Companies That You Expect to Disappear Soon

[Dai Corner]

Currys stock control anecdote.

I needed some replacement NiMh batteries for a cordless phone. Looking online I found Currys were offering them at a good price with same day click and collect at a nearby branch. I ordered and received a confirmation email with a reservation number.

I went to the shop and showed the assistant the email. She looked in the cupboard behind the counter and they weren't there. She looked 'out the back'. Nope none there. She sought the help of a colleague who looked through the displays. He couldn't find any there. I knew he wouldn't as I'd looked myself while she was 'out the back'.

After about 20 mins hanging around I said 'You haven't got them, have you?' 'Er, no' was the response. No attempt to apologise or get them sent to me or to the store for me to collect the next day.

I went next door and bought them from Tesco who had plenty of stock, albeit a pound or two dearer.

 

[Swanny200]

Much of my time working at DSG was as a student, so I was grateful for the occasional bit of commission. One weekend, one of my housemates came in and bought a laptop on finance through a colleague who was known for bending the rules. Despite being a student she'd somehow qualified for finance and PPI which meant a big bonus for the colleague in question. I was initially annoyed that she hadn't gone through me but when looking over the paperwork I could see that it wasn't legit. I wouldn't have even tried to complete the sale in that way, as there was some obvious fraud involved. About six months later the whole PPI compensation thing became a big issue, and the colleague involved was found to have "played the system" pretty much out of habit and was dismissed.

I was being shadowed by a senior salesman for my training, really decent guy, went above and beyond for his customer including going down from Scotland to Birmingham to get a car that a customer was interested in off his own back to get the sale, then I was paired with a younger guy who was only interested in money, he pushed my first deal which gave me over £300 commission, student coming in with her dad and a few grand cash, she ended up driving away with finance for a £7000 car that was a year old with all the cover and GAP insurance tagged on, she left with half of the money that she wanted to spend as she put the other half down as a deposit but I ultimately felt bad as her dad didn't have a clue what was going on, my boss was laughing in his office at her being fleeced into years of debt extra along with her student debt, it left a bad taste in my mouth, I ended up losing customers for being too honest, rather have a cash deal than put someone in debt.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I was being shadowed by a senior salesman for my training, really decent guy, went above and beyond for his customer including going down from Scotland to Birmingham to get a car that a customer was interested in off his own back to get the sale, then I was paired with a younger guy who was only interested in money, he pushed my first deal which gave me over £300 commission, student coming in with her dad and a few grand cash, she ended up driving away with finance for a £7000 car that was a year old with all the cover and GAP insurance tagged on, she left with half of the money that she wanted to spend as she put the other half down as a deposit but I ultimately felt bad as her dad didn't have a clue what was going on, my boss was laughing in his office at her being fleeced into years of debt extra along with her student debt, it left a bad taste in my mouth, I ended up losing customers for being too honest, rather have a cash deal than put someone in debt.

My years at DSG left me with the conclusion that commission based sales is only suitable for the desperate or the sociopathic. I've yet to encounter anything that will change my mind on that.

 

[SteveM70]

My local one is always dead, but that is not to say that the one in the Sainsbury's near the MetroCentre isn't always packed I'm never up there to see, I have never known Argos to close stores, but then we have said that about other big companies.

The other thing Argos have done quite cleverly is push a bigger share of their customers to click and collect, which gives them slightly longer to get orders ready and means they can consolidate stock of slower moving lines in a smaller number of stores and then move them to the collection store for the customer. It’s meant they’ve significantly reduced their inventory which was always an issue - too much money tied up on slow moving stock

 

[xotGD]

Yo! Sushi has announced it will close 19 restaurants and cut 250 staff as part of a company-wide restructure.

The company is launching a company voluntary arrangement (CVA), allowing it to shut loss-making sites.

 

[C J Snarzell]

I know this cropped up previously, but today I realised 3 x vaping shops have closed in my local town centre in just a few months.

Earlier in the week, I passed a vaping shop on a local suburban shopping parade that had clearly shut up shop.

I've got a feeling many more will start to go in time as the whole 'vaping' craze we saw a few years ago has long since passed.

CJ

 

[hst43102]

Yo! Sushi has announced it will close 19 restaurants and cut 250 staff as part of a company-wide restructure.

