Howdens - Minworth Avis 76

I have never given anyone a 1 star review before but my experience with the designer at howdens left me feeling so small and silly because of how I was spoken to and made to feel when explaining what I wanted for MY kitchen. I have never been made to feel so uncomfortable in my own home.
When we visited the minworth branch at the very start of our kitchen journey we walked in and all eyes looked down, no one acknowledged us, it felt very awkward to ask for help . I should have known then this wasn’t going to be the place to help me. After asking for help the designer came over and was abrupt, we asked for a design appointment and the first thing said, ‘well where do you live’. That was before any hello’s or friendly acknowledgment.
Anyway the design appointment was booked but I had an uneasy feeling about the designer, she wasn’t friendly and I felt there was some unconscious bias at play. Maybe she thought we were time wasters … however I thought ‘when she sees the house and knows the budget £20 - £22k’ she will change her tune , how wrong was I.
The day of design appointment she came swanning into my house and instantly declared ‘oooh what a compact kitchen’ not in just an observational way but in a judgemental way with an unfriendly tone. The tone was off from the start.
I started talking through the small list of non negotiables for this new kitchen but explained for everything else I’m no expert and would absolutely welcome her expertise to maximise the space .
My first non negotiable : I started by saying ‘I would have loved a small island… ‘ she abruptly cut me off mid sentence and again very abruptly said ‘well you ain’t getting one in here’ . ‘Yes I know’ I said ‘i was about to say, so I want a peninsula’. The next thing she scoffed was ‘well just keep your table’ . Erm no I don’t want a table thanks. She then went on to say in again quite a judgemental tone ‘so your having laminate then’ again, ‘no’ I said I’m having quartz . Well you would have thought I’d asked for something so ridiculous at the prospect of a quartz worktop on a peninsula. She instantly said ‘well you can’t have that it’s too heavy’. Told her I had a prior design and quote with a peninsula with quartz with no issues. She proceeded to tell me they had lied to me and started talking badly about the company, which was in my opinion unprofessional.
Non negotiable 2: I just wanted a range cooker , it was genuinely met with an eye roll and I have no idea why . She must hate them . We like them and want one.
Non negotiable 3: we want the utility area off the kitchen to feel like the kitchen so we would like stackable washer / dryer and a little cupboard or something to help it feel like it’s an extension of the kitchen. The only thing she said after turning her nose up at the utility (it was a mess tbf). But the only thing she said about the Utility was ‘but where will your bin go’ ‘that was really the least of my worries given it’s a plastic £30 bin’ surely as a designer she could accommodate a BIN and not let it impact designing something for my utility.
Then we went back to the peninsula. I said given it’s a non negotiable and you’re saying we can’t have quartz what can we do. She had changed her tune and said ‘oh you can’ as if the prior conversation hadn’t happened. 😂
The we got onto some order questions . How quick would you need this kitchen. Not thinking and baring in mind she knew we were finalising fitters she said ‘next week then’. I was met with sarcasm at every opportunity. I suffer with anxiety especially when I’m doing things that are not familiar to me. Deaigning and arranging a kitchen is not familiar to me!
Next the design appointment , can you come in Saturday on x date . ‘ yes yes I can’ I said. She turned round and said ‘so you can do 8am then with a smirk on her face as if I’d recoil in horror at the suggestion’ why just why could this designer not communicate in a sensible manner. It was tiresome!
When I tell you every question this I was asked, my response was met with abrupt sarcasm l, it wasn’t funny banter it was abrupt and made me feel extremely uncomfortable. Iv been so self conscious at subsequent appointments for fear I’m asking for something absolutely ridiculous or I’ll be met with judgement .
Finally the first pics of the design came through and to add insult to injury it was an exact replica of my own kitchen we are getting rid off. If everything prior hadn’t this was the icing on the cake and sealed the deal .
Needless to say Iv spent my £20k elsewhere (and it’s not wickes) with a fantastic designer who gave us everything we wanted and more making me feel relaxed and comfortable.
Maybe some customer service or unconscious bias type training may be beneficial for Minworth designers. I would be amazed if it’s just me that experienced this , unless my face just didn’t fit.

Always a great service

Placed the order at the start of the week, everything was available for me to pick up and the staff supported with some items I'd overlooked, so their experiences helped me.

Excellent service as normal

Great service, prompt and knowledgeable. Great help from the guys loading up. Wish I remembered names but made loading those heavy fire doors in the van a breeze.

Superb service from the counter staff. They dealt with my order in a timely manner and offered good advice.
Warehouse staff member loaded my vehicle and I was on my way to the job. Well done Howdens - Minworth.

Called in for a kitchen plan to be designed, had it emailed over within a couple of hours, great service

Told the guy behind the counter I wanted Torus architrave he put on the invoice Ogee & that's what they gave me so had to sort it out & I needed a 4 panel internal door as well as & he seemed to be in another world & wasn't listening to what I was saying.
I've never used that branch before &for a first time customer I wasn't impressed at all.
All things were resolved in the end.

Simple transaction. Staff helpful and friendly

Staff always helpful, great service, and knowledge about on any product.

Great customer service and always helpful,
Howdens beat the competition and carry a good range of stock.
I'm a customer for life.

Rhys and the team sorted out all that we needed quickly and at a good prce

The staff are brilliant, specifically the guys at the Minworth branch. I’m a bathroom designer and fitter, so am after as much info. and help that I can get, when it comes to kitchens. They’re always ready to advise and assist. Brilliant.

Easy pick up ,very easy process to order ,as always at minworth branch. Had to collect part of order from Aldridge branch, ready to collect when I arrived.
Good service.

First time shopping at Howdens for a kitchen on an investment property, great quality and when I had some missing handles they replaced without any questions. Julie in particular who helped throughout the process was amazing!

As always at Howdens Minworth, no nonsense, walk in and grab items, crack so poor jokes with staff, watch them cringe, pay and go forth. Job done, great staff especially Georgia and Nick in Le kitchen design department.

The team was very helpful with my order and delivered in a timely manner, many thanks

Always helpful very professional

exactly what was needed and very quick