29 January 2010
| Go with the Motion Flow |
 IAN’s Freesat knowledge and demonstration will take some beating this year – he has clearly thrown down the gauntlet.
After my experience at the Shasonic store (see opposite), I had decided to head next door to the Sony Centre, which is also part of the London-based Shasonic Group.
Ian greeted me and I explained that I was looking to get Freesat. He asked what sort of size I was interested in getting and I said a 40in set would be ideal.
Ian told me that the 40W5810 would be the ideal TV for me, as it had an integrated Freesat tuner, while the store was running a free Freesat installation offer.
The set, he said, was 100Hz, while the contrast ratio was 100,000:1. I asked how much the TV he had mentioned costs.
After checking his computer, Ian said: “It’s come up on the system as £849.99, but I’d be happy to take that down to £799.99 for you, and that’s with the free Freesat installation, so that’s an extra £100 you’ll be saving.”
He also pointed out that I’d get a free three-year Sony Bravia warranty.
I asked Ian what was available on Freesat and he talked me through the channel line-up, explaining that there were more than 140 channels on Freesat, with two high-definition channels from the BBC and ITV.
He asked whether I already had a satellite dish installed and I said that I did.
Ian then demonstrated Motion Flow on two sets, by running the end credits of a film – firsty on a 50Hz set, then on a 100Hz TV.
“It’ll show you the colour definition, and what 100,000:1 does against 45,000:1,” he added.
Ian checked on the availability of the set he had recommended. He pointed out that the free Freesat installation offer was due to finish in the next few days.
“We’ve got two in Watford,” he said. “If I take payment for it, then I can allocate one of Watford’s to you, then you’ll still be OK for the offer.”
Ian recommended that I consider buying a Sony hard-disc recorder, so that I could record programmes from Freesat.
I thanked Ian for his help and said I would return, with my better half.
Summary: Ian’s enthusiasm for the latest technology was infectious. His simple Motion Flow demonstration was very effective. He was able to talk about the Freesat platform and I would have had no hesitation in buying from him. He also attempted to close the sale. |
| Score: 10 out of 10 |
| Hit the road, Jack, and I won’t come back no more
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 WHEN Jack in Maplin went to get me some information, he took so long, I wondered exactly where he had gone to get it.
Jack had greeted me on my arrival at the Maplin store in the Roebuck Retail Park on London Road and asked if he could help. I explained that I wanted to find out more about Freesat.
He first asked if I already had a satellite dish installed and I said that we did. He suggested that I went for a Fortec Star set-top box at £49.99.
“That’s also got a USB socket on it, so you can attach it to an external hard drive, so you can record on to it,” he said.
“We’ve also got high-definition boxes, with built-in hard drives and so on and so forth. You can do a lot more with a Freesat box than you can do with a Freeview box.”
I asked what was available on Freesat.
“You get 140 channels and there’s a lot coming on there, I’ve probably got a list somewhere,” Jack said.
He went off to find a channel list for me.
The Humax Freesat+ PVR was priced at £299, while the 500GB Grundig PVR was priced at £329.99.
The Goodmans HD box, the Humax Foxsat HD box and the Goodmans SD box were on sale at £99.99, £149.99 and £59.99.
Jack returned after nearly four minutes with a list of channels.
I asked Jack how many HD channels are on Freesat.
“At the moment, there’s about four,” he said.
Summary: Jack really didn’t seem too bothered about helping me. He pointed me first to an entry-level product and did not talk in any detail about the ‘other’ set-top boxes and PVRs. He also failed to get the number of HD channels on the platform correct. Points have been awarded for the greeting and getting the total number of channels correct.
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| Score: 2 out of 10 |
| Dishing up the options |
 DESPITE suggesting that I buy a satellite dish from B&Q and install it myself, Jimmy was on good form at Currys.
My day looking at Freesat in Stevenage had taken me into the Currys store on the Roaring Meg Retail Park on London Road.
I headed to the digital TV area at the rear of the store, where I began to browse the displays.
After four minutes, Jimmy approached me and asked if I needed any help. I said I was interested in Freesat.
Jimmy started his pitch by asking if I was already subscribing to Sky and I said I was not.
“Basically, Freesat is a similar idea to Freeview, but you need a satellite dish,” he said.
I asked how much it would cost to have a satellite dish installed.
“You could buy a dish from somewhere like B&Q,” he said, “or our Techguys could install a dish for £79.99.”
I asked what content was available on Freesat.
“It’s very similar to the Freeview channels, with a few added extras,” Jimmy said, “plus a couple of HD channels, with more to come, hopefully, in the future.”
He told me that there were more than 140 channels on the Freesat platform.
I asked how quickly I could have a dish installed. “I’d imagine you could have it done within a week, no longer than that,” he added.
Summary: Jimmy was able to talk about Freesat, the cost of installation and the channel line-up. However, his presentation was average, he did not demonstrate the platform and he did not attempt to close the sale.
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| Score: 5 out of 10 |
| Stuart knows his stuff |
 STUART’s demonstration of Freesat enticed me and his product knowledge was impressive.
Walking along Station Road in Letchworth, I had gone into Tower Radio, where Stuart was helping a customer carry a box out of the store, but stopped to greet me. I went inside and headed to the TV department.
After a few moments, Stuart joined me and asked if I needed any help. I explained that I had heard about Freesat and that I wanted to know more.
Stuart said: “We have Freesat built into some of our Panasonic TVs – I’ll show you on this one, as we’ve actually got it set up for Freesat.”
He led me to a 50in Panasonic set (TX-P50G10B), which was on sale at £999.90, and told me that Freesat was a satellite service, so I would need a satellite dish.
