04 June 2009
About Town |
| Situated at the foot of the South Downs,
Worthing, in West Sussex, is 60 miles south of
London and 11 miles west of Brighton.
Worthing had a population of 99,600 at the
time of the 2001 Census.
Within a radius of seven miles around
Worthing’s town centre are four of Britain’s major
Neolithic flint mines, out of only 14 confirmed flint
mines in the whole of Britain.
Worthing is home to several major employers,
including GlaxoSmithKline, HM Revenue and
Customs, MGM Advantage and Southern Water.
Although perceived as prosperous and voted
three years running the most profitable town in
Britain, the 2004 annual earnings survey found that
residents’ average pre-tax pay was only £413 a
week, compared with £474 for the South East. |
A DAB hand selling digital radio
 ON A mission to fi nd out more about digital radio, I
headed to Roger Green Sound and Vision on Rowlands
Road. I entered the store and was greeted by a smiling
man, who was standing behind the counter.
I explained that a friend had recommended digital radio to me
and that I wanted to find out more.
The man said: “Digital radios go from the £40 mark, for a little
kitchen/bedside type of product, to bigger… hi-fis, really. Which
room do you want to put the radio in?”
I said I would like to have the radio in the kitchen, primarily,
but if it was a portable product, I may use it in the bedroom, too.
The man pointed out that, in and around Worthing, the digital
signal was not great. “If it’s on a window-sill, that’s fine,” he
added.
He switched on the Pure Evoke 2S (£169·99), which he pointed
out was connected to an external aerial. The radio began
playing BBC Radio 3, but the man demonstrated the menu and
selected BBC Radio 7. I said it looked very easy to operate.
“You find what you want to listen to, press a button and you
go to it,” the man said, “it’s so straightforward, it’s brilliant.”
He demonstrated the product’s ReVu feature, pausing the
radio for 10 seconds or so, and then restarted the broadcast. He
said this feature was ideal for when you want to go and make a
cup of tea.
I asked how many stations I could pick up in the Worthing
area. “It depends on the signal where you are, but somewhere
between 20 and 30,” the man said.
I asked for some information and he gave me the Pure
brochure and the Roberts Radio’s digital collection brochure.
Handing me the information, he said: “The next step up from
digital radio, is internet radio – both Pure and Roberts do them.
“If you’ve got a wireless router in your house, then buy one of
these radios.” He pointed to the Pure Evoke Flow product on the
front of the Pure brochure.
“Basically, you select what country you want, or what style of
music you want, and it comes up with a list,” he said.
“If you’ve got music on your PC, it can play that. We’re yet
to have it in stock to demonstrate, but we’re seeing how much
interest there is in it. The Evoke Flow retails at £150.”
I thanked the man for his help and said I would return.
Summary: The man was very calm and collected, but
demonstrated DAB and its key features. He had excellent
product knowledge and I would have had no hesitation in
purchasing from him.
Score: 10 out of 10 |
Full load of information but no closure
 WITH my retirement imminent, I thought I’d invest in a
new washing machine and so headed to Lyles on Findon
Road. As I entered the shop, two members of staff greeted
me and I headed for the major domestic appliances area.
After a few moments of browsing, one of the salesmen
approached me and asked if I needed any help.
I said I was looking to buy a new washing machine, but was
honest and admitted that I didn’t really know what I was looking for.
He presented a Hotpoint machine (WML540) – a 1,400 spin
model. “It’s normally £329, but we’re doing it for £299 at the moment,
which is quite a good price,” the man said.
He pointed out that the model had variable spin speed and
variable temperature settings and he mentioned that all Hotpoint
models had an automatic half load feature.
He said he was waiting for delivery of a Bosch model, which
retails at around £399.
“It has the same functions, but the only extra that the Bosch
has is an LED panel that tells you how long it is until your wash
finishes.”
I asked for some information.
