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Quote: Originally posted by Valk_scot on 09/8/2009

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I get far better results being relentlessly polite till they give in.

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I work too hard for my money so only shop at stores with a known good refund policy. Go outdoors is just a supermarket that's only interested in turnover at any cost. Talking of cost they are also expensive. My daughter has just bought some 'hard ground pegs' for £23. Today went to Camping and General where they were £13. That's a big mark up.

On the subject of small independent shops/stores

Was off camping/fishing at the w/end...Fancied a stir fry for my tea...Leaving the supermarket...I realised I had left my frying pan at home...Up the sreet was an Ironmongers....It was like stepping into a diffrent world!! Every conceivable item stacked in every available place...and the owner and his daughter knew where everything was...On my request for a pan...They both went rooting around till they found one..Most helpful...Nothing too much trouble...and chatting away to me as they serched for it...And told "Remember....If its not suitable...or fit for purpose Please do bring it back!!"...Think the diffrence between independent shops...and the big stores is that your dealing with someone in the small shop who's very existance depends on your custom...Most staff good or bad...in the big stores just treat it like a job...and are not really interested in you as a person....Just one more face through the till..I too have had my troubles with returns...and there are some stores I will never use again because of their attititude or policy on this issue.........

Jelboy.

Why on earth are big stores not clued up on the importance of good customer service?!?!  It really gets my goat up.

Its very very very very very very simple, if you want the company you work for to be succesful (and therefore keep your job) then be nice to your customers!! You don't have to fall over backwards, just smile, show interest, be polite and LISTEN!!  If a customer has a gripe, give them time to explain, take their points on board and either give them what they want or explain, honestly, why you can't do what they want but also tell them what you WILL do!

I could go on all day about this subject but I won't!!

GC

Quote: Originally posted by Cliff n Pat on 10/8/2009

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To be fair GO at Stockport have been great with us & the manager very helpful, after a fault with an Idaho we finally did a deal for a Monty 6 & he did us a porch for half price for our trouble, as for finding stuff cheaper else where, take in proof & they will match it & knock 10% off.

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Well, GO at Stockport was less than great with me, and the manager nowhere to be seen, as "all the management aren't here today", whatever that means, when I had a query at the till. To the "Come back another day" shrug off, I suggested that a 450 mile round trip wasn't my idea of fun.  This was met with a crossed eye glazed look.

I think that most of these situations are caused by lack of training and awareness on the part of the shop staff.  Whose fault is that ?  Not theirs.  So, don't blame the young person at the till, or even the young "manager", who was probably on the till the previous day.  The fault lies higher up the food chain, with branch and corporate fat cats failing to understand what makes a business work.  Rant, rant, rant ....

I don't think that GO is any better or any worse than most other chains that have a public face.  GO has come in for some stick on this Forum recently, but I think that this is just a function of the fact that they have lots of big shops.

A member of staff asking the customer to go outside is unacceptable. I'd be emailing their chief executive...

I had excellent service from Ibex camping in Cambs. I was only buying a regulator for my Cadac and the owner came and opened the shop. Then when she wasn't absolutely sure that it was the correct one, she later came to the campsite (which was nearby in St Neots) with her husband who then proceeded to fit the regulator for me. Both of them were super friendly. All for a cheap little regulator.

This was a Friday evening and I was seriously impressed. It means that whenever I want some camping equipment I will now always go to them or their website first.

Being a former manager of Dixons and Currys stores (same group) the reason you experience different outcomes is that retailers have different agreements on returns with different manufacturers (some even differ with the same manufacturer).

Some companies will be happy for items to be returned to them if they are faulty because of the impact on brand image or the cost is insignificant. Others will wish for the item to be repaired or have an engineer inspect it first. Which would usually be done in your home or by the item being returned to the manufacturer (which could be done by the store!)

The other issue is Targets! We where targetted for a percemtage of returns which affected the stores profit and possible bonus payments. Another issue is that if we accepted a faulty item for exchange and it was then subsquently repaired. The store would have to try and sell that item - more often than not at a loss - which again effects the stores bottom line profit.

Like the majority of businesses you where only as good as your last set or results!