Cuffy/Skill - Stafford customer service thread - Stafford retailers reports.

Sofa

I'm a Staffooooooordian
With the idea of Stafford businesses providing better customer service, (and Forumites sharing valuable knowledge), let's list some examples of poor or excellent customer service here.


I'll start off with a review of cuffy service. My better half went to get some dry cleaning done in the town centre and... 1) was completely ignored by three operatives for five minutes upon entering the place. One was having a private phone conversation, another was waiting for a card transaction to complete, (but could at least have acknowledged her by making eye contact) and another was "busy" tidying up (but not really). When finally served the question came "When do you want it for?" to which the reply was "How long does it take?" to which the reply was "No, you have to say when you want it for.". "Okay, then tomorrow?", "It will be next week now." (thinks: so why did't you just say that in the first place?).

Fast forward to pick up time. A "Look What's On Offer" 10% discount voucher for said dry cleaners has been found at home and is duly presented upon collection, as payment has yet to be made. The response is that it can not be used as "It has gone through already.", which is not really taking the "the customer is always right" concept on-board, is it.

We are going to use the what was a petrol station on the Island next time, as I have always been happy with the service there.



Admin edit: Amended thread title
 

Mrs M

Well-Known Forumite
Sofa said:
With the idea of Stafford businesses providing better customer service, (and Forumites sharing valuable knowledge), let's list some examples of poor or excellent customer service here.


I'll start off with a review of cuffy service. My better half went to get some dry cleaning done in the town centre and... 1) was completely ignored by three operatives for five minutes upon entering the place. One was having a private phone conversation, another was waiting for a card transaction to complete, (but could at least have acknowledged her by making eye contact) and another was "busy" tidying up (but not really). When finally served the question came "When do you want it for?" to which the reply was "How long does it take?" to which the reply was "No, you have to say when you want it for.". "Okay, then tomorrow?", "It will be next week now." (thinks: so why did't you just say that in the first place?).

Fast forward to pick up time. A "Look What's On Offer" 10% discount voucher for said dry cleaners has been found at home and is duly presented upon collection, as payment has yet to be made. The response is that it can not be used as "It has gone through already.", which is not really taking the "the customer is always right" concept on-board, is it.

We are going to use the what was a petrol station on the Island next time, as I have always been happy with the service there.
Would this cleaners be on vine st?
 

MISS T

Forum user & abuser
Had the same treatment in Topshop the other week, five staff including a bloke in men's dept, with 1 on the tills. A queue of three girls including me, and one looking round, I stood there for a good 5 mins before getting served. I moaned, said my bit, got a couple of lame excuses, the bloke standing around annoyed me the most as i'd got a bundle of Topman's clothes in my arms.
 

Jheych

Wasps - feel my wrath!
I'ts everywhere this poor service lark!
I'm travelling highways and byways of the shire and coming across it everyday . You may or may not be relieved to know that the government have/are making it law that anyone who either works or manages someone in retail, catering or other business where they come into contact with the public have got to have a certificate NVQ level 2 in customer service , naturally Mgt would be expected to have some other certs too .This might make people think twice before they employ a Neanderthal "grunter" or sloppy salesperson it is not a guarantee of decent service tho' . As you can imagine generally people see this a s a bit of a pain but judging from the examples of poor customer services we are seeing on here there's plenty of need for it . I think I'm going to start handing flyers and publicity stuff in the town . It might drum up some custom?. Having said that I have a big meeting with the retailers association group in a few weeks and that's really going to put the cat amongst the pigeons !.
 

Sofa

I'm a Staffooooooordian
On a positive note, there is a guy called Raj who works on the check-out at Sainsburys and he is always really polite, friendly and helpful.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Most of the staff at Tesco are a good laugh. I usually see the guy from the fag counter (Dan?) and a few of the checkout girls when out on the lash. Always funny going in the next morning and seeing how rough they feel :D
 

