Gobsheens in the retail and car industry.

stevoman

Has anyone else these days noticed the irony of everyone in the country talking about the recession these days and how we have to tighten our belts and that anyone that has a job should count themselves lucky, yet almost everytime you go to a a retailer or a car salesman and look to buy something they are so half arsed its like they dont even need the business?

I have come across quite a few of course we cant tar everyone with the one brush but has anyone else shared any experience of this?

BraziliaNZ

why would anyone say the word "gobsheen"? What does that mean?

HarryPalmer

Yep. The standard of customer service around this part of the world is shocking.

Vain

I blame the green party.

stevoman

HarryPalmer wrote: »

Yep. The standard of customer service around this part of the world is shocking.

me my girlfriend and child walked into the local resteraunt on sunday to get dinner as it does an early bird special before 4 o'clock. the sign on the front of the resteraunt say "dont mind the rumours, we are not closing." so we walked in and asked was the early bird dinners available. she looked at the clock and it was 4.10 and said sorry we stopped at 4 and the place was dead empty. so we took out €40 somewhere else. i know we where ten minutes late but people obviuosly dont need the business! the girl who said that was about 20 id say, i bet the owner would have been glad to let us sit.

Pighead

Pighead totally understands their attitude. Instead of practising good retailing techniques, why not just sit back and throw out an air of "I don't give a fcuk"? Maybe you won't sell anything, but you might not have anyway; that's Pighead's point.

senordingdong

Becasue they get paid either way.

shaner

I think a *lot* more people are going to have to lose their jobs before customer service is realised as an issue.

walked into a phone shop which shall remain nameless for now to collect the aul lads phone for him. the guy behind the counter looked up, then looked back at his screen when I said "Hi, I'm here to collect a phone", finished off reading facebook/digg/whatever email he had that was so important and hilarious, then looked up and said "yeah?"

They won't be getting any more business from me or any of my family... muppets

VinnyTGM

My family went into an Indian restaurant in Naas and we were the only one's there for the duration of our stay, I found the staff to be very nice.

thealltimelow

VinnyTGM wrote: »

My family went into an Indian restaurant in Naas and we were the only one's there for the duration of our stay, I found the staff to be very nice.

but where they irish?

davyjose

Happened to me in a bike shop in Tallaght recently, I stood at a counter for 2 minutes* while two memmbers of staff babbled away in French, went downstairs, and was told to try a different counter. Finally got served at the third counter. Only I really want a new bike, I was outta there.

*Some of you may think this was too short a wait, others may think it was far, far too long.

Ri_Nollaig

stevoman wrote: »

Has anyone else these days noticed the irony of everyone in the country talking about the recession these days and how we have to tighten our belts and that anyone that has a job should count themselves lucky, yet almost everytime you go to a a retailer or a car salesman and look to buy something they are so half arsed its like they dont even need the business?

I have come across quite a few of course we cant tar everyone with the one brush but has anyone else shared any experience of this?

went to a few car dealerships over the weekend, im after a hatchback round the ~7K mark, an 01/02 golf or focus or anything really. Their attitude was exactly as you described! from an industry that is suppostly one of the worst hit!
Went to about 4, 3 of which where completely empty, yet the sales people had more important work then to show what cars they had. They just pointed in the general direction of their used cars and went back to their game of solitaire or whatever they where doing that was so important.
Now I know I wasnt going to be spending 30K+ on some new BMW/merc/etc but jesus... I would have thought their profit margins from second hands plus just shifting a used car was worth it.
You would get better customer service trying to buy a toothbrush in tescos...

CAPSLOCK365

For someone that cares, please press 1
[half hour later] what do you want?

Ger the man

About a month ago I visited a large music shop on Georges street to try out a few guitars with the intenion of buying one. I picked one up and 2 seconds later this young, short arsed, spotty, little start up of a sales assistant asked me "What am I messing at". I told him I wanted to buy a gutair that day and wanted to try a few out, he didnt believe me and thought I was only looking and asked me to "look outside" I opened my wallet to him and his manager to reveal 1500 euro in cash and said "See ya loosers"!

veryangryman

Ger the man wrote: »

I picked one up and 2 seconds later this young, short arsed, spotty, little start up of a sales assistant asked me "What am I messing at"

Think you meant "What are you messing at"? Although i guess given the fact that he lost a sale of ~300-500 quid, he might well have wondered what he himself was messing at

thelordofcheese

Ger the man wrote: »

About a month ago I visited a large music shop on Georges street to try out a few guitars with the intenion of buying one. I picked one up and 2 seconds later this young, short arsed, spotty, little start up of a sales assistant asked me "What am I messing at". I told him I wanted to buy a gutair that day and wanted to try a few out, he didnt believe me and thought I was only looking and asked me to "look outside" I opened my wallet to him and his manager to reveal 1500 euro in cash and said "See ya loosers"!

