to slightly worship Mary Portas?

[Longstocking2]

I mean she is just wonderful isn't she? Am I alone?

Crikey, I can only assume the people swooning over her here didn't see her terrible programme last night.

Didn't really like last nights programme if I'm honest although generally Mary is lovely and her other progs have been good. In fact had to turn off half way through as I found it quite annoying. I don't think there's too much wrong with service in shops generally in this country, and if there's occasionally bad service I just put the item down and walk out. I already know I don't have to spend my money there thanks! I don't like being followed round shops by assistants and feeling pestered. Just feels insincere and false. I like to browse on my own terms. I did agree with not liking hugely untidy stores . ie Primark on a Saturday, but then those shops make their money by having minimum staff numbers on the floor, but making sure there's enough people on the till. In my book, they get it right. If I want top customer service (and prices) I'll go into John Lewis.

Can't say she does it for me - but as far as business goes and how to improve a failing business and improving customer service she does know what she's on about and simple direct with it too.

A simple smile and welcome is fine as long as it's not too intrusive.

pilot et all are a heap of shite anyway. i don't think the people who shop their care to much about eye contact. its cheap and not v. cheerful get over it

she doesn't do anything for me on the "phwoar" factor; but I like her and watch her shows - they pass the time well.

I think she encourages consumerism of poor quality products.

I would like to see her asking why more natural materials are not used in clothes - particulalry for children. The Fashion busisness is about change and disposal - how about a programme on clothes for the long term - eg wool, cotton, linen, silk etc at affordable prices - all are renewable materials.

The majority of clothes are made from oil products. This is not environmentally friendly and also ugly.

She is ACE.

Interesting that they used Leon as an example of superior customer service. I was treated shockingly at their Strand branch once. I complained by email, and heard nothing back. Haven't felt the same about them since!

cotton isn't exactly environmentally friendly either.

"Interesting that they used Leon as an example of superior customer service. I was treated shockingly at their Strand branch once. I complained by email, and heard nothing back. Haven't felt the same about them since!"

I complained by e-mail about a takeaway wrap I bought from that branch of Leon and got an immediate reply and an offer of a free meal when I next visited.

Fundamental question.

Who is Mary Portas?

I think the detractors have a bit of a point. It's very much a formulaic programme. But I still love her.

But the state of those shops is disgraceful when clearly a bit of investment would make them more money, that's just good business isn't it? And she does know the fashion business.

Rubbish at person saying that shop assistants don?t earn enough to justify good customer service. Its just culture that has developed in this country goodness knows why.

I spent years working in clothes shops in NZ and I provided a brilliant service to each and every customer who came through the door ? I knew what all our stock looked like and who it was likely to suit and believed my job was to help women dress to feel confident. I would spend time getting to know customers so that I could help them make the right choices. I loved it to be honest and no it wasn?t high paying.

Its the ?chain stores? on the High St that have created this terrible service I think.

When I first came to UK I was shocked at the lack of knowledge of your average clothes shop assistant about what they even had for sale let alone anything else.

Compare them to a worker at a supermarket like Sainsburys who generally knows where 90% of the products are and will drop what they are doing to find items for you (obviously they are trained to do this).

I had to laugh at Mary having to don a mullet wig and nasty clothes (ie the sort of thing most normal people, inc me, would wear) and put on a weird accent so she would be in disguise in Primark!

I think the point she was making was not that it was the workers' fault they gave poor service, but simply they had not been trained - management's fault. Being nice to customers and caring about the service they get means they get more out of their working day themselves.

I am pretty sure Mary would be a difficult person to work for - happily I don't have to do this, and can just admire her, and her hair, and enjoy her passion for work done well.

Agree about Sainsbury's. Always good service.

I dont like her I'm afraid. Sorry!

YANBU - I love her and am already looking forward to next weeks show. I was in my element when she was on the Richard Bacon show because I have a guilty crush on him too

I felt sorry for the shop assistants last night. Primark has a high turnover of stock and it must be very hard to know everything that is on the shop floor (esp as the place looks like a bomb site anyway). The shop is a mess, because there are not enough assistants to keep it tidy. The reason there are not enough assistants is because the cost of providing them would be passed onto the consumer. Primark etc is about cheap clothing. To get that, you sacrifice some of the niceties.

I also thought it was wrong to secretly film a private conversation and then put it on air. Most people have had a whinge to a colleague when they should have been working. If I worked in that ugly shop, I'd moan too!

I think that British people quite like being left alone in shops. I'd like to get help if I ask for it, but if not, then I'm quite happy to do my own thing. Hate being watched by shop assistants

interview here the journo doesn't like her but makes some good points.

I disagree about primark, look at the profits... if they put back into the stores they'd make more money simples.

i love her, she is always interesting to watch

You dont go into Primark for customer service. You go in there to get cheap and cheerful clothes.
If they havent got my size I think "oh well" and go off to find someting else.

I felt sort of sorry for the primark staff on last nights episode.

PHEW -glad I'm not the only one. Kalikomallow - the point about the charity shops is that they are volunteers and some of them are older people and people who have mild learning difficulties or are recovering from mental illness. I know that some of these people on that particular programme were reluctant to change things, and I clearly remember one shop where more than one of the volunteers left the shop, feeling they were not up to the job, thanks to MP sweeping in in her glamorous clothes and insisting this and that was changed, without first assuring the volunteers that they were doing very well.

I note that many people in retail (or have been) are talking about it not costing anything to be pleasant, but the question I asked was would Mary Portas herself be able to practice what she preaches for a minimum wage .....I think not.

I also agree with people who say they don't like people saying "how are you" etc and following you round the shop. I thing GAP stores have now stopped doing it, because at one time it was awful - you were pounced on the minute you walked in with a "can I help you" - on one occasion I was asked about 5 time in as many minutes and I actually asked if they were told to do this as it was so irritating. They skirted round it but were not annoyed. They no longer do it.

Agree with comments about Sainsbury's and John Lewis, and M & S is usually very good too.

Re Primark - yes it is "cheap and cheerful" and the very fact that there are loads of people waiting to be served, means that they are doing very good business, ditto Pilot. The owner of Pilogt kept telling her this, but she wasn't having it. As for those changing rooms and that camera thing, can't imagine it is going to make much difference to business.

I would like to see someone take on Primark and loads of other shops in the High St (or shopping mall)who collaborate with "slave labour" in the third world countries who work in appalling conditions. Don't think MP would be interested though - can't somehow see her swanning around the grim Indian factories where young children are working for slave wages. Her nice clothes might get spoiled!!

how depressing this all this - the obsession with looks and shopping.

Good for you Nananina - well said

I've noticed that kind of poor service isn't just the case with badly paid people in the retail sector, though. My company was recently exhibiting at a big consumer exhibition, for which we'd paid quite a lot of money to be on our stand, and where the vistors have often given up their own time and money for their professional development.

We spent the exhibition smiling, chatting to visitors , offering advice, and generally being friendly. My colleagues and I were very surprised to see how many people on other stands ignored visitors, sat throughout the day texting, and generally looked bored. None of these were people on a low wage. (The worst were the people who spent time swapping unprofessional gossip in the hearing of visitors and other exhibitors.)

I think a lot of it is down to lack of management, lack of thought and lack of training. I think that if someone had taken the time to talk to many of these people about how they could relate to the vistors better, then everyone might have had a more interesting time.