..customer feedback.....let us know!.

Happy ?
~ IF you enjoy our website, or find it easy to use, and like what we're offering...
Let us know !

~ IF you feel pleased with your contact with us and happy with the way we deliver and process your order....
Let us know !

~ IF you've found our staff efficient, friendly or helpful...
Let us know !

~ IF you've created a great project with our materials...

Let us know !

Unhappy ?
~ IF you've got ideas to change or improve us .... Let us know !
~ IF you feel let down or unhappy with our service .... Let us know !
~ IF our staff have been unhelpful or unfriendly .... Let us know !
~ IF the materials have been disappointing .... Let us know !

the good....................

Hello. First of all I have to say what a fantastic website you have and how much I enjoyed browsing it, and so easy to use also. I didn't realise that there were that many different sleepers available - my local timber yards had one variety of the reclaimed stuff and only two choices of the new sleepers (brown or green..hhmm??) so I was very glad to stumble upon your website.
Anita Mistry

Dear K, What an enjoyable site! It took me a wee while to transition from suspicion - this site has to be a spoof - through incredulity - it appears to be legit - to having a ball reading around what you have. I can barely believe you can make a site about railway sleepers, for crying out loud - no offence - so lively! Anyway, enough superlatives..
Sally Cummings

Dear K, Just wanted to say hi, found your website to have great humour and very professional to boot (think you could show many pro-designers a thing or too). Great attitude and brilliant ethos ... hope to see you soon! Regards,
Rad

Dear K, We are thrilled with the sleepers you delivered last Friday. The delivery driver was incredibly prompt (you said approx 10am and he arrived 10.01). He managed to unload 10 sleepers on his own and stacked them really neatly in our side access alleyway. As we live on a fairly busy main road I was nervous about leaving £300 of sleepers on display so my husband and I carried them round the back that evening - how heavy? We spent most of Saturday digging them in and by Sunday afternoon had completed planting the new raised beds. They whole effect is great and we have told all our friends about your website. The only snag is that my husband overestimated the number we would need and we have 2 left over! Any ideas for garden sculptures ...?
Caroline Glover

I Thought I would drop you a quick line, I found you web site after searching for railway sleepers on MSN Search. I must say how impressed I am with it , very, very informative. with a little bit of fun , sound advise etc etc EXCELLENT !! I’ll contact you when I’m in the market. All the best.
Umesh

Dear K, After delivering 23 sleepers to us at Easter, it took us 10 days, start to finish, with the help of 2 or 3 'good friends', who strangely enough we don't seem to have seen much of since then - I think they said something about 'chiropractors' and 'back strain'. It looks absolutely brill - just like the artwork. Since then we've done loads of bopping about at 2 in the morning on the sleepers, and everyone who sees it says how effective, wonderfully timesaving and thoroughly enjoyable it is. We've had no trouble whatsoever with leaking tar, & the cats think the sleepers are excellent for avoiding the gravel !! All in all, a fantastic success, and when I get a minute from eating and drinking outdoors I will send a photo. Thanks again for just being there, on the 'net' with your sleepers.

Dear K, I would like to complement you on every aspect of your service. The website is well-designed, easy-to-use and informative. The service is quick - our order arrived 2 days after we placed it. The guy was friendly and didn't mind (I don't think) that I didn't offer to help! The sleepers are just what we were after, as described and I think the prices, including for delivery, are very reasonable. I will definitely recommend you, I only feel disappointed that I am unlikely to need any more myself in the near future (although we are moving house soon!) It's great to do business with such an efficient company. I hope to do more business with you in the future.
Ben Ackroyd

By the way, my husband and I think your website is fab!
Ali.

Hi there... I would just like to comment on such a good and informative website you have created... it is apparent that a lot of time and effort has been put-in to help your customers. I saw your advert in the local topper / recorder, referencing your site and I was only expecting a brief contact page with some product pictures. It might be a good idea to add a testimonial page / section to site... whereby including comments like mine and others for prospective customers to view. Also there isn't anyway of registering personal information so that you can communicate with customers / database... eg Newsletters etc. Just a couple of thoughts, but overall an excellent site. Well done and all the best for the future.
Dan Vout Product Marketing Manager
Greenwoods Communications Ltd

Hello there, I have just had a look at your amazing web site - Wow. Your web site is really informative
Louise

Dear sir/madam, what a brilliant site,overwhelmed by the zest and appeal it gives one.I am fully inspired and will be placing my order with you very shortly when I have my full figures. Brilliant. kind regards,
Kevin harrison.

Congratulations on an informative and entertaining website. Mark Kinnon

Hi there Jerry, Firstly let me say what a great site you have. I have been wondering where and how to get sleepers for a while. It looks like you provide the total solution, chioce, cutting , delivery and all sorts of tips and hints.
Jonathan Lane

CONGRATULATIONS WHAT A SUPERB WEB SITE.
Mike Parker

I am amazed at your web site.
Margaret Traynor

Fantastic website by the way!
Sally Ann

I love your website. I didn't think I would find a place that would have so many different kinds of sleepers!
Suzanne Reid

Hi, love the website, particularly the photo section.
Gill Knight

Hi, what a great info site, thanks.
Andrew

First may I say that your website has been a pleasure to browse. It comes across extremely friendly with that 'a real person is actually behind this' feel. .............Top marks !
Charlie Packer

Thanks for providing a great website - I've spent the afternoon researching my idea of using sleepers to make an indoor table and didn't feel like I was getting very far until I found your site. Jo

Thank you for my lovely railway sleepers /decking and prompt delivery. I'll be sure to send some pictures of the finished results! At the moment the garden looks like a building site and the workers have hernias from lifting the sleepers! Excellent website, very informative, very helpful on the phone and excellent service - a pleasure to so business with you.
Nicole Hines

Dear K. First of all - brilliant website - how useful is that for clueless gardeners like myself!
Katherine Beers

Hi, Having seen your website I am encouraged to start on a garden project that has been "parked" for years!
David Staps

Hello, Firstly, just wanted to say how much I love your site! So much info and the photos people have sent in are such an inspiration.
Karin Muir

Firstly I would like to congratulate you on having such an informative and easy to use web-site.
Glen Ricketts

Dear K, prices and types, your site is second to none!
Maxine Berry

Hello Firstly may I start by paying you a compliment on your website www.kilgraney.com - very easy to use and full of useful information. Paul Chapman

Hello there, We've been enjoying your website, and hoping that our planned project doesn't end up with pictures of damaged limbs on it!
Fenella Campa

Firstly, thanks for having such a fabulous website, we had a right chuckle reading through it last night!
Sally Twigger

Massive congratulations for the humanity (of the site) Sincerely, Revd Stephen Williams.

Your web-site is great. If more were like it, searching the web would be an easier, more humorous and generally more enjoyable an experience. Mark.

