Crawley and Haywards Heath

20 April 2010

About town

• Crawley is 28 miles south of London and 32 miles north-east of the county town of Chichester. It had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.

• Haywards Heath is a town in the Mid-Sussex district of West Sussex. It lies 36 miles south of London, 12 miles north of Brighton and is south-south-east of Crawley.

• The Crawley area has been inhabited since the Stone Age and was a centre of ironworking in Roman times. Crawley developed slowly as a market town from the 13th century, serving the surrounding villages.

• In 1822 Gideon Mantell, an amateur fossil collector and paleontologist, discovered teeth, bones and other remains of what he described as “an animal of the lizard tribe of enormous magnitude”, in Tilgate Forest on the edge of Crawley./p>

• The population of Crawley has risen from 200 in the early 1850s to 22,800, according to the 2001 Census, making it one of the larger towns in West Sussex. /p>

• Haywards Heath was in East Sussex, but a change to the county boundary in 1974 brought it under the jurisdiction of West Sussex.

Matt is really in the Zone

MATT’s enthusiastic demonstration left me wanting to buy the system there and then – a real cracking effort.
With a house move imminent, I wanted to look at buying some kind of new sound system, so I had gone to Norman Hobbs on Sussex Road in Haywards Heath to see what was available.
Inside the store, Matt greeted me and asked if I needed any help. I told him that I had seen an advertisement in What Hi-Fi? for the Sonos system and that I wanted to know more.
Matt said that his company offered a £799 bundle, which included a ZonePlayer 120, a ZonePlayer 90 and the Sonos 200 Controller.
He explained that the ZonePlayer 120 had a built-in amplifier, which needed to be connected to the internet and to a pair of speakers.
“Job done, then you’re away,” he said.
“With the ZonePlayer 90, you can connect it to any amplified audio device – the bundle gives you everything you need to get the system into two rooms.”
Matt demonstrated how to use the controller to select music stored on a PC.
He then explained that I could subscribe to Napster for £5 a month and benefit from a wealth of tracks.
Matt said I could search the top 100 on Napster, or search the massive database – he demonstrated both ways of using Napster, via the Sonos system.
He then handed the controller to me and encouraged me to search for my favourite artists, which enabled me to see just how easy the system was to use.
Seeing that I was impressed by the system, Matt then showed me the Last.fm facility, which is best described as a music service that learns what music users like, or don’t like for that matter.
“You can go on a great musical journey with this,” Matt said.
Clutching a Sonos leaflet, I thanked Matt for his help and said I would return to make my purchase.
Summary: Matt was relaxed and helpful. He was able to demonstrate the system – handing the controller to me so that I could search for music was a genius move. He told me that he did not work in the shop much as he was an installer. Based on this performance, he ought to be in the store more. Good job, Matt.

Score: 10 out of 10

Simon offers a good deal on a Zanussi

IN NEED of a new washing machine, I headed to the Carters Domestic Appliances store on Sussex Road in Haywards Heath.
Inside the store, Simon greeted me and I explained that I was keen to find a new washing machine.
He asked if I had a particular brand in mind and I said I was open to any brand really. He started by asking how many there were in my family and I said there was me, my husband and two kids.
Simon presented a 7kg Zanussi model (ZWF14380W), which was on sale at £399.99, but he then said he had a “very good deal”, so led me to the front of the store.
He showed me a 9kg, 1,400 spin model from Hotpoint (WML940P), which was on sale at £379.95. He pointed out that the Hotpoint model had a “super silent’ feature, which meant it was much quieter than the average machine. The model also came with a five-year parts guarantee.
I asked for some information to take away and Simon gave me printouts of both models.
He also recommended Bosch machines, pointing out that the machines came with a two-year ‘comprehensive warranty’.
I asked Simon if he could arrange delivery of a new machine. “We deliver and install for free,” he said, “as long as you’ve got the cold-fill connection. We only charge £15 just to get rid of it.”
Summary: Simon was friendly and jolly as he showed me the products. The only negative was that he did not attempt to conclude the deal there and then.

