baby

Dummy or not?

A couple of weeks ago I went to Mothercare to purchase a dummy clip. I know that people are divided on the issue of whether to give a child a dummy but we find it useful to help settle Edward at night. We are only planning on using it until Edward is 3 months old. My 6 year old niece still uses a dummy to help her sleep at night although she knows she shouldn’t be using one at her age!

When I asked one of the shop assistants in Mothercare if the dummy clips they stocked were compatible with the dummy we had the assistant said she didn’t know because she didn’t give her children a dummy. This was said in such a patronizing manner which I really did not appreciate. I do not expect shop assistants to pass on their own opinions but would expect them to have a basic knowledge of the products they stock and how they work. The shop assistant was unable to offer any useful advice on the products I was looking for or advice on how to attach them to the dummy. It is unfortunate that the Isle of Wight has few shops which specialize in baby products as Mothercare really have the monopoly on the baby market. I think there is enough to worry about as a new mum without unhelpful advice by shop staff who have no empathy or respect for their customers.

Whilst googling Mothercare + complaints to find a contact address I was surprised to see how many compaints people had with Mothercare products and customer service. I don’t usually shop there and won’t be again unless I’m desperate.
I made my complaint online and laughed at the automatic response I got:

Before sending your mail, we think these entries may answer your question:

  • Can I use “Love 2 Shop” vouchers in Mothercare and Early Learning Centre?
  • Does Mothercare have any international branches?
  • How can I find information on my local store?
  • Where can I pay off my Baby Plan?
  • Do your stores have breastfeeding facilities?

I can’t wait to see if they bother to respond (they said they would within 24 hours). Customer service is appalling!

*** Updated to say I received an apology from Mothercare and £5 gift voucher. Not sure if this is enough to make me want to shop there again – fortunately I have the choice of other shops  to buy my baby purchases for now.

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