Alright, I think the problem with Marlo's is more communication then thier product being horrible. I've read a lot of complaints on this site and many others, Most of the problems arise from lack of communication. What I did purchase from Marlo's is a lot less then all these other people and they still managed to follow suit and screw it up.
First I will explain what I think the problems are then I will explain my experience with the aforementioned company.
My suggestions for marlo's
Most peoples problems are from delivery, they outsource a company for this. They have no contact info on the drivers no matter how much they say they're in contact. Now the drivers on the other hand seem to care less about your delivery and more about getting off by 6pm. Marlo's states their delivery hours as 9am-9pm mon-fri and 12-9 sat. From what I can gather there is no relation between "the retail store", "the warehouse", "the delivery co." and "the corporate office". It's almost like your dealing with 4 different companies.
Their customer service phone number is a joke, 1st it's an automated voice that asks you for the last name of the party your trying to contact and if you put just one letter you can listen to everyone's voice to see if it is the correct person you are trying to get a hold of. Secondly, it says press 9 to repeat or press 0 to go to operator, if you press 0 the thing hangs up the line. I had a guy from their call me at almost 9:30pm on a tuesday, the voicemail said to call him back and I dialed the number and the recording informs you that the cust serv center is closed. Why would he even call me that late to confirm a delivery date?
If you do actually get a customer service rep, they are there just to answer the phone not resolve problems, they're not even trained in phone manners. They look at the computer screen to tell you when your delivery will arrive (which happens to be the same time you scheduled it) then they tell you the driver will call you 1hr before he arrives. I think the customer service dept. Is outsourced as well. The 2nd of the 4 companies, Not to mention how much you get bounced around I don't know how some of these people remembered the names of all these people.
My move date
I purchased a table (which consists of a crystal base and glass top) and 4 chairs from Marlo's. This is a small delivery (I used to deliver for a furniture company located in Lorton, VA for a few years) for any furniture store, and I will say it is hard to guess-timate what time you will arrive with the kind of traffic we have in DC. That's why when I was told the driver would call me an hour before I was relieved I wouldn't have to take a day off from work for this SMALL delivery. I made my purchase on 9/30/06 I was moving the next week to a high-rise (strict delivery rules) I needed a sat delivery date but all they had available was wed 10/11/06 4-8pm window. I had a lot of new furniture scheduled for delivery on sat 10/7/06 so I thought oh well it's probably a good thing. When Sat came I was excited that everything came as promised without event, even as I had ordered furniture from 5 different stores (Marlo's being one)
First to arrive on sat was my sofa, loveseat, end tables, and cocktail table, they got there right at 1pm as scheduled from one store. 2nd was bedset and nightstands from another store right at 2pm (scheduled for 1pm) not a problem as I was moving so I was there all day anyway. Not even 20 mins later the matteress and boxspring arrived, from another store. They were 10 mins early (scheduled 2:30pm). By 4pm I had gotten my other matteress/box spring (yet from another store). So now all that was left was Marlo's on wednesday.
