Complete lack of service in high street shops

[Notcontent]

I went shopping today - unusually I actually had to purchase a dress for an event, rather than just browsing. I went to my local Whistles as I had seen something that I thought would be suitable. No one seemed interested in serving me. There were no shop assistants near the changing rooms to check if anyone needed different sizes. No “would you like a different size” or “how about trying that one”. When I finally managed to get a different size, it was the wrong one. Another lady asked me if I could get an assistant to come over after I had got changed back. More expensive shops are the same - I went to Wyse and Sezane a few months ago and same - absolutely no interest.

It wasn’t always the same. I remember going to Jigsaw 15 years ago or so and being helped to put together an outfit.

I know that often we don’t want help - we just want to browse - but when you are actually trying to find something, a bit of help would be good!

Is it just me?

Not just you at all. Customer service staff everywhere seem as if they can't be bothered anymore and only do the bare minimum they can get away with.

It's a pleasant surprise when someone actually shows an interest and helps you!

Completely agree! I worked in retail many years ago and I would go out of my way to help my customers. Shopping now just depresses me, you feel like you're being an inconvenience!

No agree. Been commenting on this for a while. Is shocking now,

I'm happy if I just get a smile! I've long since stopped expecting much more than that so it's lovely when it happens.

This thread is very well timed as today I needed to pop into my local vet practice as had some questions for the nurse. She was so friendly and helpful but went beyond her duties to chat and we had a lovely few moments of conversation. It made my day! 🙂

I find it's either too much or too little when it comes to customer service in shops. I can't stand being overly harassed whilst I'm browsing either!

I think a lot is to do with very understaffed stores these days. I feel genuinely sorry for staff that are clearly trying to serve customers, put out stock and manage changing rooms with only 1 or 2 of them on shop floor. Customer service is not as important as retailers maintaining their profits 🙄

Not just clothes. There are 9 places to get coffee within 10min walk.

Every one of them either has staff who can’t make good coffee OR staff who can’t be polite.

Several have BOTH.

For a while I thought I just needed to become a regular customer, so I chose one and went a couple of times a week, tried to make polite chat (did not overstay).

Nothing changed. I felt like I was an annoyance for actually buying something.

I stopped going and they rebranded (perhaps to get away from the numerous google reviews about “the coffee was fine but the staff sucked”). They have kept the same staff, it’s not going to improve!

Now when I go somewhere and get a smile or a bit of help and kindness I’m actively shocked.

I’ve noticed that shops don’t seem to have enough staff, especially at busy times, last Sunday, well known beauty store, only 2 out of 8 tills open serving a very long queue, the same in clothes shops, less than half the tills open and no one on the changing rooms. Mid week is even worse, there’s no popping in anywhere quickly as you spend so much time in the queue to pay.

Staff shortages are clearly an issue in some places, but lots of places appear to have plenty of staff, but they're not keen to actually provide any customer service. Often just stood around idly chatting to each other.

I thought it was just because I've become old and invisible.

but yes, very short staffed everywhere.

I think sales assistants are being told to "engage with customers" near the entrance, but then there is nobody on the changing room. And in fairness it wouldn't matter if there were, because you can bet the sizes they have out are the only stock they have anyway, they won't be getting any more in, but you can order it online - yes, you can order it to pick up from the store, but there will be a charge of £3.95. For them to stock a size 10 from their current range. I can tell myself now, no need for actual staff!

I hate being approached in clothes shops.

If I want a different size I’ll ask. Otherwise leave me alone to browse.

Short staffed would be one flustered employee running around trying to help everyone, not 5 employees trying not to make eye contact while checking their phones.

Why on earth are you comparing now with 15 years ago, @Notcontent?!

That was a different world … I’ve done 98% of my clothes shopping online for 20 years so it would never occur to me today to scour physical shops if I needed something for a specific event. The only satisfactory way to discover the perfect thing is to keep up to date with what’s being sold on your favourite sites and buy when you see something - so you have it ready.

Shop assistants know the stores are a very poor option for shopping - of course they’re not interested.

I wouldn't mind if people were too short staffed to go above and beyond but it seems like even basic niceties and manners are disappearing? The other day I popped into a homewares shop and the sales assistant spoke literally 3 words to me: 'cash or card'. They completely blanked me when I arrived at the till and said 'hello', scanned through my items without a word, and no goodbye either. And it wasn't busy (no queue)!

@ANagsHead I do quite a lot of shopping online but I needed something at short notice and in any case I am recently incredibly frustrated with weird sizing and having to constantly send stuff back.

@Notcontent I think it can depend on the shop? Have found the same in out local Whistles/Phase8/etc. however, I went to Reiss recently and the staff couldn’t help enough. They took any items I was holding for more than 30 secs and popped them in a reserved changing room for when I was ready; when I said I wasn’t sure if I was a 39 or 40 in a boot, they got those and left them in the room ready for me. When I was ready, they left me to my own devices but someone was in ear shot if I needed anything. Was one of the most pleasant shopping experiences I’ve ever had and DH and I spent a fortune between us (for context, just lost 6st and DH wanted to treat me to new stuff as I’ve lived in George at Asda and Sainsbury’s TU range for ten years, with the occasionally garden centre ‘one size fits all’ floaty garment for old ladies thrown in 🤣).