Hi just visited your site which was really interesting especially the customers ideas and pictures.
Josie

Been looking at your excellent website and the customer photos have inspired me to sort out my garden.
Mark Lloyd

What a fabulous website. I was vaguely thinking about using some railway sleeper somewhere in my small and strangely shaped garden, and have been motivated to the point of going outside in the dark in my pyjamas to do some measuring. I'm still not sure, but ideas are abounding! Thanks
Emily Evans

I'm currently browsing the internet for sleepers. I just had to say Thank You for the overload pictures. I got the giggles.
Lesley

Your website is very informative and useful.
Piers Lawday

I telephoned you from work at 11am on Mon 14th March, "I'd like to order 8 grade 2 baltic pine sleepers please" I said, "no problem" said your lovely lady "sometimes our haulier can get them there the next day, but it's more likely to be next week". "Fine" says I, "no problem, just let me know when you know please". End of telephone conversation.
I get home that day at 2pm to find 8 sleepers stacked neatly by the side of the house, exactly where I wanted them, (apparently the driver would have delivered them earlier but was held up by a funeral procession).
Superb service! The only problem is, her indoors is now giving me severe ear ache because I haven't started using them yet.....
Mark Lowery

I was most impressed by your website - loads of material options, ideas and useful information - the best one I've looked at!
John f wallis.

I found your company on the 'net, and luckily you're only a few miles from
me. Your site is streets ahead of the others, making the find even more
satisfying.
Ross Mcdonald

Firstly I would like to congratulate you on such an excellent website. It has really helped me to decide on how to tackle a project that I intend to carry out over the summer.
Many thanks again for a very informative and well designed website and I look forward to hearing from you and hopefully doing some business.
David Kelly

Firstly what a fantastic website, I have been totally engrossed for the last
2 hours viewing all your customers projects. And i thought our garden was nice?
Jane Grindley

Thanks a lot for the excellent service. I ordered one of your Russian bulkhead sleepers and used a short length stood on it's end as a stand for a sundial. Picture attached. It's perfect. Many thanks.
Matthew Barry

Many thanks for all your help in supplying us the sleeper for our fire mantle. Your help in finding your location was excellent due to your superb website and a quick phone call. We were able to pick out a lovely piece of wood which now adorns our fireplace - Your advice and comments as we selected our wood was most appreciated. Thanks again!
Steve & Diane Langford

Brilliant site by the way....loads of info
Gwen Chadwick

I think your website is brilliant.
Barton William-Powlett

I would like to say thanks again for your website and your marvellous photos
My name is Mathieu Castellani, from Moorea Island, in South Pacific Ocean
Near the Tahiti ’island – French Polynesia
Mathieu Castellani

Fantastic web site, great ideas, just what I was looking for !
Rosie Campbell

I'm bamboozled with all the options on your website which is very informative. I just need a summary if you would.
James

Thanks for your support on this project
David Bloor - Mudchute Park & Farm

On the whole i was completely satisfied with the timber you supplied and will be coming back for another sleeper soon.
Delboy.

A master-class in website construction. Really informative. Everything you need to know is on the site.
Tony Foxton.

Ran across your website linked on About.com and must say it's wonderful! Your website has given me plenty of ideas! Too bad I'm in Oklahoma, USA!
If I'm ever in your area, I would love to visit!
Bill & Cate Newman

Firstly, let me say what a fantastic web site. Full of good practical advice and loads more besides.
Shane Murphy

Fantastic website
J Ellis

I've enjoyed your website and getting ideas from the 'project photos' - some people are so imaginitive
Alison Exton

Damn good website - thanks!
Steve Wellbeloved

I must also comment on your website, I am an avid Railwaysleepers.com visitor of late and must say I have thoroughly enjoyed reading through your website, I has to be one of the most interesting sites I have ever seen! Congratulations on a superb website.
Tracy Brown

Thankyou for your useful advise during our discussion. Extremely useful and much appreciated
Simon White

I think this is the finest piece of oak I have had from you - the grain is spectular - thankyou.
John

Thankyou very much for your prompt, polite and pain free delivery service. The guys managed very well in what is a limited access area, being a one vehicle width lane. We managed to shift the sleepers into roughly the right areas moving 10 at a time in the back of our landrover, dropping only one onto our respective shins and toes which appears to be a classic railway sleeper injury!
Again, thankyou very much for your pleasant service,
Sharon and Duncan McGaw

I have greatly enjoyed looking at your website and appreciate the wealth of information you offer.
Zena Mount

We (and the koi!) are very happy indeed.
Many thanks
Tony & Debbie Shelley

Firstly, may I say how excellent, informative and inspirational I found your website.
Steve Greatholder

Thank you so much for all your efforts with our little job.
You are a great company to deal with.
Jill Cowgill

Your sleepers are the real stars, though. I can't believe that filthy,
dirty, old lengths of hardwood transform themselves into glorious, elegant architectural features within seconds, but they do. It's amazing. Thanks for everything.
Ali

A new customer told me of your site and i an impressed with all that I have seen. Hopefully I will get to use some of your french oak on my customers project soon.
Darren Ellis
Kingfisher Landscapes Ltd

Hi
I have looked at your website with fascination. Wonderful to see an open and informative, easy to manoeuvre website.
Ms T Meijer

Hi,
Firstly, you have a nice website and, compared to others selling
similar items, it is a pleasure to look through!
Nick Shuttleworth.

Hi there,
What a great site, full of inspiration. Thanks!
Rory

To all at Kilgraney,
Thanks for your very friendly and efficient service, i will recomend you to everyone.
Martin Potter.

Hi, poles arrived today all in perfect condition, thanks for the great service again.
Cheers
Paul Taylor

Thanks for your help and for supplying the wood – I don’t think anyone else in the UK sells it!
Dave

What a great site. Love looking at people's projects and photo's - quite inspiring.
James Morgan

I rang your customer service line recently to order some sleepers. The lady who took my call was extremely helpful and helped me decide how many I needed over the phone. There were lots of things that I wouldn’t have thought of without her help and advice.

The delivery arrived today and the man who delivered them was so helpful also, he even went to the trouble of bringing the sleepers to the back garden without my having to ask. He was polite and cheerful which makes such a change.

Dealing with companies that you find on-line can be a hit and miss affair. I have to say that dealing with your company and the delivery company has been pleasurable and easy. All I have to do now is put the sleepers to good use!! They are of fantastic quality and I look forward to seeing them in place. Thank you once again.
Allyson Cleaver

Excellent site & love the project photos! very inspiring. Many thanks!
Amanda

By the way I think the website with all the pictures is very inspiring and lets people see what can be achieved.. keep up the good work!!
Regards
Denise Polhill

You have an amazing web-site that really gets us anxious to start. Regards,
Glenda

Awesome website! I've been trying to find something like this for ages!
David Coaché

Many thanks in advance and great site. Much more depth than the last time I ordered and I love the photo section. I will send you some photos when I have completed the job.
Stuart Brooke

Looking for ideas on how to build a lake shore house with sleepers I got to your website and I got many great ideas on landscaping, walls and and solutions (like using Timberlock screws which I already bought in the US).
Thanks a lot for all the great ideas Your site has been a valuable help to keep me going.
Marcelo Miranda
Santiago, Chile

I've spent all day looking at your website, and what a great website it is!!.....you are right it is addicitive!! i've been inspired!!
Karen