The company is launching a company voluntary arrangement (CVA), allowing it to shut loss-making sites.

I'm not surprised. Very overpriced and not a great experience. I certainly won't be going to one any time soon.

 

[dgl]

Currys stock control anecdote.

I needed some replacement NiMh batteries for a cordless phone. Looking online I found Currys were offering them at a good price with same day click and collect at a nearby branch. I ordered and received a confirmation email with a reservation number.

I went to the shop and showed the assistant the email. She looked in the cupboard behind the counter and they weren't there. She looked 'out the back'. Nope none there. She sought the help of a colleague who looked through the displays. He couldn't find any there. I knew he wouldn't as I'd looked myself while she was 'out the back'.

After about 20 mins hanging around I said 'You haven't got them, have you?' 'Er, no' was the response. No attempt to apologise or get them sent to me or to the store for me to collect the next day.

I went next door and bought them from Tesco who had plenty of stock, albeit a pound or two dearer.

Little tip, if you need standard size Ni-Mh batteries (AAA/AA/C/D/PP3) go to Lidl when they have their own brand Tronic batteries in, think I paid £3.99 yesterday for 4 2500mAh AA's, plus all the one's I have brought over the years appear to be of decent quality.

As for B&Q, it's a good idea to check their prices where possible against Toolstation or Screwfix, they always seem to be cheaper, plus if you go to Screwfix it's all the same stuff! (both Screwfix and B&Q are part of the Kingfisher group).

And as for Currys, they delivered us a washing machine with a CEE7/7 plug!, should have complained as that is illegal and even Thomann (who are German (the world's largest Musical Instrument retailer)) can supply the correct adaptor/cable but as I already had a spare plug couldn't be bothered.

 

[PaulC1309]

Currys are awful and I vowed never to buy anything from them again after at least 3 had experiences. Bought an oven, went to collect it and packaging was damaged. Staff member said don't worry I've checked it and it's fine. When I asked to see for myself he very reluctantly opened it up and found a massive dent in the side! Took a refund and left. Another time bought a small tv for the kitchen which had a faulty remote that kept draining the batteries after a couple of days. Took it back and salesman tried to say these modern high drain devices need Duracell batteries!! A tv remote?? seriously!

 

[SteveM70]

The last time I went in a Curry’s (I think) was with my late mother in law when she needed a new telly. She’d have been about 80 at the time, and every free assistant descended on her like vultures sensing an easy bit of prey.

All she wanted was a bog standard telly, ideally with a remote the size of a dinner plate with buttons two inches across. All the assistants could do was try and up sell, offering more expensive tellies with endless lists of features, none of which she’d use. Eventually I shooed them away and helped her choose

At the counter we got the extended warranty spiel of course, but she got back with a polite “I’ll probably be dead by then, dear” which the bloke had no answer to

 

[Swanny200]

My late father did that, he went to a shop to get something and they tried to upsell, he was very pragmatic and made his peace with his cancer, he had just been given a couple of months at most, with his deadpan sense of humour he said something along the lines of "I have stage 4 cancer, by time you have added my name to the system to take out the first direct debit payment, I will be in a bodybag somewhere" the woman looked shocked and I tried not to laugh (he gave me no choice but to make peace of it too).

 

[C J Snarzell]

The last time I went in a Curry’s (I think) was with my late mother in law when she needed a new telly. She’d have been about 80 at the time, and every free assistant descended on her like vultures sensing an easy bit of prey.

All she wanted was a bog standard telly, ideally with a remote the size of a dinner plate with buttons two inches across. All the assistants could do was try and up sell, offering more expensive tellies with endless lists of features, none of which she’d use. Eventually I shooed them away and helped her choose

At the counter we got the extended warranty spiel of course, but she got back with a polite “I’ll probably be dead by then, dear” which the bloke had no answer to

I went into my local branch of Currys/PC World in March (just before the lockdown started) and I can vouch that the staff still behave in exactly the same way.

CJ

 

[whittlesfordok]

Debenhams is in it’s death throw’s I think that will be gone in a month.

