Customer service - The good and the bad

[Clingy]

As some may know I am looking for some Home Cinema Sound kit. Eventually I have got down to my short list and have started to seek advice and do some listening. So I pour over my mags and select Cambridge as the best venue. A few shops, but above all the Sevenoaks HiFi shop says it stocks just about all that I want to assess. The idea is not to book a demo slot as I want to gather price and availabilty info and get some general advice.

Arrive at the shop, which is empty. Two senior staff are chatting and they send "the boy" to see me (I'm dressed in Jeans and a Hoody). Poor lad is probably knowledgeable but has no sales or communication skills. Perhaps he has been told to waffle or just feels he needs to talk and talk about nothing in particular. I get to the point and he quickly comes back to say they stock nothing that I want to look at or review. What is more they can get very little of what I want to check out. At one point he goes to check with one of the other guys, who appear unhappy at being interupted. He obviously regards me as something he stepped in!!! So naturally I leave dissapointed. A similar experience at another shop and I am totally disillusioned. No wonder most people order off the net, I think.

Eventually, after being dragged round all the shoe shops by my wife (her end of the bargain) I return to my car and have to pass Sevenoaks again. I look in the window and then carry on. The shop next door is a Hughes TV shop. Now these shops were once electrical retailers like Curry's so I dont give it a second thought until the missis says they have some HiFi in the window. So reluctantly I have a look and strangely they have several items in the window that I am interested in. We go in and have a look. Then we notice that they have a HiFI department upstairs. We go up and I am gobsmacked. Just about everything I could hope to see and evaluate. Quad, Arcam, Yamaha, AE, Monitor Audio, Wharfedale, Sony, Pioneer, Denon. Eventually get to speak to the guy on duty and he is so friendly and helpful. Some excellent and practical advice. Prices close to the cheapest I have seen as well. They have a demo room and he was very keen to set up some kit for me ready for my next visit.

Not doubt where I am getting my kit from and a lesson in what constitutes a good salesman. So Sevenoaks threw away £1200 just with their attitude.

[Clingy]

Getting so disillusioned now. Hughes couldnt get what I wanted so next stop was a HiFi Warehouse (Hispek). I phoned to check prices and availability. The guy that answered the phone hadn't a clue. Couldn't even spell "Acoustic Energy" let alone tell me anything about them. He eventually told me the price which was £50 more than advertised and said "we have everything in stock of that speaker package except the speakers"

I just put the phone down and started to cry!!!!

[unrealrocks]

Heh - yeah, shops really vary in my experience. SuperFi (notts branch anyways) are allways great, they know what there talking about - they're great at they're sales pitches, lol. And they dont mind you demoing lots of kit and spending time comparing

Also theres a shop near where I live called John Kirk, really small but he's a great guy, he remembers who you are even if you haven't been in for a while. With my dad who goes in there quite often he can even remember what kit he's sold him before and so can recommend other stuff to use as demo gear and what would go well with his current system

The little places tend to be more expensive - but you get so much better service IME.