Bad Service at Noel Leeming

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Bad Service at Noel Leeming

ArcticSilver

729 posts

Ultimate Geek

#76211 30-Jan-2011 15:18

Yesterday I went with my folks to buy a new HI-FI setup from Noel Leeming.

Though the price negotiated was good the service was horrid! Do they get training?

Lets start with trying out the speakers. I asked them if we could hook up a CD player. They didn't want to, they wanted to use a apple wireless product that they would plug into the amp to stream music from a in store apple computer. They fluffed around for quite a while with it until I got sick of waiting, took one look and oh, its not plugged in. They could not find the cables connecting the device to the amp.

So now I have convinced them to get a CD player, they come back, plug it in fine. But there is one problem, we can not skip track because it is really a DVD player. So i ask for a different one or the remote. They again fluff around for quite a while and come to the conclusion that they have lost the remote. I ask again, nothing happens. A second sales guy comes along, asks what we think of the speakers, i ask him and FINALLY we get some movement, they bring another CD player.

Now were working, we start listening and i ask for the specifications of the amplifier. He shoots away, we listen some more, where has he gone? Hes disappeared for quite some time now. I look over, he looks guilty and pulls out a sheet straight away with the amplifier specifications. It looked like he'd stored it away and forgotten to get back to us.

Now i ask for a deal for both the amplifier and the speakers again he leaves. Again we are left wondering where he has gone because he is taking quite a while, he seems to be chatting with a few others. Now that hes noticed us looking over he's chasing his manager. This may have been more his managers fault than his, but it's just adding to the list.

We end up getting the system, great, we just need to load it up into our car. They don't take items upstairs so we're instructed to pull around back. He asks how long we'll be, i say 5mins, hes alright with that, he says he'll be outside in 5mins. We jump in the car and pull around. Guess what, hes not there!

We look around, try and figure out where he would come out, we wait and wait. I go back around into the store to see where he is, hes chatting with the other staff, he takes one look at me and says "oh your outside?". Finally we have movement again, he wheels the speakers out and were done.

Overall, i just cant believe it. Its a sales assistant with out the "assistant". If it takes them any effort whatsoever they seem to need a prodding with a barge pole.

Our quick listen and purchase should have taken less than a 30mins, instead it took more than a hour and a half. Just hopeless.

1 | 2

446 posts

Ultimate Geek

#432839 30-Jan-2011 15:29

Firstly, you say they, they they, when really you should be saying he, he, he.

Secondly, have you given this feedback to the manager, or anyone at the store? It does no good here but will do good at the store.

Thirdly, NZers in general seem to think that prices should be cheaper cheaper cheaper, but guess what, you can't buy an item cheaper unless costs have been cut somewhere else. That might be in training, management hours to keep things like this in check etc. If you want premium service, go to a specialised home theatre/stereo equipment retailer and pay premium price. If you want to pay peanuts, you'll get monkeys.

Now, that said and done, it does sound like a rubbish salesperson, as per point 2, I hope you do give that feedback to the manager. If it were one of my staff, I'd be right on top of it.

hellonearthisman

1819 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#432844 30-Jan-2011 15:40

Minimum wage workers doing a minimal job.

blakamin

4431 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#432856 30-Jan-2011 16:16

I'm not surprised at a Noel Leeming store... I had hire purchase once where they charged me $200 more than the item price because it was on special, refused to change the contract, and told me it "will be sorted" just to find out it wasn't!
I went back to the store a month later when I got the finance papers stating the high price, to be told by the assistant "it will be sorted, go home" but I rang the finance company in-store on my mobile to learn it wasn't and couldn't be until I signed new contract!
Meanwhile they claimed the original price from the finance company.
If I didn't stay and sort it, I'd be paying!
Never even got an apology.

ArcticSilver

729 posts

Ultimate Geek

#432861 30-Jan-2011 16:38

joff_nz: Firstly, you say they, they they, when really you should be saying he, he, he.

Secondly, have you given this feedback to the manager, or anyone at the store? It does no good here but will do good at the store.