 

[dgl]

I suppose when you go into somewhere like Currys and they try to upsell you insurance ask them:
"why are you then trying to sell me this item if the quality is so poor that I will need insurance!, I take it this product and all the other products you sell are no good then, and as such I will be shopping somewhere that actually has faith in the products they sell"

 

[Bald Rick]

To be fair, it’s not just Curry’s.

I just so no thanks. If they persist, I say ‘not at that price, I’ll take the risk’. If they try again, walk away. If the6 want the sale they’ll be back.

 

[C J Snarzell]

I suppose when you go into somewhere like Currys and they try to upsell you insurance ask them:
"why are you then trying to sell me this item if the quality is so poor that I will need insurance!, I take it this product and all the other products you sell are no good then, and as such I will be shopping somewhere that actually has faith in the products they sell"

I bought a portable DVD player from Currys/PC World in March - the staff member in the store tried to interest me in the following items as extras to my purchase -

- theft, loss, damage insurance (this guarantees the DVD player will automatically be replaced over a five year warranty)

- specialist cleaning cloths (these are supposed to be exclusively designed for effectively removing dust, grime and finger marks that 50p cleansing wipes from Poundstretcher cannot do!)

- kanvas travel bag (priced at £20 - this is specially designed to protect the DVD player when it is not being used and cushions it during journeys - no point having the insurance then!)

- advanced ear plugs (even though they are provided with the DVD player, he tried to sell me some exclusive ones that don't cause tinnitus and create a Cinema experience)

- Long lasting batteries that are environmentally friendly but cost twice as much as what you would pay anywhere else

- Making a charitable donation to funding the work of aquarians looking for mermaids in Barrow-in-Furness (okay I made that one up, but they did ask to contribute to some questionable charity I have never even heard of!!!)

I actually thought the chap working in Curry's missed his vocation in life and should have been working for Arthur Daley.

CJ

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Sounds like Currys have got even worse than they were when I worked there... I'm sure the two things are unrelated

 

[OuterDistant]

The constant upselling is why I haven't set foot in Currys for years, and is yet another reason I'm thankful for online shopping.

 

[C J Snarzell]

Sounds like Currys have got even worse than they were when I worked there... I'm sure the two things are unrelated

Another thing that happens at Currys/PC World -

A staff member approaches you and asks ''Is there anything you need help with today?'' before you kindly reply ''No thank you, I'm just having a browse''. They then reply ''Okay give me a shout if you need any help''.

Then as you move around the store you get accosted by a second member of staff who asks the same thing. Maybe ten minutes later, a third member of staff might walk past you and ask yet again the same question that is programmed into their customer service brain.

If you stay in the store long enough you might actually have the pleasure of having spoken to every member of Curry's staff on the premises before you leave.

I do suspect the staff at Curry's/PC World are pushed on sales targets and individual commission rates. I could be wrong about this but aren't their salaries based on similar principles to Telesales staff who try and flog you things you don't need? They are on a basic salary but have to top up their income by selling products to customers.

CJ

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Another thing that happens at Currys/PC World -

A staff member approaches you and asks ''Is there anything you need help with today?'' before you kindly reply ''No thank you, I'm just having a browse''. They then reply ''Okay give me a shout if you need any help''.

Then as you move around the store you get accosted by a second member of staff who asks the same thing. Maybe ten minutes later, a third member of staff might walk past you and ask yet again the same question that is programmed into their customer service brain.

If you stay in the store long enough you might actually have the pleasure of having spoken to every member of Curry's staff on the premises before you leave.

I do suspect the staff at Curry's/PC World are pushed on sales targets and individual commission rates. I could be wrong about this but aren't their salaries based on similar principles to Telesales staff who try and flog you things you don't need? They are on a basic salary but have to top up their income by selling products to customers.

CJ

Things may have changed in the last 15 years since I was there (it sounds like they have, but for the worse) but when I was there the sales staff got just above minimum wage, but with a weekly sales target with a reasonable bonus for meeting. Consistently not meeting the target would result in meetings with a manager and possible subjection to badly made training videos.

At one point I'd had surgery and couldn't do heavy lifting, so was temporarily put on the sales floor for a couple of months rather than in the stock room. I was only given a low bar to meet but even that was tough because upselling doesn't come naturally to me. I did at least vary my wording from one approach to the next, and tried to keep track of who the the other salespeople had been rebuffed by- the latter is obviously easier in a smaller store.

