Has the Next Directory - usually a "shiny star" in the mail order clothing/furnishing world - become a victim of its own success? A few months ago I would have given nothing but praise for this rapidly expanding mail-order company but having recently received some appalling customer service ... Read review
Advantages: Excellent range and quality of goods, good value Disadvantages: Poor customer service, goods often out of stock
Has the Next Directory - usually a "shiny star" in the mail order clothing/furnishing world - become a victim of its own success? A few months ago I would have given nothing but praise for this rapidly expanding mail-order company but having recently received some appalling customer service and been fobbed off with some completely misleading information, I am beginning to wonder if they're beginning to let their usual, excellent standards ... ...out. Wrong! The next statement arrived with the second Palm still listed plus a charge for interest and delivery of the non existant purchase. To cut a long story short, after many more calls to customer services and two more account statements, the matter was sorted out.
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MYSTERY OF THE THREE- LEGGED TABLE
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Has the Next Directory - usually a "shiny star" in the mail order clothing/furnishing world - become a victim of its own success? A few months ago I would have given nothing but praise for this rapidly expanding mail-order company but having recently received some appalling customer service and been fobbed off with some completely misleading information, I am beginning to wonder if they're beginning to let their usual, excellent standards slip.
================= MYSTERY OF THE TWIN PALM =================My first problem concerned an account error over a purchase of a Palm to be delivered to a friend as a gift. Everything seemed fine, although I was told their computer system was down when I made the order and the lady on the end of the phone said she would write everything down and enter it onto the system when it became live again.
The Palm was delivered to the correct address, on time and the quality of the product was excellent. About a month later, I received my account statement, which listed a purchase of two plants. I rang customer services to complain and was told that the account would be updated. I paid for the single Palm I had ordered and assumed that everything had been sorted out. Wrong! The next statement arrived with the second Palm still listed plus a charge for interest and delivery of the non existant purchase. To cut a long story short, after many more calls to customer services and two more account statements, the matter was sorted out.
=========================== MYSTERY OF THE THREE- LEGGED TABLE =================================My second problem arose on delivery of a flat pack nest of wooden tables. My husband enthused on how easy the tables were to put together, only to find at the end that there was a screw missing. The smallest table sat precariously on three legs while we struggled with customer services to obtain an extra screw. Four weeks later and six phone calls later nine screws arrived in the post. ======================= MYSTERY OF THE MISSING MIRROR =============================
Problem number three is still ongoing and unresolved. I ordered an overmantel mirror last April and was told I would have a seven week wait. The seven weeks quickly went by and I heard nothing. I rang and was told it would arrive within the next three weeks, still nothing. On ringing again, I was told it would arrive within the next ten days, still nothing. This time I was told any day now and yesterday - two weeks after the any day now - I was told September!
Getting nowhere with my complaints by telephone I have now written an official compalint about the service I have received and I await their response. If I had known that the mirror would take this long, I would not have ordered it in the first place. Every evening I am now faced with looking at the blank space on the wall over the fire-place where my mirror should be. ============ MORE POSITIVE NOTE ==================I hope these problems are only a temporary blip and that Next Directory will find its feet and return to its usual excellent levels of service. Some of the more positive attributes are as follows:
Online or telephone ordering.
Usually a reliable delivery service and free returns by courier or Royal Mail.
Good quality clothing and home products.
Competitive prices.
Stylish, wearable clothing in a large range of sizes, upto size 20 female and XXL mens, a petite and maternity range.
Half price sales, if you can get through on the telephone lines!
= HISTORY =======The first Next clothing stores appeared in the UK high street in 1982. Following huge successes, a mail order catalogue was launched in 1988 - Next Directory. Beginning as a slim 350 page catalogue, the 2004 Spring/Summer catalogue has reached 850 glossy pages. In 1999 the Next Directory became available online and continues to be a leader in the mail order clothing/home world. ========= PRODUCT RANGE ===============
Womens clothing, Mens clothing, Childrens Clothing, Home furnishings and electricals, Garden furniture, flowers/plants/chocolates gift service, Jewellry and Accessories.
Next Adventures is new this season. You can order these gift packs for yourself or as a gift. Choose from a Driving Adventure - mini cooper experience, introductory off-roading, skid pan session, saloon car instruction - at £149.99 to a more expensive package - Silverstone Ferrari Experience, Porshe Driving, Ferrari Driving or Classic Car Driving - at £249.99.
I've often wondered about such "gift packages." Surely it would be cheaper to put one together yourself.
