What is it with highstreet shops?
Discussion
Adheering to Ted's no-naming policy, I went into three central London shops all from the same company... the company rhymes with Messops.
In all THREE separate shops I had to interupt two shop salesman who were just having an idle chat. One salesman stopped his conversation, looked at me with content and said "can you go to the front desk? I'm busy" then carried on chatting away. I went to the front desk and told the guy what had happened and he just curses, calls the other guy an idiot and searches for the lens i was looking for on the computer database.
It's just a joke. It really is a joke. My wallet was fit to bursting (well, my card was trembling) and I was more than happy to give over some notes for a new lens for the D70 and i've come home empty handed.
If anyone from the head office of this well known store reads this site, feel free to email me and I'll let you know further details. I hope you realise that because you've hired complete
wits you've lost sales. I've said in previous posts that I prefer to support the local stores, but this time the faceless people at warehouseexpress will get my money and I'll be a happy chappy with a new lens.
I bought my D70 from 'messops' on Saturday.
I got a sales assistant's attention fairly easily, and she was friendly. However, she knew *nothing* about the pricing of the camera - I was missquoted the price twice and finally got to the till when the price went up by £150! Not happy I said I'd think about it and was met with a punchingly sarcastic 'thank you for calling' from a fellow sales robot.
I was fully intending to leave and buy one from John Lewis, when I chanced upon the manager. I explained the problem to him and he turned the situation around. I got a bit of discount on some other kit and he pricematched the D70 to within £30 of the price I was originally told. Its a shame all of the staff didnt have the integrity/intelligence/buisness accumen he did. As I said to him - I wish Id have spoken to him first because Id have been on my way home with a new camera. I mean, I didnt even need *selling* the thing - I went in and said this is what I want, how much is it?
Glad I persevered in the end - but I fully agree with the sentiment about sales staff sometimes appearing less than bothered.
I got a sales assistant's attention fairly easily, and she was friendly. However, she knew *nothing* about the pricing of the camera - I was missquoted the price twice and finally got to the till when the price went up by £150! Not happy I said I'd think about it and was met with a punchingly sarcastic 'thank you for calling' from a fellow sales robot.
I was fully intending to leave and buy one from John Lewis, when I chanced upon the manager. I explained the problem to him and he turned the situation around. I got a bit of discount on some other kit and he pricematched the D70 to within £30 of the price I was originally told. Its a shame all of the staff didnt have the integrity/intelligence/buisness accumen he did. As I said to him - I wish Id have spoken to him first because Id have been on my way home with a new camera. I mean, I didnt even need *selling* the thing - I went in and said this is what I want, how much is it?
Glad I persevered in the end - but I fully agree with the sentiment about sales staff sometimes appearing less than bothered.
My experience of said shops is that they are appalling. Both the ones in oxford are staffed by incompetent morons with zero customer service skills or motivation, as is the case with the one in reading from my experience.
I prefer the smaller shops where the staff are genuinely interested in photography and know their stuff.
I was in Messops once and the guy goes "What camera do you have" I say "a 1d" he goes... "Ahh yes, thats the new canon compact, we've sold loads of them".
MORON!
Matt
I prefer the smaller shops where the staff are genuinely interested in photography and know their stuff.
I was in Messops once and the guy goes "What camera do you have" I say "a 1d" he goes... "Ahh yes, thats the new canon compact, we've sold loads of them".
MORON! Matt
You could give someone else a try. My local camera shop www.linkcameras.co.uk/ is more biased towards Canon than Nikon but does offer a price matching, money back guarantee and a mail order service. You'll find their ads in the back of Practical Photography, there's also plenty of other smaller and competitive companies advertising the back of Amateur Photographer that you could try if you don't want to give your money to the big boys.
joospeed said:
I always feel a bit *in the way* when i go into my local Messops store .. so I don't bother any more .. I go to the London Camera Exchange instead which is staffed by very friendly *spade is a spade* type people. Perfect
Amen to that. I use them in Reading and they are really good!
gravymaster said:
I always feel a bit *in the way* when i go into my local Messops store .. so I don't bother any more .. I go to the London Camera Exchange instead which is staffed by very friendly *spade is a spade* type people. Perfect
Amen to that. I use them in Reading and they are really good!
I agree, LCE in Reading are very good and know what they are on about...
Firstly i have just realised that this thread would be priceless to messops!, you guys have just done the work of an army of mystery shoppers.