“A lot of people who have had Sky have gone over to Freesat,” he said, “because there is no subscription. All you need is a decoder, which the TV has built-in, and a dish.”
Stuart told me that Freesat would give me “a lot of the basic channels, like Freeview”, as well as BBC HD and ITV HD. This is the only way to get free HD channels at the moment,” he added.
The Panasonic TV was showing the BBC HD channel and Stuart demonstrated the electronic programme guide and channel line-up.
He told me that there were around 140 channels on the Freesat platform.
I asked if Stuart could arrange a dish installation, and he said the store recommended a local company, Atlas Aerials. It should cost no more than £100, he said.
I asked Stuart what other sizes the Panasonic integrated set came in, as a 50in model would be too big for my flat. He said the set was also available in 32in, 37in and 42in.
I said the 32in set (TX-L32G10B) at £599.90 or the 37in (TX-L37G10B) at £789.90, would be most suitable for the space I had available.
I asked for some information to take away and he gave me a copy of the Panasonic Viera brochure, together with a business card for Atlas Aerials.
Stuart pointed out that the company generally had the TVs in stock and he added that the store could deliver the set to my flat for £20.
I thanked him for his help.
Summary: Stuart’s style was laid back, but informative. He demonstrated the TV and explained Freesat well. I have taken one point off as he did not attempt to close the sale.
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| Score: 9 out of 10 |
| How not to make a sale
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 ALTHOUGH the Sony Centre in Stevenage is owned by the Shasonic Group, I was surprised to be told to go next door to the solus store to get “a better deal”.
A man greeted me as I walked into the store on the Roebuck Retail Park on London Road and I began to browse the products on display, where I quickly spotted a Humax Foxsat HD box, which was on sale at £174.99.
After a few moments, the man asked me if I needed any help and I said that I wanted to find out more about Freesat and asked if the store sold Freesat.
“Only the built-in TVs,” the man said. I told him that I thought set-top boxes were available, too. “They are, but we don’t sell them here,” he added.
I pointed out that I had seen one on sale in the store, although the man initially claimed it was not for sale and just for display purposes.
The man told me that there were two HD channels on Freesat, from ITV and the BBC.
“You get as many channels (on Freesat) as you get on Freeview, but slowly there will be more and more,” he said.
I asked what integrated TVs were available and the man said they went from 32in upwards in the Panasonic range.
The man showed me the 32in, 37in and 42in models that had Freesat tuners in them.
At that point, he handed me over to his colleague, Graham, who had popped into the store from the Shasonic-owned Sony Centre next door.
I explained to Graham that I was trying to get an idea of what Freesat integrated sets were available.
Graham asked what size I was looking for and I said that a 37in or 42in set would be ideal. The 37in set (TX-L37G10B) was priced at £749, while the 42in (TX-P42G10B) set was priced at £799.
I said to Graham that I would probably head to the Sony Centre as part of my search for a new TV.
“We’ve got better deals in the Sony Centre,” Graham said, “especially on Freesat integrated sets.” He then handed me a copy of the Panasonic brochure.
Summary: After being greeted, the visit went downhill when the salesman appeared not to tell me the truth about set-top boxes. That said, he was able to talk me through the number of HD channels. But with no demonstration, no closing techniques and no mention that I would need a satellite dish, I was left disappointed.
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| Score: 2 out of 10 |
| Enter the HD universe
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 IT WAS market day in Hitchin and I continued my Freesat search at Electronic Universe in Churchgate.
A man greeted me from behind the counter and asked if I needed any help. I said that my wife had asked me to find out about Freesat.
He asked me if we already had a satellite dish and I said that we did not.
“We can arrange to have a dish installed and will send a man round,” he said. I asked how much a dish installation would cost and he said it would be £77.99.
“Once you’ve got a dish up,” the man continued, “the wire from the dish goes to the box or to a television that has a box built-in.”
He asked if I was looking to buy a new TV and I said that I was not. He then asked if I had an HD-ready TV and I confirmed that I did.
“That will give you high-definition quality,” the man said. “At the moment, there are only two or three free HD channels.” He added that Freesat had more than 140 channels.
The man said I would need a set-top box and pointed to the Humax Foxsat HD box, which was on sale at £147.99.
I asked if there were any other box options. “You could get the model up from this one,” he said. “It’s got a recording facility, although it’s double the price, at £279.”
I asked what features the recording box had.
The man said: “It’ll allow you to record in high definition, but you’ll also need to run two wires from the dish, which will mean that the price of the installation will go up to £100.
“You need that extra wire to allow you to record one channel while you are watching a different channel.”
I asked if the man had any information that I could take away with me.
“You now know everything you need to know,” he said.
Summary: The man lost points for not demonstrating Freesat, for having a poorly merchandised store, for not closing the sale and for getting the number of HD channels on the platform wrong.
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| Score: 6 out of 10 |
| Simply too busy |
 THE Comet store on the Monkswood Retail Park was so busy that I ended up leaving without ever having been approached.
As soon as I entered the store, I was amazed at how busy it was. All the staff were busy helping customers, while many other customers were browsing.
I made my way to the set-top box area of the store and began to browse the products there. In total, there were six Freesat products on the shelf.
The Grundig Freesat+ PVR, the Humax Foxsat HD and the Ferguson HD boxes were priced at £299.99, £129.99 and £99.99 respectively. The Grundig HD, Metronic HD and Grundig SD boxes were on sale at £99.99, £79.99 and £49.99 respectively.
After six minutes of waiting for a member of staff to become free, and with a number of waiting customers ahead of me in the pecking order, I reluctantly left the store.
Summary: As the store was so busy, I was never going to get served. While it was encouraging to see the store busy, it was disappointing from a mystery shopping perspective, as it meant I could not score the store.
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| Score: 0 out of 10 |
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