Most Patronising UK Company?

EycplUK

Best question we were ever asked was at the Hull P&O Ferry port !
2 Ferries , one to Rotterdam and one to Zeebrugge with one sailing per day , ok ? 2 seperate check in`s , one for each ferry , ok ? drive up to check in for the Zeebrugge ferry .....................
Question from the booking clerk ....................
" Are you sailing with us today " ?
I really did want to say " No , we just come to wave goodbye to the ship " !
DOH !!

vyle

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Look, dude, I don't know what they tell you at Apple these days

If the apple staff training is anything like the training they give to apple re-sellers (well it is, because it's the same computer system and trainers) then they're encouraged to speak in 30 second sound bytes and to talk about the "experience" and so on. They COULD have said "okay, here's your 60watt magsafe adaptor," but that's not the apple "experience," here... have a demo, feel the product, its form factor, get to know your apple device and love it....oops, sorry, slipped into my apple training there.

The trainers honestly told me with a straight face that if somebody came into the shop wanting a £300 windows laptop, then it was bad service to sell that to them, even if they only had £300 to spend.

Apple's view is that you should book an appointment and educate the customer to show them that a windows machine is not the answer, they can adjust their budget (and presumably their available funds) and they will so they can experience the benefits of apple.

Seriously, in Apple's world, there are no simple answers, only indoctrination sessions. If you want to know the closing time of the shop, they'll try to wrangle you into a productivity demonstration on how you can synchronise your calendar with your Itoilet so all of your bowel movements are known to the fruit overlords.

NBLondon

vyle wrote: »

Oddly enough, it wasn't too long ago that someone made a thread complaining about currys or pc world because somebody asked them if they needed help, and the salesperson moved right on to "ok, well let me know if you need anything." and the poster said that it was stupid to say that because if they needed help, they would have asked for it, and if they didn't then, they won't later.

That poster was being awkward IMHO "I don't need any advice now" doesn't preclude "I know what model I want and now want to find out if it is in stock" later.

There was a pushy woman in the Mini pop-up shop next the Olympic Park. We're browsing because my wife wanted some knick-knacks as corporate gifts. "Do you need any help?" as we're considering the keyrings - "No thanks we're looking for the moment". A few minutes later, I'm idly trying the touchscreen configurator and she wanders over again "Oh, you can design your own Mini here..." and starts pushing the buttons for me as if I can't read what's on the screen right in front of me :mad:

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

vyle wrote: »

If the apple staff training is anything like the training they give to apple re-sellers (well it is, because it's the same computer system and trainers) then they're encouraged to speak in 30 second sound bytes and to talk about the "experience" and so on. They COULD have said "okay, here's your 60watt magsafe adaptor," but that's not the apple "experience," here... have a demo, feel the product, its form factor, get to know your apple device and love it....oops, sorry, slipped into my apple training there.

The trainers honestly told me with a straight face that if somebody came into the shop wanting a £300 windows laptop, then it was bad service to sell that to them, even if they only had £300 to spend.

Apple's view is that you should book an appointment and educate the customer to show them that a windows machine is not the answer, they can adjust their budget (and presumably their available funds) and they will so they can experience the benefits of apple.

Seriously, in Apple's world, there are no simple answers, only indoctrination sessions. If you want to know the closing time of the shop, they'll try to wrangle you into a productivity demonstration on how you can synchronise your calendar with your Itoilet so all of your bowel movements are known to the fruit overlords.

Urrghhh. I'm almost glad I left there then. We used to actually give people what they wanted without a fuss or great performance about it.

When did I get so old that I can stand in the Apple Store and think 'I was working for this company when you lot were wondering if the teacher was going to say it was playtime soon.'?


I'm still 100% in favour of Apple products. I detest using a windows craptop and actively avoid the things - and the other phones and mp3 players I've used have been more hassle than they cost.

But I seriously can't deal with their Stepford Salespersons.



Mind you, I think if I had taken in my MacBook, they would most likely have fainted as it isn't treated as a religious artifact - it's battered from being taken to various gigs, there are splits in the join in the casing to the top surface, the keys work in spite of the crud embedded around them (can't be bothered to spend out on Ambersil when it still works and if it stops, I'm more than capable of taking it to pieces) and the overall impression is a battered white box held together with gaffer tape.

dacouch

You guys would love the Wonky Kei restaurant in China Town, renowned for the rudeness of their staff. However it actually adds to the dining experience especially when they often split your group up so you're sharing a table (Or two) with another party or parties which is quite funny.

Food is good and is always busy.

In the same area you have Black Market Records which in the late 80's early 90's was the place to buy vinyl but had staff unbelievably rude and patronizing.

pullenuk

John Lewis is far better and their staff actually seem to know what they are doing.

Currys, oh dear.

I went to Currys looking for a TV. I needed to make sure that the 3D TV and Blu-ray player will display subtitles. "Dunno mate" Not the response I was looking for. Then instead of finding it out for me on the TV that I wanted on display he tried to do it on a different make tv and tried to sell me that one.

John Lewis, found someone in seconds, explained what I needed and the TV I wanted. "Give me two seconds, I get a 3D film and the remotes and we will try it", even got the Blu-ray player I wanted out of the box, plugged it in and tested it. Brilliant. He recommended a slightly different model, better spec, £20 more in price. SOLD.

It is pure basic customer service and John Lewis got it right. Currys need to stop pressuring customers and stop trying to recommend other things. All they will do is scare the customer off. John Lewis leave you alone, all I get from them is "Morning Sir" that's it. If I wanted something I simply reply ask then. If not I say Good morning back and carry on. Also I rarely see their staff chatting.

littlejaffa

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

'Yes, once you've seen one of our Geniuses and they can tell you which one you need and how to use it'

...and I always thought you didn't have to be a genius to know how to plug a cable in - this made me laugh out loud! :rotfl:
That anyone could say this with a serious face deserves a bafta

Abbafan1972

I have just been sharing these last few posts with DH and we've been laughing out loud about it, especially the story about the Apple store.

I went in my local one recently to have a look at the new Ipod Nanos and seriously, do people actually buy anything in these stores? Whenever I go in there, it's busy but they all look as if they're just playing with the stuff (like I was!).

We used to have an Ipad 2 (sold it) and when we first got it I went in to buy one of those smart covers for it. I took the one I wanted off the rack and I couldn't even find a till to pay for it, the assistant I approached looked genuinely surprised that I wanted to buy something and they just have card machines dotted around the shop in awkward places.

grayme-m

Many years ago I asked about a Phillips C90 (from memory) mobile phone from Dixons.

The manager told me he wouldn't waste his time informing me about it as they did not have any in stock to sell (just the unit on display they wouldn't sell).

'Fine,' I said, 'and when you have it in stock I won't waste my time coming to buy one from you'.

That was the final straw following a series of less than great service experiences.


A couple of years back I took a faulty camera back to Curry's on behalf of a friend who was told to take it up with Kodak directly and got the same BS. Couldn't get them to budge, morons.

StrongWork

Apple.

Technically inferior products marketed for the slow of thinking.