Edd209

Well-Known Forumite
Ahhhhh poor customer service, garages....... main dealer to be precise!
took my car in for a service and mot, dropped car off and was met by what can only be described as a pit bull with a hangover.
was called a couple of hours later with a possible bill of £1300 to get the car through the mot, shock/ horror/ heart attack. so told them to just finish the service and ill pick the car up becuase i cant afford it.
arrived later to pick the car up and demanded to see the mot fail cert, hmmm strange only failed on parking break. so then aked to see the service sheet....... ahaha here we go!
long story short, woman on desk told me £1300 to get through mot...... actual price £70 at another garage in town. the other £1230 was what thier tester had put advisories on and extras that they felt i needed on the service. oh and the other garage checked the vehicle over and there was nothing wrong with it apart from the paring break problem.
so its up to you, do you think they tried to mislead somebody? making money is fine as long as its honest isnt it but what would have happened if it wasnt me and maybe somebody else with a little less mechanical knowledge?
so safe to say i wont be going back to the main dealer and shall be using the nice garage at the bottom of the wolverhampton road!
 

db

#chaplife
completely agree re: car dealers, edd209.. ford dixon in sheffield tried to rinse me for £600 when i went to them for my MoT.. whereas the little garage in my village passed it with flying colours, with an advisory on one of the tyres.. i was so pleased that i told them to go ahead and sort the tyre out - it would need changing soon anyway, as per their advice, and i'd rather they have the business than anyone else..
 

Mrs M

Well-Known Forumite
PME Motors, Astonfields next to taxi place.

Great guy there, Paul. Won't rip you off, I've been going to him for years.
 

My Name is URL

Well-Known Forumite
@ Edd - who is the main dealer?

For me, its KFC for bad service. Even though there is always about 6 people working there, there's only ever 1 person on the till and the rest standing around waiting. The queue is always out of the door.

As for good service at Tesco, maybe its just me, but I always seem to get the moody arses in there, especially the old dragon on the CS desk. Usually on the tills its young people some of whom are friendly, but others don't really want to be there.

G
 

Augustus Gloop

Well-Known Forumite
Good service? Erm of late the only real stand out has been FMS Garage - although it pays that I know them (sort of).

My boss at work was having problems with her Audi and I recommended she visited the main dealer in Stafford. She was a bit sceptical at first but I suggested she spoke to a friend of mine who works there. Service was bob on and she couldn't speak highly enough.

My appraisal was a breeze after that.

Bad serive? Too many to mention, can't think where to start.
 

Jheych

Wasps - feel my wrath!
Erm
Garages - For us its Aston Fields Motors funnily enough in Astonfields Ind estate . Really nice guys there very old fashioned I guess you might call it . They have always been good to us, honest and helpful .Prices aren't dirt cheap but very comparable . Never had aproblem and they know the meaning of manners 10/10
 

pop80_uk

Well-Known Forumite
Jheych said:
Erm
Garages - For us its Aston Fields Motors funnily enough in Astonfields Ind estate . Really nice guys there very old fashioned I guess you might call it . They have always been good to us, honest and helpful .Prices aren't dirt cheap but very comparable . Never had aproblem and they know the meaning of manners 10/10
Totally agree. Ive been using them for years and they are nothing short of excellent.

I recommend them to everyone now.
 

MISS T

Forum user & abuser
pop80_uk said:
Jheych said:
Erm
Garages - For us its Aston Fields Motors funnily enough in Astonfields Ind estate . Really nice guys there very old fashioned I guess you might call it . They have always been good to us, honest and helpful .Prices aren't dirt cheap but very comparable . Never had aproblem and they know the meaning of manners 10/10
Totally agree. Ive been using them for years and they are nothing short of excellent.

I recommend them to everyone now.
I'll second that.
 

Edd209

Well-Known Forumite
the car that required £1300 of work is my 6 year old mondeo, the newer version.
they wanted 4*disks and pads, 1*hand break assembly, 1*new tyre, all 4 wheels realining and im sure there was something else but cant remember. but the best of it was the car went in for a major service and they wanted an extra £70 to change the brake fluid and on the way home one of the hub caps came off becuase it hadnt been replaced properly......... i did get a new one free of charge though.
and the main dealer is stafford. oh and the car has only just turned 40,000 on the clock, work it out for yourselves.
 

My Name is URL

Well-Known Forumite
Very worried about your comments Edd, especially as the GF has just brought a new Fiesta. Its from Bristol Street Motors in Birmingham, but obviously any warranty work and servicing we will want done in Stafford....

Might search around and try Stoke or Cannock or somewhere else given your comments.
 
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