Merry Hill, Dudley

20 August 2010

It’s a photo finish for Craig

I WANTED to get some advice on buying a digital SLR, so went to see what I could get for my hard-earned cash at the Jessops store on the upper mall of the Merry Hill Shopping Centre.
Craig greeted me and asked if he could help. I explained that I had a digital compact camera and that I wanted to make my first foray into the world of digital SLRs.
He started by asking me what I’d be using the camera for and I said that it would mainly used for recording family moments, but that I was also keen on getting into amateur photography.
Craig presented the Nikon D5000, which was priced at £479 and he said that this model came with an 18-55mm lens.
He talked me through the manual modes and the presets and mentioned that the Nikon model had Live View and an HD video feature.
Craig said: “Most people when they buy digital SLR say they’ll never use it, but you’d be surprised how many actually do.” He also demonstrated the tilting screen of the Nikon model.
Moving to Canon, Craig showed me the Canon EOS 450D TLK, which was priced at £549. He said: “It’s a bit more expensive, but it’s actually a package – you get your second lens with it. Like on the Nikon, you get an 18-55mm, but you also get a 75-300mm.”
At this point, I asked Craig that if I went for the Nikon camera, how much a second lens would cost.
He explained that the comparable lens costs £169, but if I bought it at the same time as the camera, I could get it for £50 less.
Craig then told me about an accessories package that I could buy for £199, which included the 75-300mm lens, a camera bag, memory card, two filters and a memory card reader.
“There’s basically about £300 worth of kit that you can get for £199, then you’ve got everything.”
He described the accessories pack as a “great bundle” and handled me the Nikon camera, encouraging me to have a play with it.
Craig then talked me through Photo+, the Jessops repair protection plan.
He said: “It protects the camera against accidental damage, wear and tear and manufacturer faults. On the Nikon it works out at £64, but that covers you for a full three years. It’s a one-off payment. If you’re on holiday and you drop it in the sand, and you get sand in the lens, or if you drop it in the water, bring it back to us and we’ll repair or replace it free of charge.”
Summary: Craig was relaxed and full of enthusiasm. He was able to talk me through both models well and talked comfortably about buying accessories. He covered the optional breakdown warranty and gave a good demonstration. Mentioning the bundle and the warranty I took as attempts to close the sale.

Score: 10 out of 10

Silence is not golden

LOOKING for a new TV, I went to the Sony Centre on the upper mall of the Merry Hill Shopping Centre.
Outside the store, I noticed a sign that read: “Trade in your own kit for a brand new Sony – up to £150 off when you trade in.”
Inside, two members of staff were standing by the counter. Both greeted me and I began to browse the TVs on display. I was looking to buy a 37in set and two products caught my eye – the KDL37EX401 at £599.99 and the KDL37EX403 at £649.99.
According to the price ticket, the first set had Freeview built in and was HD-ready, while the second set had Freeview HD built in. Another piece of point-of-sale material indicated that both sets came with a free five-year warranty.
The two staff remained by the counter and despite standing just feet from me, neither spoke to me, let alone approach me.
What was even more surprising was that the two sales staff did not even speak to each other. The atmosphere was eerily quiet and you could have been forgiven for thinking that you were in a library.
After five minutes, I left the store, thoroughly disappointed.
Summary: After a greeting from both members of staff, I expected that to be followed up by an approach from one of them. Sadly, this did not materialise. A point has been awarded for the greeting

Score: 1 out of 10

Good demonstration of 3D

WITH so much hype about 3DTV in the media, I thought I’d go and see what all the fuss has been about, so went to the Currys Digital store on the upper mall of the Merry Hill Shopping Centre.
I did not have to travel too far, as the 3D display was just inside the store, by the entrance. A Samsung 3D TV (46C8000), priced at £2,199, was displaying the 3D movie Monsters vs Aliens, playing on a Samsung 3D Blu-ray player (BDC6900). The player was priced at £349.99.
No members of staff approached me, although there were plenty wandering around, so I began to read the information on the 3D package deals that were available.
The Samsung point-of-sale materials and display stand was very good and were effectively used.
Package one consisted of the TV I had already seen and a Samsung home-theatre kit (HT460) for £2,199. The second package, for the same price, consisted of the TV and a Samsung Blu-ray player (C5500).
Gary approached me and asked if I’d like to watch some of the 3D movie.
He handed me a pair of 3D glasses from the display and I started to watch the movie, however, I noticed that one of the lenses in the active glasses was broken.
Store manager Reshu then approached me, opened a display cabinet and handed me a pair of the Samsung glasses, which, he explained, were the ones that came with the set.
I asked Reshu if the Blu-ray player mentioned in the second package deal I had read about was actually a 3D Blu-ray player, which would have made more sense.
He confirmed that it was a 3D model, but, on closer inspection, he was wrong.
After a few minutes, I left the store, feeling rather let down.
Summary: I was impressed with the quality of the 3D presentation and demonstration, but I felt that Gary or Reshu could have talked more about 3D and the associated products. But neither did. That said, I thought the demonstration was effective.