Score: 9 out of 10

Looking for a laptop

WITH MY mystery shopping work increasing, I wanted to get a new netbook, so headed to The Laptop Workshop on Sussex Road in Haywards Heath.
Inside the store, there were no salesmen in sight, so I started to browse the products on display. The Samsung N130 model was priced at £279, while the Acer Aspire One was on sale at £249. Both products offered a ‘free set-up’ option, according to the point-of-sale flyer.
After browsing for a minute-and-a-half, a man appeared from a back office and asked if I needed any help. I explained that I was fed up with lugging my heavy laptop around, so I wanted to buy a netbook.
He told me that the netbooks stocked in the store all had “similar specifications” and that the only real differences between them were the brand name, the look of them and the battery life, which was the key factor in this.
I asked what the battery life was on the two models I had spotted and he said the Acer battery lasted around three hours, while the Samsung battery lasted for five hours, which he described as being “much better”.
I asked what software came with the netbooks and the man said that they were loaded with Windows XP.
He said: “We offer a free set-up service on all netbooks, where we will load on a package called Works, which is the basic version of Office – you’ll get Word and Excel.
I thanked him for his help.
Summary: The man was friendly and helpful, however, I would have liked him to demonstrate the products. I did not get a greeting and he did not attempt to close the sale.

Score: 7 out of 10

Sophie zooms in on a Nikon

SOPHIE’s enthusiasm was highly infectious as she talked me through two Nikon digital SLR cameras.
With my birthday almost upon me, I was in Jessops in The Martlets in Crawley to check out a digital SLR camera that my partner said she would buy for me as my birthday present.
Inside the store, I was greeted by smiling Sophie, whose name badge indicated that she was a “sales expert”.
I explained that I was looking to buy my first digital SLR and Sophie asked me what kind of photography I would be doing with the camera. I said that I would use the camera for recording family moments, such as holidays.
Sophie asked if I had a particular budget in mind and I said I could spend around £600. She asked if I had used an SLR before and I said that I had not.
She presented the Nikon D3000 camera, which was on sale at £379. After getting the keys for the glass display cabinet, Sophie handed me the camera and encouraged me to take some photos.
She explained that the camera was a 12-megapixel model that came with an 18-55mm lens.
After talking me through the D3000, Sophie said the next camera in the range, the D5000, had a rotating screen, and she pointed out that this model came in a “lovely package”, priced at £649.
Sophie explained that the package deal consisted of the D5000, with an 18-55mm lens, a Tamron 70-300mm tele zoom, a camera bag, a 4GB card; and 40 free prints, “so you can try out your camera”.
On top of that, she highlighted that I could claim £50 cashback on the £649 package.
I asked for some information to take away, but Sophie referred me to the Jessops website, as no brochures were currently available.
Just as I was about to leave the store, Sophie said that one other thing I should consider is taking out a Photo+ policy to protect the camera. Three year’s worldwide cover costs just £69,” she said.
I thanked Sophie for her help.
Summary: Sophie was able to talk me through both cameras well, although I was disappointed that she did not attempt to close the sale. All in all, she did well.

Score: 9 out of 10

Simon sweeps me off my feet

SIMON was so enthusiastic about the Sweep Panorama-enabled cameras that he disclosed he was on the verge of buying one himself.
Walking along Queensway in Crawley, I had spotted an advertisement for Sony’s Sweep Panorama range in the Sony Centre window. Inside the store, I was greeted by Tony and Simon. I then headed to the camera display.
Simon approached me and I explained that I had seen the poster in the window and that I wanted to know more about the technology.
He told me that there was a range of cameras with Sweep Panorama built-in and he described the technology as being “really quite cool”.
“The shots you can do are amazing,” he said.
Simon handed me the HX1 model, which was on sale at £479.99 and he showed me how to take a panoramic image. He pointed out that this model was currently bundled with a free digital photo frame, worth £80.
He then showed me the WX1 model, which, he said, featured a 24mm wide-angle G lens and shot at 10 frames-per-second. The model was priced at £299.95, down from £364.99.
Simon said that another model, the HK5 was a “good model” and he said that he was going to be buying this model for himself. Priced at £329.99, Simon pointed out that the HK5 was bundled with the free digital photo frame, too.
Simon was keen to point out that the HK5 offered full HD movie recording at 50 frames-per-second.
“The actual movie quality is very good,” he said, “and it offers 10x optical zoom. “This is a really good camera.”
Simon explained that the Exmor R CMOS sensor offered outstanding photos, even in low light. I asked for some information to take away and he gave me a leaflet detailing the seven cameras in the Sweep Panorama range.
Summary: Simon was enthusiastic about the Sweep Panorama technology and he knew the cameras well. While the demonstration was very good, he did not show signs of closing the sale.

