For UK Members - Possible Bad News for Jessops

[Sirius Glass]

Sinead,

They put you in a bad situation with little or no training. Hearing your point of view helps complete the picture that is formed from all the previous posts on this thread.

Thank you.

Steve

[Ian Grant]

Sinead, over the years I've actually found most the staff in the two Jessops I often use very helpful & polite.

I actually bought a high-end DSLR in my local (UK) store two months ago, and the staff were knowledgeable, when it comes to films some aren't. At no point did they try & sell any extras, I think they knew better than try

You worked there, in a store, so you know that the problem isn't the staff it's the system & the management from Leicester, I've been there & dealt with them as a supplier, they've lost direction, at a very senior level..

My local store is quite well run, one member of staff worked for the original independent store (20+ years ago) that was taken over by a small chain, (and still good), and later bought by Jessops, he's definitely jaded by the Jessops experience and while still good has lost his spark though Others are extremely helpful, I needed a battery , which they didn't stock and it was an instant try here, showing me an AP advert for a good supplier.

Those outside the UK won't realise that Jessops think they dominate the market in the UK, they had a store in just about every major town and a few in each city, they bought up most competing chains. Then suddenly they dropped film cameras entirely and went 100% Digital way ahead of anyone else in any country. But that lost them customers, as the film users took their business elsewhere, and if they started using digital bought from the new supplier.

In towns with other stores the competition are usually far better than Jessops, because they are run by people with a passion or at least an understanding of what photographers want.

I know Jessops from 3 angles, supplier, customer and at a personal level meeting up with the former Chairman outside of Photography, and it's in dire straits unless it re-invents itself.

Ian

[Matt5791]

It must be quite a new store, I didn't notice it, it would make sense to use the same name. Forrester, moved from Hockley to Halesowen & he's a camera repairer, perhaps it's him.

Ian

Forrester - that's him - He has a small photo shop in the main pedestrianised shopping street.

He did a good job on a Nikon FA for me - I'd say he is very knowledgable, but slow.

[tim_walls]

Sorry for going on, it might be a bit of a pointless reply, but I always feel a little defensive for the staff...

I empathise entirely... I worked for Dixons when I was a lad, back in the day when slagging off Dixons staff appeared in pretty well every stand up comic's routine.


For the record, some of the people I worked with in Dixons were among the smartest people I ever met - including one guy who was very knowledgeable about cameras (we sold SLRs in those days, and we took an awful lot of trade away from the snotty, patronising, self satisfied twerps in the independent camera shop up the road; people who eulogise the independent camera stores seem to forget that many of them were deeply uninviting and customer hostile places. At least one of the ones in Leeds I can assure you still is to this day.)

On the flipside, some of the customers were among the most ignorant, arrogant and utterly unpleasant people I have ever met (emboldened by aforementioned comics' routines and the general belief that anyone who worked in Dixons was only good for walking over.)



I would recommend to anyone working in a service industry for at least part of their life so they can develop a good healthy loathing of the general public...

[Paul Jenkin]

I would recommend to anyone working in a service industry for at least part of their life so they can develop a good healthy loathing of the general public...

I tend to disagree Tim. I suspect that most employees in the "retail" industry develop a fairly strong dislike of many customers as an occupational hazard. This attitude is, almost certainly, down to a lack of training and poor pay / motivation. However, as their "attitude" is almost impossible to disguise completely, any tuned-in customers are likely to pick up on it and never go back to that store again.

I've been that peeved customer many times in my 48 years and, when you realise that there are always alternative markets, it's ever so easy to walk away and never return. The best shops have a policy of "if you like what we do, tell others, if you don't like what we do, tell us". Funnily enough, these places are the ones that tend to get it right most of the time anyway.

I actually work in the "service" sector and have done for the last 30 years. I've worked for insurance companies as an underwriter, product manager and now technical manager. The one thing that I will not put up with is anyone having a less-than-professional attitude when dealing with customers - even if the customer happens to be the biggest PITA who ever stood upright. They pay our wages and if we do something they don't like, that usually says more about us than them - unless and until we can prove otherwise.