Score: 6 out of 10

Ben’s keen to close the sale

I WANTED to get Sky+ HD, so I went to the Sky Shop on the lower mall of the Merry Hill Shopping Centre.
Ben greeted me and asked if I needed any help. I explained that I had just moved to a new house in Stourbridge and that I wanted to get Sky+ HD installed as soon as possible.
He started by asking me if I had an HDTV and when I confirmed that I did, he told me that Sky’s HD service started at £28 a month.
Ben explained that for the monthly subscription, I’d get 240 free channels and an entertainment pack. Each additional pack, he said, as he showed me a brochure, would cost £1. He recommended that the best thing for me to do was to tailor the package to what I wanted to watch.
I said that I’d be interested in getting all channels, but that I was not interested in movies at all.
Ben said: “That’ll cost you £41 a month. Are you looking at broadband and phone?”
I told him that I was only interested in Sky’s TV service, as I had just entered into a 12-month contract with BT for a phone line and broadband.
“We could have offered you free line rental,” Ben said.
He asked me if I wanted to sign up there and then, but I told him that I would need to run it past my wife first.
“That’s a shame,” Ben said. “I say that because normally the box is £49 and the install is £30. But today, I could offer you a free box and install, but that offer ends today.”
To prove his point, Ben showed me a text message from Sky on his rather battered Nokia N73 phone, which confirmed that the offer was only available until the end of that day.
Ben continued: “You don’t need to pay anything up front. You won’t pay anything until two weeks after the installation. If you decide, after speaking to your partner, that you don’t want it, or want to change a package, then just give us a call.”
Ben encouraged me, once again, to sign up there and then, but I said I was unable to do so at that point. He gave me a leaflet and took some contact details for me and arranged to call me later that day to see if I wanted to proceed.
I thanked him for his help.
Summary: Ben’s presentation was very slick, however, there were a couple of things missing that would otherwise have got him top marks. While he focused on closing the sale, he did not demonstrate the service, or mention the benefits of the Sky+ functionality.

Score: 8 out of 10

Everything’s mega except the service

WANTING to buy a new washing machine, I popped into the massive Currys/PC World megastore on the Merry Hill Retail Park.
As I walked in, I was staggered by the sheer size of the store. I have been to megastores before, but this looked much bigger than anything I had seen previously.
There were many members of staff around the front of the store, but I did not get a greeting or an approach.
In the home laundry department, two members of staff were chatting by a computer terminal, while another pair were chatting as they were changing a display. I was the only customer.
All four members of staff ignored me, so I started to have a look at the products.
Two produces seemed to suit my needs. The Samsung model (WF8602NFW) and the Zanussi product (ZWF120701) were both 6kg, 1,200 spin machines, retailing at £299.99 and £319.99 respectively.
The staff continued their conversations, so I continued to check out the products.
In the absence of any staff wanting to talk to me, I read the price ticket information that indicated that I could take out optional product protection, which would cost £2.99 and £5.99 a month for the Samsung and Zanussi product respectively.
Just as I was preparing to leave, I caught sight of one member of staff using a piece of shop display equipment to perfect his gold swing.
Unimpressed at the lack of professionalism and customer service, I left the store.
Summary: A question for John Browett, chief executive of DSG International: If it is unprofessional to be ignored by one member of staff, what do you call being totally ignored by four of them? I await your response.

Score: 0 out of 10

Floorcare service really sucked

I WANTED to buy a new vacuum cleaner, so thought I’d have a look at what was available at the Comet store on the Merry Hill Retail Park.
As I got out of my car and headed for the store entrance, I could not help but notice that two members of staff were helping customers with their flat-panel TV purchases. I was hoping to get a similar level of service myself.
Inside the store, I headed to the floorcare department, near the white goods area. It was busy with five sets of customers browsing and no staff in the immediate vicinity.
I was struck by how well merchandised the floorcare area was and particularly liked the way the Miele products were displayed with their accessories, so that customers could easily see what tools were included with each machine.
Two products seemed ideal for my needs. The Miele Cat & Dog was, according to the price ticket, a 2,200W machine that weighed 7.7kg. It was priced at £199.99.
The second product I noticed was the Dyson DC23 Animal, a 1,400W machine that weighed 9kg and was priced at £257.99.
With no sign of any kind of approach, I left the store bitterly disappointed.
On my way to the exit, a member of staff walked straight past me and ignored me. I couldn’t wait to get out of the store.
Summary: The merchandising of the vacuum cleaners was very good – and one point has been awarded for that. However, that was as good as it got.

Score: 1 out of 10

Blueshirts busy at Best Buy

LOOKING to buy a washer-dryer, I went into the Best Buy store.
The store was quite busy, so I made my way to the home laundry area of the store, which had a number of customers browsing, while three sets of customer were being served by Blueshirts.
I found two products that I thought best suited my needs. The AEG model (L16850) was priced at £628.99, while the Bosch model (WVH28420GB) was priced at £899.99.
While I waited to be served, I spent a few minutes reading the many pieces of point-of-sale materials, which were peppered around the department.
These included details on choosing the right washer-dryer and how to arrange delivery of a new appliance.
After waiting to be served for more than eight minutes – and with many customers ahead of me in the pecking order – it became clear that I was not going to get served, as the store was so busy.
Disappointed, I headed to the exit.
Summary: The store was really very busy and this made assessing it quite difficult. While I did not get approached, I have awarded one point for the excellent use of p-o-s materials in-store.