Great website, I have spent hours browsing around it and reading peoples' stories
Rona

Thank you for such an inspirational site by the way, regards,
Lisa, Middlesex

Just to say thanks for a wonderful web site it is inspirational. I am based in Livingston in Scotland and was looking on the internet for railway sleepers to use in my front garden. I found your website what a joy to see all the pictures of what people have achieved. I have told so many people about this website just to look at what you can make out of something so simple.
Thanks again for all the info and wonderful pics
Michelle Shergold

Your site is fantastic, there is lots of really good advice & ideas offered about projects, fixing and the different types of sleepers
Clare

Also, just as general feedback - I found your site via google and what attracted me to make an enquiry was your excellent customer testimonials.
Henry Dixon

Firstly let me say what a fab website, and thanks to all the people who've sent in photo's of their projects; very inspirational. Bill Sweet's photos have convinced my husband that railway sleeper retaining walls are just what we need and not brick. Bill has achieved something very close to what I would like, but I had trouble explaining it to my husband. With Bill's photo's my long awaited garden will hopefully take shape this year
I love the wooden sculptures by John Brians
Angie Masters

Many thanks, and congatulations on a fabulous website!
Neil Chisholm

I think your products are wonderful – and I hope sometime to be able to design with / for them!
Sarah

I have been enjoying your website. You have a fantastic selection of pictures. I got additional inspiration from those. I will definitely submit my pictures when I finish my project. It is nice to find a trader that is passionate about what its clients achieve with its products.
Marco

You have zzzzzzzziiiiiiiiiiiiilllionssssssss of sleepers so I`m baffled as to what sort I need. Looking at your sleeper stock list tipped me over the edge and I gave up and went for a drink.
PS I also loved your site. 10 out of 10
Paul Durham

Great service and really pleased with the results.
Richard Parr

Looking for ideas on how to build a lake shore house with sleepers.
I got to your website and I got many great ideas on landscaping, walls and solutions
Marcelo Miranda
Santiago
Chile

I encountered your wonderful site quite recently through a search for timberlok screws.
Kind regards
Paul

Thank you very much for your excellent site! I`ve found a lot of useful information here!
Eugene

Your website is amazing.
Gemma Davies

Thank you for all your help with my order. I am really impressed with the level of customer service you have provided while dealing with the difficulties that arose with my order and feel pleased with my choice of supplier.
With best wishes,
Miriam Faulkner

Thank you for your co-operation. You'd been very helpful and that's what is known as good customer care and well done for that.
Many Thanks,
Nav

Have spent a few hours on your website over the last few months and am now ready to embark on my railway sleeper project. Thanks for all the good advice, ideas and photo's. Just after a further bit of advice
Martyn

Hi there, I love the site and have some great ideas after looking around.
Jon Booth

Hi
As promised I have attached pictures of the raised sensory garden we did recently at a school in Nottingham using your sleepers. I would just like to say the quality of your sleepers were excellent and I will be using you again for other projects.
Regards
Jon Muirhead
Town & Country Gardens

Just found your web page, some excellent photos have given us some ideas for our garden this year.
Trefor

Hi, I have finished my seating area using the German Beech sleepers, I was very impressed with the quality of the goods and the delivery was spot on. Thank you for your comunication regarding the delivery.
Ross Whetton

Love your website, I should not have been introduced to it at 11pm!
With best wishes
Elizabeth

You have such wonderful creations on your site and I was hoping you would have space for a few more. Still a work in progress but I should finish the project this year. Enjoy.
Ralph Behnke

Hiya,
firstly i must say i love the informative approach of your website, and also the photos submitted by your customer.
All the best
Peter Watkins

Hi
Just wanted to thank you for sorting out my order. The replacements you sent arrived yesterday. I have been very impressed with your service and will recommend you.
Thanks
Richard Baxell

Wow Jerry, some great information. Thankyou for taking the time to reply.
With best wishes,
CHRISTIAN DOUGLAS

Thanks again for all your ideas and for the great web-site - it has
helped us a lot -- and now the hard work begins!
Gina

Love your website – look like an Aladdin's cave!!
Many Thanks
Simon Brasted

Gentlemen, I have been on your web site. Incredible information. One of the best in internet.
Neil Giarratana
(Northern Italy, not far from Turin)

The help I received over the phone was first rate and your website is charming, humorous, informative, unpretentious and all the better for being a little idiosyncratic as well! If only all business was run that way.
Keep up the good work!
M. Harnan

Your section on the website showing everyone's projects is absolutely brilliant, I've been through all of them more or less. It really gives you lots of ideas of both what you want and what you don't want. Well done for doing this on your website its a great idea and really useful for prospective patio makers !!
Sally

What an amazing website - I am hooked. ...
Professor Erika Szyszczak

Your website is great! I'm looking forward to getting my order placed, and to transform the back of my garden.
many thanks
David

My thanks Jerry..............THAT is what I call service........... sadly a rare commodity in the early 21st Century........!!!
Kilgraney will grow and prosper using these methods.
..... and thanks for an EXTREMELY informative sleeper website....
David Roberts

Hi there, I was doing a search on the internet for companies I could buy a couple of railway sleepers from for a project in my garden, found your site - and a few hours later came out of it in a daze!! The customer photos are amazing and some are really inspirational. Miranda

Thanks for the great website - very informative. It gave me lots of ideas for my garden
Brodie

I searched the Web for Rail Sleepers and I found your website.
It is truly the best website for Rail Sleepers. It was very informative and I was glued to your site and read and looked at all ideas I found there....I went to bed at 5am after becoming an expert on the subject and dreamed about Rail Sleepers in the few hours that remain :)
Naturally, all good things must come to an end! You see, I live in NY city, Brooklyn to be precise for the last 10 years and oh! ...how I envy you all in Britain.... to have a Rail Sleeper Supplier with such a friendly service (according to your feedback) and web site.
Kind regards,
Wynn
PS.. Don't change your Website, it is just great as it is and I'm a Web Developer! Shopping Carts and such, doesn't make it a good Website. Anyone who buy Rail Sleepers at their lunch break because they have no time for your website, have a serious issue..... or they are an Expert on the subject and in which, case good luck to them.