For the record; I used to buy much of my gear from Dixons in the 70's and early 80's but they suffered a fate that Jessops are currently heading towards. The good news for Disons was that they weren't reliant one one product line. If Jessops could get their act together, they still have the largest photographic retail presence on the UK High Street and could dominate again. Regrettably, the Woolworths experience seems a more likely outcome right now.

[tim_walls]

I tend to disagree Tim. I suspect that most employees in the "retail" industry develop a fairly strong dislike of many customers as an occupational hazard. This attitude is, almost certainly, down to a lack of training and poor pay / motivation. However, as their "attitude" is almost impossible to disguise completely, any tuned-in customers are likely to pick up on it and never go back to that store again.

I admire your sunny view of the average punter; unfortunately experience suggests you're wrong.

That said, I don't recall anywhere suggesting you should treat even the most odious customer with anything less than total professionalism. If you can't manage that, you shouldn't be in the job. It's no surprise though that anyone who does actually have a clue gets out of that sort of position as quickly as they possibly can.

[jessthespringer]

I think that is a pretty sunny view alright, Paul.

That was my first experience of retail, but I've been working with the public for a long time.
I was surprised at how rude some people are though... I had a woman poke in the chest, because the photo kiosk was out of order, and had to call security on another occasion when a Dutch guy just completely went off on one.

Lots of people come into the store with an attitude, ah, what do these idiots know. Some people seem to assume because you work in a shop you can't get a job anywhere else, therefore, must be an idiot!

(I don't mean anyone here, this is just my experience of people I've met)

Ian is right, the problem is the system and the management. Not the staff.

Dealing with the public can be really difficult. I totally agree with Tim, everyone should do it for a while.

[Sirius Glass]

I was working at E. J. Korvettes in Rockville Maryland [for the people in the Washington metropolitan area, that alone will date me, as will the story]. Korvettes used Polaroid film and the Kodak Instamatic Cameras as lost leaders. They were sold a few cents over cost. To get to the camera department one had to pass either handbags and wallets or gardens and tools. Of course this would raise sales in those two areas.

I and my friend, also a college student, handled film, processing and selling Instamatic 104 cameras. We each pulled in over $2,500 a day so things were hopping and we worked really fast to keep the line down. We were paid a commission on the total sales plus salary.

One day an old lady comes in to buy an Instamatic 104 camera for her granddaughter. I spent about 45 minutes explaining to her how to load and use the camera [Note bene: she was not going to use the camera herself.] Finally she decided to buy the camera in the kit which include a roll of film and flashcubes. She also selected two more rolls of film and a box of flashcubes. I ring up each item, telling her what it is and the cost, and place it in the bag.

Suddenly, she grabs the bag from me, tearing it open, grabs a box of film and jams it up my left nostril and shouts, "What is this and what do I do with it?"

I pick up a new bag, load the rung up items into it. Then I take the roll of film and I say to her, "Lady, do you know what you can do with this? Lady, do you know what you can do with this?"

The old lady gets all red in the face and shouts, "What do you mean by that young man?"

The camera department manager was dying and ran over as fast as he could.

I said, "Why lady, you open the back of the camera, drop the film in it, advance the film and the camera is ready."

The old lady says, "Thank you so much, you have been real kind and patient with me." She paid and left.

The camera department manager walked back to the storeroom holding his chest.

Steve

[pentaxuser]

Steve Sounds like it was Norman Bates diguised as mother!

pentaxuser

[paul_c5x4]

Went to purchase a box of 10x8 MG paper today... Local Jessops store had one box of 100 sheets which is just what I was looking for. One small problem. It had been opened and the box was damaged. Only £4 discount was offered, and my offer of £10 was rejected. With a list price of £34, I think I'll go elsewhere.