Score: 1 out of 10

Failure to acquire satellite

I WAS keen to find out more about Freesat, so I headed to the Maplin store on Pedmore Road, adjacent to the Merry Hill Shopping Centre.
The store was quiet, so I headed to the digital TV area and soon realised that I was in the wrong area. With no approach, I corrected my mistake and the right display.
I noticed that three members of staff were chatting near the counter, so I carried on my hunt for Freesat set-top boxes.
I found four. The Humax Freesat+ PVR at £279.99, the Goodmans Freesat+ PVR at £249.99, the Humax Foxsat HD box at £129.99 and the Technisat HD box at £179.99.
After browsing the products for more than five minutes, I headed for the exit, past two members of staff who continued with their conversation. Neither spoke to me as I left.
Summary: I left the store feeling frustrated that I had been ignored by three staff who, I assume, were employed to help customers and sell stuff. Or, maybe, I am wrong…

Score: 0 out of 10

No prices, no staff, no sale

I WANTED to buy a Nespresso coffee machine, so headed to the home department of the Debenhams store, on the upper mall.
The coffee machines, quite aptly, were located in the aisle next to the restaurant.
The first machine I spotted was a Bosch Tassimo, which was covered in dust. It also seemed to have a bit missing and there was no price ticket to be seen. Other point-of-sale materials were all over the place.
While I waited to be served – there were no members of staff anywhere near where I was standing – I looked at the other side of the gondola.
Although this area was better merchandised, there were three Nespresso machines on display – two from Krups and one from Magimix. None of the three models were priced.
With no staff around, and customers rapidly heading to the exit, I followed suit.
Summary: Despite being in a high-traffic area of the store, adjacent to the busy restaurant, I saw no staff at all. The first display I saw was an absolute mess.

Score: 0 out of 10

Daniel you’re (not) a star

KEEN to buy a digital radio, I headed for the technology department at Marks and Spencer on the lower mall of the Merry Hill Shopping Centre.
Daniel greeted me and I headed to the audio section, where I counted 21 DAB radios on display. I was the only customer in the technology department, yet Daniel remained rooted to the spot behind the counter.
The products on display ranged from the M&S Nightball Touch, which had been reduced from £79 to £39, to the Revco Domino DAB/internet radio, which was priced at £169.
After five minutes of browsing, with no approach from Daniel, I walked past the counter and was surprised to see that Daniel had disappeared.
Disappointed, I left the store.
Summary: After greeting me – and with no other customer to serve – I expected Daniel to come and assist me, but he did not. In my book, an area should never be left unstaffed, particularly when there are shoppers in there.

Score: 1 out of 10

Summary

MY TEAM enjoyed its day checking out the sales skills of retailers at the impressive Merry Hill shopping mecca.
Before I move on to the three stores that did well, I should explain why so many stores did so badly this time out.
Ignoring customers is unprofessional and a risky strategy for any retailers who believe that ignorance is the best way forward.
In Merry Hill, staff at Currys, Maplin and Debenhams thought ignoring customers was all right.
Not much better were the Sony Centre and Marks and Spencer, where staff greeted our shoppers, but did nothing to follow up on a promising start.
Also in this bracket were Comet and Best Buy, where the shoppers were impressed with the use of point-of-sale materials and merchandising, but were left feeling let down by the overall experience.
Now, it’s time to acknowledge the good efforts of the three stores in Merry Hill.
At Currys Digital, Gary and Reshu did an OK job with their 3D demo, but neither could really explain the technology or related products.
The two shining lights were Craig at Jessops and Ben at the Sky Shop.
The shopper who visited Jessops were very impressed with Craig’s performance, while Ben at the Sky Shop would have scored top marks if he had gone into more detail during his presentation.
As Craig and Ben both scored more than seven out of 10, they have been automatically entered into categories at this year’s ERT Industry Awards, which will take place at the five-star Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel in High Holborn, London on October 7.
Well done. Until next time, Paul O’Malley

Top of the Town

Independents		Multiples
Winners:	None	Winner:	Jessops
Commended:	None	Commended:	Sky Shop

PREMIER LEAGUE

	No. of visits	Total points	Average per call
B&O	3	30	10
Apple	3	25	8.3
Sky Shop	2	16	8
Panasonic Stores	8	58	7.3
Sony Centres	28	192	6.9
Independents	89	567	6.4
Richer Sounds	11	49	4.4
Currys.Digital	26	107	4.1
Jessops	24	78	3.7
Comet	26	78	3
Marks & Spencer	3	8	2.7
Department Stores	29	65	2.2
Currys	25	28	1.1
Maplin	3	1	0.3
PC World	6	2	0.3
T J Hughes	1	0	0

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