How the hell do Currys stay in business?

[AndyCr15]

(it took two of their staff to assure me that DOOM ETERNAL and Cyberpunk'd run on my Lenovo Ideapad 3).
Not exactly the gaming laptop I wanted but it was better than nothing.
Now, about upgrading the internal SSD drive (all that DLC and those mods soon mount up)

I'm not sure it's entirely reasonable for a staff member to know this? All the different laptops, all the different hardware, all the different configurations, all the different games... should they know all of this? Should they then also know all the ins and outs of each washing machine? Each TV? I get they need a certain level of understanding of all, but to know if a certain game would run on a certain machine, is quite specific, no? I'm not sure I would want to take that on. I'd be suggesting you look at the games minimum requirements and then point out the specs of the laptop.

I get it in the supermarket. I've worked in a Supermarket for coming on 20 years and sometimes you still hear about a product that you've never heard of before and the customer looks at you amazed. 'You work in a Supermarket and you've never hear of XXXXX?!'

 

[lewism]

Did you read the rest of my post, or just pick the sentence that suits you?

I did, you yourself said you're only friendly when you get good service. Somehow being self deprecating then implying your career is better than those working there doesn't give you a free pass. I can only go on what you've wrote, but knowing what people think of the kids that work in Curry's it's no different to what people think of those that work in Halfords/ B&Q / Argos.

"What do you mean you don't know my very technical question about my hobby or something I'm very knowledgeable in. You work here! What do you mean you don't have encyclopedic knowledge for £9.85 an hour?! This is outrageous!!!"

You aren't shopping at Selfridge's or Harrods. It's Curry's.

 

[Diddums]

You aren't shopping at Selfridge's or Harrods. It's Curry's.

What difference does that make?

 

[Wizzfizz]

Curry's don't sell Gucci belts

 

[lewism]

What difference does that make?

Expectations should be tailored to the establishment you're visiting. I don't expect the high quality of service from a sit down restaurant as I would from the staff at McDonald's. But.

Did you read the rest of my post, or just pick the sentence that suits you?

Curry's have you for convenience. That's why they are still here. But I wouldn't expect stellar service from such a big company.

Also, you got ripped off by your local independent computer store. £10 for 2 meters of cat5. They are £2 in Toolstation. Ouch.

 

[arknor]

They're actually a lot cheaper these days than all the other e-tailers, Overclockers included.

Not exactly hard

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Have we had “Because 90% of the British public are too thick to shop around?” as an answer yet?

 

[FoxEye]

Have we had “Because 90% of the British public are too thick to shop around?” as an answer yet?

I don't think they're too thick, just most don't bother.

Either they don't really care what they buy, or they will tell you they don't have time and have better things to do.

This is why the "50% off!" etc etc still works so well on most people. They have no idea what the year-round price is/was, and aren't going to go looking for that information. So they will just believe what the shop/advert tells them.

Most people could shop a lot better but it's not important to them.

@AndyCr15 completely agree that it's unreasonable to expect Currys staff to know if game X will work on laptop Y. To do that research is the customer's job. It's way too specific a question, and either the attendant would have to Google it (which the customer can do themselves) or expect the attendant to be a walking encyclopaedia of game hardware requirements.

 

[Diddums]

Expectations should be tailored to the establishment you're visiting. I don't expect the high quality of service from a sit down restaurant as I would from the staff at McDonald's. But.



Curry's have you for convenience. That's why they are still here. But I wouldn't expect stellar service from such a big company.

Also, you got ripped off by your local independent computer store. £10 for 2 meters of cat5. They are £2 in Toolstation. Ouch.

I wasn't ripped off, I was happy to pay it because it was a small local business and I wanted it on boxing day when everything else was closed. Their service was also good.

That said, excusing crap service because its not "harrods or selfridges" is rubbish and part of the reason these companies have the reputation they do.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

I don't think they're too thick, just most don't bother.

Either they don't really care what they buy, or they will tell you they don't have time and have better things to do.

This is why the "50% off!" etc etc still works so well on most people. They have no idea what the year-round price is/was, and aren't going to go looking for that information. So they will just believe what the shop/advert tells them.

Most people could shop a lot better but it's not important to them.

@AndyCr15 completely agree that it's unreasonable to expect Currys staff to know if game X will work on laptop Y. To do that research is the customer's job. It's way too specific a question, and either the attendant would have to Google it (which the customer can do themselves) or expect the attendant to be a walking encyclopaedia of game hardware requirements.

Fair point about lazy, rather than thick.

I only ever darkened their doors when they had something I wanted cheaper than anywhere else and steeled myself for the Curry’s Warranty hard sell or at 4pm on a Sunday when one of the kids decided to inform me that the printer was out of ink and she had to print out X ready for school on Monday morning. Thankfully, the A406 didn’t have average speed cameras at the time…

 

[arknor]

Fair point about lazy, rather than thick.

the real thick people are the ones paying a premium to be a walking advertising board.
but the actual object costs them about 50p to make in china

 

[StriderX]

Curry's don't sell Gucci belts

Maybe they should start competing with DFS and do RGB gamer corner couches with shoddy plastic holders for drinks and upgrade options like a built in fridge which fails within 6 months?

They could do the forever 'sale' thing they do as well.

 

[JBuk]

I wasn't ripped off, I was happy to pay it because it was a small local business and I wanted it on boxing day when everything else was closed. Their service was also good.