Would have sent this off this morning, but got on your brilliant web site and could not get off it. Brill.
Eric Smalley

Once again a HUGE “Thank you” on behalf of everyone here at Chester Zoo (especially the Jaguars), for offering to donate 20 old used telegraph poles! I have told the team here and they are absolutely delighted and can’t wait for them to arrive so that they can begin building the Jaguar climbing frame – which will help the cats the exercise they need to keep them fit and healthy. Thank you – this project couldn’t have gone ahead without your donation.
Michelle Duma
North of England Zoological Society
Chester Zoo

I've got the sleepers! They are beautiful! Happy!.
Thank you for all your help.
Kind Regards,
Olga

Firstly, congratulations on a wonderful, comprehensive website.
Daphne Kasambala

Thanks for your help. Sleepers arrived, cheeful assistance to carry them from the delivery men, slotted into place, look brilliant.
Any more sleeper projects and we'll come back to you. And will recommend you to anyone thinking about sleepers.
Best wishes,
Andrew Wardle

Hi, fantastic website - has given me the confidence to have a crack at sorting our front garden out.
Mark Whitehouse

Just a quick word to say what a fantastic website you have. We moved to a new house last year with a sloping garden and were stuck for ideas and inspiration until my wife found your website. Due to our location we had to source our sleepers locally and only days after first visiting your site we had ordered 24 new sleepers. After about 6 weeks hard work we now have a fantastic split level garden with a lawn we can now use. Thanks again for a fantastic site. I have enclosed some photos please feel free to use them on your site.
Gary and Karen Bage

The website is wicked, all day i were on it yesterday!!
Nick

Hello Sleeper Gods!
I just have to say first of all that I love your website, and the attitude! I know I’ve come to the right place when you’re warning me of potential future divorce through project addiction !
Helen Burchmore

I wrote you a few minutes ago about buying material... I just had to write you back to tell you that I love your website. Weather or not we do business together, I commend you on your tongue and cheek approach to marketing. It's nice to see another small business having fun...
Regards,
Douglas "Fir" Stoutenburg

Firstly may I say that I love your website, it is totally addictive and to save losing my job have had no option but to close the page!
David A Patterson

I’ve been looking though your site and found it really great, thanks. I especially appreciated your page on the creosote and tar treatments.
Jamie.

Your website is fab. the pictures of projects are just so inspiring.
Jean Connor

I just stumbled across your web site and felt compelled to contact you.
OK, on the down-side, it's not the most well-designed web site I've browsed, but on a positive note, how refreshing the contents.
1. It's given me great ideas on how to landscape & use the railway sleepers and
2. The contents did make me laugh out loud, especially the delivery costs you quote for Outer-space!
It's great to see a company that's open and honest and doesn't take its self too seriously.
Thanks very much and I wish you continued success!
Mark Davies, Hampshire

So having spent many happy hours looking at your site – for equally addictive capability try a good blacksmithing site!
Thanks for a great site with great advice.
Regards,
Steve

Good morning.
I'm still researching what I actually want for my garden but I just had to add my coments about your web site.Thankyou...it is one of the most informative sites I've used.The information is great and every question I have in my mind I can find on your site.
Carol Fry

the good....................

I have been trawling through the internet looking for places that sell railway sleepers for a little garden project / idea I have. I just wanted to say that your web-site is the most amusing and informative one I have ever seen! The pictures (overloaded cars etc) and comments are great! I need to do some serious tree removal and measuring and planning before I know exactly what I shall need but you will be the first people I contact for a price! Thank you for making me smile (it helps when I work out how much it’s going to cost my husband!!!)
Mrs Annette Potter

Hi there!
I have to say I am absolutely inspired by your web site!
I am really excited about tackling a few projects with your magnificent sleepers.
Jaime

Hello,
First of all, great website! I was very impressed with all the information about sleepers.
I never knew so much could be built from them.
Mr Kalpesh Diyar

It's terrific to get the sense of humour you offer. Life's to short without a good ole laff now and again. I will order soon.
Mike Recomio

Hi,
Photo as promised. The kids love the sand-pit.
Steve

Hi,
We are really glad we found the site, the customer photos section is fantastic, there are some absolute nutters out there!!!!
Thanks
Ewen & Emily

A masterclass in website construction. Really informative… Everything you need is on the site.
Tony Foxton, Purley.

Great web-site by the way!
Colin White.

First of all, thats a great site you have with tons of ideas and products - well done.
Darren Wood

Good (homemade) website - easy to use and thoroughly informative, not to say inspirational - congratulations on that - (though 'sheer' should be 'shear' in Timberlok Technical stuff ?)
best wishes
M R Jessop

My husband and I think your web-site is fantastic. Very helpful and inspiring.
Sue Kevan

Hi
I loved your site and the many photos of projects etc which are a real inspiration.
Nicholas

Thanks
The Website is great!
Caz Knight

Really enjoyed your web site - the photos of the sleeper projects were very informative.
DONNA PICKETT

Many congratulations on a really helpful website and inspirational photographs
Debs

Great website
Simon Pugh

Hello there, I have just had a look at your amazing web site - Wow. Your web site is really informative
Louise Bampton

Hi, Very impresed with your website. I have just bought my first house with my girlfriend and we only have a small garden but I am keen to incorporate some railway sleepers into it somewhere. Keep up the good work., your photo gallery has given me lots of ideas for my next house! Regards
Rob M.

Dear K Sleepers arrived fine, and thanks to the driver for manoeuvering the sleepers on the driveway. Now the fun starts ! Many thanks for an excellent service. Regards
Roger

Dear Sir, Delighted with the sleepers. When they arrived we looked at the size and almost had second thoughts - what had we taken on ! Happily our neighbours mucked in and with the help of a special trolley from our local hire shop they are now all in situ. Everyone has been to admire them, and we have got to know more of our neighbours as they want to know all about them We have almost finished our garden, just the planting to go. We have taken some photos and will send those to you shortly. Yours (exhausted)
Jenny and Ryan

Thanks for speedy and efficient service. Timbers well received this morning. We will build the first bridge with them and use that experience to see what we need for the second bridge. I have no doubt you will hear from us again. Take care, thanks, and all the best,
Mike Fisher

Thanks in advance for showing them on your superb web site and thanks
also for the prompt and friendly service.
John Taylor, Garden TLC

Many thanks for your help and advice
John Fisher

May I add that I think your website is excellent, especially the projects section. Thanks again,
Paul Baumber

Firstly I would just like to say what a great website you have, a credit to yourselves.
Mr P Farthing

Hello - great website by the way!
Tom Hardcastle.

We attach photos of the marvellous transformation we have been able to make to our garden with your sleepers. Thank you for a friendly, efficient and first class service - we will certainly recommend you.
Sue and Bernd

Finally a website that does exactly what you what!!! I like it!
Charles Haworth-Booth

Really enjoying your website with all the customer's photos... great idea for giving new gardeners some inspiring ideas.
Lisa and Jim

Congrats on the web site by the way - it's not the "slickest" site around but it is very very nicely laid out, easy to read and navigate around and most of all contains TONS of information and photos. Just what I needed as I am making beds for growing vegetables and needed to be sure I was buying sleepers that were safe for our food, and that would still stand the test of time. Your site gave me all the info I needed and the choice of different wood you have is amazing. We'll certainly use you again when we need any hardwood for garden furniture (and maybe even the fireplace) and for our
next project which is a large two level deck - in fact your web site is
giving us all sorts of new ideas!
Dave

I would also like to take this opportunity to "say" your web site is excellent. Not only is it very comprehensive but it also has very good information (and humour) on it.
Michele Stanton

We bought some sleepers from you in February 2002, were very impressed with your advice and supply, and recommended you to a friend (John Whitworth) here in East Bridgford who bought some a year or so ago. We have just recommended you to another friend in the village, but mentioned that we had seen the 'railwaysleeper.com' website featured in last Sunday's Telegraph. We wondered if it might be you, as an 0115 phone number was given, and have just checked it out. Very glad it's you, and amazed you have time and energy to devise such a wacky site!
Christopher & Sarah Henwood