“If you’re local,” the man said, “we don’t charge any extra for
delivery or installation. We only charge £10 to dispose of your old
one. We also offer next-day delivery.”
I asked if the man could recommend any other options.
“There are washer-dryers,” the man said.
I asked whether they were expensive.
“The Hotpoint (WDL520) is £399,” he said.
He handed me a copy of the Hotpoint laundry brochure and
marked the products he had presented.
I thanked the man for his help.
Summary: From my initial greeting from the two members
of staff, I felt comfortable, as the salesman was friendly and
knowledgeable. One point was knocked off, as he did not attempt
to close the sale.
Score: 9 out of 10 |
Telly quest
inconclusive
 IN THE hunt for a new TV, I drove to
Churchers on Rugby Road. On entering
the store, I was greeted by a man standing
behind the counter.
I asked what size LCD TVs he sold.
“Anything from a 10in up to 46in,” he said.
I explained I was looking for a TV for my
bedroom and wondered what size was best.
“19in is a popular size for the bedroom,” he
said, pointing to a Humax set.
I said I would like something a bit bigger.
He said he stocked 26in sets from JVC, Sharp
and Samsung and pointed out that the Samsung
set at £379 was “popular at the moment”. He
said he could also get Panasonic TVs.
All the TVs were turned off, bar a 40in
Samsung set, which was showing the BBC HD
channel. Typing into his computer, the man said:
“There’s a Panasonic X10 at £499, there might be
an S10, which will be slightly cheaper.”
He switched on the 26in Samsung set, which
was showing Freeview and I commented on the
good picture quality.
I asked for some information on any of the
sets he had talked about, but he said he had no
brochures but could print me out a PDF.
Summary: The man was friendly, but didn’t
seem to offer me any reason to buy. I would
have preferred if all the sets were switched on.
Score: 6 out of 10 |
Drumming up business
 OUR washing machine recently gave up the ghost, so I headed to the Comet
store on Tevillegate in search of a replacement. I started to browse the
washer-dryers, when I was greeted by Mike, who asked if he could help.
Pointing to Adam, Mike said he had someone knowledgeable who could help me.
Adam joined me and I explained our washing machine had failed and that I was
interested in a washer-dryer, but did not know much about their features or benefits.
“The main benefit is that you get a dryer,” Adam joked. He asked what spin speed we
had on the old machine and I said it was a 1,200 spin model.
He explained that washer-dryers had two different load capacities, one for washing,
and one for drying. He presented three models – an Indesit (WIDXL146) at £349·99, a
Hotpoint (WDL520P) at £394·99 and a Bosch (WVD24520GB) at £579.
He said a key benefit of the Bosch model was the LED display that showed how long
a programme had left to run. The Hotpoint model, meanwhile, offered a bigger drum than
the Indesit machine.
Adam said the store could deliver and install a new product for £34·95, while removal
of the defunct appliance would cost £8·95. He told me that I could have any of the three
models delivered in two days’ time. He gave me a printout about the three models.
Summary: Adam had a good style, however, he seemed unable to differentiate between
the three products he presented, instead opting to give me a printout for me to decide
which product best suited my needs.
Score: 7 out of 10 |
No US fridges here
 I CALLED in at Barkers Domestic Appliances on Teville Road to fi nd a
fridge-freezer for our new apartment in central Worthing. Entering the store,
I was greeted by a friendly man, who asked if he could help me.
I explained that my partner was keen to buy an American-style product.
“We don’t stock them at the moment, to be honest with you, as we’re only selling the
budget stuff,” the man said. “That’s where the market is going, but I can get them.”
I caught sight of some point-of-sale material that was promoting the Hotpoint Quadrio
fridge-freezer. Pointing to the p-o-s, I asked him what this was.
“That’s the Quadrio,” the man said, “the top is the fridge and the two drawers below
are freezers, it’s 700mm in size.” He picked up a copy of the Hotpoint refrigeration
brochure and pointed out that it was available in black and stainless steel.