Thirdly, NZers in general seem to think that prices should be cheaper cheaper cheaper, but guess what, you can't buy an item cheaper unless costs have been cut somewhere else. That might be in training, management hours to keep things like this in check etc. If you want premium service, go to a specialised home theatre/stereo equipment retailer and pay premium price. If you want to pay peanuts, you'll get monkeys.

Now, that said and done, it does sound like a rubbish salesperson, as per point 2, I hope you do give that feedback to the manager. If it were one of my staff, I'd be right on top of it.

I was using they because there was quite often more than one sales man there at a time.

I don't expect great support for nothing, but i do expect support. I might forward this on to the manager as you say.

nate

6473 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#432902 30-Jan-2011 19:09

joff_nz: Thirdly, NZers in general seem to think that prices should be cheaper cheaper cheaper, but guess what, you can't buy an item cheaper unless costs have been cut somewhere else. That might be in training, management hours to keep things like this in check etc. If you want premium service, go to a specialised home theatre/stereo equipment retailer and pay premium price. If you want to pay peanuts, you'll get monkeys.

Not my problem. If they don't want the business, then I'll go elsewhere.

I always renegotiate a better price for cash (I think it's unfair to get a discount for putting it on credit card or on finance). Normally not had an issues, though had one run in with a guy at Farmers some years back - you'd think I'd said his mother was a $?#@ with the reaction I got.

Dunnersfella

4086 posts

Uber Geek

#432939 30-Jan-2011 20:40

Surely HiFi and Noel Leeming don't go together do they?
Unless you were to state...
"Noel Leeming wouldn't know how to set up or sell a Hifi rig, even if they tripped over it..."

richms

28179 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#432953 30-Jan-2011 21:43

Didnt think they even sold it myself, just entry level midfi stuff, worse than even what JB carry.

Richard rich.ms

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

nigelj

856 posts

Ultimate Geek

#432969 30-Jan-2011 22:20

joff_nz:
Now, that said and done, it does sound like a rubbish salesperson, as per point 2, I hope you do give that feedback to the manager. If it were one of my staff, I'd be right on top of it.

Last time I tried to give feedback about service to a Noel Leemings manager I got the cold shoulder, won't buy anything from there (in particular the local store) now, unless I can get a really good off the shelf deal as a result. They may have changed since then, and they do have some decent sales reps there (lots of credit to a couple of ones up Whangarei).

Niscoupe

107 posts

Master Geek

#433014 31-Jan-2011 07:06

nigelj:
joff_nz:
Now, that said and done, it does sound like a rubbish salesperson, as per point 2, I hope you do give that feedback to the manager. If it were one of my staff, I'd be right on top of it.

Last time I tried to give feedback about service to a Noel Leemings manager I got the cold shoulder, won't buy anything from there (in particular the local store) now, unless I can get a really good off the shelf deal as a result. They may have changed since then, and they do have some decent sales reps there (lots of credit to a couple of ones up Whangarei).

I had exactly the same problem with a shop in the 'south western' north island. They didn't honour an advertised special and complaints to a higher office went totally unheeded...."too late now the special is over, nothing we can do".
Needless to say I went to Dick Smiths, purcahsing exactly the same item for $25 less than the Noel Leeming special price. Will never step back in to Noel Leemings again.

xpd

Geek @ Coastguard NZ
13766 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#433052 31-Jan-2011 09:41

Noel Leeming isnt somewhere Id go to ask for any sort of help on a product....

Many many moons ago back in the day when P2-266's were the latest thing, I went into their manukau "Computer City" branch looking for a NIC. Couldnt find them, so asked the sales guy standing in the computer section and asked..... he shrugged and said "I dont work in this department, go ask them" pointing to someone else. So why are you standing there.......

Goto #2 - Ask them... nope, he has no clue what a NIC/network adaptor is, at least he suggests I goto the counter where someone can look it up in the system for me.

