Poor customer service and let down with appointments
After positive reviews I ordered a kitchen worktop from Henderstone and paid a 50% deposit. Their templater visited and I specifically asked if everything was suitable for installation. I was told it was fine. I later learned under their terms the templater does not check if units are level. I accept that responsibility sits with the customer/fitter, but when I directly asked whether anything would prevent installation, that limitation was never mentioned. Had they said so, I could have fixed it beforehand.
We were given two installation dates, both cancelled with under 24 hours’ notice. One seemed due to over-commitment, the other poor communication. These cancellations disrupted other trades I had booked around the dates.
When the team finally arrived, Ryan (owner) said the units were not level so they could not fit. I was then invoiced £228 (50% of their normal revisit charge). I challenged this given what their own templater had previously told me, but was simply referred back to the terms and conditions.
A further confirmed date was cancelled at 7:08 a.m. that morning, with a message saying they could try for the next day “if we can reach an agreement.” After I paid the extra charge under pressure (I had already paid for materials and original installation and had other trades waiting), the work was completed.
The finished worktop itself is fine and the two installers were professional. My one-star rating reflects the overall experience: repeated last-minute cancellations, poor communication, the handling of the level issue after I had been assured everything was okay, and the way the revisit charge was managed.
I accept genuine supplier delays can happen. My criticism is about how appointments and communication were handled afterwards. For anyone considering Henderstone, read reviews across platforms and get absolute clarity before templating on exactly what they will and will not check.
This is my personal experience with Henderstone, Staplehurst.
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After reading Henderstone’s reply, I feel I need to update my review with a few corrections.
1) We were never told the delays were caused by wildfires in Spain, nor were we ever offered the option of switching to an alternative work surface. Instead we were given repeated false promises about delivery dates. I work in global logistics myself, so I understand supply-chain problems. Had we been given a genuine choice of a different material, we would have taken it. That choice was never presented.
2) The Terms & Conditions you keep pointing to relate to the situation before the templater arrives. Once your own staff member was on site I asked a clear question: were there any issues that would prevent installation? I was told there were none. As a professional contractor you have a duty of care. Simply hiding behind the small print after giving a direct verbal assurance is not good practice.
3) The email you quoted was sent after the first set of problems, which at that stage I felt had been handled reasonably. From that point onwards the situation deteriorated badly with further last-minute cancellations (including one at 7:08 a.m. on the morning of a confirmed appointment). Those later cancellations are what changed my view of the overall experience.
4) Charging £228 for a 30-minute revisit when your factory is only 15 minutes away is, frankly, excessive. I would have understood a higher fee if your team had been travelling a long distance. In this case it simply looks opportunistic.
5) I am not holding anyone to ransom. This is an honest account of what happened. You had two confirmed opportunities to attend and complete the work, chose to cancel both at short notice, then insisted on an extra £228 before returning. Your reply shows no recognition of the disruption this caused me or any willingness to see the situation from the customer’s side. That is why the rating remains one star.
The finished worktops and the two installers were fine. The rest of the experience was not.
Reply from Henderstone
Thank you for acknowledging that your finished worktops look fine and that our installers were professional. However, we need to set the record straight regarding the circumstances surrounding your project.
The initial delay resulted from severe wildfires in Spain disrupting raw material supply, a circumstance completely beyond our control. We communicated this issue to you immediately, and you explicitly chose to wait for your chosen material rather than select an alternative worktop.
Our Terms and Conditions and the templating checklist clearly state that ensuring cabinets are completely level is the responsibility of the customer or fitter, which you agreed to. Reducing our standard revisit charge by 50% to £228 was done in good faith to keep your extra costs as low as possible.
We are particularly disappointed by the stark contradiction between your private communications and this public review. In your last email to us, you wrote:
"I appreciate how you’ve communicated with me and worked to resolve the situation. Once everything is completed, I’ll be happy to leave a five-star review reflecting how the order has ultimately been handled."
Despite this, you later insisted you were only willing to pay £100 for the revisit. When we asked for the contractually agreed fee to be settled, this 1-star review was posted. Attempting to hold suppliers ransom with 1-star reviews over legitimate, contractually agreed charges is unfair and morally wrong. We stand firmly behind the quality of our craftsmanship and our team's professional handling of your project.
