and then I make the mistake of asking HOLB to add on a COFFEE JUG for another of my RUSSELL HOBBS items – truly this one is on me, because how could I think of making these people MORE money, or am I actually COSTING them more money by not going out and replacing my now defunct items that don’t work without the parts?- I MUST ADMIT at this point I think I’m still confused, I keep thinking of “we strive towards consumer service excellence” but it’s just not adding up!! Ok so now it’s the 3rd February 2021, I send HOLB my invoice request with a new item added, and I get requoted for the Courier Fee (it just keeps getting better and better) – where the courier fee might have gone up, with the addition of a new item, it actually goes DOWN – and this is where I begin to think, does this consultant actually know what she is doing, or is she (as the expression goes) “smoking something???” And then I begin to wonder has she looked up prices or is she just thumb sucking the whole time, because now both my jugs for the blender and the coffee machine are exactly the same price, and I am getting confused myself with all these emails!!!! On the 4th of February 2021 I again have to ask for my invoice On the 5th of February 2021 I send through the Proof of Payment WITH MY ADDRESS INFORMATION I note this comment for Russell Hobbs as well so they can see what an awesome job their ambassadors are doing “its actually been an excruciating experience – as brand ambassadors of Russel Hobbs which up until this point been a favourite of mine, I’m not feeling it anymore! I’m also left wondering if I got billed the correct price for the filter jug” My address is ....... On the 5th of February 2021 – I also send a second email requesting my tracking information – the items were reportedly in stock, I had paid before 09h00 in the morning, so I myself thought it was reasonable my goods would be dispatched same day. On the 8th February – do I not get an email from HOLD LEBO asking for my address (the address I provided with my POP) – at this stage now I am spitting blood Even at this stage, even with so many facts at hand NO-ONE from Russell Hobbs or HOLB makes any attempt to smooth over my frustrations that I am being INCREDIBLY VOCAL about, I even attempt to make contact with RUSSELL HOBBS ON FACEBOOK to see if anyone there gives a damn, and I got nothing except the standard “we have escalated your query” response.

And then on the 10th February my “jug” arrives via courier (the one for which no tracking number was ever supp****) and wrapped up in a DSTV box, and lo and behold, there is just one big gaping hole at the bottom of it. Apparently that glass bit is *****ed onto a plastic component – and when you have a broken glass jug, Russell Hobbs expects you to un***** this very tightly fitted piece of plastic away from the broken shards of glass, at no risk to yourself – its so seamless in its appearance oh and I did I mention obviously must be very tight– but you the consumer ought to know this before you throw the glass away, that you must risk cutting yourself in order to replace the part. Also when you order the Jug – you get it without a lid (who would have thought?) – happy cleaning after that smoothie! I am now besides myself, I message the only “sympathetic” ear on Facebook the following Hi - I am actually on the point of tears! A new blender at Makro is R849 at the moment. I have just paid R345 to get a replacement jug sent to me - that a) does not have a lid and b) does not have the bottom part to attach to the blender (its a huge hole) - all this time and effort and extreme frustration and i still dont have a working machine - what the actual F

Between the 11th February and 15th February I asked the so called customer person 3x times on Facebook if he/she had feedback for me – and they never.

The reason I bring up example 1 (true story) vs your big brand mentality is for the following reason/s 1) The supplier did not assume that the consumer had all the facts 2) The supplier offered all additional necessary information 3) The supplier put himself in the consumers shoes as far as what was expected 4) The Supplier did not make his customer jump through hoops for the simplest of information 5) The supplier knew what he was doing 6) The Supplier was efficient and honest So to summarise, Russell Hobbs your customer service is trash, your ambassadors are trash, your motto of striving towards excellent consumer services is hogwash, your lack of empathy is disgusting, you have betrayed this customers trust in your brand, and I still do not have a working item.

Regards Yvonne