Don't know if there's any scientific proof/statistics, etc., but I've found staff in out of town retail parks, designer outlets, etc to be generally much friendlier and more helpful. Noticed it a few times this year as I've had a few UK short breaks instead of a foreign holiday, so went to quite a few out of town places and benefitted from some really good service in chain shops and eateries.

Then back in the city centre shops, back to the same lack-lustre customer service and downright unhelpfulness. I wonder if there's a difference in the "type" of customers which rubs off on the staff? Or whether the shops themselves employ different "kinds" of people in their High Street stores compared with their retail park/outlet stores?

It's rubbish training. Happens in restaurants as well. Often staffed by inexperienced people who the company can't be bothered to pay properly and teach them the basics in customer service and probably the staff consequently don't want to hang around anyway. And, as stated, not enough staff.

Having said that had a lovely young woman serve me at M&S food today. And a lovely older woman did a bra fitting at M&S lingerie dept for my daughter the other day. Even though they didn't have enough staff there either.

Maybe the city centre shops rent is more expensive and the staff are feeling the branch might close down @taxguru ? Pure speculation from me though

I've had great service recently to be honest

Specsavers - my new glasses weren't quite right and I'm not good with changing them so I was already stressed about having new ones. I went back, saw a lovely assistant and she said "that makes perfect sense", sent them back off and they're spot on now

Hollister - I cancelled an order as it went out of stock, it came back into stock the next day so I reordered then went to half price. Sent them a WhatsApp and they refunded the difference so I got it half price

Me & Dd waited 25 minutes in Selfridges in London for an assistant to come and serve us. She wanted to try on an expensive item of clothing that was security tagged to the rail. The only staff around were from the concessions and they had no access to these clothes. She ended up buying it from another shop online.

By contrast the service in Harvey Nichols is always exemplary. I also find that All Saints staff have the perfect mix of attentiveness to letting you browse. I’ve also had great customer service in Hobbs down to the assstant bringing shoes so I could see the outfit with the type of shoes I’d wear.

In Holland me & Dh were treated with utter disdain at one designer shop and like royalty at another. Guess where I bought my coat from?

There really can’t be much security for city centre staff at all.

A couple of months ago I came across a tiny, brilliant men’s outfitters in Oxford Covered Market, where the staff were brimming with enthusiasm for their stock - hard to find Japanese labels and intriguing independent makers. I was looking forward to a repeat visit. But last week the shop was shut up on a Wednesday afternoon. The people at the pizza place opposite reported that it had permanently closed and the outfitters was now only operating online. They distinctly said it was because of city centre rents.

Really no one with any ambition is going to think of High St retail as an exciting career - they too probably do all their shopping online. So shops are staffed by bored students, or people forced into working there, and stores no longer have the infrastructure or finance to stock their full ranges - it’s no wonder it has become a rubbish experience.

Not just High Street shops. Poor customer service is everywhere really.

Our village post office operates random opening hours. Some days it closes for lunch, some days it doesn't. Lunchtime varies day to day. Sometimes it's 12 to 1 sometimes 1 to 2. Sometimes they just close random days. Then they're on social media whingeing about lack of support and warning they'll have to close if the locals don't support them. Even when they are open, the couple of staff they have running it are really unhelpful, grumpy and unfriendly. No surprise villagers tend to go to the post office in the nearby town that has proper fixed opening hours and much better staff!

OH just attempted to pick up his chemotherapy drugs this morning. Hospital pharmacy only had half the usual drugs package. Didn't tell him that of course. He only noticed half were missing when he got home. Phoned pharmacy to be told the other half are now dispensed directly by the oncology ward in a different hospital! Nice of the oncology staff to tell him - but then again, they never told their patients when they moved to a different hospital, and the drug issuing process seems to change every sodding month, having to pick up in different places, but again, they never bother to tell him, even though he's in contact with them at least twice a month, being on chemotherapy drugs! No wonder the NHS is in such a state, left hand don't know what the right hand is doing and constant change for the sake of it!

Yesterday, went to Halfords for a pre-booked webcam fitting, ordered, booked and paid for online. Got an appointment confirmation email with fixed fitting time. Email in the morning saying they had the webcam and were waiting to see me. Turned up at the appointed time, to find the webcam fitter was off on holiday this week! No one had updated their system. The store staff had actually "picked" the webcam and fitting kit off the shelf ready for fitting but hadn't twigged there was no one to fit it. Another sodding waste of a half day holiday. All they could do was giggle and tell me to go online to edit the order and change the fitting date! Sod that, I insisted they issue a refund there and then!

Agree. But it's even worse with online companies. They just use bots or direct you to their website. If you want to speak to an actual human being, then God help you!

I found that a few weeks ago when I went into Boots. I wanted to buy some foundation and didn't know what shade I needed (hence not buying online).

I was at the Clinique counter for ages literally testing every sample and no one came to speak to me. I then moved to look at Estee Lauder, Lancome, Fenty - at least four different brands and still completely ignored. There were 4 staff members just having a chat with each other - couldn't care less. But cos they stash their products away in their locked drawers, I literally couldn't buy anything without their help.

After ten mins, I just thought bollocks to this and walked off.