Have your say & ask the experts

Oh, i agree, i just think Comet is a very weak example of what we're talking about. Rest assured tho that, if i went to a hifi dealer and they spent time demoing stuff for me, and if, thanks to them, i found the sound i wanted, id purchase from them. I just think Comet are irrelevant to that scenario - it wouldnt happen for most of us here. Now, if i saw something in a shop and hadnt felt the need to demo it, but thought "ooh, i fancy one o' them", id have no conscience about looking for it online. But thats quite different, as i havent wasted a staffer's time.

[quote user="Duncan2112"]Did you buy the Denon from Comet though?[/quote] No, bought from Peter Tyson (online). Comet don't stock Denon - even if it did, I sure wouldn't buy anything from there again.

Can I just make a irrelevant point? :) If you are going to use large electrical retailers - buy online and ensure you go through quidco.com - it really is money for nothing.

[quote user="Andrew Everard"]

 I'm really against anyone taking up the time of staff at a bricks and mortar retailer then going off and buying cheaper online.

[/quote] Slightly belated response. But the reason I suggest what I said is precisely because of the atrotious service, and lack of knowledge you encounter at such places. The example being one of a few. I personally would never use for instance a hi- fi shop to demo, and then buy elsewhere...As is testified by my recent upgrades...I could have saved quite a bit of money by doing just that.

However, my local hifi shop are knowledgable, friendly and are unbelievably accomodating. I borrow stuff from there all the time (I have a £500 DAC at the moment).

Certain chains are just so poor when it comes to the basic things, like knowing what they are talking about. When I lived in the UK, I used to use a well known computer retailer, and heard some utter rubbish being spouted by so called experts to potential buyers, so much so that I stepped in and corrected them a couple of times.

As for TVs and especially HIFI, buying from these places, that have dreadfully poor setups more often than not, and sales people who are clueless, I will openly advocate using the shop as a warm and comfy place to simply go and have a look first.

And what happens when so many people use these chains just as a showroom and then go off and buy online, to the extent that the chains close down. Then where will you find that's 'warm and comfy' for browsing before buying online?

[quote user="Andrew Everard"]

And what happens when so many people use these chains just as a showroom and then go off and buy online, to the extent that the chains close down. Then where will you find that's 'warm and comfy' for browsing before buying online?

[/quote] Well if these showrooms offered good customer service and competitive prices then people would actually stay and spend. What is it with this rubbish country? Most big organisations, be it shops, telecoms, TV, banking - even public services - have absolutely terrible customer service. Is must be our inefficiency at complaining. We are just too bloody polite! The Americans would have disowned a company like Comet years ago, the French would have probably burnt it down or parked tractors outside it, the Germans just laugh at our British ineptitude. If someone could just organise a mass boycott of companies like Comet (replace with any well know usless British brand - Homebase, BT, Sky, Argos, First Great Western, Arnold Clark, BA, Wilkinsons, Barclays Bank, Network Rail etc etc) and force them to sit and listen, then Im sure this country would be a better place for the consumer.

[quote user="Andrew Everard"]

And what happens when so many people use these chains just as a showroom and then go off and buy online, to the extent that the chains close down. Then where will you find that's 'warm and comfy' for browsing before buying online?

[/quote] They deserve to close down if they insist on paying peanuts, and hiring monkeys. If a shop cannot provide basic information about the things it claims to be experts on, then they don't deserve to 'be'.

As I eluded to, I have no problem in paying a little more for service.

I really dislike the big chains. They have driven the friendly shops out of the market with their bulk buying power, and appealing to the lowest common denomonator...

Give me a small, friendly knowledgable shop any day. I for one would not cry if the likes of Comet, Currys, Asda, Tesco etc did disappear... Maybe we could get back that bit of magic in the high street... I somehow doubt it though.

I say that Comet and Dixons deserve to close based on the quality of service I've had from them in the past. I'd go as far as to say that my experience has left me feeling like I've done them a service. Buy from them again? If I'm desperate for a razor then maybe. Let them close and let the trade shift back to smaller shops, including places like Sevenoaks S&V.

This is a topic I feel very strongly about, having worked in a trade for years where I was the small dealer, battling against the multiples. As much as I dislike the multiples, and struggle to take their side, I think people are being a little naiive in thinking we'd be better without them. 

frog:

As for TVs and especially HIFI, buying from these places, that have dreadfully poor setups more often than not, and sales people who are clueless, I will openly advocate using the shop as a warm and comfy place to simply go and have a look first

In my eyes that's pretty hypocritical. If you're so disgusted by what they offer, don't set foot in the place. Don't take advantage then leave, just don't go in! 

People are often principled about not buying from multiples, but they often leave their principles at the door when they visit them, just so they can see something 'in the flesh' that they then go and buy off the net. To me it's pretty saddening.

