The Jessops experience

[Hamish Gill]

You will quite often find me ranting and raving about various first and third party tales of jessops related woe ... But to be fair to the Worcester branch most of my recent experiences have been positive. One of our members here is a member of staff there and he knows his stuff (as well as being a good photog).
But today's experience was diabolical!
On the way into town I spotted a sign in the window saying that the new D600 was in stock ... On the way home I thought I'd take a look. It has crossed my mind that selling the d700 to upgrade to a d600 would be a good idea ...
Anyway, I went in to have a look assuming it would be on thier hands on display ... It wasn't, it was in a cabinet still in its box.
After having a struggle to get any attention off one of thier canon branded staff a young girl eventually came over. She didn't seem to know what a d600 was at first. I pointed to the box in the cabinet, she had to ask if she was allowed to get it out. The person she asked didn't know either. She disappeared out the back, returning moments later saying I could only look at it if I had intentions to buy it!
... I walked out stating I would take my business else where!
As it turned out LCE also had one where I was told they would (as usual) look out for me on the price. They got it out the cabinet, let me try two lenses on it...
As it goes, I have left less sure about the camera as it feels front heavy with the 24-70 on it ... But that's why we go to real shops! To try things, handle them before we part with our cash!
With my credit card in my pocket today, had jessops offered me a good deal and let me try it I might well have parted with my cash ... But I'm never going to be held effectively to ransom just to look at something!
If I can't look at gear I might as well buy online ... Aweful service from ill informed staff is what is driving people to buy online, when will jessops learn this lesson? Frankly I'm not sure if I care if they do... If these big chains can't work out how to run shops then it will give the smaller ones who have an understanding of customer service more of a chance ...
Anyway, rant over ...
Anyone got any thoughts on the subject

 

[Brian Moore]

Why,...you should be buying Canon equipment of course, Hamish!

I had a similar situation in a used car dealership once. I wanted to test drive a car but the salesman told me he'd only let me test drive it if I planned to buy it. The car, not unlike the d600 in Jessops, was locked away, in the sense that in order to get it out for a drive the salesman would have had to have moved several other cars. Over the course of prior years my family had bought several cars from that dealership. Never again.

Its certainly a shame that so much stuff is bought on-line now, much to the detriment of local shops. The convenience of "window shopping" on the web, combined with the lower prices you can usually find, both conspire to make life hard for the local guy. I'll pay a bit extra at my local camera shop because I want him to stay in business. But he has to treat me courteously, otherwise I'll be history to him.

 

[Hamish Gill]

Why,...you should be buying Canon equipment of course, Hamish!

I had a similar situation in a used car dealership once. I wanted to test drive a car but the salesman told me he'd only let me test drive it if I planned to buy it. The car, not unlike the d600 in Jessops, was locked away, in the sense that in order to get it out for a drive the salesman would have had to have moved several other cars. Over the course of prior years my family had bought several cars from that dealership. Never again.

Its certainly a shame that so much stuff is bought on-line now, much to the detriment of local shops. The convenience of "window shopping" on the web, combined with the lower prices you can usually find, both conspire to make life hard for the local guy. I'll pay a bit extra at my local camera shop because I want him to stay in business. But he has to treat me courteously, otherwise I'll be history to him.

Precisely ...
But not just with courtesy I want an experience I cant get anywhere else ... as I say, an experience I cant get online
I get so sick of hearing from business that the internet is ruining the high street etc etc ...
The reality is we are going through an evolutionary process, high street shops where they cant compete with the internet are dying out. The process of evolution centres around the idea of "adapt or die".
It's a narrow perspective that thinks the only way to compete with the internet is to compete on price!
Many many people will pay for service, more and more people are starting to realise that this is what the high street offers ... The shops that dont realise, that dont adapt to offer a level of customer service that is nothing short of excellent will die ... and as harsh as it sounds, so they should! As I said before, it will just give the high street shops that do offer that level of service more of a chance!

not even letting me look at a camera ... absolutely, completely ridiculous!! Its really irked me it has!!!!

- - - Updated - - -

... you know, I actually feel bad for the girl ... she's just trying to do her job. The store managers are just doing what they are told i'd imagine... And as I say, some of the staff there are very good... but nothing excuses how daft my experience was!

 

[Chris Dodkin]

I'd have had it out of the box any way, then said no thanks, just to mess with 'em

I find shops are a mixed bag - mainly because one sales person can make or break your option of that store.