==== CATALOGUE ==========Excellent, thick, 850 page hard backed glossy catalogue with clear photographs and plenty of information on each product. Two catalogues per year - Autumn/Winter, Spring/Summer - and a smaller supplement catalogues for each season sent to regular purchasers. Drawback is that you have to pay £3.00 for the main catalogues - so £6 per year. = PRICING =======
To give you an idea of the prices on offer, here are a few examples form this seasons Summer Directory:
Mens modern style suit - £90.00, Mens plain cotton formal shirt - £19.99, Mens casual trousers - £21.99, Mens casual long sleeved top - £16.99, Mens basic loosefit jeans - £17.99*BARGIN*, Mens T Shirts 3 Pack - £21.99, Mens casual lace up leather shoes - £29.99.
Girls top and trouser set from £13.99, Baby pinafore set £13.99, Boys T Shirt from £6.99, Boys basic jeans from £12.99.
Please note childrens sizing goes from newborn upto 16 years of age.
Home Range - Bale of towels - £19.99, Double duvet - £44.99, Table Lamp - £12.99, Beech Large Coffee Table - £149.99, Contempary Ceiling lights from £14.99. === ORDERING =========
Order by post, by telephone or online. You will need to give your customer account number, first line of your address and date of birth. Ordering is quick, simple and hassle free.
== DELIVERY ========In some areas delivery is 24hrs by courier, otherwise 2 - 3 days and may be by Royal Mail. It all depends on where you live. Delivery costs £3.50 but if you choose to have your goods delivered to your nearest Next store then delivery is free. == RETURNS ========
Returns are free and can be made within 14 days of receipt. You can either arrange for a courier to collect or use a prepaid label and take the parcel to the post office. Make sure you obtain proof of postage or the courier's signature.
= PAYMENT =======You can pay on purchase by credit/debit card or take out an account. If you pay off your account immeadiately, each month there will be no interest to pay. Pay late or by minimum installment of £10.00 and you will pay APR 26.99%.
If you open an account you will be given a unique self serve pin number which you can use on the phone to make payments or hear your balance. You can also make online payments by visa/mastercard, pay by cheque through the post, by bank giro, transcash, girobank transfer, Next gift voucher by post or by telebanking.
========== RECOMMENDATION ================I have had problems with the furniture and gift sections of the Next Directory but all my clothing orders have been dealt with efficiently and if products have been in stock when I've phoned then they have been delivered within 2 - 3 days. All clothing is generally of good standard and fit and washes well. The childrens clothing range is of extremely high quality and highly recommended. I
If you do have problems then I think the Customer Service section leaves much to be desired. The impression I gain is of over stretched and poorly trained staff whose main objective is to fob you off or pass you on to somebody else.
All I can say is yes, do use the Next Directory but just be a little wary about the goods you order and perhaps look elsewhere if what you want is not immeadiately in stock.
My rating is three star but I must admit that it hovered between three and four. If I hadn't experienced the difficulties I've had with the Next Directory over the last few months I would have had no hesitation is rating four stars.
Advantages: Reliable, Quick Delivery, Good Quality Disadvantages: Easy to spend to much
...first time - with the Next Directory. I have had a directory for ages and order the odd thing from it but recently I have ordered more and more. The Next shop where I live in really sparse and although includes mens, women’s and children’s it’s a small shop and it doesn’t contain any of the home bits and bobs that I love.
Now Next Directory is not cheap. Its good quality but not everything is cheap like you would expect from a catalogue. Because ... ...a little bit about joining Next Directory. I am presuming that you get the usual credit check and then you receive your catalogue. Your first order can only be sent to your invoice address however after that you can change it. Unlike some catalogue shops you don’t necessarily have to sign for your order. Ok this has advantages and disadvantages as it means it might get stolen but its perfect for me. I have a dustbin cupboard and all my parcels get ...
natalierees 17.02.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Next Directory
Advantages: Hassle Free Shopping Disadvantages: Costs to receive your goods
...was lucky that my new Next Directory had just been delivered! With hubby out on the town with his mates it was the perfect night to be curled up on the sofa flicking through my new catalogue!
>>>What is Next Directory?
Well basically it is a mail order catalogue selling the same items as your high street Next store. An added bonus is that there are often things in the directory that never appear in the shop.
>>>How do I sign up?
If you pop into ... ...will also be sent a Next Directory Catalogue.
>>>The Catalogue This is a very impressive catalogue! It should be too! It cost £3.50 which is added to your next statement after you receive it. Next Directory issue two catalogues each year. Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter. I have just obtained my Spring/Summer although it doesn’t feel very summery just now in Scotland. Its heavy snow at the moment and blowing a gale! Brrrr
There are 865 pages to ...
Linzee 31.12.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Next Directory
Advantages: To many to mention Disadvantages: Low stock at times
Now my next directory is a valuable member of my household infact I do believe I would be lost without it. There are 4 of us in our household myself, my partner and my 2 sons aged 1 and 9. So let me tell you about this marvellous catalogue of mine.