Great webpage!
Amanda

Hi Just been broozing your site having seen you mentioned in the Sunday Telegraph.
What a BRILLIANT SITE.................
So many ideas
You'll be hearing from me.
Chas

Wonderful woods and service you have
Loukas

I am dazzled by the array of materials you have on offer.
Louise

Just found your wonderful site
Julie

Just a quick note of thanks
Sleepers turned up on time and look great.
Thanks to your efficiency I may have the garden finished before month end !!!
Barney Gregory

Love the site, loads of info.
Julie

Firstly, would just like to praise your website - absolutely fantastic!
Thanks for your help.
Peter Jamieson

Firstly, many thanks for your great website. So much more useful than those builders merchants or garden centres who either don't want to deliver, cut or advise...
Juliet

Firstly what a great website, 100's of great ideas, loads of information.
Richard Tyrell

Hello. I have read your (excellent) website & admired all the projects featured.
Keith

Congratulations on your website. I knew very little about railway sleepers a few weeks ago; I’m an expert now of course !
Roger Willcox

Thank you for the fast delivery of my sleepers.
The result was just as I had anticipated and I’m sure we will have more in the future. The product was excellent as were the fixings you supplied.
Rob Higgins
Novo Solutions Ltd

Very good website! Lots of ideas.
Many thanks.
Laura

Dear Sir/madam, I have just discovered your site and I am very impressed with your projects area, it is very refreshing to see such a good interesting web site.
Mr Foy

Many thanks for a wonderful site.
Regards
Rolanda

I spent a few minutes looking through your excellent web site.
Graham Chambers

Thanks for your site ! Thanks to the others who's own projects gave us the inspiration and momentum to finish ours.
kindest regards
Stuart Watson

Thanks a lot and by the way you come across really friendly on your website which isn't usually the case. Cheers,
Eileen.

Just typed Old Railway sleepers in google to see if there was any info about them. cost, ideas etc and got to your site.....its the F*****g Dogs Boll***S of landscape web sites, well done , I have a million ideas now, never knew how many types as well, must take time to visit your place.
cheers
Bill

I have been browsing your excellent website, (I particularly liked the " overload photographs" !!! ) and have come to the conclusion that perhaps the poor old donkey and I are kindred spirits as we both spend a lot of time hanging around waiting to see if anybody can load any more on!!!.
Anyway, congratulations on a well thought out and hugely informative site.
regards,
Andrew.Hi,

I have been looking on your website (great site by the way, I am very new to this and now getting hooked on sleepers
regards,
Ian Robbins

Hi what a good find your site is. Found it by accident yesterday and it is just what I am looking for. I have looked at some of the photo's and they have inspired me which is what I needed
Chris Wright

I was too carried away with the projects folder photos ?? (Time Warp ) couldn't stop looking ???!?,
Kieron Dillon

First of all, what a great site and great inspiring content.
Tim

I have checked your web-site and found it very informative.
Malcolm Bird

Excellent web page, some very good ideas
Thanks
Neil Robson

Thanks for the ideas page from where I drew my own inspiration! Hopefully someone will get some from my images.
Stuart in Guernsey, Channel Islands

You’re right about railway sleepers being addictive, we’ve spent hours on your website!
Sarah and Steve Jones

For starters a great website, busy, but really informative. I've changed plans three or four times already this morning in the time I've spent on line!
Regards
Alistair Dornan

I have spent the past 2 days going through your fantastic web-site. Thanks for the inspiration. Regards
Glenda & Peter

Your website is FAB!!!
Emma

Hi there,
I have just found your website and it is great!Your
photo section has given me loads of ideas. Many thanks
Hannah

Fantastic website -it gave me the inspiration for my garden
many thanks
Sarah Harrison

The sleeps you supplied are top notch and after an initial delivery delay we got great service and advice…. Thanks again
Graham Duffield – Burford

Thanks - great service and really pleased with the results.
Richard Parr

I love your site.
Debbie James

Many thanks again for your advice on this - your company provides and excellent service and I've already recommended you to several others!
Oliver

Thanks for your good service and advice - BTW the timberlock screws for the deck and the sleepers are brilliant!
Nigel

Dear Railway sleeper people
I love your website, so enthusiastic full of ideas.
Andrew B

Your website is fantastic
regards Pauline

What a great website, great ideas and loads of info. Thanks.
Richard

I don’t normally send feedback on websites, I wander around looking for ideas, but the selection of customer photos for the railway sleeper walls is fantastic. Certainly has proved to me that my idea is possible and can look great in the process. Will have to find the time to look around the rest of the sections.
Excellent use of the website.
Mike

I think you website is fantastic and very helpful
Terry

Just wanted to say that your site has been inspirational. Although we couldn’t buy from you as we are in rural Aberdeenshire; delivery would have been prohibitive and we sourced them locally, we have gleaned a large amount of info from your site. A true public service from apparent sleeper anoraks! Don’t change.
Iain Hoey

Great website - the best collection of ideas on one site I've seen.
Nigel Sussex

I came across your website today and was very impressed with it there are some really good idea's on it. Thanks a lot
Lee Hammerton

Firstly, Id like to say well done on your website! Fuss free and very informative. Thanks.
Dave.

I have just spent several hours looking through your wonderful site, and now feel all fired up to sort out my back garden once and for all.
Andy

I really enjoyed your web-site!
Many thanks
Ian Lambert

It was the other photos that inspired us to build our raised beds!
Ros

You have a great site full fantastic ideas. Before I get carried away, can you tell me if you deliver to Ayrshire in Scotland !
Alex Douglas

HAVE BEEN PERUSING YOUR INCREDIBLE WEBSITE AND MUST SAY HOW SIMPLY FANTASTIC TO FIND SOMETHING WITH SUCH A VAST ARRAY OF INFORMATION!
MRS. ELAINE KING

Just wanted to drop a quick line to say thank you for your extremely prompt response to my email - I had a lovely parcel arrive on Valentine's day and to my amusement it wasn't a little trinket from Tiffany's but the Hex socket from you!
With best regards,
Miriam Faulkner

Hi Jerry
Just a quick e-mail to say thank you very much for recommending a more local supplier – they have been incredibly helpful and will be delivering my sleepers tomorrow! Thanks again, I really wasn’t expecting such a quick response (least of all one that recommended someone else!) It’s rare to get such good customer service, but it’s very appreciated.
Regards
Jennifer

Hello,
Just been looking at your website very good /interesting and informative
Tony Price

Many thanks for your kind email and all the information on the wood, it has proved very useful. The design is only for a design project at college but it was wonderful to find your website and I will definitely use your company in future for any designs that I am able to create.
Best wishes,
Mary Anderson

Hi – first of all, what a fantastic website. Found it via google – although weIhave a vague idea of what we’d like to do, we don’t know the first thing of how to do it, so set off looking for a website which told me everything I needed to know about using railway sleepers, and I found it!
Kathryn

Loved your website - got some great ideas from the project section -hope mine is of similar standard when completed.
Will be in touch
Regards
Nicki Barron

Your site is really, really entertaining , by the way.
Kind regards
Karen Burgess

Dear Kilgraney people,
First, many thanks for the hours of happy browsing you have given me looking at all the wonderful projects on your website.
Victoria Summerley

BTW your web site is great and so usual for ideas, tips
and hints !
Regards
Andy bates

Hi Jerry, Just to say that the sleepers have just arrive. Brian has been a real diamond and with skill acquired from many a squashed finger, carefully and masterfully placed all of our purchases just where we required them. It has been a pleasure doing business with you and we would not hesitate to recommend you to friends. To see rippling muscles so early in the afternoon has done nothing for my blood pressure!