Score: 9 out of 10

The HD wow factor

AS A treat, I promised my husband that I’d get a new TV for the living room, so I headed to Bewarm TV on South Road in Haywards Heath.
Inside the store, a salesman was serving a customer, so I began to browse the products on display. Bizarrely, all the TVs in the store were switched off, which I did not understand at all.
After a minute or so, another salesman appeared from a back room and asked if I needed any help. I explained that I wanted to move a 32in set to our bedroom, so I was looking for a bigger TV for the living room.
“37in or 40in?” the man asked and I opted for a 40in set. The man presented the Sony KDL-40EX503, which was on sale at £900, but seemed keen on talking about a better-specified set.
He presented the Sony KDL-40EX703, which retailed at £1,100. The man explained that the set featured back-lit LEDs and he described the set as being ‘ultra-slim’. “The TV also has internet capabilities,” he said.
The man then turned on the set – all of the other sets remained switched off.
The TV was showing a pretty terrible picture from ITV4 via Freeview. He picked up a remote control and selected the BBC HD channel – the quality of the HD preview on the TV really was a ‘wow’ moment for me.
“That’s what the TV is capable of showing,” the man said.
Summary: The man talked me through the features and benefits of the Sony TV. But I found it odd that all the TVs were switched off and he did not close the sale.

Score: 8 out of 10

Let down over Freesat

WITH digital switchover coming up in my area, I headed to the Currys Digital store on Queens Square in Crawley to find out more about Freesat.
After two minutes browsing, Simon approached me and asked if I needed any help.
I explained that I had seen a Freesat advertised on TV and that I wanted to find out more about it.
Simon started his pitch by asking if I already had a satellite dish installed and I said that I did not. He then asked if I’d be looking for a recording box or a standard box and I said I’d most likely go for a recorder.
In that case, he said I would need to pay £149 for a ‘Freesat premium installation’.
Simon explained: “They’ll come out, set up the dish and put up a twin LNB – and that would be it. Once you pay for the box and the installation, you get more than 140 channels, including radio, and because it’s satellite-based, you won’t get bad signals like you can with aerials.”
I asked what channels were on Freesat and Simon said that “all the BBC and ITV channels, plus Five and E4”, are on the platform.
He went to the Freesat website and said: “There are 140 channels and high definition. Have you got an HDTV?” he asked. I confirmed that I have an HD-ready TV.
I asked if there was HD content on Freesat. Simon said: “Yes, there are two HD channels at the moment, BBC HD and ITV.”
Summary: Simon’s lack of Freesat HD knowledge let him down. He started well by asking good questions and was able to match my needs to the right product. He could have demonstrated HD and he did not close the sale.

Score: 7 out of 10

Purely unprofessional

I REMEMBER a time when customers could walk into a shop and expect to be served, but now it seems that staff chatting among themselves is the norm in some stores.
My day in Crawley continued with a trip to the Debenhams store in County Mall.
Looking to buy a digital radio, I headed to the second floor of the department store, which is home to the electricals department.
There, I found a stand that was displaying six Pure radios. I could hear two members of staff chatting, so I began to browse the products on display.
The Siesta, in black and white, was retailing at £57, while the Siesta iDock in black was on sale at £90. The black One Classic was priced at £57; and the One Mini, in black and white, was £45.n
As I browsed, I noticed that other shoppers were also being ignored.
After waiting for five minutes to be served, I left the store, thoroughly disappointed.
Summary: Ignoring customers is not only unprofessional, but is retail suicide. If customers are not served, they will vote with their feet and head for your nearest competitor.