 

[birchesgreen]

I got put off Currys many years ago when i asked an assistant for a demo of a CD player i was thinking of buying, but he was so clueless i ended up having to demonstrate it to him! I still bought it though, i should have got any commission!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

One product that I have been quite happy to have purchased an extended warranty on in the past (albeit not from Currys) is a paper / document shredder, which do sometimes irreparably cease up or burn out, invariably some 54 weeks or so after having bought the thing, so that the standard one year warranty has just run out!

 

[xotGD]

Just to note that I had a positive experience in Currys just before lockdown. New fridge doing well!

 

[Westcountryman]

I find the stories about Currys/PC World very interesting. I always manage to avoid the upselling, but I do have a gripe or two.

First is: why is it that when I am browsing I get bothered by salespeople, but when I actually want to buy something I can't get anyone's attention.

Secondly (and particularly to my wife's annoyance), why do they have items on display for sale, but when you want to buy them, there are none lurking in the locked cupboards below the displays.

 

[Bobdogs]

Went to buy a computer in PC World. Whilst sitting down doing the paperwork, the salesman kept asking if I wanted the extended guarantee. Eventually after he had asked me numerous times I stood up and walked out.
When I worked with MFI there were signs all over the staff area insisting how important it was that extended guarantees were sold.

 

[Trackman]

Just to note that I had a positive experience in Currys just before lockdown. New fridge doing well!

I bought one about 12 months ago from Currys- its still going strong.
For the first 6 months I kept receiving extended warranty letters in the post.
It's a fridge, I expect it to last at the very least 5 years, if it went bang after 4 years I'd look up consumer law on durability.
It's a like 60,000 hours TV going bang after 10,000.
I buy a fridge I expect it to last, not to conk out on week 53.
I think I'll email the manufacturer and ask about it's life expectancy according to their their specifications.

 

[SteveM70]

I expect it to last at the very least 5 years, if it went bang after 4 years I'd look up consumer law on durability.

This

A few years ago I bought a laptop from Sainsbury’s. About a year later it died, so I got the receipt and guarantee out. Turns out it was 13 months old.

I rang Sainsbury’s and asked what they could do, and the customer service woman said sorry, it’s out of guarantee. I asked her whether she thought it met the test of being fit for purpose under the sale of goods act, unsurprisingly she said she didn’t know but would get a manager to ring me.

Next day the bossman rang up, very apologetic, asking if I’d mind taking it into my nearest big store for a replacement. So I did, and the store manager gave me my new laptop along with an envelope, which contained both the new guarantee and a voucher for something like £30 because the replacement laptop (of the same spec) was now cheaper

Now that’s how customer service should work

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Just as a point of order, under current law I believe the manufacturers guarantee for consumer electronics is 24 months, not the oft-quoted 12 that it used to be. That said, I think that may be an EU thing, so the clock is ticking...

 

[Dai Corner]

Just as a point of order, under current law I believe the manufacturers guarantee for consumer electronics is 24 months, not the oft-quoted 12 that it used to be. That said, I think that may be an EU thing, so the clock is ticking...

Under the Consumer Rights Act (English Law, not EU) any claim for faulty goods is against the retailer. There's no particular 'guarantee' period but goods should last a reasonable period and claims need to be made within six years.

We're getting way off topic for this thread though, so I'll leave it there!

Consumer Rights Act 2015 - Which?

The Consumer Rights Act protects you in almost all purchases you make. Here we explain what it means when buying goods or services

www.which.co.uk

 

[Meerkat]

Argos are fine. The Sainsbury’s takeover has worked well, they’ve closed a load of shops and taken space hollowed out from an existing Sainsbury’s store, and the customers they’ve lost from closed town centre stores have been offset by customers gained from Sainsbury’s shoppers. The lease and operating cost savings are massive. It’s also a neat strategic fit of a non-food (relatively high margin) retailer with a predominantly food retailer.

Argos being in Sainsbury’s must be so much cheaper especially in lockdowns as the queuing isn’t their problem to supervise (do they need to close in lockdown or do they claim the household stuff is essential?) They are actually more present in our town centre now. They closed their own store and you had to go out of town, but since the Sainsbury’s deal you can click and collect Argos in the town centre Sainsbury’s.