And you wonder why Jessops is struggling!
Discussion
Popped in there today to look at the Nikon D80 and the sales guy (old-ish) was useless.
Told him that I was looking for a DSLR and could not deside between the D40x and the D80. Could not really give me any comparative in formation.
Asked what the comparison to Canon was and he pointed me to the 40D (almost £300 more!)
I asked him what some of the buttons do, how to get to some of the functions to which he said 'I don't know, I cant be expected to know every menu system, but they would be in the instruction manual' !
I started to get a bit dissapointed and grumpy. So said thank you and said I would have to do some more research to understand what it could do. As we started to part company, he said (to which I nearly choked) 'so I cant tempt you today then'
'Not without understanding what it can do, no. And as one salesman to another being able to show a customer how to use a something goes a long way to getting a sale.' Was my reply.
I walked out half laughing / half shaking my head.
Apaulling service.
Told him that I was looking for a DSLR and could not deside between the D40x and the D80. Could not really give me any comparative in formation.
Asked what the comparison to Canon was and he pointed me to the 40D (almost £300 more!)
I asked him what some of the buttons do, how to get to some of the functions to which he said 'I don't know, I cant be expected to know every menu system, but they would be in the instruction manual' !
I started to get a bit dissapointed and grumpy. So said thank you and said I would have to do some more research to understand what it could do. As we started to part company, he said (to which I nearly choked) 'so I cant tempt you today then'
'Not without understanding what it can do, no. And as one salesman to another being able to show a customer how to use a something goes a long way to getting a sale.' Was my reply.
I walked out half laughing / half shaking my head.
Apaulling service.
VEX said:
Popped in there today to look at the Nikon D80 and the sales guy (old-ish) was useless.
Told him that I was looking for a DSLR and could not deside between the D40x and the D80. Could not really give me any comparative in formation.
Asked what the comparison to Canon was and he pointed me to the 40D (almost £300 more!)
I asked him what some of the buttons do, how to get to some of the functions to which he said 'I don't know, I cant be expected to know every menu system, but they would be in the instruction manual' !
I started to get a bit dissapointed and grumpy. So said thank you and said I would have to do some more research to understand what it could do. As we started to part company, he said (to which I nearly choked) 'so I cant tempt you today then'
'Not without understanding what it can do, no. And as one salesman to another being able to show a customer how to use a something goes a long way to getting a sale.' Was my reply.
I walked out half laughing / half shaking my head.
Apaulling service.
Almost as bad, in fact, as that spelling.Told him that I was looking for a DSLR and could not deside between the D40x and the D80. Could not really give me any comparative in formation.
Asked what the comparison to Canon was and he pointed me to the 40D (almost £300 more!)
I asked him what some of the buttons do, how to get to some of the functions to which he said 'I don't know, I cant be expected to know every menu system, but they would be in the instruction manual' !
I started to get a bit dissapointed and grumpy. So said thank you and said I would have to do some more research to understand what it could do. As we started to part company, he said (to which I nearly choked) 'so I cant tempt you today then'
'Not without understanding what it can do, no. And as one salesman to another being able to show a customer how to use a something goes a long way to getting a sale.' Was my reply.
I walked out half laughing / half shaking my head.
Apaulling service.
Jessops are chuffing useless... When I first got into photography ~10 years ago, they were great, knowledgable staff, good range of products, all the geeky bits you could ever want.
Since everything has gone digital, they have moved away from the enthusiast and closer to the average punter. Problem is the average punter main priority is price, so they are competing with everybody else that sells cameras, both high street and on-line, and they are getting murdered on price.
IMO they are stuck in a no-mans land between what the enthusiast wants and the prices the punters are going to pay. It came as no surprise when they anouced shop closer earlier this year, and I for one, firmly believe that there will be more to follow...
Since everything has gone digital, they have moved away from the enthusiast and closer to the average punter. Problem is the average punter main priority is price, so they are competing with everybody else that sells cameras, both high street and on-line, and they are getting murdered on price.
IMO they are stuck in a no-mans land between what the enthusiast wants and the prices the punters are going to pay. It came as no surprise when they anouced shop closer earlier this year, and I for one, firmly believe that there will be more to follow...