I use Bromley branch and have been more than happy with the advise and level of service. but then i have been lucky enough to happen upon Keen photographers instead of sales people and i think that is the difference.
However i did get stuck behind the bag lady who demanded the attention of at least 2 members of staff to instruct her in the use of that card processing computer thingy they have.
Just incase any of them are reading i wish their prices were more competitve. They would get a lot more of my trade if they were. I believe they have the buying power although they do have the cost of premises to cover so i don't know.
I use Bromley branch and have been more than happy with the advise and level of service. but then i have been lucky enough to happen upon Keen photographers instead of sales people and i think that is the difference.
However i did get stuck behind the bag lady who demanded the attention of at least 2 members of staff to instruct her in the use of that card processing computer thingy they have.
Just incase any of them are reading i wish their prices were more competitve. They would get a lot more of my trade if they were. I believe they have the buying power although they do have the cost of premises to cover so i don't know.
Phil S said:
A friend of mine took his camera to 'Messops' and it came back covered in chocolate 
Was he charged extra?
I think the problem with these places is that they don't employ people with a genuine enthusiasm for the job/product.
Any old (young) muppet who comes through the door willing to accept minimum wage, few benefits and feck all in the way of career progression gets to wear the shirt.
Occasionally a branch will get it right and will have really enthusiastic people who are willing to learn and really want to help people.
But sadly this sort of thing seems to be rare these days. Same thing goes for lots of other places. Money/cost is king, and anything that can be done to save on both is taken.
Sadly, it's an ever decreasing circle I think. The more these shops get like this, the less reason there is not to take the savings the internet can offer. Which in turn screws shop turnover, giving them less money to invest etc...
Makes me feel much older than I am saying this stuff, but it's true.
Rico,
If you want Rolls Royce service, you (generally) have to pay accordingly.
I was told recently that a B&O Centre in Manchester - all onyx pillars and manicures whilst Sir gets rogered - closed down.
Why?
Probably because the number of silly footballists and lesser spotted Murcielago owners - in other words the target market - numbers about two dozen.
The high street, for want of a better expression, is fubar and the reason is very, very simple.
T'internet.
The British consumer is voting with his or her wallet and price - by and large - is THE ONLY thing that matters.
Under such a reality, it is difficult to entirely condemn operations whose recruitment ground is the mountainous face of The Rock of Gibraltar rather than the graduation fayre from the Degrees 'R' Us University of Bollocksville.
Thermopylae Arkwright.
If you want Rolls Royce service, you (generally) have to pay accordingly.
I was told recently that a B&O Centre in Manchester - all onyx pillars and manicures whilst Sir gets rogered - closed down.
Why?
Probably because the number of silly footballists and lesser spotted Murcielago owners - in other words the target market - numbers about two dozen.
The high street, for want of a better expression, is fubar and the reason is very, very simple.
T'internet.
The British consumer is voting with his or her wallet and price - by and large - is THE ONLY thing that matters.
Under such a reality, it is difficult to entirely condemn operations whose recruitment ground is the mountainous face of The Rock of Gibraltar rather than the graduation fayre from the Degrees 'R' Us University of Bollocksville.
Thermopylae Arkwright.
Indeed, DeR.
I remember post Aston gazage sat in MaccyDs, pointing and laughing at the poor people we happened upon a shop opposite said eatery. Think it was "Space:NK", apothecary to the well heeled and pound foolish.
Lunchtime. Wilmslow. Totally empty.
Why? Its a luxury shop. People buy their soap in Tescos, dammit.
I remember post Aston gazage sat in MaccyDs, pointing and laughing at the poor people we happened upon a shop opposite said eatery. Think it was "Space:NK", apothecary to the well heeled and pound foolish.
Lunchtime. Wilmslow. Totally empty.
Why? Its a luxury shop. People buy their soap in Tescos, dammit.
I also have had the same poor shopping experience in Messops. Went to buy a tripod, and obviously visited the three camera shops in Chichester to see what they had to offer. As the original post stated, the two guys behind the counter were chatting about whatever, and had very little interest in customer service. When I final got their attention and described what I was looking for, the sales man said, "yeah we've got some out back" (followed by a very long pause) Me: "Well, would you mind getting them so I could have a look." Him: "Oh really, guess so."
I hope it wasn’t too much of a burden for this fellow to get the tripods from the storeroom! I not surprisingly bought the exact stand in another shop.
I hope it wasn’t too much of a burden for this fellow to get the tripods from the storeroom! I not surprisingly bought the exact stand in another shop.
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