The marlo's field day 10/11/06
It all started I think because my roommates name was on the purchase but we gave my cell# because I work close to home so I could easily be there in 15mins. I figured when he called I'd wait half hour and run home to meet him. Well we got the pre confirmation on sunday they called me and said the delivery was for wednesday between 4-8 pm. Which I thought was stupid as both parties (consumer & Marlo's) already new this. When wednesday arrived I got a call at like 9:30am from customer service telling me that the delivery would be running late and to expect the time to be like 5pm. It seems they then called my roommate and told him the same thing. Then of course he called me to tell me what I already had been told. We thought this was wierd but whatever. Then I get a call about noon from my roommate to tell me that the driver called him and said he would be there at 4:15pm exactly. (So why did cust svc call at 9am to tell me that they would be late but still inside the delivery window they quoted us). My roommate took down the drivers cell# and gave it to me. Well 3:30 rolls around and I am starving because I hadn't eaten lunch thinking they will be there at 4. I had not heard anything so I decide to call the driver to make sure he will be there at 4, I get no answer and leave several messages on his (unprofessional) voicemail. I then called cust serv. To see if they know anything, They didn't, they told me 4-8pm driver will call me hour before. So thinking the driver knew what he was talking about I decide to be there at 4pm just incase he does show, he didn't, I was there at 3:45pm and went back to work at 5pm, at 5:20 the driver calls my roommate (who is sitting in traffic on his way home) and tells him that he's outside waiting, my roommate tells him to call me, he calls me and I about flip out but remained calm and told him there was no way I could be back there in a few minutes as I had just gotten back to work, and what happened to 4:15?? He told me he hit a couple of snags on the last delivery and he ran late (which is understandable). I then asked him why not call me or cust svc? He said he was too busy trying to finish the last delivery and didn't think about it. I told him that he would have to wait about a half hour so I could get there. He tells me he has another delivery around the corner and he'd call me when he was leaving. I never heard back from him, he did call my roommate and told him it was too late and he was going home and we need to call cust svc. And schedule a new delivery date. Before my roommate told me this cust svc. Called me to tell me the delivery would NOT be made tonight and they were going to squeeze it on a truck the nextday and get it out to me. I said I had talked to the driver and he said it was right around the corner and he'd be right back. He then told me "no you are his last delivery of the day". He then said the driver was tired and went home and they would reschedule with me tomorrow morning. I told him it had to be after 6pm because I couldn't take off for an extra long lunch two days in a row. He said that was understandable. Someone else from cust. Svc called my roommate at about the same time and told him it would be next week, and he calls me and we exchange stories and are pretty much baffled but decide to wait out instead of getting angry. They then called me again that day (still 10/11/06) at like 9:30pm to reschedule but I didn't get the phone in time so they left a message and I tried to call back but they were closed. (a lot of sense that made) Next day I call cust svc at like 10am and reschedule for Saturday 10/14/06 1-5pm. They called my roommate friday to confirm (still have the 2 phone #'s confused along with our names, but I think that's my fault) So saturday comes around and we wait, and wait, well by 5pm I have wasted my whole day sitting at home waiting, I call cust svc. They tell me they haven't talked to the driver all day but he should be here soon (what?!?! That makes no sense) I asked them to call the driver or something and give me an idea of when he'd be there, they said they don't have direct contact with them and it appears that he is on the delivery before me and he'll call when he's an hour away (it's now like 5:30pm-6:00) coincidentaly th driver calls me not 10mins later to tell me "I'm out front and I've got some good news and some bad news" I'm like great, give it to me, he said the table top is shattered but the chairs are fine, do you want me to bring them up? I'm like c'mon man are you serious? He said yeah I can bring everything up and then you call cust svc to reschedule delivery of table top. I told him NO I refuse to accept delivery, I want all or nothing and to take it all back and I would reschedule delivery of everything. So I call cust svc for the umpteenth time, to reschedule, but there is a problem I'm going out of town on 10/20/06, they have that day open, the 21st, 22nd and 25th, I tell them the 25th because I won't be in town (not thinking my roommate will be) So they set me up for a 4th attempt on 10/25/06 at 4-8pm, I tell my roommate who says no call them back and make it friday the 20th because I will leave work early to be home when they get here (4-8pm) So I call cust svc back to change the date to Friday 10/20/06 between 4-8pm. They have not yet called to confirm this date yet but believe me I will let you know what happens as I am still waiting for a table and 4 chairs that I bought cash 3 weeks ago, If something goes awry again this time, I am getting a truck and driving to f*@$!! Forestville to pick it up. Oh yeah by the way the other companies got my stuff there on time on the day they originally promised when I purchased it. These are a regular furniture company and 2 different bedding companies and another furniture company based in a mall (they must outsource their deliveries too b/c space is a factor). Why are these companies so "on point" but Marlo's can't get their head out of their a*??
Chris
arlington, Virginia
U.S.A.
0 comments