ITT - people slowly realise that sales staff can't read your mind and are human too.

az2wp0sye65487

I've had both good and bad experiences...

Bad: Power City. I walked in one day to buy... eh, I cant remember what I was buying, something electrical! Couldn't find what I was looking for so decided to ask one of the sales staff. All the sales staff were gathered in the TV section watching some police car chase show... all having a great time, laughing and joking. I walked up to them, stood beside them, and not one of them even noticed me. Walked out!

Good: Joe Duffy Motors (The Mazda & Opel one, not the BMW one). Like Ri_Nollaig, I was only looking to spend around €7K, but they were very helpful, courteous and professional to deal with. I bought a car from them. I was told when leaving that if I'm ever passing and the car's a bit dirty to drop in and they'd wash it for me. I've had dealings with them since buying the car (servicing, checking 1 or 2 minor things covered by warranty etc.) and they are still very courteous and helpful. - And the car is spotless every time I get it back from them!

Aidric

Good topic OP. I had a rant about this on another forum recently. The standard of customer service in the retail industry here is, in the main, shoddy. It pales in comparison to that given on the continent and in Britain. The attitude of a lot of people in retail here is that the world owes them a living and you are inconveniencing them by being in their shop.

CAPSLOCK365

Am I the only person who would prefer to browse at my leisure and not be assaulted by sales staff everytime you enter a shop?

Can I help you sir?

No, **** off. I know what I'm looking for and if I can't find it, I'll ask. Capiche?

Amalgam

CAPSLOCK365 wrote: »

No, **** off. I know what I'm looking for and if I can't find it, I'll ask. Capiche?

...

Baldie

CAPSLOCK365 wrote: »

Am I the only person who would prefer to browse at my leisure and not be assaulted by sales staff everytime you enter a shop?

Can I help you sir?

No, **** off. I know what I'm looking for and if I can't find it, I'll ask. Capiche?

I agree, I hate the **** too! Like you said, if I need help I'll ask, then you'd better be damn good at your job!

Davei141

Vain wrote: »

I blame the green party.

Racist.

Went to a small local drapers looking for material and bits for Kiddo's home ec class earlier in the year. Waited at the counter for 5 minutes while the owner chatted to someone who wasn't even buying anything. He didn't even bother to say "I'll be with you in a minute" or to the other person "excuse me for a minute". Walked out eventually and wasn't surprised to see the place had closed down recently.

The Pontiac

I know a guy who went looking at cars last week with his wife and they were flabbergasted by the sheer ignorance of the salesmen.

The exact same thing as op mentioned, the place empty and had to almost beg for assistance. They were looking to spend €25k .

Mind-boggling stuff indeed.

I always detested main dealers anyway. Rip-off merchants the lot of em.

davyjose

Deleted User wrote: »

Went to a small local drapers looking for material and bits for Kiddo's home ec class earlier in the year. Waited at the counter for 5 minutes while the owner chatted to someone who wasn't even buying anything. He didn't even bother to say "I'll be with you in a minute" or to the other person "excuse me for a minute". Walked out eventually and wasn't surprised to see the place had closed down recently.

I'm no accountant, but it was probably more down to a global recession than not selling that bit of material.

Ri_Nollaig

CAPSLOCK365 wrote: »

Am I the only person who would prefer to browse at my leisure and not be assaulted by sales staff everytime you enter a shop?

Can I help you sir?

No, **** off. I know what I'm looking for and if I can't find it, I'll ask. Capiche?

well i assume the OP is referring to when you do ask for help

Dusty87

Sat outside kfc tonight, shoutin hello into the drive through speaker. Then drove up to the window, the man looked at me then walked off. I only want some chicken:(