PC World / Currys lack of customer service?

ajones456

This is just me, because I'm a bit OCD - when I used to work in placed like that I had a set routine when it came to the insurance policies, because of my OCD I had to finish it to the point where I would quite happily spew words at people's faces knowing that when I finish they'd say no - whenever I go in I let the sales person do their stuff then politely decline, never interrupt them though because then they have to explain to their manager why they didnt get it.

Trust me if they can go back and say "I gave all the points and when I mentioned point A the customer said A" then the manager will chalk it up to a unsuccessful attempt but if they went back and said "Oh I didn't say anything" they get moaned at (well I did)

You'd also be wise to look into those free months for discounts. You'd get a lot more with them on for the sake of a phone call within 30 days to cancel it...

[retailrant]
Oh and, side-note, if anyone reading this is one of those people that makes a stupid joke like "If it doesn't scan its free right?" jump off a bridge on your way out because contrary to popular belief...its not funny. [/retailrant]

artbaron

I haven't yet got my head round the spending £2.5K at Currys thing. You could probably have got it all £500 cheaper online and have the added security of distance selling and no quibble returns.

Silver-Cat

artbaron wrote: »

I haven't yet got my head round the spending £2.5K at Currys thing. You could probably have got it all £500 cheaper online and have the added security of distance selling and no quibble returns.

We do buy most of our items online but for larger purchases I now prefer to go to an actual shop, after having problems with parcels being delivered.

This is because of the amount of items we have go missing in the post purely because the postman keeps leaving it on our doorstep despite ahaving asked them not to do this as we live right next to a main road. At least twice I've failed to get refunds, although both from ebay so you can see my reluctance to have more expensive items delivered.

We did look at alternate shops but no where else stocked the computer at the price it was so maybe they had it as an exclusive, I don't know.
The only other cheaper option was to buy the ipads from sainsburys using the double points offer as I have home / car insurance from them.

It wasn't an impulse idea to go in and spend a lot of money event!!!
The impulse part of it was treating ourselves to items we had dribbled over for ages and thought sod it lets treat ourselves fro a change.

Silver-Cat

I also note the so called rep hasn't responed to my reply pm and neither have a received a response to the email sent direct although there might be a timescale, I don't know.

Jinks

vyle wrote: »

Snipped a fair bit there, but the main things they did wrong really, by the looks of it, were have a manager authorise a discount, then hand you on to somebody new who didn't have the experience or authority to really offer it as such. It appears that the new guy was under obligation to offer the extended warranty and could offer a discount from that, but not the "manager's special" if you will. I expect he got crossed wires from that, especially with having no support from anybody senior.

I suspect as a new guy with targets for selling the extras, he especially deflated knowing that his ratio will be screwed up and he'd get in trouble. I know I've seen currys staff on here before saying that sometimes, if they don't want their sale-to-addons ratio to get them in trouble, they'll turn away a sale just to keep their job -- ironic as that might sound.

This is absolutely true - I worked at PC World for three years and there were many times where I worked much harder to try to get out of a sale than to make one, because I could see that the customer wasn't going to buy any of the products we were targeted on. Having to put through a computer sale without any of the software/services/aftersale policy that they are targeted on can cause a salesperson serious dismay if they are struggling to meet their targets for the month. They get into a lot of trouble if they fail to meet those targets and if it happens repeatedly they lose their job. I learned to be able to hide my disappointment and give the customer good service regardless, but the idea that the sale you wanted was a positive thing for the person who was selling to you is a misunderstanding - the truth is he was probably relieved when you didn't want the iPads and so on as well (which would have further dropped his figures). There's no "commission" or anything like that.

I am more surprised by the reported behaviour of the manager, who does sound inept. However, I do want to point out that the issue you ran into is about individuals and not indicative of the company as a whole. Depending upon the people who happen to serve you, your service might be fantastic or dreadful. I got some glowing reports from my customers, who sometimes even went to my manager to tell him how delighted they were with the service. But I saw my share of hopping mad customers who were furious with it too (not usually mine!). I don't particularly agree with the company's policies but it is the individual staff members who determine the customer experience and that's a dice roll no matter where you shop.

gc_bus

Went into our local large (retail park based) Currys trying to barter down the price of a new toaster/kettle/dishwasher and cooker – totalling some £1360 list price. Anyway, they would not budge on list price despite me using the best Martin Lewis moneysavingexpert techniques including asking for the manager and protracting the length of our negotiations . Anyway, suffice it to say that they could not/would not move on the price due to “the button on the computer system not being available” to alter any options such as free delivery etc etc. So I politely told them that they have now lost the sale at which I went to Bootskitchenappliances and got the whole lot for an total of £107 cheaper (that includes £47 of Advantage points). I think that Currys also don't care if their high street (retail park) stores also go bust.

WanderingZombie

I've never encountered such poor customer service as I did yesterday at my local Curry's. I reserved online a freezer, which was in stock (according to the website). Got a call from them about an hour later saying it wasn't actually in stock, they only had a display model, which I was welcome to buy — at full price, of course.
So I went down to the store and saw a better model with a big sticker saying 'Take me home today!'. I asked the salesman (who I had to go and call over to assist me) if I could have one of those. Nope, they've got no stock, he says. So I said, can I have this display model then? Nope, this one's on special so you can't have it. I said, that's false advertising, saying I can take it home today, but in fact, I can't! He laughed a bit and I walked out the store and went to a different chain store across the road. So many companies are going into liquidation, but they're not trying very hard to keep customers, so it's no surprise.

angela_stone

how long does one have to wait for a reply from currys customer service email? I want to purchase a camera its available on line but want to purchase instore due to having a gift card, go to local store eventually find an assistant whose attitude was apalling.They had it in black I want white ask if it can be ordered instore told they do not even do it in white as a company, and to go online to their sister company pixmania off he walks.Then try to order online for store delivery but have to pay but online do not accept gift card. Emailed customer twice no reply, rang them asked if I purchase online could I return to store for refund then purchase with gift card probably not was the reply up to store manager he then transfers my call to store on hold for over 5mins no reply give up. I then find local number to contact store explained the situation then told the assistant should have checked whether they could order it in from their warehouse it seems they can but I am now thinking better to go elsewhere you would think with so many companies going into administration that their customer service would be spot on anyone know how to gat a response from customer service?

happys

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:I really have had such a bad experience with currys the saga is so long winded regarding a coffee machine purchase, never again will i use CURRYS we bought a know how guarantee its not worth the money it does not live up to what it says, branch staff are so rude, they have no manners they dont care about the customer.Ringing customer services is a joke 0844 well i have found the free phone number which is 0800 0234701, i have been promised a refund from Head Office but still waiting,PLEASE ANY OFF CURRYS Area Directors take note you need to train your staff to be polite , i am fed up and it goes to show you get better service from shopping on line.

pegeen2010

Although these posts about Currys/PCWorld are fairly old, it is worth mentioning that the online service is just as bad. I spent hours,unsuccessfully, trying to pay for a £700 item. The customer service agent I spoke to the following morning insisted my bank cards were blocking the purchase and that I had to wait 24hours before attempting to pay again. After being reassured by both banks in question that the problem wasn't to do with them I e-mailed Currys/PCWorld. 3 days later I am still waiting for their reply!!!