Appalling attitude and after sales…
Appalling attitude and after sales service
Since moving down to Somerset about 10 years ago I have regularly used Stalbridge Timber Supplies which is situated about 2 miles from the village where I live and enjoyed good service and quality of material. However, recently I ordered and had delivered 125 feather edged boards for a fencing project I was undertaking. When the timber arrived I did stand the boards and let them dry out as they were very wet and needed to grade them as some were split and not fit for purpose. I continued with the project and after the fence was about 2/3rd completed I noted some serious warping and buckling of the boards as they continued to dry out in the Winter sunshine, so bad in fact you could put your hand through the fence in several places. I returned to the yard and spoke to someone in the office with a sample board to show the problem and asked why this had happened. He replied it had been very wet and the wood was bought in like that, no talk of replacing it or an apology. He said he would look into it and get back to me but never did so I re-visited the yard once more about 10 days later and was confronted by another person who clearly knew of the problem and from the start was very uncooperative in resolving my issue. He implied I did not understand the nature of wood when it dries out and when I said I taught Woodwork for 35 years just laughed saying “Yeah Yeah” I commented on the material I had been sold was not fit for purpose, produced several photos of the warping on the fence and I would wish to be compensated for the boards that had been replaced, which were probably about 50. I said that I had to use another supplier over the road to continue with the fence, which was kept under cover and far better quality. I did this due to no response given from my original visit or guarantee the material on site was any better. The replacement timber is very clear to see on the finished fence as it is of a far higher standard. This person I spoke to on my second visit categorically said I would get nothing from them. I then asked to have details of the senior director/person running the organisation and was somewhat surprised that I was speaking to him.
I was then told to go and clearly I was wasting his time. Interestingly, the Mission Statement of the company is: “At Stalbridge Timber Supplies we are committed to offering quality service and products. For us, quality is not just a one-off occurrence but a process of ongoing improvement”
As far as I'm concerned there is a great deal of Improvement needed following the result of my experience with the head of the business. I would most definitely look elsewhere with this appalling after sales service and quality of material.