Karen and the 'boys' giving advice at your yard also do a fantastic job.What a positive and friendly workplace you have. It is a credit to you all.

Don't think we will be doing much 'sleeping' over the next few days. We will try and send photos of 'before' and 'after' and that is just of me and my husband before we do it and then in A & E after we have finished.

I thought good service in the UK was long gone but you have all proved me wrong.
Kind regards
Mags Barr

Love your website - so honest & entertaining.
cheers
Fiona Ryan

Dear Railway Sleepers,
We were delighted with your webite, delivery and quality of product.
My husband struggled a little with the weight so as would any true engineer he knocked together a pair of wheels (see photo) but other than that it all went smoothly. Even the dog had fun!
Jill & Dave Ashton

Your site seems to the THE one on the subject.
Many thanks for your kindness in advance,
Ann

Hi, I love your website - so informative and friendly!
Many thanks
Linden

excellent and extremely helpful website
Peter Kellie

Sleepers duly received (8.00 am on Wednesday). Your driver was very helpful and offloaded as I wished.
The sleepers are exactly as I required and in perfect condition.
thank you,
David

I have just spent several hours thoroughly enjoying your website! A true mine of information presented in a light hearted, non-commercial manner - well done.
Matthew Hill

Fantastic, fun web site
Chris

Thanks for the great service with the sleepers, they have transformed our small garden.
Richard & Beth

Thanks again for your advice and generous offer of providing us with sleepers for our young person’s project. It was a lot more than I expected. Your website and all the creative ways in which your sleepers have been used have given me some ideas.
Mark Bennetts

The delivery guy was excellent, very helpful and gave invaluable tips in how to move such heavy items safely - most of which I did on my own with the help of a modified sack truck.
Stuart Craigen

Thank you for the help, great website
Marcus Twohig
Australia

Dear sir or Madam,
Spent the last hour trawling your website and had a wonderful time.
Jimmy Jagelski

First rate service. Wish all people could adopt your principles.
Thank you
Regards
Neil Bannister

Thanks very much for a good site well worth the read.
Regards,
Mervyn, Australia

Many thanks and keep up the great work on the inspiring website.
Alan De’Arth, Australia

Terrific site; nice start to my day.
Richard

Allow me to compliment you on your excellent web page. Your passion and apparent knowledge for all things 'big wood' shines through.
Tim

Many thanks. You got me out of a bit of a hole after being dropped in it a bit. I ordered your sleepers by 12.00pm and at 7.30am the next morning they were outside my door. Got a local farmer to lift them off and drop themat the job and lifted most of them in that day.
Great service. Thank god there are still people out there who give a damn.
All the best.
Mike Wakelin. Boddington. Northants.

Hi, Yesterday I ordered some 300mm Timberlok screws for delivery by normal post. They arrived today. It's far too quick, I wasn't ready for them.
Many thanks for a great service, you will be highly recommended.
Best regards,
Chris Lambert.

p.s. your website front page is ‘proper funny’ as my teenage children would say. Thanks.
Cherie Abdy

I had a look at loads of pics on your site, it's amazing what can be done with a few bits of wood!
Thanks for your help.
Glen Perry

What a wonderful website! I don’t need any sleepers – but if I did, I would certainly buy them from you !
Thanks again for making me laugh out loud. My colleagues thing I’ve lost it completely!!
Kind regards,
Dave Ross

Thanks for a great website, found the information regarding old railway sleepers really useful
Lou Rawes

I have just been sniggering at your warning at the bottom of your home page of the website as I have already spent far too long on your website browsing railway sleepers! Anyway, housework eventually has called to me so I thought a quick email to you may help me!
Philippa Dancey

Dear expert on railway sleepers!
I have just spent a pretty enthralling 2 hours looking at lots of pictures of garden projects using railway sleepers on your web site. This is extremely helpful to show many imaginative ways of using sleepers, and different ways of laying them.
Alison, Edinburgh

THE NUTS
Your site is 'the nuts!' When trying to decide what to have as a retaining wall, decking etc it has been SO VERY HELPFULL finding all the pictures for ideas on your site, thank you so much.
Mr Johnson, East Sussex,

In am not a customer of yours but found your website inspirational to go crazy with sleepers in the garden in future. This project to be the first of many.
I would like to share my steps with you on your website.
Kind Regards
Travis Wade, S.Africa

Afternoon - first off I'll get the gushing praise out of the way and add my voice to the many that have complimented both the site, it's contents and the links to the Landscaping ideas page....my wife & I started looking at the projects over a glass of plonk the other evening and polished off the bottle before we knew it.
But less about my drinking problems....
Simon Harris

We are in Australia and was not sure if you except overseas photos yet.
Thank you for the help, great website
Marcus Twohig (Chief Stair Designer and Engineer)

Have been addicted to your web site since discovery.
Martin Sealby

Hi guys,
Was contemplating creating a few raised borders for vegetable patches - Zzzzzz- and thought about sleepers - ex-railway of course, rather than deep cover Soviets. Went to a couple of websites before finding yours and began to lose the will to live. Then, bloody hell, I would not have thought there could anything particularly amusing around the supply of sleepers. How wrong could I be. Great site, really Pythonesque humour and totally unexpected. When I order it will be from you - even though the cost of shipping to Cornwall is eye-watering. Wonder how many I could get in the back of an XC90 without finishing up in your "overloaded" gallery.
Very funny - keep it up
Barry

.......the bad and the ugly
Dear K, Just to let you know we have received the sleepers OK, but were very unhappy with the delivery - Despite me explaining (below) that they couldn't be dumped on our shared drive, and also getting reassurrance from colleague, the driver wanted to just dump them on the road outside our house - and said this was all they were supposed to do. My wife was almost in tears and he did finally agree to back up to the gates and unload into the yard. I was not impressed. They are not heavy - later it took me five minutes to carry them myself to another spot. I just thought you needed to know as it would put me off ordering any more, and must affect your business. Regards
Gareth Edwards

Dear Gareth
Our delivery service was unacceptable, and I'm sorry for any distress this caused your wife.
You were crystal clear about what you needed, and we let you down.
Yours sincerely
Jerry Deacon, Kilgraney.com

Thank you for the flowers, my wife was very pleased!
Gareth Edwards
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Just to let you know that the missing sleeper was delivered yesterday… however, it was not cut as ordered but supplied whole (3m length). As this is a smallish section (8" x 4") I will now cut it myself. Would you please therefore refund the cutting fee of £8 +VAT. Thanks.
Paul Leverett

Dear Paul
So sorry (again)
I hope the project will develop infinitely more smoothly than our delivery service ! We will of course send you a cheque asap.
Very much looking forward to your digital photos, and putting them on our web-site.
Best wishes
Jerry Deacon, Kilgraney.

