IKEA

Dear Ikea HK,

Learn a couple of things from your UK family, guys!

You’re a gem in the crown of the Hong Kong furniture market. You produce something that no other store seems to have – low prices – I understand your furniture is cheap and you might just not GAF. But please, think about your customers. Think about the numerous couples that already struggle with a trip to Ikea, make it easier for them. I expect you think everything is running smoothly, so I’ve prepared some pointers for you.

1. STOP PEOPLE LOITERING – seriously, a whole showroom full of people of all ages (we’re not just talking about kids here) just lounging on all of the show furniture, feet up on the couch with their tablets. Like they’re at home. People are trying to shop here guys, we WANT to test the couches and the beds and I don’t want to have to politely ask four 16 year olds to move their asses.
   On our last visit a man just lay on one of the mattresses on his phone, on another mattress there was a guy just lying there with his eyes closed. Later on he rolled over on to his side and stared at me for a while whilst I was waiting for Paul.
   Just hire somebody with balls to tell these people to move on, it’s a pain in the ass. I’m looking for a job, I don’t mind telling people to move, hire me! I have balls.
2. Get a delivery schedule in place – So when I’ve finally managed to sit on a sofa or lie on a bed, I decide ‘Yeah, I want this to be mine!’ I track down an Ikea guy to ask him if it’s in stock, here’s how that went.
   ‘Hi guy, please can you check if this is in stock’
   ‘No, it’s not in stock’
   ‘If I order it, when will it be in?’
   ‘I don’t know’
   ‘…’
   ‘It just comes in, we don’t know when’
   ‘…’
   I understand everything is imported, but really. You DON’T KNOW?! Give me the max/min time scales or something. VALUE MY CUSTOM.
3. I know this one probably can’t be helped, but I’m going to complain anyway. Make your home deliveries better. CW Bay Ikea is like 20 minutes walk from our apartment. However, the time scale to deliver a mattress for us (ordered on Wednesday) initially was Saturday, we walked away for 5 minutes to discuss if this was ok or if we could figure something else out, decided Saturday will do. Went back to the till to order BOOM your delivery will be with you on Monday. WHAT, how many people ordered things in that time?! How did that happen. You’ve caused me another few nights in Central sleeping on a bed made of old car parts, plus Paul had his moody face on when he came home :(.

Now, I’m going to end on some positives for you, make you feel good again. Despite these complaints I appreciate you Ikea. I appreciate the brightly coloured low priced products you manufacture. Specifically in Hong Kong, I appreciate that all your catalogues and paperwork (such as the ordering sheets) come in English as well as Cantonese and other languages. I’m thankful for your low-priced yet still comfortable mattresses and the modular furniture that we can adapt to fit in our smallish living area.

Most importantly, I appreciate your meatballs and the fact I can buy them here.

Begrudgingly yours,

Sarah