Okay, I have to write about this purely for my own selfish reasons….. As avid readers you will all be aware that I am still in recovery from that broken foot drama from the other month. I have been building up my heels over the past week or so to see if I can get my random broken cankle into my former gorgeous heels. On the way home tonight I thought I would treat myself to some sexy platform ankle boots from Dorothy Perkins, they are suede with rock style zip detailing, high but not unwearable and as I have to fasten my feet into them they should be quite safe.
I came across two completely opposite types of sales assistant which to be honest left me slightly angered. I have to admit considering I have worked in retail for the past eight years, only ever worked for luxury brands selling non-essential products I have to be the worst customer in the world. I prefer to shop online and if I do find myself in a shop I am like a steam roller; in, pick, try (if really have to or unsure), pay, out!!
So, being a rather horrific day I am slightly out of steam and feeling worn by seven p.m. the first assistant is a friendly face, I am relieved, she asks kindly if she can help, I am grateful for the question however just want to be left alone so say I am just looking, she leaves me alone. A little later I have found three pairs that I quite like; one pair is quite plain, one has a puss in boots theme and the last is slightly frillier, she has obviously taken note that I am interested in buying a pair of shoes and has quite rightly bounced over, asked if she can help and asked me what occasion the footwear is for. Excellent A*, she has me visualising wearing them, she has offered me a chair and is bringing out the boxes. Now I am feeling slightly paranoid because I can feel her over eagerness, her eyes are burning into my broken foot, I decide on the pair and want to run away as quick as I can. She offers me a store card which I decline, footwear care products which I also decline and explained Dorothy Perkins are currently raising money for Breast Cancer Care and asks if I would like to buy mini nail files for just £2.00, now I already have about twenty Breast Cancer Care badges at home and I really wish people would stop asking me to buy them even though my mother died of breast cancer and I support anyone trying to raise awareness or treat cancer, I buy them mainly because I feel like Satan if I say no. She takes me down to the till even though I haven’t quite finished shopping yet and passes me over, I said thank you. As far as I am aware, this is the most professional treatment I have ever received from Dorothy Perkins and so there I was stood at the checkout slightly uneasy but very impressed.
Then I met the other girl, who was the complete opposite, she had a scowl tattooed on her face, she is telepathically telling me to f*ck off because the store closes soon. At this point I am awkward as I have a combination of Bonus Bond vouchers from work and cash to pay. She’s counting the vouchers £25, £35, £40, £45 banging on the counter as she counts over and over confused, scowling harder, I am holding the remaining £7 for the shoes and nail files that I don’t really want now, bang, bang, £25, £45 sigh, it appears she’s struggling to count denominations of £5 without the use of a till, she looks up and snatches the remainder out of my hand…………………….. ‘Did you want anything else?’ er…….. No thank you!!
It really is amazing that both people have come from the same shop, had the same training, representing the same brand and it really goes to show how much a sales team can affect sales irrespective of the product or environment, location or price. Even though I spent less time with the grumpy checkout girl she has inspired me to write this grumpy post instead of dwelling on the excellent service that her colleague provided whilst inspiring me to buy Dorothy Perkins shoes. Therefore as I am now as uninspired as checkout girl I won’t show you around the selection of shoes I have picked out, I will show you a picture and you can click on the link yourselves………………….. Did you want anything else?
Dorothy Perkins link ‘ere– www.dorothyperkins.com
6 comments
Arash Mazinani
October 30, 2010 at 5:38 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
I used to work in retailing, selling designer shoes and as a personal shopper so I’m always kind of aware of the customer service or lack of that you tend to find on the high street. I’ve come to expect crap customer service from most places nowadays I guess it’s just a sign of the times. But I suppose it is quite surprising considering the assistant you dealt with originally was so good to from such high service to utter crapness is quite astounding.
admin
October 31, 2010 at 2:18 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
To be honest I probably wouldn’t have noticed a thing if my brain didn’t kick into gear because of the exceptional service from the first sales assistant, i’ve come to expect no or poor service from the high street which is probably one of the reasons I prefer online shopping. It does make me think of how I provide a service to my customers though and I have seen it plenty of times which is why in an environment where you have front facing sales I think it’s so important to have motivated staff, at the end on the day companies spend millions on architecture, interior design, fixtures and fittings, stock placement, merchandising, pos systems, branding, marketing, products, advertising and image it seems pointless to me after all that to completely ignore one of the key factors such as staff who make or break the sale. I did find the Jeckle and Hyde scenario funny though lol
Dorcas Phillips
October 31, 2010 at 4:22 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
I once had a very simliar bad customer experience when i got to the till in dorothy perkins I had quite a lot of clothes as i had just been paid and wanted to treat myself i got to the till and asked for student discount and then the girl asked me if i had enough money to pay for it all before she put it through the till… disgusted i threw the clothes on the counter and said yes i did have plenty of money but i wouldnt be spending it in her shop now and walked out!! Having also have worked in retail for a good 6 years i was totally disgusted!!!
admin
October 31, 2010 at 7:10 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
That’s shocking!! It does make you wonder how people get hired in the first place. It’s a shame because it’s easy for me to shop there and experiences like that to be honest really put me off. Although, I do find now it’s better to shop online unless i’m looking for an outfit in a hurry (I do spend a lot of time online neway because of the site so slightly biased lol), one thing I’ve noticed from DP’s is that you can usually get more of a discount because of exclusive online sales that they do, thanks for commenting
Fergie Shoes
November 12, 2010 at 7:26 am (UTC 1) Link to this comment
if my sisters dont stop taking my shoes and go buy theirs i will break somebody leg
Arnold Septon
November 23, 2010 at 7:32 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
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