Piper UK:

Most big organisations, be it shops, telecoms, TV, banking - even public services - have absolutely terrible customer service

Yup, because most customers want low prices more than they want high standards of service. It's that simple I'm afraid. Most of the 'bad' chains you mention are doing pretty well!

Piper UK:

Is must be our inefficiency at complaining. We are just too bloody polite!

No, it's certainly not that!  Believe me, plenty of people can complain just fine. Usually about stuff they don't really know about.. "I know my rights" etc etc!

Piper UK:

If someone could just organise a mass boycott of companies like Comet...

... we'd all be worse off. As without the big chains pushing sales of products, said products would be way more expensive. Comet, Currys, and all the other multiples worldwide allow the manufacturers to make things in higher volumes, meaning lower prices. They also cause competition amongst similar retailers. Your typical independent dealer is maybe 5-10% more expensive than the big chains just now. They'd probably be another 10% more expensive if there were no big multiples to drive the market. 

frog:

Give me a small, friendly knowledgable shop any day

Yup, me too. I'm prepared to pay a bit extra, as I guess are you, but most people simply aren't. Small, friendly shops aren't what the majority of the market wants, they just want low prices. So why cater to the "enthusiast" market when it's the bloke off the street that pays the bills?

igglebert:

Let them close and let the trade shift back to smaller shops, including places like Sevenoaks S&V

And if stores like that were all that was left, people would moan that there was no competition, and prices were too high. You can please some of the people some of the time...

Andrew Everard:

I'm really against anyone taking up the time of staff at a bricks and mortar retailer then going off and buying cheaper online.

You may be the only one who feels this way, but good on ya!

I've worked for 2 chains and 5 independent dealers. The two chains are still going strong, the 5 independents are all shut. All these store are in one town, yet no-one else has opened up to take the place of the small dealers, as it's pointless.

And why did the independent places shut? Because, as is typical, people were taking the proverbial, trying and viewing products in our store, asking questions in our store, finding out everything they needed in our store. They enjoyed chatting with us in our 'friendly' small shop. Then they'd leave to buy the product cheaper in one of the chains, who could sell stuff cheaper than we could buy it.

Small shops are great places to visit, enjoy them while you can!

Matthew, I sympathise with your plight, but I've seen this sort of thing happen a million times, from behind the counter. I've also been on the end of poor service from Comet as a punter, so I sympathise even more.

But... there's better ways to deal with it. Demanding things is not normally the way to go about it, unless you're 100% in the right. And I don't know that you are. I mean...

1. Speaking to the editor of my local newspaper (I have friends in journalism who would love to hear about this). Could you see this in a paper? Really?

2. Speaking to Microsoft regarding your sale of opened/2nd Hand Consoles as brand new. I'm afraid Microsoft probably won't care. And if they did, what if Comet just deny it? Or say they then used it for display?

3. Contacting my local trading standards office as well as consumer direct for advice on how to claim against you. For what though? The item wasn't faulty, they were within their rights to charge a re-stocking fee, it's common practice. They would legally have been able to refuse a return completely. The problem is that even if someone has told you a set is a good one, this is subjective, and if he thinks it is good, you're kinda stuck. You would have to prove that the set is in some way deficient, and if they've sold 10,000 or so of them worldwide, it's tricky to do.

4. Contact my solicitor to claim liabel damages and deformation, I have been accused of breaking the law when I clearly had not done so, your security videos will confirm this. In what way did they say you'd broken the law? If you mean getting the police to move you on, then you did state that "you must realise I'm not going anywhere". What could they do?

5. Contact every Audio/TV/Video enthusiasts website and forums to ensure people are aware of your approach towards customers. They probably won't care. It's just one person with a grudge, you're far from alone. Every hi-fi forum has rants and raves about the multiples, but the type of people who read AV & hi-fi forums typically aren't the type that shop in Comet! And anyway, to make it clear that they've wronged you, you'd need to have a clear case, which I don't think you do. Also, as JohnDuncan said, you've already posted it, despite promising them a week, so that 'threat' is kinda empty now!

6. Write to each of your board of directors for a response to let them know just how poor their company is being managed in the field. It'll probably get as far as a PA. Even if they took an interest, if the store manager is following guidelines, what will they do ? He's probably done nothing wrong in their eyes.

Gerrardasnails:

However, when writing in this way and really having a go, I would always be careful with my grammar. Spelling mistakes, especially, look like you will not really be taking things further and you don't have as much credence as someone who writes a letter in the correct manner. I am by no way knocking you, just making an observation.

Yeah, spot on. If people receive a letter like this, it just comes across as an angry person ranting. It has to be a very good letter to worry them, usually one from a lawyer, or have something else that lends credibility.

I really think if you persist, you could at least get the £40 back in vouchers, if not cash. But they're not really going to care about someone who will never set foot in Comet again, regardless of what they do. I'm sure a written letter, with a more considered (but disappointed!) tone, would work a wee bit better.  

