Whats the best and worst customer service you have encountered on the high street?

[EachandEveryone]

I love high street shopping. Once i actually get there. Today i spent a very long day on Oxford Street. And two stores really stood out for me. In opposite ways.

Bravissmo. I had a bra in my handbag that i grabbed before i left home. Ive wore it three times but it just never felt right to me. I thought if I passed a store id pop in. They sent me straight to the dressing rooms assessed the fit, gave me a new one and in a different colour i preferred, no questions asked. Just my email address so they could see id bought it from there. I thought that was brilliant.

Kiko Cosmetics, anyone used their makeup stores? They look lovely and organised. Their make up looks fantastic. I wouldnt know about buying it as no one helped me even though the store was half full. I asked one person if she could help me create an 80's look a la Madonna but she didnt know who i meant. Fair enough but plenty of photos on google which i showed her. Then the manager dragged her away. I asked someone else to help me. They have seats and mirrors. She asked if i was going to buy it i said i would if she would make up my eyes like the photo i had. The manager again came up and said its a busy store we dont do that here unless you are buying. I said i will buy it if i like it on! So there were three beautifully made up sales people that either didnt know how to use the products or just werent been allowed to demonstrate them. I fell so small i just left.

So, theres my two nominations, what are yours?

Anyone been to a kiko store?

I love Kiko eyeliner so always get mine from there. The assistants are very pushy though, always trying to sell you their other products. Best service for me is the John Lewis store. Always so helpful whatever situation has arisen.

Waitrose hands down every time. I'd like to say JL too but I'm having a bit of a customer service issue with them at the moment

I find them very helpful in Schuh and their returns policy is brilliant. I've also exchanged a badly fitting bra in Bravissimo without problems.
Places I have found them completely unhelpful are Homebase, Matalan and Mothercare although that seems to depend on the assistant, some are brilliant.

I ALWAYS get crap service in KIKO. Recently I went and the store shut 20 mins early for no reason whatsoever. The sales assistant saw me and as I was talking to her (through the glass doors) she walked off and hid. I could see her shadow on the floor of where she was hiding - she hid for ten minutes. Took me a week to get through to a manager!

Best: John Radcliffe and Churchill hospital group, Oxford.

Worst: Car dealership, told DCs who were a little bored and playful to “fucking shut up or I’ll cuff ya” . We went to a competitor to buy the car.

Best - John Lewis partnership. Hands down the best CS around.

Worst - Safestyle windows. We had a quote; were harassed for months by phone and even when we went elsewhere still couldn't get rid. Had to go to Trading Standards in the end to stop to calls.

Best - can’t think of one really as I don’t like going shopping and mainly shop online. Yo Sushi in the Metrocentre are always very good though.

Worst - CurrysPCWorld. Every time we buy something in there they ask for personal details inc landline number and every time we’ve done that we end up getting daily scam calls from India we never give out our landline number apart from on these occasions. I even contacted the Information Commissioner to report this and the calls stopped, so that’s very strange. It’s got to the point where we can predict the calls based on buying something from the store. I know we should avoid shopping there, but it’s the only electrical place locally so it’s handy.

In fairness to Kiko, I've been to the stores in Oxford, Cambridge and Westfield Shepherd's Bush and the staff in those shops have always been lovely. I also buy from their website, and although it comes all the way from Italy it gets here in less than a week.