There was a chap at Cecil Jacobs in Leicester who was excellent, but if he was out that day the rest of the staff were useless - so if you never met him, you'd go away with a very poor impression of the store.

Needless to say they are no longer with us!

I saw a sales guy at B&H in New York - selling two different cameras, to two sets of couples, at the same time.

It was just stunning to watch.

He'd show couple #1 a feature of their camera, and let them try it while he showed couple #2 a feature of their camera etc etc

He went back and forth keeping both couples engaged and interested, and sold both cameras - now that's the guy you want!

 

[Hamish Gill]

That's par for the course for a good salesman ... Especially arround Christmas!
the trick is only to make sure both people don't feel like they aren't getting your attention ... The key is to relate them to each other, get them discussing their prospective purchases between each other! I've had customers selling other customers cameras before. Not through any sort of scheme or whatever ... Often it just happens. Sales is all about emotional intelegence, if you can understand one or a few people's needs in a short a time as possible you and the customers are on to a winner...

This poor girl today didn't have a clue for my needs, and seemingly nor do jessops

 

[Larry Bolch]

With competition from the InterWebs, real camera stores are operating on very thin margins. Too often that means hiring entry-level people who know how to ring up a sale, but little else. Where ever I have lived, I try to find a sales person who is knowledgeable, and patronize them exclusively. It may take a bit of shopping, but I have always found someone. Happily the current person is about a five minute walk from my back door. The store is London Drugs, so they sell loads of stuff other than cameras. They are a major retail chain, but with highly respected. Working sales there is not just a job until the talent scout finds you and makes you a star. For many, it is a career and I see the same familiar faces there year after year.

Well worth the effort to get to know a good sales person. It would take a book to list all the favors and great service I have enjoyed over the years from camera sales people—not to mention enduring friendships.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

We had a problem with the Canon 1100D I got for Rhona - it just refused to turn on after we had it for a week. We took it back, only to be told it would take three weeks to service. I was annoyed at this, but said OK. Three and a half weeks later, still no camera. So I asked for the manager. Immediately he seemed annoyed at me, as if it was all my fault. I said, "I would like my money back or a replacement, like for like". He looked me cold in the eye and said, "I don't take kindly to threats!". I said, "Neither do I. I said I would LIKE".
He disappeared without saying a word, and left me standing for ten minutes. I was on the point of walking out, maybe contacting Head Office, when he returned with a scowl, saying nothing but holding a replacement. I just took it, then said to him: "I could have got this cheaper online, but I brought my daughter in here to buy her first good camera for her A-Level Art projects. It was a big treat for her, and she was very excited. She now feels let down - she had to borrow a camera of mine to do her art work with. The only reason we came here was because of customer service - that's the ONLY reason. And it has been pathetic, and we will not return, unless it is to bring this replacement back for some other malfunction!". He had stopped looking at me by this point, turned around and walked away. I wanted to punch his effing head in!

At no point did he say sorry.

The joke is that, the next day I got a text saying the camera had been serviced and was available for uplift. I was half tempted to go up and collect it!

No, I won't be using Jessops again...

 

[Hamish Gill]

Thats nuts Rob!
Glad it is sorta sorted now though!
if you have any more issues just deal with Canon directly ...

 

[Rob MacKillop]

I will. Cheers.

 

[Dave Green]

The best experience I ever had in a Jessops was in Manchester. I'd just bought a brand new D2Xs - body only - and the young assistant was adamant that I buy a UV filter to protect the lens. I asked him what size I needed (hehehe) and he spent the next 20min trying to find the filter size from the box and the manual. Oh how I laughed when he eventually called the manager over and asked for help

Another time I'd just bought a Sigma 50-500mm Lens from the Wigan branch and the assistant there told me that unless I bought a filter to protect the lens it would invalidate my warranty. This was an 86mm filter if I recall right - so not exactly cheap! The manager gave me a heap of BS when called over about how Sigma may not be happy with a warranty claim for front element damage if there was no filter on. When I then asked if that meant accidental damage was covered if I had a filter on their brains started to fizz and crackle LMAO!

 

[Dan Cattermole]

The only issue I have with jessops is that they don't stock any Olympus zuiko e series lenses, and when I know I can get a lens direct from Olympus at least 200 quid cheaper than jessops.. It makes me wonder why I would order a lens through them to begin with..... However, I've had no issues in the past. In fact, only a week ago, I asked to look and hold an X pro 1 and within a flash I had this beast in my hands. The chap didn't have any problems with me having a dabble with it.... He even served someone else and left me to it untill I was happy that I had a good 10 minute dribble over it. Excited and bewildered, I walked out knowing I couldn't afford one anytime soon...... Result!