That said, excusing crap service because its not "harrods or selfridges" is rubbish and part of the reason these companies have the reputation they do.

Most curry’s staff are not tech wizards, they are sales assistants, you must have high expectations if you think a low paid employee at the likes of curry’s is going to know the far end of a fart about the products they sell & like most people if they were very savvy about all the tech they sell then they would move on to a better paid job or climb the ladder

you need to think of curry’s like it’s a supermarket but for tech & you wouldn’t expect a Tescos shelf stacker to inform you if the ingredients you are buying would make a tasty meal, heh

 

[pastymuncher]

Our Currys aren't too bad and the sales staff are pretty helpful, most don't push the warranties either which is a pleasant change. They aren't the worst for that anymore though. I bought a washing machine from AO a couple of months ago and 20 minutes after I had completed the online checkout I got a phonecall. He started off telling me that this was to confirm the delivery details (they already did that by email) and he seamlessly moved onto a extended warranty which at first I thought he meant the 5 year warranty that the washing machine came with. After telling me the benefits for around five minutes he informed me that all that could be mine for the sum of £7.99 a month for the life of the machine after two months free. I was speechless at first then told him that the machine already came with a 5 year warranty to which he said this one is better though and started spewing up the same bs again. I cut him off and said I will not be going for that so cancel whatever he had already set up which he seemed very put out about and quickly turned moody. I hung up on him in the end. They are nothing but parasites and I can see that quite a few people would fall for it. Despite the good price and hassle free delivery I won't be shopping at AO again.

 

[xb8browney]

Curry's don't sell Gucci belts

Outstanding

 

[AndyCr15]

you wouldn’t expect a Tescos shelf stacker to inform you if the ingredients you are buying would make a tasty meal

You'd be surprised what some customers expect from supermarket staff... it's not uncommon to be asked cooking advice for example...

 

[Skynet5]

Our Currys aren't too bad and the sales staff are pretty helpful, most don't push the warranties either which is a pleasant change. They aren't the worst for that anymore though. I bought a washing machine from AO a couple of months ago and 20 minutes after I had completed the online checkout I got a phonecall. He started off telling me that this was to confirm the delivery details (they already did that by email) and he seamlessly moved onto a extended warranty which at first I thought he meant the 5 year warranty that the washing machine came with. After telling me the benefits for around five minutes he informed me that all that could be mine for the sum of £7.99 a month for the life of the machine after two months free. I was speechless at first then told him that the machine already came with a 5 year warranty to which he said this one is better though and started spewing up the same bs again. I cut him off and said I will not be going for that so cancel whatever he had already set up which he seemed very put out about and quickly turned moody. I hung up on him in the end. They are nothing but parasites and I can see that quite a few people would fall for it. Despite the good price and hassle free delivery I won't be shopping at AO again.

I had this. Very disappointed and I'm reluctant to use them again. AO need to get this sorted, as prices rises will typically bring a different customer demographic, and typically they are clever enough to not appreciate the warranty sell.

 

[Stu999]

Curry's don't sell Gucci belts

Corner sofas though?

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Our Currys aren't too bad and the sales staff are pretty helpful, most don't push the warranties either which is a pleasant change. They aren't the worst for that anymore though. I bought a washing machine from AO a couple of months ago and 20 minutes after I had completed the online checkout I got a phonecall. He started off telling me that this was to confirm the delivery details (they already did that by email) and he seamlessly moved onto a extended warranty which at first I thought he meant the 5 year warranty that the washing machine came with. After telling me the benefits for around five minutes he informed me that all that could be mine for the sum of £7.99 a month for the life of the machine after two months free. I was speechless at first then told him that the machine already came with a 5 year warranty to which he said this one is better though and started spewing up the same bs again. I cut him off and said I will not be going for that so cancel whatever he had already set up which he seemed very put out about and quickly turned moody. I hung up on him in the end. They are nothing but parasites and I can see that quite a few people would fall for it. Despite the good price and hassle free delivery I won't be shopping at AO again.

I had this. Very disappointed and I'm reluctant to use them again. AO need to get this sorted, as prices rises will typically bring a different customer demographic, and typically they are clever enough to not appreciate the warranty sell.

Hate to break it to you but I just bought all new kitchen appliances and Curry’s, AO, Appliances Direct and Hughes ALL called after purchase to try and sell their warranty subscriptions.

To top it off, if you then register the appliance with the manufacturer to get their ‘free’ 3-5 year warranty, they also call you to sell you their version of the paid £7.99/month warranty subscription.

7.99 a month for EACH appliance is also daylight robbery for a £200-£500 appliance, you’d have paid the cost of the appliance again in the warranty before something goes wrong. Who the hell buys these things, they must sell them otherwise they wouldn’t spend the time in the outbound calls.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

I don't know if she's still there because she was definitely older than me but we had a woman at Fenton Currys who then went to Longton Currys and I always used to wait for her to become available, she really knew her stuff on most things AND what was even better, if she didn't know she would say so and not make crap up.

Sales Assistants over the decades in places like Comet, Rumbleows, Currys, Dixons, PC World etc have all made me want to commit murder at some point.
Usually before I enter these places I have already 99% known about products and then I'd go in for a laugh which could then turn to murder depending on the lies coming out of their mouths.