He told me that they were “always on back order”.
I asked how much the Quadrio would cost. He said he would have to go and give
someone a call to find out.
After a few moments, he returned and told me that the Quadrio would cost £699·99,
and that it would be delivered, free-of-charge, in two to three weeks. His company would
also take away my old appliance. I thanked him for his help.
Summary: The man was friendly, but failed to ask any questions which would have
helped him best ascertain my needs. Using my answers, he would have been able to
better serve me.
Score: 3 out of 10 |
S, V and W all in HD
 WALKING down Portland
Road, I went into the Sony
Centre, as I was keen on buying
a new TV.
Inside the store, two 37in TVs
caught my eye – the KDL37S5500
and the KDL37V5500U, which were
priced at £849·99 and £649·95. Pointof-
sale materials indicated that both
came with a three-year warranty.
I then noticed some Freesat
point-of-sale material and thought
that. as well as a TV for the living
room, I might consider a Freesat box
for the bedroom.
After four minutes browsing – I was the only customer – Jack approached me and
asked if I needed any help. He asked me what screen size I’d like and I said a 37in. He
told me that Sony had three 37in sets – the S, V and W series. He presented the two TVs
I had previously been looking at.
“The main difference between these,” Jack said, “is that the V series has a highresolution
screen, which is a real benefit if you come to play with HD, especially on
things like Blu-ray and PlayStation 3, which will be a lot crisper and sharper.”
On the Freesat front, Jack told me that Freesat has two high-definition channels –
the BBC HD Channel, while ITV shows HD content through the interactive red button
service. I asked him how many channels there were on Freesat.
“I think you get about 100 channels, but we’ve not had it that long,” said Jack.
He pointed to a Sony set that was showing the BBC HD Channel and told me that the
Humax Foxsat HD box would cost £159·99, although a recordable box was also available
at £299·99.
Summary: Jack seemed very knowledgeable. I have scored him down, however, for
leaving me for nearly four minutes to browse in an empty shop. He did not attempt to
close the sale and also got the number of Freesat channels wrong – there are more
than 140.
Score: 7 out of 10 |
Got the Blu-ray blues
 MY HUSBAND had asked me to fi nd out more about Blu-ray for him, so I
called in at the Currys.digital store on Montague Street.
On entering the store, a member of staff greeted me and I made my way to the Blu-ray
area of the store.
I saw four members of staff, two of whom were serving customers.
There were six Blu-ray players on display from LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp and
Sony.
According to the point-of-sale material, the Panasonic model (DMP-BD35) would come
with two free Blu-ray movies, as part of a special offer.
I was interested in two of the models, the Panasonic one at £179·99 and the Sharp
(BH-HP21H) at £244·66.
After five minutes, with no sign of any approach from any of the sales assistants, I left
the store.
Summary: This visit started well and the store scored a point for its friendly greeting.
Unfortunately, that was as good as it got and I left the store disappointed that I had been
subsequently ignored.
Score: 1 out of 10 |
In the frame
for a big zero
 WITH a big birthday coming up, I thought I’d pop
into the Jessops store on Warwick Street to
look at the present I was hoping to receive – a
digital SLR.
I entered the store and made my way to the digital
SLR displays. I noticed a member of staff was serving
a customer, while another customer was using a selfservice
photo kiosk.
Two other members of staff were chatting behind the
counter.
I was impressed with the Sony digital SLR display and
I particularly liked the look of the A350, a 14 megapixel
model, which was on sale at £439. The A700, a 12
megapixel model, was priced at £799.
The price of the A350 included an 18-70mm lens, while
the A700 was packaged with a 16-105mm lens.
After five minutes of browsing, and with no sign of an
approach, I left the store, thoroughly disappointed.
Summary: In a recession, stores cannot afford to ignore
customers. Is having a chat with a colleague more
important than serving customers? There is only one
possible answer in my opinion.
