15 January 2010
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About town |
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• Slough, situated 19 miles west of London, is a borough and unitary authority in Berkshire.
• At the 2001 Census, the population of Slough was 119,070, with the borough area described as the most ethnically diverse local authority area in the UK outside London.
• During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Slough became a haven for unemployed Welsh people, who walked up the Great West Road looking for employment.
• The Heart of Slough Project is an ambitious plan for the redevelopment of Slough’s town centre. Recommendations for the £400 million project have been approved and planning approval was given last July. Work is scheduled for completion in 2018
• Slough Council made history by electing the country’s first black female mayor, Lydia Simmons, in 1984.
• Slough-raised comedian Jimmy Carr said: “I grew up in Slough in the 1970s, if you want to know what Slough was like in the 1970s, go there now”.
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| Seduced by the sound |
 THE music coming from the Beosound 5 sounded perfect and was matched by Michael’s in-store demonstration.
My day included a visit to the B&O store on the High Street opposite Windsor Castle.
Two salesmen were serving customers, so I began to browse, when I was attracted to the smooth-sounding music coming from the Beosound 5 system.
Michael approached me and asked if he could assist me. I said I was impressed with the sound and Michael explained that the unit featured internet radio, as well as music from a hard drive.
He demonstrated the system, switching from an internet radio station to a track from the store’s library.
“There are no amplifiers in this system,” Michael said, “they are inside the speakers”.
He demonstrated how to search for music from the library and explained that the unit could be connected to a TV to show video or photos on the screen.
He said that the system in-store was connected to a dedicated 500GB hard drive, which was wirelessly connected to a PC.
“It can hold up to 1,000 albums in uncompressed format and it can play for 180 days continuously,” Michael said.
He told me that the system was on sale at £4,000, while the speakers, which were available in five finishes, were £5,750 a pair.
He asked what kind of audio system I currently had and I said it was something I had cobbled together over a number of years; but having recently moved into a larger property, I had more space available for a quality system.
He said the Beosound 5 was B&O’s first dedicated digital product. I asked for some information and he gave me a copy of the B&O brochure.
He explained that products were shipped directly from Denmark in around 10 days. He added: “Everything comes from Denmark. As soon as it comes in, we’ll deliver and install it.”
Summary: Michael was friendly and helpful. He gave a perfect demo and gave me a reason to buy. Without doubt, I would have purchased from Michael.
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| Score: 10 out of 10 |
| Sandra reaches for the Sky |
 KEEN to get Sky+ HD for my new home, I headed to Currys Digital on the High Street.
Inside the store, I located the Sky+ HD display and began to watch an LG TV, which was carrying a rolling demo of the Sky platform.
After three minutes, Sandra approached me and asked if I needed any help.
I explained that I wanted to get Sky and Sandra asked whether I had previously been a Sky customer. I said I had not.
She asked if I was looking to buy a new TV and I told her that I had recently bought a new TV.
Sandra picked up a copy of the Sky brochure and asked me if I was looking to get Sky’s broadband and telephone packages as well, but I told her I was only interested in the TV option.
She confidently explained the differences between Sky+ and Sky+ HD and I told her that I was keen to go for Sky+ HD.
Sandra explained that I would need to pay an extra £9.75 a month “over and above your normal channel package” for the HD channels.
She showed me the different packages available and said I could get all channels, including the HD channels, for “about £55”.
I asked how many HD channels there were on Sky+ HD and she picked up the remote to show me the HD channels on the EPG.
An offer was running in-store for a free Sky+ HD box for customers buying an HD-ready TV, so Sandra said she would have to check how much I would have to pay as I was not buying a new TV.
After checking her computer, she said that it would cost £30 for installation, plus £49 for the Sky+ HD box.
I asked how quickly I could have it installed and Sandra said that there was currently a backlog, which meant I would not be able to have it installed for two weeks.
Summary: Sandra was able to explain the different options well. She did not attempt to close the sale and I would have liked her to demonstrate Sky’s HD content.
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| Score: 9 out of 10 |
| Don’t judge a book… |
 LOOKING for a Blu-ray player, I headed to the P Dogra & Sons store on the High Street, but I sneaked up on them through the back door from the car park entrance on Burlington Road.
The store was quiet, so I began to browse the products on display. I noticed two Blu-ray players. The Panasonic (DMP-BD60) and the Sony (BDP-S360).
