Do you accept crap customer service or walk?

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LesF

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#150284 17-Jul-2014 13:01

I walked into a Farmers store on the weekend and found the exact model of PVR/Bluray I was looking for.
$700 pricetag, add GST and the odd HDMI cable etc it would have come to over a $800 purchase I guess. Not massive but not peanuts either.

Asked the young salesperson if I could buy one of these, pointing at the unit. He said he would go get a person who could assist me. Guy came back and began serving other customers, fair enough, then another older salesperson came walking along, ignored me and began serving numerous other customers while I stood there watching.

Now I am not an exceptionally impatient person but eventually I wandered off to find somebody else to assist me, asked a salesperson at another counter if he could tell me who the manager was. He pointed to the guy that had supposedly been asked to come and assist me, so I said thank you and walked out the door.

I am beginning to expect poorer customer service in Auckland, it seems to be a steady decline as there are so many customers lining up these days that you apparently don't have to give a damn if they get good service or not, there will always be more coming in the door.

What do you all do if the service is poor, wait around in zombie mode, complain to somebody, or just walk away?

- as a footnote, I walked straight into another nearby retailer and found the same product for $250 less than the Farmers price, so I ended up feeling a lot better at the end of the day :)

--
Les

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#1090655 17-Jul-2014 13:15

I tend to walk. If a sales person is ignoring me then they're probably not going to care if I kick up a fuss, I'd rather take my business elsewhere.

macuser

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#1090657 17-Jul-2014 13:19

If I know what I want, I usually walk straight to the counter, and ask 'What's the best price you can do for *insert product name here*'

They're look at their system, and then if you like what the price is, they'll go collect it for you.

Inphinity

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#1090668 17-Jul-2014 13:33

I just leave, if their service is annoying I don't want to buy from them.

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#1090669 17-Jul-2014 13:34

Farmers prices include GST.... and HDMI cable only worth $10 ;)

But anyway, had similar issue recently at a well known furniture retailer in Auckland. Asked for help, started getting it, then salesperson asked if we minded waiting a moment while she sorted out a customer who was picking up something, sure.... after a few mins a young sales guy approached us and asked if he could help, said we were dealing with someone else but they were tied up, so why not... he proceeded to start helping us. The original salesperson saw what was happening and shot straight back over, and demanded the young guy go help with the pickup customer and that we were "her" customers.

She then completely ignored us and went back to the pickup customer as well.... kids were getting fidgity by this point so I took them back to the car.... my wife waited a couple more mins and eventually started walking out the door, past the orginal salesperson and said rather loudly, "this is f******* ridiculous" and got in the car.

I sent the chain an email explaining what had happened and that if that was their customer service throughout the chain, then I didnt expect them to be in business much longer.... never heard from them. Weve since boycotted them.

So yes, crap service does make me walk.... even on the phone/online. Many years ago I got stuffed around by V/fones CSR's so told them that if I didnt get a straight answer I was leaving.... didnt get a straight answer. So went to Orcon. Since gone back to V/fone and found their customer service has improved considerably. :)

XPD / Gavin

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mattwnz

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#1090672 17-Jul-2014 13:35

You should let them know your experience on facebook or twitter.

andrewNZ

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#1090700 17-Jul-2014 13:54

For me it depends on the situation. Usually I just walk, but if I think someone needs to know, I'll complain.

Once I've had to complain, there is no chance they'll get me to buy. If the response to the complaint is good, I might return in the future.

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mattwnz

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#1090707 17-Jul-2014 13:58

andrewNZ: For me it depends on the situation. Usually I just walk, but if I think someone needs to know, I'll complain.

Once I've had to complain, there is no chance they'll get me to buy. If the response to the complaint is good, I might return in the future.

You have to remember that they are only human, and there is good and bad staff in most companies. But I think they will want to know which staff members are letting them down so they can be retrained.

MikeB4

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#1090718 17-Jul-2014 14:09

I never accept crap service, however I don't just walk out I always ring the company and discuss what has happened with a senior manager. The management cannot fix it if they don't know about it. I always appreciated complaints I received as a manager as they are a gift and opportunity.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

scuwp

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#1090722 17-Jul-2014 14:15

KiwiNZ: I never accept crap service, however I don't just walk out I always ring the company and discuss what has happened with a senior manager. The management cannot fix it if they don't know about it. I always appreciated complaints I received as a manager as they are a gift and opportunity.

This.

I will likewise ensure that I contact the company/manager when I have been given particularly good service, and ask for that feedback to go back to the person, and to be taken into account for any performance system the company may have.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

floydbloke

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#1090729 17-Jul-2014 14:23

I usually walk (muttering and cursing, which I'm sure makes people think I'm some sort of loony rather than a disgruntled customer but it makes me feel better), unless it's something I really want and can't get elsewhere, then I'll wait.

I consider myself patient but not tolerant. Example: I bought a barbecue at one of the big hardware retailers a few weeks back, got a good discount of the ticket price. the salesman said it would take a bit of time because he had to get the formal approval from his boss for the price we agreed on, and then he had to go and fetch the heavv box from a high-up shelf in a store room somewhere. Took about 10 - 15 minutes all up, I was fine with that.

On the other hand, going by the OPs experience I would have walked too.

Sometimes I use big words I don't always fully understand in an effort to make myself sound more photosynthesis.

BigPipeNZ

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#1090735 17-Jul-2014 14:24

mattwnz: You should let them know your experience on facebook or twitter.

This.

As a customer it's pretty simple to do, so you aren't wasting too much of your time, and it gives the business an opportunity to see what happened and put things right (or at the very least apologise)

From a business point of view, we decided that we absolutely want people to give us their feedback on FB etc.

Everytime that happens, even if it's bad feedback, it means we know something is wrong. Most of the time, if the customer never says anything, it's really hard to know if you are doing something wrong. The sooner someone tells us, the sooner we can put it right. (both for that person, and also for other customers who might have the same issue)

That's why we have enabled the review feature on facebook. Gives people a perfect place to give us their feedback, and a great place for us to respond.
(I find it odd that most Telcos in NZ don't enable that feature. To me, it's gives the impression, rightly or wrongly, that they are trying to hide stuff)

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shk292

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#1090748 17-Jul-2014 14:28

Slightly off topic but it sounds like OP needs to make better use of pricespy if he was about to pay $250 too much for the item

I find the general standard of customer service in Auckland electronic shops to be high and think walking out was the right action in this case

freitasm

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#1090751 17-Jul-2014 14:33

BigPipeNZ:(I find it odd that most Telcos in NZ don't enable that feature. To me, it's gives the impression, rightly or wrongly, that they are trying to hide stuff)

Aren't they?

I walk out and never come back.

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BigPipeNZ

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#1090763 17-Jul-2014 14:41

freitasm:
BigPipeNZ:(I find it odd that most Telcos in NZ don't enable that feature. To me, it's gives the impression, rightly or wrongly, that they are trying to hide stuff)

Aren't they?

I walk out and never come back.

maybe, but I wouldn't want to speak on behalf of them.
It's certainly the impression I get though, so I assume other people see the same sort of thing.

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sifly

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#1090828 17-Jul-2014 15:33

I generally walk too.

I wish I wouldn't though. The amount of small business owners I talk too who "desperately" want any kind of feedback is high, yet we kiwis are happy to vote with our feet.
The big shops is harder - they generally don't give a toss unless they start to get a media beat up.

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