Score: 0 out of 10 |
Service not
worth a bean
 MY WIFE has been nagging me for ages to get
her a coffee maker, so I visited Debenhams on
South Street to see what was available.
I took the lift to the third floor, where the small
domestic appliances were located. I was the only
customer in the department, while the only member
of staff was on the telephone over the far side of the
department.
I quickly noticed two models in particular, the Krups
Nescafe Dolce Gusto (KP210040) priced at £88 and the
Bosch Tassimo (TAS4011GB) on display at £98.
I very much liked the cream colour of the Krups
product.
I picked up a Dolce Gusto leaflet, but after five minutes
of browsing, and with no signs of any approach from the
member of staff who was no longer on the telephone, I
pressed the button to call the lift.
Summary: I was the only customer in the small domestic
appliances area, but still the member of staff failed
to even notice me. Another example of staff ignoring
customers. What can I say?
Score: 0 out of 10 |
Can’t find their
way to a sale
 I WAS keen to buy a satnav for my new car, so
I drove to the Currys store on the Lyons Farm
Retail Park.
On entering the store, four members of staff were
chatting by the sales counter, so I made my way to the
satnav display, which was right next to where they were
standing. I was ignored.
Among all the TomTom products on display, I found
two models that I thought would fit the bill – the Go 530
at £249·99 and the Go 540 Live at £279·99.
Posters around the satnav display were promoting a
cashback deal that meant purchasers of the Go 540 Live,
Go 740 Live and Go 940 Live, could claim back £10, £30
and £20 respectively.
With no sign of any member of staff approaching
me, and with just two other customers in the store, I
reluctantly walked out, extremely disappointed.
Summary: How can four members of staff fail to serve
a customer who has chosen to strategically stand right
next to them? The fact that I was ignored – with staff
preferring to have a chit chat – speaks volumes.
Score: 0 out of 10 |
|
Summary
MY team enjoyed its day in Worthing. While the
sun was shining in the West Sussex resort, it was
a shame that around half of the stores we visited,
were far from shining examples of customer
service.
As I have written many times before in ERT,
retailers, of whatever shape or size, can ill afford
to ignore customers, something that Currys,
Debenhams and Jessops would do well to
reflect on. If the Currys store had not greeted our
shopper, they, too, would have scored a zero.
A special mention should go to the
salesman at Roger Green Sound and Vision.
He demonstrated the product and had the right
balance of product knowledge and sales skills –
a joy to witness in these tough times.
Together with the man at Roger Green, staff at
Lyles, the Sony Centre and Comet really seemed
to enjoy selling.
Barkers and Churchers did OK, but if they had
asked questions to ascertain our shoppers’ needs,
they would have been able to talk about the right
kind of products, which would have resulted in
their getting a higher score.
Finally, congratulations to Roger Green Sound
and Vision, Lyles, the Sony Centre and Comet. As
you scored more than seven points, you will be
automatically entered in this year’s ERT Industry
Awards, which will take place in October.
|
Top of the Town Independent
Independents
Winner
Roger Green
Commended
Lyles
Multiples
Winner
None
Commended
Comet
|
Premier League
|
No of Visits |
Total Points |
Average per call |
| B&O |
2 |
20 |
10 |
| Apple stores |
3 |
25 |
8.3 |
| Shop@Panasonic |
6 |
41 |
6.8 |
| Independents |
48 |
308 |
6.4 |
| Sony Centres |
16 |
97 |
6.1 |
| Supermarkets |
4 |
22 |
5.5 |
| Richer Sounds |
9 |
45 |
5 |
| Currys.digital |
14 |
58 |
4.1 |
| Comet |
15 |
47 |
3.1 |
| Department Stores |
15 |
40 |
2.7 |
| Jessops |
14 |
36 |
2.6 |
| Xtra Vision |
1 |
2 |
2 |
| Currys |
13 |
9 |
0.7 |
| Robert Dyas |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| PC World |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
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