Harvey Norman - lies, deceit, dishonest sales staff. (But DSE=Win!).

Forums › Gaming › Harvey Norman - lies, deceit, dishonest sales staff. (But DSE=Win!).

tonyhughes

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#89285 30-Aug-2011 09:27

Yes, it's a wah wah thread.

Last night just after 5pm, I went to Harvey Norman in Hastings to buy a Nintendo Wii for me and my boys. The salesperson (a european woman late 30s/ early 40s) stood doing nothing while I was looking.

I dont know anything about the Wii, so I announced "I'd like to buy a Wii tonight, and I need help." She instantly started looking up things on the computer (bad sign, just tell me about the Wii and what I need).

Then she announced the following:

Her: "You have to buy an extended warranty for these because they overheat."
Me: "What?"

Her: "You have to buy an extended warranty for these because they overheat."
Me: "Pardon?" (sarcastically)

Her: "They all overheat, because you can't get any airflow around them and they all break down."
Me: "So they come faulty?"

Her: "No, they aren't faulty."
Me: "So I don't need an extended warranty?."

Her: "Yes you still do."
Me: "So they are known to overheat, and if it does that and fails, and I haven't bought an extended warranty, it won't be repaired at all."

Her: "That's right."

At that point I told her to forget it, (I *may* have gone a tad Gordon on her). I walked out, went to DSE Hastings (at 5.25pm).

DSE staff were ALL very helpful despite being 5 mins before closing, and took the time to educate me on what I wanted needed (turns out the features and games I wanted were Xbox 360 Kinect - so I bought one of those, and a Kindle 3G while I was there).

I have spent a long time in sales (business, inbound, outbound, retail, sales manager, branch manager), and I know the CGA rather well. I also know when salespeople are lying, and just out to line their pockets at all costs.

If you work in retail, don't be tempted to do what this awful person did. Don't rip me off. I ended up spending over $600 at DSE, because they were honest, and actually helped me with MY needs, not THEIR needs.

I am going to put a formal complaint in to her employer, and probably ping Fair Go and Campbell (not looking for a big thing out of this, but useful for them if they are already investigating these sorts of things).

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#513785 30-Aug-2011 09:40

The common housewife who's kids have just hit college has got a job at Harvey Norman, yae for her!

Not!

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#513787 30-Aug-2011 09:41

If you got the sales persons name, ping the Twitter feed for Harvey Norman, or contact them via their website. A mate told me that it goes DIRECTLY to the head of HN NZ...

NonprayingMantis

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#513792 30-Aug-2011 09:47

"DSE staff were ALL very helpful despite being 5 mins before closing, and took the time to educate me on what I wanted needed (turns out the features and games I wanted were Xbox 360 Kinect - so I bought one of those, and a Kindle 3G while I was there)."

not surprised they were helpful. They got you to change your mind from a $250 peice of kit to a $450+ peice of kit. Upselling at it's best. :p

But more seriously, I have found DSE staff to be pretty good when it comes to gaming stuff. (not so good when it comes to more technical things though). My experience with HN and NL staff is pretty bad.

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#513796 30-Aug-2011 09:48

Kaos36: The common housewife who's kids have just hit college has got a job at Harvey Norman, yae for her!

Not!

Wow.

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#513799 30-Aug-2011 09:48

tonyhughes: ... so I bought one of those, and a Kindle 3G while I was there).

Damn instant gratification... You come here every day, could have gotten one from us (Kindle order page) - cheaper.

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tonyhughes

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#513803 30-Aug-2011 09:53

freitasm: Damn instant gratification... You come here every day, could have gotten one from us (Kindle order page) - cheaper.

It was right there on the shelf, and I am well known for wanting something right now or not at all!