After a couple of minutes, a man joined me and asked if I needed any help.
I explained what I wanted, although I said I was not too sure what Blu-ray was.
The man explained that Blu-ray offered better picture and sound quality than DVD and he claimed the improvement was seven times better.
He pointed out that all screens in the shop were showing a Blu-ray movie from the Sony Blu-ray player.
The man explained that Blu-ray players must be connected to the TV with an HDMI lead.
I asked whether an HDMI cable came with these models. He said no, but added that “we could come to some arrangement”.
I thanked him for his help.
Summary: The man was friendly and was a perfect example of why one should never judge a book – or in this case, a retail store – by its cover. |
| Score: 4 out of 10 |
| Justin plumps for plasma |
 JUSTIN was adamant that a plasma would best suit my needs, although he conceded that it was nowhere near as thin as the LED TVs I had first enquired about.
I was in Lakes TV on the lower ground floor of the Daniel department store on Peascod Street in Windsor.
Justin was busy serving another customer, so I began to browse the products on display.
After a few minutes, Justin joined me and I explained that I wanted to buy a TV that I could put on the wall.
I told him that I had seen the Samsung LED TVs and liked the thinness of the sets. I said I was keen to get a 40in set.
Justin showed me a Series 6 40in Samsung LED set, which he said was 100Hz, with no Scart and four HDMI inputs.
“It’s Full HD and has got LED back-light for £1,100; but there is also plasma to consider, but it’s not as slim.”
Justin continued: “Ultimately, at the end of the day, if you’re buying a television because you want it slimmer, a back-lit LED TV is definitely the way to go, but plasmas do offer a better picture.”
He demonstrated a Samsung LED TV and compared the picture with a Panasonic plasma – with both TVs set to the dynamic picture setting.
He presented a 42in Panasonic plasma (TXP42G10), which was on sale at £775.
He said: “It’s nowhere near as thin as the Samsung LED TVs, but, in my opinion, it offers a better picture.”
He said that while LED TVs were “a bit more glossy”, plasmas had “far more depth of colour”.
He used a Sky+ HD movie recording to demonstrate motion processing on both the Samsung and Panasonic sets. He also added that the Panasonic plasma was a 600Hz set and was Full HD.
Then I noticed signs promoting an interest-free offer. He explained: “You don’t have to pay a deposit – there are options for six, 10 and 12 months interest-free periods. The onus is on you to pay the finance company; there is a £29 administration fee to set up the agreement.”
I asked for some information to take away, but Justin said he did not have anything I could take away with me.
I thanked him for his help.
Summary: Justin was able to demonstrate the products well. The only thing that disappointed me was that he did not attempt to close the sale.
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| Score: 9 out of 10 |
| Amar puts me in the picture |
 I WAS so excited to be looking at a new camera for my birthday, but I felt that Amar did not share this excitement.
With a big birthday coming up, my wife had said she’d buy me a digital SLR, so I headed to the Jessops store on the High Street to check out the options.
Inside the store, I found the Canon DSLR display cabinet. Amar was serving a customer, while I counted three staff standing behind the sales counter.
My attention was attracted by two Canon cameras. The EOS 450D and EOS 500D were priced at £479 and £579 respectively, although cash-back offers of £30 and £50, would reduce the total price of the cameras.
After three minutes browsing, Amar approached me and asked if I needed any help. I said I was keen on buying a digital SLR.
Amar pointed to the Canon 450D and said: “This is probably something to start with, it’s an amateur camera, for someone wanting an entry-level model. “It’s a 12 megapixel and comes with an 18-55mm lens, so I’d call this one basic.”
Amar continued: “This one (Canon 500D) is a 15 megapixel camera, comes with an 18-55mm lens, but it can do videos also. And it has a little bit more sensor in this one,” he said, rather confusingly.
I noticed an interest-free poster and asked how that worked.
Amar explained that I’d need to pay 10 per cent in-store. Total transactions under £800 in value could be spread over six months, while transactions over £800 could be carried across 12 months.
Amar pointed out that I’d also need to buy a memory card. He told me that 2GB cards started at £15, while 4GB and 8GB cards retailed at £19 and £29 respectively.
He mistakenly told me that I would get 2,000 photos, in the best quality, on an 8GB card. In my experience, typically that figure is more like 500-600 photos.
I asked for some information to take away and Amar gave me a copy of the Jessops brochure.
