Currys - appalling service

notbryan.ryan

sagat wrote: »

as someone who works in insurance, I can tell you they dont want to give you freedom to buy from where you like. They want you to buy something from a store which uses the same insurance company to underwrite your new product.

This is interesting....I'd never considered why they might restrict where you buy replacements from.

vyle

olias wrote: »

Just recently went to currys with about £900 to spend on a new TV, freeview recorder and digital camera (insurance payout)

after wandering round and round the TV dept trying to catch a member of staff (they always seem to be busy rushing off somewhere, but never seem to be actually doing anything!)

Arrrgh this sort of attitude annoys me quite a lot. At work, I often deal with a lot of the backroom stuff, such as sorting out paperwork on returns, putting items on display/writing off wastage etc, or looking for stock for customers.

Yet customers usually assume I'm just running around doing nothing if I don't have anything in my hands while going from A to B on the shop floor. Perhaps the staff really were busy?

I eventually cornered two staff stood gossiping.

Were they really gossiping? Sometimes staff members need to discuss something about the stock/work. I'm not saying they shouldn't serve you, but customers seem to always assume it's 'just gossiping.' If you were discussing something important and work related with your manager, I bet you wouldn't be too pleased if people berated you for gossiping.

I asked to speak to someone with expert knowledge of TV's. Well the guy knew nothing. Claimed Samsung were the best make on the market, then claimed LG were made by Samsung, then stated LG were cr4p (he obviously forgot what he'd just said!) He knew nothing about any of the technical specifications and what they meant. I eventually escaped his clutches and decided myself on a good old Sony Bravia

Well that is balls lol. Apart from LG being rubbish. They are. Which model TV did you get? Every sony TV is a Bravia and there are LOADS of models.

Next I asked about discounts as I was buying 3 big ticket items and spending nearly £1000. I was first fobbed off with a 'head office have banned all discounts and we no longer have discretion instore to offer them' I asked to speak to a manager who stated the same, saying even managers were no longer allowed to give discounts and claiming they only made 5% profit on TV's (yeh, right!). After a lot of arguing on my part he eventually gave me a £50 discount and a free £20 memory card for the camera (listed on the receipt as 'discount at managers discretion!)

The profit margins on TVs are terrible, especially with the weak pound. Just because you're buying something that costs a lot doesn't mean that's all profit. It's like sony and microsoft, they initially lost money on every PS3 and Xbox 360, because they cost so much to manufacture. They were only willing to absorb the loss because they made money on software.

TVs don't have those extras, so there's no point selling them at a loss. I don't understand the attitude that people have where they assume the prices are a rough guide and they're entitled to at least 10% off for turning up. Do you haggle at the petrol pump?

To top it all, despite the TV having a 'take me home today from stock' sticker on it and their computer showing 2 available, they could not find one. I was left like a numpty waiting at the checkout for nearly 20 minutes (having already paid!) nobody kept me informed about what was happening, despite at least a dozen members of staff, including the manager and the Tv guy, and another who had served me, all standing around the store gossiping with each other.

Hmm they should have checked availability before selling it, really.

About TV's and all other electrics, LG make all of Sonys products, all of Samsungs, etc etc, there are only a few companys they do not make for. LG stands for "Lifes' Good" it used to be called Gold Star, they are a massive firm based in Asia and the thing is if you buy LG you get near enough the same model as the more expensive versions, consider this next time you buy electricals.

Incorrect.

Samsung makes their own electronics, including SD cards, TV panels and the rest. Samsung also make a layer of sony's panels, but only ONE layer.

LG and Philips did have a partnership where they made panels, but don't forget that even if they make somebody else's panel, they don't make the processing engine, which is the most important part.

There's also the sound to consider. Sony's TVs have brilliant sound. LG's often don't.

The processing engine is by far the most important part, though. That's what defines the colours and motion flow of the TV. It's like giving identical pieces of paper to an artist and a 5 year old. It's the same paper, but the artist will give a far superior picture.

sarahg1969

vyle wrote: »

. Perhaps the staff really were busy?
.

Perhaps at least one of them could have taken a second to say they were very busy and that they would find someone to assist?

delain

i brought a fridge freezer from currys and they delivered a different one to the one i paid for but i really needed it so just plugged it in!

On a different note it was a Daewoo ERF385 and the freezer drawers fell apart and Daewoo want £30 each for new drawers:eek:

My local currys are very good, i have to say. They have one annoying member of staff who follows me around talking but since he is my friend's dad and a bit la la i let them off:rolleyes:

dacouch

How can you slag Currys off when they have such good opening offers as these http://www.bitterwallet.com/tag/!!!!-up

Halloway

delain wrote: »

My local currys are very good, i have to say. They have one annoying member of staff who follows me around talking but since he is my friend's dad and a bit la la i let them off:rolleyes:

Excellent! LOL (as I believe young people are wont to say.)

dacouch

sagat wrote: »

as someone who works in insurance, I can tell you they dont want to give you freedom to buy from where you like. They want you to buy something from a store which uses the same insurance company to underwrite your new product.

This is not accurate, are you trying to say that all of the many Insurers that palm their customers off with Currys vouchers all Insure Currys shops?

By the way under some circumstances you can refuse the vouchers and request the full cash price with no deduction or request a different supplier

delain

Halloway wrote: »

Excellent! LOL (as I believe young people are wont to say.)

Yes. He has a crush on my mum and she has been known to break into a run to get away before he sees her should she bump into him at Tesco. Hilarious

He sells a lot of stuff as people will buy things just so they can escape him! He follows them to the till rabbitting away :rolleyes:

asbestos2008

Jakg wrote: »

To be fair they really are NOT allowed to offer discount on TV's - they are allowed 1% discount per day, and as insurance replacement vouchers are already sold for less than face value, and so they are really REALLY not allowed to discount as they are making even less. To get annoyed because your having to pay full price makes no sense - you don't try to haggle in Tesco's, do you?

I will agree, however, Curry's attitude to Stock Levels is !!!!!.

Yes I do haggle in Tesco's if I am spending £1000 (obviously in the electrical dept), and to be honest if I want to purchase something like that I will shop around, you dont want to do a deal fine, the independant retailer round the corner will:T. Customer service and aftercare is so much better too!

dramaqueen1973

asbestos2008 wrote: »

Yes I do haggle in Tesco's if I am spending £1000 (obviously in the electrical dept), and to be honest if I want to purchase something like that I will shop around, you dont want to do a deal fine, the independant retailer round the corner will:T. Customer service and aftercare is so much better too!

Hmm I think if I was the Manager of that store in this current econmic climate i would be doing everything possible to secure the deal even if it meant discounting or throwing in some freebies, better to do this than the sale walking out the door and after the appalling service the op received im surprised they didnt!!! Myself I would be straight onto head office, i take no prisoners these days, had too much crap that i paid for with appalling service and never ever complained and never got anywhere!;)