Hi,
Thanks for cheque – received today
Photos will follow in due course (project not finished yet due to pressures of work!)
Regards,
Paul Leverett
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Dear Kilgraney
Having asked, particularly, that the sleeper delivery should be to Kingfisher Landscapes around, or after the 26th June, I was amazed and somewhat, no very, annoyed that this huge amount of wood had been delivered yesterday, two weeks too early. I was also assured that Kingfisher would be informed prior to the date of delivery, so that they could be present at the time, which was not done.
I now have an irrate man whose property is blocked by my wood order, purely because no communication was made by your company to him with the information. I am very disappointed that my instructions were ignored as you have been so helpful during the planning stage of this project and would welcome an explanation as Mr Ellis at Kingfisher Landcapes has been seriously inconvenienced.
Yours sincerely,
Barbara Gilbert

Dear Barbara
I know I've just spoken to you, but a million apologies again.
Best wishes
Jerry Deacon, Kilgraney.

Dear Kilgraney
Re: Herne Bay Hiccup
You are forgiven!
Barbara Gilbert
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Dear Mr Deacon,
Having ordered 7 untreated French oak sleepers on monday, a prompt delivery arrived this morning of 7 reclaimed sleepers.
Whilst they were very nice, we suspect that they were once creosote treated and therefore not suitable for our purposes (seating).
Unfortunately then, we couldn't take delivery.
I'd be grateful if you could ring us to let us know when the correct sleepers can be delivered.
Paul Kelly

Dear Paul
Many apologies. The mistake happened when the order was transferred to the hauliers.
You correct delivery will be at the beginning of next week, probably Tuesday. We won't know the day however, 'till Monday am.
Best wishes
Jerry Deacon, Kilgraney.

Not to worry! - Thanks for your prompt response
Paul
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Dear K,
Some feedback.
You need to tidy up your website. I can’t tell if you sell them online or not. I can’t figure out how to buy them or order them or spec them and so on.
Your site is not dedicated to the selling of Sleepers. It’s dedicated to educating people about Sleepers. You need to make it easier to buy you need an ‘add to cart’ iStore approach. Stories about delivery costs that ‘used to be £150’ are effectively a waste of web-space. You’re not increasing the chances of me buying from you because your delivery used to cost £150 – all this serves is that I assume delivery will be somewhere between £0 and £150. That’s a wide margin and leaves the figure of £150 in my mind and that makes me surf elsewhere. Get people interested in buying and then provide the delivery.
Also, try selling configurations of sleepers, Fireplace kit, 10 sq metre Garden Flowerbed kit and so on.
Davyd

Dear Davyd,
Thankyou for your e-mail and comments.
It's always interesting to hear other people's views. I increasingly realise how different people experience things in different way, inevitably because their perceptions, needs and experiences are so different. Hence, we received on the same day as yourself an equally blunt e-mail that said:
"Just typed Old Railway sleepers in google to see if there was any info about them. cost, ideas etc and got to your site.....its the F*****g Dogs Boll***S of landscape web sites, well done , I have a million ideas now, never knew how many types as well, must take time to visit your place. Cheers, Bill Painter"

Likewise if you go onto the 'Customer feedback' section of our website, you'll see that there are hundreds of genuinely thrilled users of our website. I don't say this to discredit your feedback. Merely to show how different people react in different ways.

Most people contact us by phone or e-mail if they have any questions, or want to buy anything. Our telephone numbers, fax number and email address are on the home page, to encourage this.

I have been tempted by the thought of a shopping cart - going to sleep whilst orders roll in ! However we chose not to have a shopping cart, as railway sleepers and telegraph poles are not as straightfoward and identical a product as a new electrical item, with exact specification etc.. Often we discover that customers initially wish to order a sleeper that is not suitable for their purpose, and would end up unhappy if we went ahead... e.g. ordering creosoted sleepers for a children's play area or school raised bed. Not only a nightmare around children, but also illegal in somme settings. Often after a friendly conversation with us they will choose an alternative. eg. new Baltic pine, rather than British used Pine (that is certainly not suitable for steps) Nevertheless we have a page dedicated to types, sizes and prices of sleepers.

On the Delivery service page we attempt to give a very clear idea as to delivery charges, eg. Derby will be £48 + Vat, and Gloucester is £60 + Vat.

We've thought about 'kits' for fireplaces and garden projects, but have discovered that people's individual needs, and plans are so different that uniformity is rare. See the hundreds of projects and thousands of photos as an example of how people love to design and create their own wonderful garden (even though to someone else it may seem uninspiring or mundane)

Anyway, what is your project ? What are you hoping to create ? You are very welcome to talk to us, or e-mail us about your plans. Who knows, we might be of some help, and possibly more interactive than a shopping cart !
Best wishes
Jerry Deacon, Kilgraney

Dear K,
Excellent response. My inane “management consultant with too much time on his hands in the lounge at Heathrow” ramblings were rather venting and I apologise. I just wanted a couple of sleepers resting on bricks to use as a low hearth in the living room - on which to stand a plasma screen. I found your site hard going but I take your point, I’m from a quick fix generation and expected your site to be ‘Amazonesque’. I was after big slab or two of 150 x 60cm decorative wood and I found I needed to research the whys and wherefores of creosote treatments.

Just goes to show you can keep some of the people happy all of the time…..etc.

The point to make is to sell on the web you need to make it easy to buy. Web buyers are by definition pressed for time and require digestible solutions. Your site has some brilliant information in it but I would go to another if all I had was my lunch hour in which to find some wood.

Anyway, the very best of luck, it was nice to get a personal response.

Davyd Parry
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Dear K,
Further to a telephone conversation I had with a member of your staff (possibly Karen) yesterday, in which I confirmed delivery of my order but raised a concern about wood worm, I felt I should email you as soon as possible with the initial photographs of the affected area that I have so far identified.

I have not been able to check the whole order as yet, as my husband is away on business and I can not lift most of the sleepers by myself, so will have to wait until he gets back.

In addition to the wood worm, I have measured the sleepers that I can reach and most of them are not the correct length. I expected that they may be a little out (i.e. 5 mm or so) but some are 5 to 15 mm too long or short and one is 100mm too long! Based on the information on your website, I paid to have the sleepers professionally cut to ensure that I got the exact measurements required, not the half hearted effort that appears to have been used on my order.

As with checking for wood worm, I can not check all the measurements until my husband returns.