Summary: Amar lacked enthusiasm, but was quite informative at the same time, despite getting the storage capacity wrong for the 8GB card. Other than demonstrating the cameras and closing the sale, he did well. I liked the way he mentioned that I would need to buy peripherals.
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| Score: 6 out of 10 |
| He knows his netbooks
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 SCOTT’s laid-back but well informed style was infectious. Fed up with my daughter using my laptop, I was in the Comet store on the Bath Road Retail Park to get her a netbook.
Scott approached me and I explained what I was looking for. I told him I needed some help as products ranged in price from £220 to £370.
Scott said: “They vary in price because of the battery life and the actual storage capacity.” He first presented a Toshiba netbook (NB200-12N), which was on sale at £339.99.
He said: “It’s got a 250GB hard drive and 1GB of Ram, which is more than enough; and it’s got a battery life of up to nine hours.”
Scott asked what my daughter would use the netbook for and I said for doing her homework, running her iPod and checking her email and Facebook accounts.
He asked if I knew anything about the new Windows 7 and I said I did not. He said: “The new Windows 7 will allow you to access your files more quickly. Instead of going all over the place, you just click a button and you’ll find your music and photos – it’s so much easier and a lot faster than other operating systems.”
As an alternative option, Scott then showed me an Asus model (1005HA-BLKO305), which was on sale at £269.99.
He pointed out that the specification was similar to the Toshiba model. I asked for some information and Scott gave me printouts.
I asked what software was loaded onto the machines and Scott said they all have a trial version of Microsoft Office.
I thanked Scott for his help.
Summary: Scott was able to talk me through the key selling features well. He did not demonstrate any of the products, nor attempt to close the sale. He did not try and sell me up to the more expensive product, but instead pointed out the similar cheaper product. |
| Score: 6 out of 10 |
| Not so expert after all
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 HANNAH described Michael as the store’s “white goods expert”, so I thought I’d be in safe hands as I was in the market for a new washing machine.
At the Currys store on the Westgate Retail Park on Bath Road, I had been greeted by Hannah, who told me that she would get Michael, the store’s white goods expert, to come and help me.
I told Michael that our old machine had broken and I needed to replace it. He asked me what our old machine was and I said it was a 5kg Electrolux machine, but I said I wanted to get a bigger capacity machine this time around.
“We don’t do Electrolux, but Electrolux is part of AEG and Zanussi. You can get 9kg, 7kg or there’s an 8kg over there.”
He pointed to a Hoover machine (WMH148DF), which was on sale at £319.99.
He said it was an 8kg model, with a 1,400 spin speed, and he talked me through some of the program options.
“This is good value for money at the moment,” Michael said, highlighting the £130 saving over the machine’s previous price.
I asked Michael if he could show me another 8kg machine and he presented a Hotpoint machine (WMD960P) and an LG 7kg model (F1256QD), priced at £419 and £399.99 respectively.
He said: “LG doesn’t use fan belts, it uses direct drive, so the machines are much quieter – it’s a 7kg machine, with a 1,200 spin.”
I asked if he could arrange delivery for me. “Yes, whatever you order, we’ll come and disconnect your old one if you want us to,” he said, “and we’ll connect up the new one for £34.95.”
Summary: I would have expected more from the white goods expert. Michael was able to talk generally about programs, but was average really. |
| Score: 5 out of 10 |
| Sprechen Sie Englisch, bitte? |
 THANK goodness that the salesman’s lack of interest in serving me did not rub off on me.
With my mother’s birthday coming up, I had popped into the Windsor Sony Centre on King Edward Court to have a look for a suitable present.
Inside the store, the three sales staff were serving customers, so I found the Sony Readers and began to browse. The PRS-300 and the PRS-600 were priced at £149.99 and £249.99 respectively.
After a few minutes, a salesman approached me and asked if I needed any help.
He said: “They hold about 350 books and have a touch-screen; the PRS-600 has a dictionary and you can write memos – it’s a lovely machine.”
He tried to turn the PRS-600 on, but was unable to change the language as someone had set it to German.
I asked how I could download new books. “You can download them from Waterstones; it comes with six books pre-loaded.”
The salesman gave me a copy of the Sony Audio and Reader brochure.
Summary: The salesman was friendly, but did not seem interested in serving me. I would have liked him to demonstrate the product, too. It is a product that begs to be demonstrated, but the salesman did not seem to want to help me.