*******How did I get it?*********
Well a friend of mine had the catalogue and I was looking through it for something to wear to a friends wedding . I asked her if I could place an order but she was up ... ...with). So I phoned Next up and I opened an account there and then on the phone and placed my first order which was the outfit for the wedding immediately. I thought this was fantastic service as my outfit arrived the very next day. Or if you have some patience you can phone up and order the catalogue and it will arrive very quickly then peruse the catalogue at your leisure. I must warn you that there is a £3.50 charge for the catalogue, there are ...
kcjack 30.01.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Next Directory
Advantages: Wide range of goods on sale, good quality Disadvantages: Usual ups and downs with mail order
...was first introduced to the Next Directory about 2 years ago. It was during the Christmas rush and I found myself in a 3-mile queue in my local Next store, laden down with heavy shopping bags, 2 whinging children and a pair of throbbing, ice-cold feet. I vowed then that would be the last time I would leave my Christmas shopping till the last minute and instead do it either online or by mail order. It seems that someone heard these words going around ... ...asked if I had a Next Directory. On telling her no, she immediately asked if I would like to apply for one, adding that it would take just a few minutes of my time. Anything to shorten my waiting time for the till, I agreed and answered a few questions and as promised a few moments later, the task was complete. Time passed merrily and soon enough the festive period was long forgotten, my daughter back at school, and hubby back to work. I was busying ...
wardenblw431 29.09.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Next Directory
Advantages: easy to join, easy to order if things don’t go wrong, maternity wear available by mail order only, free returns/exchanges Disadvantages: poor customer service, poor communication between internal ‘Next’ depts, can take 4 months+ to resolve a customer problem
...an offline customer of the Next Directory Mail Order service of which I’ve been a customer for over a year.
◄Important Indicator►
A true test of a company’s organisation is the ability of its customer services to handle matters efficiently when things go wrong. Sadly, during my time as a customer, ‘Next’ have made some gross errors that have taken over 4 months to sort out and are still not corrected. However, ... ...many cases.
The Next Directory - Ease of Application The Next Directory Mail Order service was launched in 1988 and has been in operation for a good 10 years. With this in mind, I expected a sterling service; superb tracking facilities with fast customer care. I have also used many other mail order companies such as La Redoute, La Vertbaudet, Great Universal, Littlewoods etc in the past so had no worries about joining a well established company ...
Connoisseur_Haggler 04.07.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Next Directory
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and the sizes that they sell are great too as they have a petite range, they stock sizes 6 to 18 with the options of shorter leg, regular, long and extra long, which is great no matter what height you are they cater for all.
I buy all of my work clothes from next unfortunatley i find that i have to order trousers from the nextdirectory as when i go into the store they never seem to have the longer leg trousers in my size, Sometimes i need the extra long leg as with the high shoes i wear regular is no longer long enough.
The next sales are great too but i tend to go to them when the hustle and bustle is over as much as i love a bargain getting up at 5 to go and get the start of the sales items does not appeal at all.
Overall a great shop well worth a visit. ...
jo_field26 19.10.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Next (Shop)
Advantages: good quality clothing, fantastic customer service, Disadvantages: expensive APR on flexible account
I am really impressed with the NextDirectory. I have been using it now for about 4 years and during that time I have found that the quality of clothing and customer service is the best around.
Next was formed in 1981 soon selling women’s, men’s’ and children’s clothing. The nextDirectory was launched in 1988 and it won House Beautiful’s Mail Order Master Award in 2000.
The NextDirectory is a brilliant catalogue. It cost £3.00 but it is worth for a hard backed catalogue that will keep its appearance for the whole season. Each section has a dividing page so that you can quickly get to the section you want. Next bring out two catalogues a year – Spring/Summer and Winter/Autumn. You get supplements throughout the year for interiors/summer/Christmas etc.
The catalogue is divided into sections ...
aflynn_01 04.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Next (Shop)
Advantages: Good quality Disadvantages: Trying to buy in the Sales
I have shopped at Next for many years now. It's a great store for women's clothes, casual, smart, underwear, sportswear, shoes etc., also good for quality children's clothes. They also sell a variety of other items which are of excellent quality including menswear and homeware. The service is always good, exchange is not a problem and if they don't have your size in stock they will order it for you. Also have a home shopping section where you can order from the NextDirectory.
They have fantastic sales, especially Christmas time, if you can stand the queues. You can also order over the telephone from the directory in the sales, but the only drawback is - you can never get through!!!!!!! ...
Bethnone37 16.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Next (Shop)
