Why is it that upmarket shops suck?

[Errol]

Fortnum and Mason is good.

 

[Sequoia]

so your saying the more money people are willing to spend somewhere , themore ass kissing they should get?

Every customer anywhere should be treated the same. Thats the sort of snobbery the original poster was getting at.

If that remark, which directly followed my post, referred to my comment, then I didn't say anything about ass-kissing.

But if you think a company is going to pay as much attention to a customer bringing in £7k a year (a £35k Merc once every five years) in business as they are to one with £1.75m a year (50 of the same cars a year), then I'm afraid you're either living on a different planet to me, or know some strange companies.

How much do you suppose a Sales Manager would give to guarantee to the first order, and how much to guarantee the second one? Are they going to indulge the second customer more than the first? Damn right they are, because otherwise the second customer may go to a competitor.

Yes, the way you get treated depends on how good a customer you are.

 

[Beansprout]

Fortnum and Mason is good.

Funny you should mention them, I got a great Fortnum & Mason wooden chest containing a selection of teas for my birthday last week, among other things

 

[Sequoia]

Definitely, the mercedes dealers my parents use are pretty good, just a couple of times I been looked at down the nose of some snotty idiot salesperson when I popped in to drop off my parents car for a service, or to buy a light bulb/wiper blades. Its really the whole 'you can't afford a merc, why are you here?' attitude I dislike, is it so hard to be polite?

I have seen some people in there who expect ridiculous things, and to be treated like royalty as you say, personally I just expect a bit of respect and politeness, and the offer of a cup of tea, if i'm waiting.

Now that I agree with. It's a VERY unprofessional car salesman that treats a book by it's cover. To assume that someone can't afford a Merc because they're young, or not smartly dressed, is shallow, and usually the kind of thing that generates a rollocking from the sales manager, who is generally savvy enough to know better, if he sees it happen.

NO salesman should assume that wealthy people always dress smartly or expensively. In fact, it's more likely to be those that are trying to look like they're wealthy that dress up to go to a car showroom. Personally, it needs to be either a very important business meeting or a limited number of family events (weddings, funerals, etc) to get me in a suit with proper shoes. The rest of the time, you'll find me in jeans and a T-shirt and the jeans are as likely to be Asda or Tesco as they are Armani or Levi. I wear what I find comportable, not what I think other people will be "impressed" by, and I really don't care if a car salesman is impressed with my dress sense or not. If I get treated discourteously, I take my business elsewhere. If treated badly enough, I'm likely to rub a manager or director's nose in it before I do so.

if you want to make a sale then they have to be treated right. The one right every customer does have is to turn around and walk right out the door again and into the shop of your competition.

Every customer has the right to expect to be treated couteously and professionally. But treating every customer "right" isn't the same as treating every customer the same, as NumptyUK seems to think should happen.

 

[Old Turkey]

Quite right. Any "Salesman" who qualifies potential customers based upon their standard of dress isn't going to have a long and prosperous career in in Sales. These dealerships ought to know better. Infact, any Business selling "high end, value added, luxury goods" ought to know that.

 

[Fr0dders]

i work in customer services myself

and you cant judge a company based upon your experience with one suit and one member of staff.

For you to have a point that M&S really do have poor customer service, id expect a catalogue of problems and people youd spoken to. But you wont, as i know M&S are better than that. Ive never had any problems in any of my local branches (leicester Fosse Park, Leicester City Centre, Sheffield Meadowhall or Wakefield)

juding by the way your speaking, i expect you gave him attitude. Those that come at me with an attitude get it back ...

 

[Raymond Lin]

Fortnum and Mason is good.

Arent' they just !!!!!!!!!!!! oh my god !

 

[Tesla]

Why did you buy the suit if it was low quality?

 

[jamoor]

Why did you buy the suit if it was low quality?

I dont know anything about suits, how on earth am i meant to know that the fabric will screw itself over after 3 months of occasional wear?

edit- my dad has always bought them from there without problem, yet the one i bought screwed up

 

[jamoor]

i work in customer services myself

and you cant judge a company based upon your experience with one suit and one member of staff.

