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La-Z-Boy - Delivery Delays

La-Z-Boy
• Sales Practices
• "Lifetime Guarantee"
• Wrong Model
• Delivery Delays
• Sofa Problems
• Graphite Stains

Ward of Palm Beach Gardens FL (9/6/03):
On 4/30/03, we ordered a custom reclining sofa plus added pillows and a custom reclining rocker. Total sale = $2514.27. The sofa was delivered 6/7/03, but the arm and back covers were missing. The rocker was delivered at a later date and the service people also came for some adjustments later. However, we have called numerous times, every few weeks or so and we keep getting a run around by someone different and each promising delivery in "two weeks or so". After 4 months, we are getting the same story.

Jerry of Littleton CO (4/2/03):
Our experience with LA-Z-BOY indicates they are branded correctly, for when it comes to customer service and support they are LA-Z. You can also add rude, indifferent, discourteous. The saga begins with our trip to the LA-Z-BOY store in Centennial Colorado (Denver suburb). Interesting styles, colors, stuff we were looking for. After careful shopping around we returned on September 27 to order our stuff, we even contacted the salesperson that showed us around on the 24th so she could get the commission or credit. Yeah, we are suckers for being good customers. To bad they don’t reciprocate.

We placed an order for a sofa, two chairs, two tables, two lamps, and area rug. Almost $4000, paid by check, which we later observed cleared in about two days. We took the rug and lamps with us (they were in stock), and we were informed it would be 4-6 weeks for the rest because we wanted custom fabric on sofa and chairs. About mid November, several days before Thanksgiving (we were having company) we called to check status. This was at about the 6 or 7-week point. After holding on for about 10 minutes we were variously told

• They had no record of our order
• Then they stated that it had only been two weeks since we placed our order
• Then we were informed we were mistaken, that it clearly says on the back of our order form that all special orders take 8 weeks minimum. NOTE: there are no time estimates on the back of the order form. In early December, having not been abused by anybody recently, we called again to inquire, we got the LA-Z-BOY runaround again (see preceding paragraph).
• We were told that most customers were more reasonable than us.
• We were being very difficult.
• That we were being very rude.
• And no, we could not speak to the manager. The assistant manager came on the on the line and "confirmed" what the customer service rep stated.
• They offered no estimate or status of our order.
• When I mentioned I was disappointed with their service and that this was a cash up front transaction, I was haughtily informed that it was not a cash transaction, because I had paid by check (which cleared 2-3 days after writing it).

On December 6 we were informed (much to our surprise) that our sofa and chairs were in, but they had no idea about the tables. They stated the delivery department would contact us and negotiate a delivery date. We found out “negotiate” in the LA-Z-BOY dictionary means you’ll get it when we say, not before and to hell with your schedule problems. As my wife and I are both employed (allowing us to write checks to LA-Z-BOY), this posed a problem. But contact with the real manager resolved this problem, three telephone calls later. I only had to reschedule two customer meetings to be there for the delivery…guess I was still being “difficult”. The manager did provide his e-mail address to me, but it was bogus. I was not surprised. The e-mail was very much like his customer service team…it didn’t work either.

Several calls over the next two weeks produced no status on our wayward tables. But out of the blue, we were contacted on December 27 and told they had arrived. I accepted my fate and did not protest the arbitrary delivery schedule. When the appointed time came and went, I called the store and got Miss Customer Service 1954 (Larraine) again, she told me basically she could do nothing (at least she’s consistent). I called the warehouse, and after much begging and pleading, the LA-Z-BOY employee stated he would do what he could.

Late that afternoon, 5 hours after the promised time and after trapping me at home all day, the tables arrived. Called the corporate headquarters in Monroe Michigan, left message that was unreturned. Then called back, spoke with Miss Customer Service 1957 (they are evil twins?) who promised to look into the matter, have someone contact me, and assured me they cared what I thought. I was glad I used my calling card, because this crap was not worth 10 cents a minute. Please note, though sorely tempted we never engaged in name-calling or profanity.

Fact: the quality of the merchandise is consistent with the price. But each time I sit on the sofa we are reminded of the crap LA-Z-BOY put us through. But any product quality they have is completely offset by their sorry customer service.

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