[plymouthbloke1974]

Oh my.....

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/...t-9921700.html

Anyone experienced similar?

[jabbamk1]

Just another day in retail....

I've not witnessed anything like that but I've witnessed underhand tactics and blatant lying from sales staff to customers in order to get them to buy a phone.

[Step666]

Whilst what the manager did was completely wrong, I would also say that the writer did himself no favours.

What he said when approaching the desk, no matter how he chose to word it, was always going to get someone's back up and to what end? They had no stock to be able to open one and show him and the only Passport on display was secured in some way, there was no possible way the store staff could let him hold one to see how much it weighs.

[mupet0000]

Sounds more like the story of a man who didn't get his way. According to him, the situation escalated very quickly and the staff were being rude and unhelpful from the moment he entered the store.

I think the truth is somewhere in the middle, he was being rude and obnoxious when told he couldn't hold the phone, and the staff were probably rude back at him but for a more understandable reason.

I don't think staff would like to pick fights with customers for no reason in particular.

[Gigabit]

The "Independent" wouldn't exaggerate or sensationalise would they? They have no agenda whatsoever, right?

[plymouthbloke1974]

The staff should be professional enough to overcome anything instore. I think it's appalling.

[Step666]

Quote:

Originally Posted by plymouthbloke1974

The staff should be professional enough to overcome anything instore. I think it's appalling.

That's a pretty strong opinion based one side of the story.

Having had the misfortune of having worked in retail, 99%+ of the time, if a situation escalates to anything approaching what the writer describes, then the customer is at least equally to blame.
Store staff aren't saints but they don't go picking fights and risking their jobs for no reason.

[wrexham103.4]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Step666

That's a pretty strong opinion based one side of the story.

Having had the misfortune of having worked in retail, 99%+ of the time, if a situation escalates to anything approaching what the writer describes, then the customer is at least equally to blame.
Store staff aren't saints but they don't go picking fights and risking their jobs for no reason.

U call the police not offer someone out for a fight !! That manager shouldn't be a manager! He's in that position for a reason and should be professional, if it had been a junior sales assistant it wouldn't have been any better but for a manger to behave like that it's shocking. And what dreadful example to set for your staff.

[Aye Up]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gigabit

The "Independent" wouldn't exaggerate or sensationalise would they? They have no agenda whatsoever, right?

Bit like the dail wail is the beacon of honest journalism?

Quote:

Originally Posted by plymouthbloke1974

The staff should be professional enough to overcome anything instore. I think it's appalling.

You would think that, however we/they are all human. Most staff whether working in retail or on the phones can sail through 99% of situations without rising or reacting in a combative way. But that 1% of situations is the straw that brakes the camels back. The gentleman in the article comes across as snooty and rude quite frankly, the way it has been wrote hardly points to an unbiased account. I think all of us in customers facing roles have dealt with people like the aforementioned in the article. I get the impression that this is a gentleman who relishes comfrontation, being one of these pricks that complains at anything that does go their way. I don't for a second believe eveything wrote either, it would be interesting to hear the side of the other parties in this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Step666

That's a pretty strong opinion based one side of the story.

Having had the misfortune of having worked in retail, 99%+ of the time, if a situation escalates to anything approaching what the writer describes, then the customer is at least equally to blame.
Store staff aren't saints but they don't go picking fights and risking their jobs for no reason.

You are quite right. The disadvantage working in retail is people shop around (which is a good thing), however a lot of people are so aggressive its like you owe them a living. That said, its in a very small minority of cases, I would like to hear the other side of the story. Working retail isn't easy, its low paid and comes little perks or kiss my arse anything. Honestly if I had been appraoched by said gentleman, I would've found it hard not to react to his "polite comments".

This was clearly a man spoiling for a fight, most people if they get shit service they write in and complain or speak to the store manage and then move their business elsewhere (vote with your feet/wallet). In this instance he has been the instigator I feel, whilst no staff should ever threaten customers no matter the situation, I just feel a degree of sympathy for those mentioned in the article.

[daclick]

Not sure that I can believe this to happen in a Vodafone store :|

[kevin88]

Vodafone are a bunch of unprofessional clowns i will be running away from them when my contract expires next year. never again will I be roped into renewing. I have been called a liar by them. was miss sold a 4G plan that i can't use due to the fact my iPhone 5 Isn't compatible with the frequencies on the Vodafone 4G network..