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| Score: 3 out of 10 |
| A bit lost over satnav
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 AFTER Martynas wrote down the wrong price of a TomTom satnav, I was disappointed that the store manager would not honour the price in-store.
I had made my way to the PC World store on the Westgate Retail Park on Bath Road as I was keen to buy a satnav. I was greeted by two female members of staff who were chatting by the door.
Martynas approached me and I told him I wanted to buy a satnav but needed some help on what I should be looking for.
He showed me the TomTom Start UK model, which was on sale at £89.99, but I said I wanted a bigger screen, so he showed me the TomTom XL IQR Euro at £179.99.
“The main difference between these two models,” he said, “is that the one with the larger screen comes with European maps as well, otherwise they are exactly the same.”
Martynas explained that the TomTom products came with a synchronisation kit to update maps from the internet. I asked how much it would cost to upgrade the maps. He said: “I think the basic update for the first 90 days or so is free and the costs after that I’m not too sure.”
I asked for some information to take away on both the models he mentioned and he said he would give me printouts.
After two minutes, Martynas returned with the printouts. I noticed that the TomTom Start was priced at £99.99, £10 more than the price Martynas quoted. I queried it and he wrongly changed the price to £79.99 on the printout.
As I left the store, I asked the manager if he would honour the cheaper price. “I don’t know why he’s written £79.99,” the manager said. Which I took as a “no”.
Summary: Martynas lacked product knowledge and was not able to talk in-depth about either of the products. I have given one point and that is for being greeted as I entered the store.
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| Score: 1 out of 10 |
| On a coffee break? |
 A BROKEN escalator meant my exit from Debenhams, after being ignored, was not as swift as I would have liked.
I had gone into the Debenhams store in the Queensmere Shopping Centre in search of a coffee maker.
On the second floor, I browsed the products on display and counted three members of staff chatting behind the sales counter, while four sets of customers were also browsing.
As I waited for an approach, I was drawn to two products. The Krups Dolce Gusto at £97, down from £127, and the Bosch Tassimo at £97, down from £117.
After waiting five minutes for an approach, none of the sales staff approached me, nor any of the other customers for that matter.
Disappointed, I left the store, having to climb down the first escalator, which was out of service.
Summary: Ignoring customers is, as I have said many times before, retail suicide. Staff should not be allowed to chat among themselves while ignoring paying customers.
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| Score: 0 out of 10 |
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Summary |
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MY TEAM very much enjoyed its day visiting Slough and Windsor’s electrical retailers, even though it was a particularly cold January day.
We witnessed some excellent examples of product knowledge, sales skills and customer service. The majority of stores performed well, but this time it was Debenhams that really let the side down. I know I must be starting to sound like a broken record, but ignoring customers during a recession is surely retail suicide.
I really hoped that 2010 would get off to a better start, with all stores performing well. But, in addition to Debenhams, my team was also disappointed with Martynas at Comet.
That’s it for the negative comments, as there were so many great examples in Slough and Windsor of what retailing should be about.
Congratulations to Michael at B&O for an excellent performance – the mystery shopper who visited you has vowed to return. Also, well done to Justin at Lakes for his plasma demonstration. Demonstration is the key to sales and you guys embraced it. Good job.
As of September 2009, all those who score more than seven points will be entered into the ERT Industry Awards for 2010.
So, well done to Michael at B&O; Justin at Lakes; Sandra at Currys Digital and Amar at Jessops. Your names will go into the hat for the industry’s most prestigious awards programme.
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Top of the Town |
| Independents |
Multiples |
Winner: |
B&O |
Winner: |
Currys Digital |
Commended: |
Lakes |
Commended: |
None |
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PREMIER LEAGUE |
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No. of visits |
Total points |
Average per call |
B&O |
3 |
30 |
10 |
Apple |
3 |
25 |
8.3 |
Panasonic Stores |
8 |
58 |
7.3 |
Sony Centres |
22 |
148 |
6.7 |
Independents |
65 |
414 |
6.4 |
Richer Sounds |
10 |
49 |
4.9 |
Currys.Digital |
20 |
83 |
4.2 |
Department Stores |
22 |
65 |
3.0 |
Comet |
21 |
62 |
3.0 |
Jessops |
19 |
49 |
2.6 |
Currys |
19 |
17 |
0.9 |
Marks & Spencer |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Robert Dyas |
1 |
0 |
0 |
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