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Currys & PC World don't want my custom
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I can imagine that it's a difficult thing for the staff. From colleagues who have worked in PC world (and perhaps Jakg could clarify if this is still the case), I've heard how awkward things can be.
Where I work, if anybody is getting any extra discount, it has to be written off to the correct stock dissection (is it just written off as a loss, a goodwill, price match or something else). I have the authority to do a certain amount of things, and luckily for me, any online offers or vouchers are usable in store, too so I could have done the discount for you.
However, in PC world, not only is the website a different entity, so they can absorb the discounts, but I expect had the store given the £30 they would have had no way to bill the website for it.
From what I've heard, PCW's managers can only give out a certain amount of discounts and under certain circumstances. Giving free software, where they actually make money, is likely going to get the manager a telling off from HIS manager.
Then you've got the pressure staff are under to sell extras. Giving somebody £30 for something that isn't their remit will likely get that sales assistant a kick in the nuts from his line manager.
I doubt that the staff were so much not bothered, but they were simply powerless to do anything without getting a black mark on their performance review. Would you do something in your job that could jeopardise your chance at a pay rise?
It's the DSG structure that is at fault, really. Its rigidity in milking as much money from customers in the short term at the expense of staff happiness and freedom to do their job is the problem.
I've rarely had times at work where I am completely powerless to do something, but when I have, it's not nice, but I've had to learn to mentally shrug it off. Do I let the company take a hit to send a customer home happy at the expense of me potentially having to pay for it out of my wages (why should I pay for a customer's purchase out of my own pocket?) or let them go and buy somewhere else?
It's not usually as simple as just giving the discount. Only there is a level at which that decision IS just that simple, but woe betide any staff member who summons the store manager, who is getting paid so much per minute that the time they spend sorting it out is worth more to the company than the discount to begin with...
And you know what, had the Manager's of either store actually explained that to us rather than shrugging their shoulders I'd have been a lot more forgiving. I understand what you are saying and I sympathise with staff in that position, but rather than coming off disinterested and stubborn surely explaining that to the customer is the better way to go?
I suppose my Curry's gripe is a separate entity given that the lad on the floor refused to fetch a manager, but as I said he was totally disinterested in us or any other customer.0 -
PC World lost 400 pounds. So they are going bankrupt then.0
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how i could pay off my loan with hfc bank0
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PC World lost 400 pounds. So they are going bankrupt then.
They didn't even lose that. They don't get the laptop for free, so they really only would have made about fifty quid or so. So they lost fifty quid by not tying up their sales assistants for ages on the busiest day of the year.0 -
They didn't even lose that. They don't get the laptop for free, so they really only would have made about fifty quid or so. So they lost fifty quid by not tying up their sales assistants for ages on the busiest day of the year.Live in my shoes for a week,then tell me your lifes hard!0
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They didn't even lose that. They don't get the laptop for free, so they really only would have made about fifty quid or so. So they lost fifty quid by not tying up their sales assistants for ages on the busiest day of the year.
I get that there isn't a major profit to be had on a £400 laptop but given minimum wage is around £6 and I can't imagine PCW paying a great deal more than that then it would have taken me to tie the salesguy up for 8 hours to negate the £50 profit. In real terms, the help I was looking for would have taken maybe 20 mins tops if they went at a snails pace. As I also briefly mentioned before, when I was in the store on the 2nd day there were around 20 people in (mostly in couples) and at least half a dozen salesmen standing around doing nothing. Had it been the Monday I was asking for assistance I could understand the backlash at me asking for help but as it was 4:30pm on the Tuesday and the store was almost empty, a few minutes wouldn't have killed.
Normally I prefer to buy electricals in person in a store rather than online but after my experience I'd rather take my chances online in future. I was restricted by time to get a new laptop as my current one has to be returned to my employer in 2 days so I didn't have the ability to take chances ordering online and waiting or visting numerous stores to find a bargain.0 -
Fact is, Curry's and PC World have been trading for years. So they must be doing something right. Sadly they have to cope with awkward customers like the OP.0
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