Customer Service.... Doesn't exist!

[shinehead69uk]

I went into Currys in Chingford to by a £400 camera (02/01/13) and stood waiting to be served for nearly 30 mins, whilst firstly being glared at by members of staff and the security staff having a chat in a group and with their manager close to the front door. Finally once I managed to get one to come to serve me he firstly had no idea about the product, or the insurance that was advertised with it. Then when I decided I was going to purchase the item anyway he disappeared for 15 mins and came back to tell me that it was out of stock. When I asked if I could purchase the display model he went to the manager, who was still watching me from the front door and returned to inform me that the manager wouldn't sell me the item because they were awaiting an order!
I went home and ordered the Camera online and two days later was informed by my Credit Card company that there was a problem with the purchase and to get in touch with Currys. This I tried to do 9 times over 3 days! I waited a total of 3 hours in call-queues that informed me that they were very busy, even at 09:00 in the morning!
I emailed Currys, using the Knowhow email service and received an email back informing me that somebody would be in touch. 2 days later I received an email informing me that the camera was out of stock and that they would get in touch when it was available. It is now 8 days since I placed the order! In this time I have emailed several times asking to cancel my order or upgrade me to the next model of camera, which only affords me another automated response email. I have tried calling, but I get annoyed and frustrated 15 mins into waiting in the queue!

I've been advised now to seek legal redress, so I'm leaving it alone for a while, just to watch it develop, but I would advise anybody considering making a purchase from this company to thin really hard about it. This is an isolate incident, this is incompetence of the highest caliber!

Waitrose are on my shit list. They let me down with my Christmas online shop...they promised recompense by way of sending vouchers. They then didn't send anything. I chased them and spoke to the arsiest customer service rep I've ever spoken to on a customer service line. He actually hung up on me. I will have nothing to do with them any more...

If you can't trust Waitrose, who can you trust?

Currys deal was the most competitive, but alas! As the saying goes "If it to good to be true, it probably is!"
Currys, Comet, Dixon and PCWorld are or were all owned by the same company, which is why their staff all display a similar amount of contempt for the customers.
I will be taking this a lot further, and I will be naming and shaming the Chingford store that this started in on as many sites as will listen!
Jessops prices were so over-blown its a wonder they lasted this long. Yes they had the expertise and the customer care, but boy didn't your pocket feel it when you bought something from them.

3littlefrogs

I bought a camera from Jessops last year - their advice and service was so good that I bought from them despite having to pay more than on-line. Then the effing thing broke and I had all sorts of trouble getting it sorted out - once they had my money they weren't interested at all.

That's why they've gone broke.

I love these retail staff bahing threads

polishes my book of thank you letters telling me what excellent customer service they have recieved

I think Currys are going to be the next one to go. I wouldn't touch them with a bargepole.

Sausage, some retail staff are lovely and wonderful, some are complete shite, some are in between. I think it is fair to talk about the shite ones.

sausage - good for you, presumably you don't work for Currys

no I definitely don't work for currys -they are terrible

Did you Google popular forums and is it your intention to go on them all and post the same message? Yeah it's annoying, you're not out of pocket, they didn't steal your first born or piss on your chips, lesson learnt just don't go back, mention your experience in relevant conversations and move on.

^ and again @ MrsKeithRichards

shopmonkeys?? -nice!

How horrible to call people shop monkeys. I don't work in a shop but I'd never look down my nose at people in this manner even if I did know more about the product than the staff.

I'm a bit of a geek but have no desire to teach the staff about the products, I just go in and request it without getting into a conversation about the product.

Has your dh got fuck all better to do?

Jessops used to be good but I haven't bought from them for a while because the customer service wasn't so hot + not all their staff actually knew what they were talking about despite claiming to!
Locally we have 2 independent camera shops + a Jacobs all of whom are far better for decent gear & knowledge but I'd still buy DSs cheapy camera in the supermarket as it's price not performance for him.

TeamSledward If that is true your husband is an arse and doubly an arse for using that term

The only place I have had really poor customer service is Argos.

Just vote with you feet - no harm done.

And who advised you to seek legal redress? what are your out of pocket expenses?

TeamSledward-well I guess I would be what your delightful sounding husband would be called a 'shopmonkey'
Be reassured that once he has left whatever shop he is attempting to train the staff in that us 'shopmonkeys' are calling him far more amusing and accurate names.
What a prick

EIizaDay - we're not all lucky enough to have a JL convenient.

I certainly don't incourage him or that term. I too have spent many years in customer service roles and shop work. I mentioned it only to highlight that the staff in Currys often don't have the level of knowledge about thier stock that they should.

there was absolutely no need to use that term to demonstrate a lack of training

plus how anyone can expect every member of staff to know about every product in the shop is beyond me

So then you should tell him how chalkenging retail is,without members of the public coming in and treating you like an idiot.
I work hard to ensure my team give exceptional service,my staff are professional and polite and we have received numerous emails regarding our service-but I am faced on a daily basis with people who think we are all stupid.
We aren't,we are under immense pressure to deliver an experience with limited payroll.

I am totally .

Comet aren't owned by the same company. Currys and PC world are part of the Dixons store group. The problem with Currys at this time of year is that there are a lot of seasonal temps who, to be fair, have been lobbed in at the deep end and probably don't know anything about the products they are supposed to be selling! The pressure the staff are under in these sorts of places is immense and the pay is quite frankly shit, which doesn't exactly motivate people to be happy in their job!

And I deeply object to being called a "shop monkey". I wish I was like your dh and clever enough to do a well paid job where I could look down on others less fortunate... Oh wait, I actually would rather skivvy away in Currys or somewhere similar on minimum wage for the rest of my life than ever find myself even thinking like that, let alone saying it out loud! Who the actual fuck does he think he is?