Score: 0 out of 10

It’s a washout at Comet

WHEN I was greeted by two members of staff, I thought this was going to be a good visit. I should have known better.
Our washing machine had recently given up the ghost, so I headed to the Comet store on Crawley’s County Oak Retail Park. Inside the store, I was greeted by two members of staff as I made my way to the home laundry department.
As I began browsing, I noticed that no members of staff were in my vicinity.
Two products that were ideal for my needs caught my eye. The Haier model (HW-C1270TVE-U) and the Indesit model (WIXXE127) were both 1,200 spin, 7kg machines, retailing at £299.99 and £319.99 respectively.
I noted that both models were rated ‘A’ for energy and wash; and ‘B’ for spin.
Paul arrived in the department and managed to ignore all the customers in the area.
A couple who had been browsing when I got there walked off, without being approached by Paul. I walked straight past him and was ignored, too.
Disappointed, I left the store.
Summary: Paul’s badge said he was a manager, so he really should have known better. How are less senior members of staff supposed to interact with customers, when he so blatantly ignored two sets of customers in succession?

Score: 1 out of 10

Good greeting, anyway

TO LEAVE a store because of a lack of an approach is one thing, but to then be ignored by a member of staff walking towards you is the final straw.
After a conversation with my brother, I had decided to buy a Blu-ray player and headed to the Currys store on the County Oak Retail Park in Crawley to find out more.
Shahin, the store greeter, did his job and welcomed me and I climbed the stairs to the mezzanine level, which was home to the TV department.
I could not see any members of staff so I located the Blu-ray players and began to browse the five models on display.
The Philips (BDP3000) and Sony (BDPS360) models were on sale at £109.99 and £149.99 respectively. Models from Samsung (BDP4600), Sony (BDPS560) and Panasonic (DMP-BD80-EBK) were retailing at £229.99, £299.99 and £299.99 respectively.
With no staff approach, I headed to the stairs, where a member of staff walked straight past me. I exited the store, thoroughly disappointed at being ignored.
Summary: Although very American, store greeters are a good thing, in my opinion, and Shahin did a very good job of saying hello to me. However, a store greeter has to be the start of a great retail experience, not the end.

Score: 1 out of 10

Summary

RETAILING, like football, really is a funny old game. To carry on with the football analogies, my team’s day in Crawley and Haywards Heath really was a game of two halves, with a number of standout performances, and some shocking ones.
Let me start with the negatives. Being ignored is not a nice experience and one that troubles my team. We do not set out to mark stores down, but ignoring customers is a dangerous game to play.
Store greeters are a great idea, but what’s the point of paying someone to welcome customers to your store, only for the rest of the staff to fumble the ball by ignoring them after that?
This time, it was staff at Comet, Currys and Debenhams who let their employers down.
On a positive note, there was much to praise during our day in Crawley and Haywards Heath. My team was particularly impressed with the sales efforts at Norman Hobbs and Jessops, so congratulations to Matt and Sophie there.
Matt and Sophie gave members of my team excellent demonstrations of the Sonos system and Nikon cameras. Also well done to the three Simons at the Sony Centre, Carters Domestic Appliances and Currys Digital; and to the salesmen we visited at The Laptop Workshop and Bewarm TV.
As you all scored more than seven points, your names will go into the hat for the industry’s most prestigious awards programme, the ERT Industry Awards, which will take place later this year.

Top of the Town

Independents		Multiples
Winner:	Norman Hobbs	Winner:	Jessops
Commended:	Sony Centre, Carters Domestic Appliances	Commended:	Currys Digital

PREMIER LEAGUE

	No. of visits	Total points	Average per call
B&O	3	30	10
Apple	3	25	8.3
Shop@Panasonic	8	58	7.3
Sony Centres	25	174	7.0
Independents	80	511	6.4
Richer Sounds	10	49	4.9
Currys.Digital	22	90	4.1
Comet	23	72	3.1
Jessops	20	58	2.9
Department Stores	26	65	2.5
Maplin	1	1	1
Currys	21	18	0.9
PC World	5	1	0.2
Marks & Spencer	1	0	0

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