I am so disappointed. I spent a long time researching who I should use and felt that your web site showed that your company where reliable, honest and professional - I‘ve even recommended your web site to friends, although I will now be advising them that I was sadly mistaken and that they would be better off looking elsewhere. When I placed the order, I felt reassured by the way the lady who I spoke to seemed to know the product, was friendly and helpful that my investment of
£474.97 had been well spent. Instead I have now experienced a catalogue of errors and poor standards:

1 - Hex bit missing when screws sent
2 - no contact or delivery within the 7 - 10 days stated on your web site regarding delivery (I was generous and waited 9 working days before contacting you myself)
3 - delivery date confirmed for 12 working days following ordering
4 - no afternoon call to confirm whether delivery would be morning or afternoon on the day before delivery

I appreciate that all my telephone conversations with Kilgraney have been courteous and friendly and that when I had to contact regarding problems you have been very apologetic but good manners can only go so far.

I was so excited by this project and now it has a negative taint to it. This project is not only for my enjoyment but my way of paying tribute to my late Father. I had decided to use the small inheritance that I received from him to create a vegetable garden (he was a very keen gardener) and the money I have spent at Kilgraney represents a nearly a half of that inheritance. To be let down so badly is bad enough, the fact that my project (and indeed my home if the wood worm is live) may be jeopardised by these failings is extremely upsetting.

All of these errors are causing my project to be delayed. Thankfully, I am doing the work myself so do not have any angry workmen to deal with but I need the vegetable raised bed to be up and running as soon as possible if I am to make the most of the growing season. It is so frustrating.

As soon as I am able to confirm the wood worm situation and the measurements, I will email you with the details and further photographs.
Miriam

Dear Miriam
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you today. I was trying to get to the bottom of what happened, and to find a satisfactory solution.

Firstly a general response. We've always strived to be dependable, and honest, and efficient, and friendly. Not only because it's a good way to behave in life generally, and how we want to be treated ourselves, but also because it's good for business. When we are let down by others we feel annoyed and frustrated, and when we do it to others we feel mortified and disappointed. Your badly handled order is a perfect example of that, and your description of us as 'half hearted', displaying a 'catalogue of errors and poor standards', and unprofessional, etc... is painful and frustrating to hear.

When we initially set up the business we were in control of everything from Nottingham. The deliveries, cutting, timber selection etc...all came from here. Then as we became more successful, and covered more of the UK, we inevitably needed to use and trust other people's services. So, we used other people's haulage companies, other people's cutting services, and other people's timber supplies. And that's where problems sometimes occurr. I don't say this as an excuse, but merely to explain that we are dependent on a lot of people being professional and reliable, and sharing our standards of service. Of course sometimes they fail, and when they do, as in your case, the the person understandably, and rightfully feels aggrieved and let down by us. And it's our responsibility to accept blame and make things better.

I feel particularly upset that this was a project that you felt so excited about and that this was a tribute to your father.

We will replace in the following week, without charge, the oak that you were delivered, on Tuesday. Our southern yard will check the new delivery for correct sizes, and also for insect holes.

We will ring you the day before to let you know which day the lorry is coming, so that the original pack of sleepers can be picked up and replaced.

Particular issues:
It is important to us that all orders are carried out reliably and efficiently. There were several failings:
1) You were not sent a second free Timberlok hex bit. We tried to rectify this by sending one out the moment you informed us.
2) Your order took 12 days rather than our predicted 10. We should have informed you when we realised we were running late, rather than expecting you to contact us. It's our responsibility, not yours.
3) You mention that you were not informed the day before about delivery. On this occasion we believe that we spoke to you several times in the afternoon, and also on the morning of the delivery, to ensure that you knew when delivery would be, and could be present. This is an important and normal procedure for us.
4) Your sleepers were not all cut accurately. Sometimes it's very difficult to cut railway sleepers accurately which were originally produced in a rough industrial woodmill with less precision and square cut ends and edges than we would like to work with. Nevertheless we endeavour to cut as accurately as is possible with chainsaws etc.. Clearly we were not good enough with your order.
5) Some of your sleepers had insect holes. Although this can be common in grade 2 French oak railway sleepers, it clearly can spoil the effect that one may want for landscaping, and also creates understandable fears about insects entering one's home. We try to remove obvious examples of this, and failed in your case.

Again I regret the distress we have caused you, and genuinely wish you all the best in the creation of your special project.

Best wishes
Jerry Deacon, Kilgraney

Dear Jerry,
Thank you for your prompt and thorough reply to my email. Thank you, also, for arranging for the order to be redone and delivered free of charge - I can see by how quickly you have resolved the problems I encountered that you are sincere in your comments that you ‘strive to be dependable, and honest, and efficient, and friendly’. I only hope that the subcontractors do not let you (and me) down again.

I wanted to comment on a couple of the particular issues you raised in your email. Firstly, I want to reiterate what I said in my last email to you, that all contact with your company has been dealt with in a courteous and friendly manner.

Secondly, although I didn’t mention it in my most recent email, I sent an email to Karen to thank her for sending out the missing Hex bit so promptly.

Thirdly, I raised the point that I had not been contacted on the afternoon before delivery, because I had waited for the call all afternoon and in the end I had to call your office to find out if the delivery had been arranged or not. I included this in my last email as I felt I shouldn’t have had to call. I appreciate that you do not give a time scale for the call, other than in the afternoon, but I assumed that it would be in office hours which vary from organisation to organisation. I believe I waited until about 4.30 before calling but didn’t want to leave it any longer as you, or the subcontractor, might have finished for the day. I appreciate that you and your staff, following my call, made several calls to find out what was going on and also spoke to me to update me on their progress.

Finally, I wanted to let you know that my concern regarding the insect holes was not based on the aesthetics of my project. If I were using the sleepers to edge flower beds or make a path, I would have simply treated the areas appropriately with the least chemical solution I could find. However, as I am using most of them to make a raised vegetable bed, which I hope to be as organic as possible, I did not want to use any chemicals at all (which is why I ordered untreated
wood) as they are known to leach into the vegetables. Before I noticed the problem with the measurements, I had searched on the internet to find an environmentally friendly woodworm treatment which I could use to deal with the problem. Unfortunately, even the least toxic of them still used more chemicals that I was happy to use on the wood.

As you have re processed my order and dealt with my complaint in such a professional and friendly manner, I feel this has ‘wiped the slate clean’ and I can begin again. I already feel the tingle of excitement returning and I am looking forward to sending you an email with some pictures of my completed project and, who knows, if my veg growing skills are any good, maybe a box of veg come the summer time!

Once again, thank you for dealing with my complaint so swiftly and thoroughly.

With kind regards,
Miriam

Dear K
I spoke briefly to Karen this afternoon to let her know that my order had been delivered and said I would send an email to you to let you know how it went.
The delivery man arrived about 1.30. The wood looks beautiful - a lovely, rich golden colour with no sign of any insect infestation. I measured all the sleepers before the delivery man left and although they are all slightly out on the measurements, they are all equally out so that is fine! I was also really pleased with the ends of all the sleepers as they are cut really well and look very neat and square - I hadn't really taken in the roughness of the ends of the first order and the potential problems it may have caused, so am very grateful that you picked up on this and had it rectified.

Thank you for all your help (and Karen's) with my order. I am really impressed with the level of customer service you have provided while dealing with the difficulties that arose with my order and feel pleased with my choice of supplier.
With best wishes,
Miriam
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