to think the man in John Lewis was a bit rude?

[trellism]

DH and I were breaking looking at pushchairs in John Lewis today and eventually had to ask an assistant to show us how the damn things folded up. DH asked why people are happy to spend up to £1k on 10-ton Bugaboos, and the assistant said:

"Well, for MY baby, only the best will do. But it's YOUR choice, of course."

Hmm. My local train station has 2 flights of stairs to the platform and I do not fancy being the woman stuck at the bottom with a minute to catch the train, waiting for a nice person to help me lug my gigantic travel rhino thing up said 2 flights of stairs.

But now I feel like I'm going to be an unfit mother for wanting something lightweight that an ordinary mortal can fold and carry with one hand.

[MrsMattie]

What a twat.

Bet he has got a newborn. Give it 6 mths and he will be using a cheapo McClaeren like most sane parents.

[HecatesTwopenceworth]

I bet he works on commission and was trying to guilt you into the expensive purchase!

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

Well said MrsMattie

[DiamondHead]

Think he's slightly over doing his sales pitch.

I'm sure you'll have the best for your baby too - you just may have a different opinion as to what the best is.

[Lilymaid]

No commission is paid at JL. Think the assistant needs some training - to listen to what the customer needs.

[TigersChick]

Idiot. (Him, not you )

Agree with MrsMattie - and have a sneeky suspition Hecates might be on to something too ...

[myalias]

Sorry to hear you was spoken to like this today. His manner and tone was totally unacceptable to what was a sensible question from you dh. Mystery shoppers operate in JL partnership stores - you could have had a field day with this jumped up knob. Stick with the McClaren and if you was thinking of purchasing a bugaboo use the change for a holiday instead.

[mellifluouscauliflower]

I don't imagine if you are a shop assistant working in John Lewis you really can afford a Bugaboo, even after discount, without a lot of sacrifice or debt. But he was pushing your buttons quite efficiently I would say!

[trellism]

I wasn't really thinking of a Bugaboo - a friend of ours bought one for his first and told us that it ended up in the loft after a couple of weeks. We turned down his kind offer to give it to us.

[Joolyjoolyjoo]

What an eejit! (him, not you!) Like that, I went to a fancy baby/ pram shop when I was expecting dd1, and having bought an expensive pram, a cot and various other things, the snooty saleswoman asked me about bedding. "Well," says I, "I was reading about these sleeping bags.." She looked at me and pursed her lips into dogs-bum shape and exhaled "WELL! If you are happy to put your baby in a BAG!..." Much as though I'd suggested a polythene carrier bag and that I might leave it outside some hospital. I was immediately tearful and guilty, and spent £200 on italian bedding that has NEVER been of any use (yup, dd ended up in- shock, horror- a BAG) I still feel a bit resentful about how naive and vulnerable I was at the time!

[Nellykats]

I had a very similar experience at the same department. I was 8 months pregnant, enormous, tired and hot and I felt like I had to convince two different assistants that I knew which buggy I wanted. They were insisting on a different model, one of them was practically smirking and used the words "I don't want to burst your bubble" that made me go to the babies dept. next door, sit down and cry. Haha, lovely times!
At other times, I have been made to wait for a long time for somebody to come and help me, with only one more client around and at least two assistants blatantly ignoring me. I still shop at John Lewis sometimes, but never at the buggy dept.

[Qally]

JL actually pay pretty well, because all the staff own the shop. They aren't on commission, but they do get a hefty discount, and profits after reinvestment are split amongst all the staff, proportionate to earnings. They also have a say in senior management - voted out their Chief Exec a few years ago! All that is part of why I like shopping there - the service is usually amazing, too - I could tell you stories of service that's been staggeringly good (carrying a heavy item through a shopping centre to the car to save me & Mum the walk; refunding the entire purchase price of a 3 year old fridge that broke a month before the guarantee ended when they couldn't get an engineer out for 6 weeks, it was August, and I was pregnant). In fact if you complain about this I think they will take it REALLY seriously; it's the unique selling point, the customer service. I think they'll be horrified, especially in the current economic climate. Their entire business model is based on the idea that they treat you so well, you'll come back, and after dealing with that muppet I'd want to shop anywhere but there.

I think he's touchy about having spent such a crazy amount of money on a pram, tbh - if it was your local store, then he presumably has the same problems you would! I do have a travel rhino, albeit not a Bugaboo, but it happened to suit our personal circumstances brilliantly on a few important grounds. And I think that's the point. No buggy is ideal for everyone, and if a cheaper one is for you, you are lucky, not tight! Anyone who thinks something a toddler will smear snot on is a status symbol needs to get a life. And anyone who really thinks buying needlessly expensive nursery equipment makes you a better parent has no soul common sense.

[poppy34]

treillism had opposite experience in jl when I similarly struggled with a bugaboo. Sales assistant was lovely -said bugaboo all very good etc but her experience was most folk ended up with maclaren.
that said JL staff can be a bit hit and miss - our local branch I've found rude like you and as a consequence they've missed out on all the needless pfb shit useful things I've bought for dd over the last year.

and fwiw dd has had a malcaren xt since birth and its fab.

[southeastastra]

the pram wars stuff is really loony, i feel so bad for new mums these days

we had a silver cross then a maclaren

[screamingabdab]

He is a sales person. Do you expect him to speak the truth ?

I watched open-mouthed a while back, while a sales assistant in John Lewis persuaded an obvious First-time mum to buy all sorts of crap she probably won't need. I felt like rushing over to put the pregnant lady straight, but then realised she had more money than sense, and besides, was enjoying herself immensely.

[screamingabdab]

Qally speaks the truth ; there is no such thing as the perfect buggy - only one that suits your lifestyle at any particular time.

[MrsSeanBean]

Can't comment on Bugaboos, as have no experience of them. We bought a Jane and it is heavy but I'm still using it 2 years on. We once (stupidly) didn't take it with us when we went away for a weekend (DH's idea) and ended up buying a cheapy stroller from Argos to use just for the weekend.
I found it a nightmare, really hard work to push and not very easy to manoeuvre. But I walk a lot, and I would no doubt feel differently if I had to negotiate flights of stairs or use public transport a lot etc.

[screamingabdab]

BTW, I was not commenting on Bugaboos. I wouldn't have a clue what they are like. They are well after my time. 9We had prams with square wheels in my day).

[hmc]

That was a rather inappropriate thing for the shop assistant to insinuate. Can't imagine he can afford £1k on a bugaboo on a shop assistant's salary so it was all hot air anyway (Shit - did I just say that out loud?)

[crazylizzy]

What an arse Ignore him.

[katiestar]

OMG sounds like he was trying to claim a bit of oneupmanship on the parenting front.We would NEVER do anything that here on MN would we,ladies ?

[dawntigga]

If you can get to Handley go to the Mama's and Papa's discount warehouse. We got ours from there, it was very good value.

The man at JL was an idiot.

ReallyEnjoyingHerCheapPram/BuggyTiggaxx

[BouncingTurtle]

£1k for a push chair!

I think Ds's mothercare stroller was about £18!

His travel system was free thanks to lovely BIL!