For you to have a point that M&S really do have poor customer service, id expect a catalogue of problems and people youd spoken to. But you wont, as i know M&S are better than that. Ive never had any problems in any of my local branches (leicester Fosse Park, Leicester City Centre, Sheffield Meadowhall or Wakefield)

juding by the way your speaking, i expect you gave him attitude. Those that come at me with an attitude get it back ...

nope, I just went and told the problem, tried to see if they gave a solution to the problem and they didnt, I tried again to explain with a bit of back and forth, no use.

Much easier to go elsewhere where they dont argue and actually listen to what you say, she wouldnt
a) listen
b) answer my question

useless really.

 

[Deep]

If I ever bought a merc I would expect to be treated better than in a Honda dealership as I am shelling out a lot more, well the honda dealers that I have been to have been brilliant.
In fact the "cheaper" dealers tend to understand your needs more, you wanna see that car? yes here are the keys, come back when you have finished seeing it, some others will hover over you while you see the car.

You want to test drive it? Here are the keys and here are some trade plates, bring it back when you are finished. others- Yep I will sit in the passenger seat and try to make smalltalk and give you directions.

i went to my local honda dealer and drove a new honda civic 2.2litre diesel, and im 19.. i didnt have my drivers licence or any ID they let me, i drove the car came back with my driving licence!

and i was on my own

awesome!

 

[chimaera]

I was at the sheffield meadowhall store, about as big as they come, still useless and have lost the business of my family. We had credit cards with them too, they have lost that business as well.

Well theres your problem right there, come down to London and see how the pro's do it

If you're spending a moderate amount of money TM Lewin make some good stuff, slightly more pricey than a good M&S suit but still worth a look. Personally i don't think M&S's cheap suits are up to much, and i hate their machine washable ones with a passion, but some of the nice italian wool ones...top quality.

 

[jamoor]

Well theres your problem right there, come down to London and see how the pro's do it

If you're spending a moderate amount of money TM Lewin make some good stuff, slightly more pricey than a good M&S suit but still worth a look. Personally i don't think M&S's cheap suits are up to much, and i hate their machine washable ones with a passion, but some of the nice italian wool ones...top quality.

IT wasnt cheap, it was mid-range.
it cost £200ish

 

[penski]

Depends on your perspective; I'd call that a cheap suit, £300-500 midrange and above 'expensive'.

*n

 

[6thElement]

Heaven forbid the thread starter should ever find himself on Via della Spiga in Milan

 

[Shoseki]

I hate all this snobbishness as well. When I was working in ****(potential competitor removed), I was always very polite, but then I was always very polite even when working in my mum's shop.

The bottomline is that some countries have a history of good customer service, and some countries don't. In England we have a very hit or miss customer service record... its certainly not standard across the board that every shop is politely staffed and customers are really cared about. My personal gripe at the moment is that current technique of "greeting every customer" that some places do, because its a technique seen as "reducing the possibility of crime by making the criminal feel like he is being watched", and also because of pushy salespeople "can I help you" "leave me alone!".

When I worked in **** (potential competitor removed), I was one of the top salesmen, and why? Because I treated people like people, with respect, tried to be helpful, and see *their* needs, and suggested wherever I could where I could be of service or the shop had products to offer. I did not ram it down peoples throat...

Of course the whole **** crappy blue uniform did put a big barrier between the helper and the customer by enforcing the nature of our relationship from the outset - most people are (naturally and understandably) suspicious of people who work in shops, because of the ridiculously hard sales needs of each and every shop.

Sucks tbh, glad I don't work there any more. My mum still runs a small newsagents and she treats her customers very well (although very strictly sometimes too). Her customers keep coming back...

But then, the retailer thinks "Why make the effort when the customer is fickle and only cares about the cheapest deal etc". Its a problem from both sides.

 

[jamoor]

Depends on your perspective; I'd call that a cheap suit, £300-500 midrange and above 'expensive'.

*n

In m&s there was a £100 suit, a £199 suit and a £299 suit
therefore this one in m+S was midrange.

 

[chimaera]

In m&s there was a £100 suit, a £199 suit and a £299 suit
therefore this one in m+S was midrange.

I would've thought a £200 M&S suit would be ok, but then again i bought a decent pair of work trousers from them 3 months ago and the buttons fallen off and theres a hole in the pocket.

Shirts are good though