Good luck!

bigblue,

I couldn't agree with you more. Very well argued.

Thanks Mark!

15 years of experience in retail has shown me that the phrase "the customer is always right" is pretty inaccurate. The customer always thinks he's right though. Problem is, there's no way of showing him otherwise.

I hate seeing people get ripped off by retailers, but equally, I dislike people stating their "rights" when they don't actually know what their rights are.

The 'net is to blame for much misinformation sadly, and causes people to storm up to counters nationwide reading the riot act.

Any disputes, citizens advice should be the first port of call! If people listened to them, rather than going with what someone on HutUKdeals told them, the world would be a better place

 

bigblue235:

This is a topic I feel very strongly about, having worked in a trade for years where I was the small dealer, battling against the multiples. As much as I dislike the multiples, and struggle to take their side, I think people are being a little naiive in thinking we'd be better without them. 

frog:

As for TVs and especially HIFI, buying from these places, that have dreadfully poor setups more often than not, and sales people who are clueless, I will openly advocate using the shop as a warm and comfy place to simply go and have a look first

In my eyes that's pretty hypocritical. If you're so disgusted by what they offer, don't set foot in the place. Don't take advantage then leave, just don't go in! 

Then that wouldn't be giving them a chance to improve.

fr0g:

Then that wouldn't be giving them a chance to improve.

Hey, don't mind me, use whatever excuse you like!

If you have no intention of buying from them (as you state you can then go home and check Pricerunner regardless) you shouldn't really set foot in the shop.

I don't understand why people think that if a shop isn't run they way they think it should be, that means that they can take advantage? The stores are there to make money the way they want to, not the way the customers want them to. Which is good, because 99% of customers don't have a clue about retailing, and they rarely know as much as they think about the product.

The shops do their research, do you not think that if it was common knowledge that fantastic service gets you more sales than low prices, that all shops would be set up this way? But it doesn't work that way with high volume retail, not at all, that only works in niche, relatively small turnover businesses.

We're looking for a car currently, and the one we're looking for is available from stock from an internet dealer. But as I'm a fairly big chap, and have had problems with headroom in certain cars, I'd need to sit in one before ordering. But I'm unable to do this easily as the internet company showroom is 100 miles away.

However, there's one of these cars in stock at one dealer in our town. But it's at a dealer I don't like, from past experience, and wouldn't buy from. So I guess by most folks standards I could just go to the dealer and sit in it? And if it's OK I could have one delivered from the 'net?

Well no, I won't. Despite having my time wasted by innumerable punters over the years, I won't do it to someone else. While I'm there (at the dodgy dealer), there will be a member of staff assigned to me. This member of staff might very well be a very decent bloke, despite working at a poor dealership. And while he's with me, he's not going to make a sale. If I don't go in, he'll be assigned to someone else, who may genuinely want to buy. Bearing in mind that car dealers often have a very low basic, I could quite easily be taking money out of that guys pocket, which I simply won't do.

It's the same in large retailers, on a slightly smaller scale to the car trade. The "tyre-kickers" in most shops come in at 5-6pm, when other businesses have closed. That's the same time many retail assistants are trying to make their daily, weekly or even monthly targets. Retail bonuses can be good, but the basic is usually extremely poor. So the retail assistants, that are desperate for their bonus, are faced with getting lumped with someone who might only want to use the store as somewhere to

fr0g:

go and have a look / spend time testing, before you finally use pricerunner and buy online

and therefore face missing targets and losing money, while another assistant gets lucky with a genuine customer, and gets their bonus.

People seem to look down on retail, and retail assistants, but it's a pretty poor thing to do.

bigblue235:

fr0g:

Then that wouldn't be giving them a chance to improve.

Hey, don't mind me, use whatever excuse you like!

If you have no intention of buying from them (as you state you can then go home and check Pricerunner regardless) you shouldn't really set foot in the shop.

Nonsense. I look around shops all the time with no idea if I'm gonna buy anything, is that suddenly a crime?

bigblue235:

fr0g:

go and have a look / spend time testing, before you finally use pricerunner and buy online

and therefore face missing targets and losing money, while another assistant gets lucky with a genuine customer, and gets their bonus.

People seem to look down on retail, and retail assistants, but it's a pretty poor thing to do.

Well I don't advocate taking assistants time, rather go and LOOK. I can't see much wrong with that.
Plus, If an assistant in the big shop is knowledgable, friendly and helpful, then the situation doesn't occur. As I said in one post above, I don't take the pee, I simply want good service. If I get it, then I am more likely to make a purchase.
If on the other hand I get the type of assistance that I've seen in the likes of that PC superstore I mentioned, then I am quite happy for that assistant NOT to get their bonus, they shouldn't even be in the job... I don't know what world you live in, but in the one I come from, you don't get charity at work, and you don't earn something for nothing.