Mothercare or perhaps Mothernotcare

A new Dolby (Ewan Patrick) arrived in the world last Sunday - full of bounce and vigor and with a positive attitude towards keeping his mum (I'm eying up the spare room) up all night with childish demands!

And so I went shopping - online of course - for some essential baby items that we had so far resisted purchasing!

Mothercare had everything and so I ordered a cot, a mattress and a steriliser, a start to a new life and beginning for the wee one. The thing is though, I did not realize till the delivery turned up late (I'm still waiting for one part after nine days since ordering) how poor Mothercare was! I complained by email to customer service and was fobbed off by three different people (Debbie, Stephanie and George) who quoted "legal talk" to me and what resembled a snotty apology!

One year ago (or less) my wife went to a Mothercare store in Fort Kinnaird in Edinburgh and had a disastrous experience. The staff where rude, abrupt and too busy talking to take much notice of her. I should have taken note then and never darkened a Mothercare doorstep again.

And I wont. I simply can't be part of what they perhaps see as a cornered market to the extent that customer service is a fob-off experience!

If I had to pick one chain store to go down the drain during this recession then Mothercare would be at the top of my list.

Or should they simply rename to mothernotcare so that everybody knows what to expect?