[WelshBluebird]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Step666

Whilst what the manager did was completely wrong, I would also say that the writer did himself no favours.

What he said when approaching the desk, no matter how he chose to word it, was always going to get someone's back up and to what end? They had no stock to be able to open one and show him and the only Passport on display was secured in some way, there was no possible way the store staff could let him hold one to see how much it weighs.

I disagree. If they had no stock then why not just say "I am sorry sir but we don't have that phone in stock at the moment" and maybe give the person an idea of when you may have it in stock (or point them to another local store that may have it).

If you are in a customer facing role, then no matter how the customer acts towards you, you ALWAYS should be polite and courteous. If you don't like that, then don't work in such a role (of course what you decide to chat to mates and bitch about is a different story!).

I have worked in two very different customer facing roles, and my current job whilst not really being customer focussed also means I do end up interacting with customers / clients. In any of those jobs if I had been as unprofessional as is suggested by this article, I'd have been sacked on the spot.

[wrexham103.4]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WelshBluebird

I disagree. If they had no stock then why not just say "I am sorry sir but we don't have that phone in stock at the moment" and maybe give the person an idea of when you may have it in stock (or point them to another local store that may have it).

If you are in a customer facing role, then no matter how the customer acts towards you, you ALWAYS should be polite and courteous. If you don't like that, then don't work in such a role (of course what you decide to chat to mates and bitch about is a different story!).

I have worked in two very different customer facing roles, and my current job whilst not really being customer focussed also means I do end up interacting with customers / clients. In any of those jobs if I had been as unprofessional as is suggested by this article, I'd have been sacked on the spot.

I myself work for a government dept as a benefit officer in a customer facing roll. You would not believe the way myself and others have been spoken to and treated (ive been spat in the face!) But not once have I sworn or threatened one of our 'customers', even when things have got seriously heated (and believe me they do get bad - its a on a completely different level to selling mobile phones, if you think working in a shop is bad you aint seen nothing!!) and neither has my HEO. I would also be subject to disciplinary action or the dismissal if I did.

Its unprofessional to say the least what this 'manager' said.

[The Lord Lucan]

People on both sides of the counter can be pretty bad but it's usually the customers who lie, twist facts and moan they didn't he thier way. I woukd have felt sorry for Vodafone for this story being published as if shears of similar happening in different networks stores (some right shocking ones in the old Orange stores..)

However it seems even at upper management the customer was failed by the company, what ever exaggeration that was put on to the story by this guy, they should have dealt with it better. There has to be the drawing the line in sand moment at an escalated complaint. Customers are your everything.. And for your press department especially ones with media connections.

[japaul]

I wonder if it's one of the 140 ex phones4u stores they bought? Vodafone said that because they wanted them to all be open in time for Christmas trading they would be below the standard of a normal Voda store for a while and maybe old P4U habits die hard.

[Step666]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrexham103.4

U call the police not offer someone out for a fight !! That manager shouldn't be a manager! He's in that position for a reason and should be professional, if it had been a junior sales assistant it wouldn't have been any better but for a manger to behave like that it's shocking. And what dreadful example to set for your staff.

Assuming that the article is 100% verbatim, with zero paraphrasing, misremembering or bias in it.
Of course the writer isn't going to say if he was rude, condescending, aggressive or sarcastic when talking to the staff and of course he's going to summarise their responses in the least positive light.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WelshBluebird

I disagree. If they had no stock then why not just say "I am sorry sir but we don't have that phone in stock at the moment" and maybe give the person an idea of when you may have it in stock (or point them to another local store that may have it).

And who's to say that in reality the exchange wasn't closer to that than the writer suggests?

Quote:

Originally Posted by WelshBluebird

In any of those jobs if I had been as unprofessional as is suggested by this article, I'd have been sacked on the spot.

The same goes for Vodafone's staff, which immediately raises questions about the story.

There's always more than one side to a story and neither side's recollection is ever 100% correct, so to assume that the writer says is completely true and that the store staff were entirely in the wrong is highly presumptuous.

[finbaar]

I am with the Voda staff. Anyone seriously considering buying a Passport deserves to be publicly derided and then punched in the face. Hard.

[daclick]

This is also true finbaar