"David.WE.Roberts" wrote in message
...
Ikea always seems to go together right - unless, of course, you don't
follow the instructions correctly.

We have put a lot of Ikea stuff together over the years.

It just works.

I've just spent a frustrating (well, it felt like at least an hour) trying
to put a B&Q circular garden table together.

Should be simple. Two metal frames at right angles, held in place by a
metal loop with welded brackets.

Turns out after much pushing and grunting and removing and refitting that
the frame is bent to f*ck and/or not welded up correctly.

http://www.diy.com/nav/garden/outdoo...iture/tables/-
specificproducttype-dining_tables/Lavezzi-Dining-Table-12718771?
noCookies=false

or

http://tinyurl.com/odtd7f3

is what is should look like.

Now trying to ring them up to ask them to hold a replacement for us.

Friday evening is not a good time to get customer service.

It is a shame that there isn't an Ikea anywhere near us. Nearest is about
1.5 hours drive each way.

So how can Ikea do it and remain cheap, and B&Q just can't?

Grrrr.


Dave R

I saw a documentary on the TV about Ikea. Odd company owned and run by an
odd guy. In the village in Sweden or wherever it is the come from, they have
a complete store, empty of customers. It is purely for them to work out how
displays should be done, and how to plan a customer walk-through.
Apparently, their stores all over the world work to a standard internal
design 'formula', and this is where it's created. They also have a complete
department for creating assembly instructions. Because they trade in so many
different countries, it is impractical for them to be created and printed in
all the different languages, so a lot of effort is put into producing
language-free diagrams and cartoon-style assembly instructions that will be
universal no matter what territory the item is being sold in.

The wife recently bought a tall glass cabinet from them to put all her
Disney bits in. It was a dream to put together. Nicely designed fixings and
unambiguous assembly instructions. Took about a half hour I would guess, and
looks like it was bought as a ready made item from somewhere expensive.

Arfa