And remember when you ask us, to say you do not want people to rubbish the other makes, just tell me what you like and don't like about the D80, 400D etc etc.
There are loads of us on here who will happily bore you to death about why we like our kit...but as you say there is no substitute for holding the camera, and figuring out if it fits your way of working.
Also depends if you already have some existing equipment of one brand, as if its any good, you'll be wanting to keep it, and add to it, thereby forcing you to keep with the same brand.
Me...I know nothing about the latest Nikon DSLRs.
Jessops - they cannot be long for this world as they presently stand. They are shockingly expensive until you make then price match, when they become reasonable. This isn't at all helpful to the man in the street who sees a headline price, and shops elsewhere.
LB
There are loads of us on here who will happily bore you to death about why we like our kit...but as you say there is no substitute for holding the camera, and figuring out if it fits your way of working.
Also depends if you already have some existing equipment of one brand, as if its any good, you'll be wanting to keep it, and add to it, thereby forcing you to keep with the same brand.
Me...I know nothing about the latest Nikon DSLRs.
Jessops - they cannot be long for this world as they presently stand. They are shockingly expensive until you make then price match, when they become reasonable. This isn't at all helpful to the man in the street who sees a headline price, and shops elsewhere.
LB
Look on the bright side - at least you got that assistant to show you something. I wandered into the local Jessops the other day to have a play about with a Canon 5D. No price on the shelf, just an "ask us about our lovely credit deal on cameras over £99".
So I went in, I found the 5D, I stood peering at it. I said to SBaby, who was with me, that there was the camera we'd buy today if we could only get someone to show it to us.
Got bored after about 15 minutes of waiting while the staff had a chat and peered across at me like I was going to steal something. So I cleared off. Sorry Jessops! Unless you can do a lot better than that, there's no way I'm going to spend that kind of money with you.
So I went in, I found the 5D, I stood peering at it. I said to SBaby, who was with me, that there was the camera we'd buy today if we could only get someone to show it to us.
Got bored after about 15 minutes of waiting while the staff had a chat and peered across at me like I was going to steal something. So I cleared off. Sorry Jessops! Unless you can do a lot better than that, there's no way I'm going to spend that kind of money with you.
OK, going to stick up for Jessops here…
In the last few weeks the missus and I have popped in to look at a couple of lenses. The people we spoke to in store were both helpful and knowledgeable and were able to discuss the various pros and cons of what we were looking at, as we had narrowed it down to 3 lenses.
In fact, the Birmingham branch and Northampton branch were so helpful that I actually feel guilty for going in with our cameras, taking some trial photos and then planning to buy the damn things elsewhere.
Shops are only as good as their staff….
In the last few weeks the missus and I have popped in to look at a couple of lenses. The people we spoke to in store were both helpful and knowledgeable and were able to discuss the various pros and cons of what we were looking at, as we had narrowed it down to 3 lenses.
In fact, the Birmingham branch and Northampton branch were so helpful that I actually feel guilty for going in with our cameras, taking some trial photos and then planning to buy the damn things elsewhere.
Shops are only as good as their staff….
Podie said:
OK, going to stick up for Jessops here…
In the last few weeks the missus and I have popped in to look at a couple of lenses. The people we spoke to in store were both helpful and knowledgeable and were able to discuss the various pros and cons of what we were looking at, as we had narrowed it down to 3 lenses.
In fact, the Birmingham branch and Northampton branch were so helpful that I actually feel guilty for going in with our cameras, taking some trial photos and then planning to buy the damn things elsewhere.
Shops are only as good as their staff….
Me too, the Newbury branch has been fine with me. Occassionally they are unsure of something, but will say so and try and get the answer. They remember and great me by name and also remember the type of camera and lenses I have.In the last few weeks the missus and I have popped in to look at a couple of lenses. The people we spoke to in store were both helpful and knowledgeable and were able to discuss the various pros and cons of what we were looking at, as we had narrowed it down to 3 lenses.
In fact, the Birmingham branch and Northampton branch were so helpful that I actually feel guilty for going in with our cameras, taking some trial photos and then planning to buy the damn things elsewhere.
Shops are only as good as their staff….
Personally, can't fault their service.
Martin
Famous Graham said:
Seek out a Calumet. Like Jessops used to be.