Goto #3 - Ask the sales girl at the counter...she gives me bit of a blank look regarding my NIC query, but does a search for it anyway. Finally finds on - a "family pack" of 2 NICs and cabling for $300.

I leave and goto Harvy Norman across the road and purchase a NIC (easily found, no staff required) for $70 (Keep in mind this was around 1999 when 10/100mb was cool)......

Another encounter I had was with a friend at Hunters Plaza - 3 of us went in the store with one of my mates wanting to sign up finance on a new TV - he goes off with the sales rep to fill out the paperwork while my other mate and I wander around the store and start looking at the laptops etc - we werent touching them at all, just looking.

After a couple of minutes, we hear from across the store "Hey YOU! GET AWAY FROM THERE!" - kind of ignored it thinking they were yelling at a kid.... few seconds later, we hear them yelling again and next thing a staff member is next to us telling us to get away from the computers - I looked around thinking he couldnt be talking to us, but no, we were the only ones there - he then proceeded to tell us to get away from the computers because my mate was a known hacker etc etc and had stuffed all their computers over last time he had been in that store. I just stared at this sales guy, I couldnt believe the way he was acting and what he was saying - my mate was lucky to know how to burn toast in a house fire (at the time anyway) let alone use a computer.

I said to the sales guy, "This is the first time weve been in here, youve got him mixed with someone else"

"No it WAS HIM!"

"Fine, we're leaving then, dont expect us back again"

We left and waited for my other mate to finish his paperwork and come out - told him what happened and he was pissed, he said if he had known what was going on at the time, he would have torn up the paperwork and told them to get stuffed.

I did go back to that store once to buy my PS-1 but that was for only two reasons.... one is that it was handily located as I worked in the mall at the time, and two, the chick I dealt with was cute, was always really nice to me (she used to come into my work a lot), and knew where I worked etc :)

Have never really bothered with NL ever since.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

LinkTree

minimoke

750 posts

Ultimate Geek

#433850 1-Feb-2011 18:48

ArcticSilver: Yesterday I went with my folks to buy a new HI-FI setup from Noel Leeming.

Theres mistake number one. Hi Fi and Noel leeming do not belong in the same sentence. Nor do Service and Noel Leeming nor does product knowledge and Noel leeming nor does knowledge of consumer rights.

I could go on - but you feed this service by spending money there. Best to walk away - there are others that would provide the service.

Dunnersfella

4086 posts

Uber Geek

#433884 1-Feb-2011 19:53

But but but but but they have FlyBuys!!!!

ArcticSilver

729 posts

Ultimate Geek

#433886 1-Feb-2011 19:54

minimoke:
ArcticSilver: Yesterday I went with my folks to buy a new HI-FI setup from Noel Leeming.

Theres mistake number one. Hi Fi and Noel leeming do not belong in the same sentence. Nor do Service and Noel Leeming nor does product knowledge and Noel leeming nor does knowledge of consumer rights.

I could go on - but you feed this service by spending money there. Best to walk away - there are others that would provide the service.

The problem was simply that no other stores stocked the speakers except Harvey Norman which were twice as expensive.

I would go some where else if it was possible!

julianz

118 posts

Master Geek

#434165 2-Feb-2011 11:16

Heh, they lost a $2500 sale from us. I rang up to check the price of a certain oven, and they told me they didn't stock ovens from that manufacturer. No problem, we buy it elsewhere. 3 days later we're in the same branch of Noel Leeming and what do you know? They've got the whole range :)

sittingduckz

680 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#434177 2-Feb-2011 11:38

I had a funny experience with Dick Smith power house. I bought an LCD TV and the deal was you get $300 of vouchers when you buy. So I asked for the $300 off instead... ended up talking to the duty manager who promptly said NO we can't do that, I'll see what I can do. He tapped away on the keyboard for a while and then said... What I can do is take $300 off the TV and also give you $300 vouchers... DEAL!! I have never shaken hands to a deal so fast in my life. (Just in case he realised what he had said).

I left very happy... I still wonder if he figured out what he had done

I'm not a complete idiot, I still have some parts missing.

1 | 2