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tonyhughes

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#513804 30-Aug-2011 09:56

NonprayingMantis: not surprised they were helpful. They got you to change your mind from a $250 peice of kit to a $450+ peice of kit. Upselling at it's best. :p

Yep, being experienced in sales and retail, I am well versed in upselling, and it's actually really important that a consumer gets upsold (or downsold) to avoid getting the wrong product.

Turns out the Wii was not the right product for what I wanted.

You don't hear of many people downselling, but it is such a valuable tool in building a relationship with someone, even at retail level.

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#513809 30-Aug-2011 10:12

gehenna:
Kaos36: The common housewife who's kids have just hit college has got a job at Harvey Norman, yae for her!

Not!

Wow.

Yeah what the hell was she doing out of the bloody kitchen!

oxnsox

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#513821 30-Aug-2011 10:42

The scariest thing could be that she simply had no idea so accessed some kind of internal selling tool on their DB. Now if she didn't have the skills or experience to 'sell' the product or the extended warranty thats one thing, but if she was following a company training tool/guide with that approach then thats a big hand out of the clouds and thumb down on the head for HN and their understanding of the CGA (and their customers)!!

Skolink

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#513846 30-Aug-2011 11:23

But did the staff at DSE talk you into buying an extended warranty? They tried to on a TV I bought there recently.

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#513847 30-Aug-2011 11:24

I have usually found Harvey Norman pretty good to buy off over the years - though mainly that has been whiteware/ major household appliances etc.

Generally Dick Smith staff seem a little lacking in product knowledge when I have asked - they probably do know games well though - their staff seem a little younger than the average HN staff member.

They usually have people in 'departments' that know a bit about 'their' items - sounds like you got a stand-in?

I actually sympathise a bit with sales staff these days - I dont think they get terribly big money, not much training, and there are just sooooo many bloody products - and the models change every 5 minutes.

I imagine most GZers are like me and research the heck out of whatever they are after on the internet before heading off to the shop - so in many ways its a matter of marching up and saying 'what deal can you give me on that?' - while waving at some item on the shelf. Chances are you may know more about the item than the sales staff because you have spent more time thinking about it!

Its not great that she told you that you had to have an extended warranty because the product overheats though - sounds a little lacking in finesse and product knowledge. Your call if you want to complain about her. You probably should at least to HN. Fairgo and Target etc have already done the 'be carefull about extended warrantty things though' - Cant see what you would gain going to them.

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tonyhughes

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#513873 30-Aug-2011 11:51

Skolink: But did the staff at DSE talk you into buying an extended warranty? They tried to on a TV I bought there recently.

No, they didn't even mention it.

Spoke to who I believe is the store manager, plus two standard staff, who asked some advice from another staff member. They all did their best to help and get me sorted.

tonyhughes

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#513874 30-Aug-2011 11:52

robjg63: They usually have people in 'departments' that know a bit about 'their' items - sounds like you got a stand-in?

No stand in, has been working in that department for years.

tonyhughes

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#513876 30-Aug-2011 11:55

robjg63: Your call if you want to complain about her. You probably should at least to HN. Fairgo and Target etc have already done the 'be carefull about extended warrantty things though' - Cant see what you would gain going to them.

tonyhughes: and probably ping Fair Go and Campbell (not looking for a big thing out of this, but useful for them if they are already investigating these sorts of things).

As above, not looking to gain anything, but they need to be held to account for this kind of carryon, as I'm sure people who arent savvy would purchase the warranty for fear of the item developing the imaginary fault that that salesperson told them "they all have" that supposedly is not covered by the manufacturers warranty.

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#513900 30-Aug-2011 12:35

I believe that if a defect is pointed out prior to purchase, then that defect will not be covered by the CGA or even any warranty. So actually by saying that these models overheat she has actually just excluded that issue from the very warranty coverage she was trying to sell you. Sounds bizarre doesn?t it?

?If a defect was pointed out to you before you bought the good, then it doesn't count towards making it unacceptable.?
http://www.consumer.org.nz/reports/consumer-guarantees-act/the-guarantees

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