I rang Calumet in Drummond street and asked if they had a particular newly availableDSLR which I could come in and have a play with (I live 40 miles away so I needed to check first). "Yes" came the reply; but when I got there they said that I could only look at a body, they were not allowed to put a battery in it
.Calumet WAS much better when they were Keith Johnson & Pelling, who were not as good as
when they were Keith Johnson or Pelling & Cross ...... I'm beginning to sound like my mother
.VEX said:
I asked him what some of the buttons do, how to get to some of the functions to which he said 'I don't know, I cant be expected to know every menu system, but they would be in the instruction manual' !
Chris Langley's a moron. His restructuring efforts scared off the only asset they had left - staff who knew what they were doing. You don't get semi-retired chaps who've been taking photographs for 30 years or eager student part timers (New Oxford St. was particularly good for the latter) if your conditions of employment are somewhere sub McDonalds. Couple that with a credit rating somewhere south of untouchable and not only are the staff hopeless, they haven't reliably got stock on the shelves either. London Camera Exchange, hardly a chain that radiates prosperity, sold me a Lumix DMC-TZ3 (hopeless over ISO400, no real macro function, otherwise highly recommended) straight off the shelf, Jessops couldn't give me a delivery date.
Scary
Famous Graham said:
Seek out a Calumet. Like Jessops used to be.
Better, and they'll haggle.
mph999 said:
Podie said:
OK, going to stick up for Jessops here…
In the last few weeks the missus and I have popped in to look at a couple of lenses. The people we spoke to in store were both helpful and knowledgeable and were able to discuss the various pros and cons of what we were looking at, as we had narrowed it down to 3 lenses.
In fact, the Birmingham branch and Northampton branch were so helpful that I actually feel guilty for going in with our cameras, taking some trial photos and then planning to buy the damn things elsewhere.
Shops are only as good as their staff….
Me too, the Newbury branch has been fine with me. Occassionally they are unsure of something, but will say so and try and get the answer. They remember and great me by name and also remember the type of camera and lenses I have.In the last few weeks the missus and I have popped in to look at a couple of lenses. The people we spoke to in store were both helpful and knowledgeable and were able to discuss the various pros and cons of what we were looking at, as we had narrowed it down to 3 lenses.
In fact, the Birmingham branch and Northampton branch were so helpful that I actually feel guilty for going in with our cameras, taking some trial photos and then planning to buy the damn things elsewhere.
Shops are only as good as their staff….
Personally, can't fault their service.
Martin
The issue for camera retailler is that the customer goes into the shop and plays with the product asks all the information uses up 10-30 mins of there time then annouces I can get it on the internet for X amount less!!!!OF COURSE YOU CAN you have used the cost of someones time for 30mins in a nice heated shop touching and feeling equipment. If you have any problems you can go back to the shop and be SHOWN how it works.THIS SERVICE costs money!!!
and In my opinion is worth paying a bit more money for...
Soon we will have no camera retailers and we will have to buy from some faceless online retailler and will no longer enjoy the oppertunity to touch feel and compare diffrent products.THis is a vital part of the buying experiance. I have been recommended some products but once I get to the store I have found other products that better suit ME and I have purchased this has been possible because the shop allowed me to try various models.
There is however no excuse for poor treatment in any store,you were quiet right to walk. I personnaly use my local independant camera specialist who is a wealth of knowlage and will bend over backwards to help me and complete a sale to both of our satisfaction, Give them a try you might be supprised at deal/ service but don't expect to get the lowest price............. SERVICE does cost.
and In my opinion is worth paying a bit more money for...
Soon we will have no camera retailers and we will have to buy from some faceless online retailler and will no longer enjoy the oppertunity to touch feel and compare diffrent products.THis is a vital part of the buying experiance. I have been recommended some products but once I get to the store I have found other products that better suit ME and I have purchased this has been possible because the shop allowed me to try various models.
There is however no excuse for poor treatment in any store,you were quiet right to walk. I personnaly use my local independant camera specialist who is a wealth of knowlage and will bend over backwards to help me and complete a sale to both of our satisfaction, Give them a try you might be supprised at deal/ service but don't expect to get the lowest price............. SERVICE does cost.
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