 

[Dave Green]

I happened across a Je$$op$ store today so tried the same thing. D600 advertising about but no sign of camera. A notice said "Ask for a Demo." - so I asked what a "Demo" entailed. It would entail them getting it out and showing me the camera and talking about it but I wouldn't actually be allowed to hold it or take any test shots with my own card. So I told them I was a working pro and was interested in buying two - but would get them online as they were offering me nothing different to an online supplier. And they wonder why high street camera shops are falling on their arses!

I can guarantee that next time I'm near my local REAL camera shop - Mathers of Lancashire in Bolton - it will be a different approach. Not that I'll do it because in truth I'm not at all interested in the D600. The D700 does everything I want and if I had the money it would go on glass.

 

[Hamish Gill]

This is bizarre! What is it about this camera that means we are not allowed to touch it in jessops stores???

Well, either way, after I did get my hands on one in LCE I have decided to hold fire on my plans for one ... I did ring Garath at LCE today though, we had a brief chat on the subject and I decided to go for a 28mm 1.8. My continued positive relationship with LCE got me a small discount on RRP without even asking - before I even mentioned it he said "Hamish price on this will be £xxx". He has even ordered it for me on the promise from me that ill "drop in with a deposit at some time" ...
Now that's customer service!!

Jessops, you have a lot to learn!

 

[Dave Green]

I've had nothing but positive experiences with LCE in Manchester too

I've seen used gear online at their other stores around the country and they've had them sent up to Manchester for me to look at - no commitment to buy.

 

[Pete Askew]

I haven't used them for years but I had only good experience with LCE in Guildford and and Winchester when they were there (and poor experience with Jessops in Reading and Basingstoke). I now stick to Commercial Cameras, Robert White and Teamwork.

 

[Andy Boardman]

Having a bit of a giggle at this thread as in the retail/wholesale camera game, if anyone wants to try something here we will always do our best for you & a demo is a demo, take some shots on your card not a problem at all for me.We encourge customers to bring their gear in if interested in our gimbal head & will set it up for them to try out, we have also done demo days at Gigrin Farm Red Kite centre with Nikon & Chris Gomersall in the past & may be doing another one at the end of the month as well.If anyone is interested in that look at the Nikon website.
Please feel free to pop in to our showroom if we can help out or give you a demo LOL.I can even put Nikon lenses on to Canon EOS bodies for you, now that is a bit of fun for landscapes & another story !
Regards
Andy

 

[Peter Blake]

sorry to have to tell you Hamish, but your first mistake was going to Jessops!

I know, not all the stores have the same crap level of service........some of them are actually worse. says the man who hasn't set foot in the UK for close to 3 years

then again, I once worked in their branch in the Finchley Road (many many moons ago). what lovely customers we had. Jillian Edelstein, Hector Chrome, James Elliott no less, Keith Bernstein. those days are gone now

 

[Hamish Gill]

I've not been in their once since ...

 

[Ben Jennings]

In Reading we have only one good camera shop, its definitely not Jessops or even LCE unfortunately, both of those I have found unfriendly and dis-interested in serving me, I think they make the assumption that because I'm scruffy I can't afford anything and am not worth spending time on. It's not nice when they make you feel like scum just because you want to look and try out expensive gear because you don't look like the right type of person to do so. They also take quite a condescending tone with me, which instantly makes me want to tell them to jog on. I probably know more than they do.

LCE in Reading also price their second hand gear at very high prices and will not budge on that, I've walked out several times where if they would have budged even marginally (even a fiver) I would have bought there and then even at a higher price than I could get off the net, because it is much nicer to be able to try before you buy with any kit.

The best shop we have is station cameras which funnily enough is near Reading station, they stock a reasonable amount of second hand gear but don't stock any new stuff above amateur level really, which I guess is above their means to stock as they are small. They have a great attitude towards me as well, I can try anything I want and they don't fuss at all, I think they are just pleased someone is looking at their old gear.

But no shop is perfect, one of their weekend staff who may even be the owner for all I know is a douche, had a bit of a tiff with him over a Yashica TLR, when discussing price, wouldn't even consider a reasonable offer (higher than I was happy to pay for it) considering it was missing the 35mm adapter kit, he was determined to get £50 more than they are online complete (which was almost double the price at the time), after my final offer he just dismissed me and said "I don't have to do that price, I know what the camera is worth", I just walked out with the parting words of "Enjoy your camera then". He annoyed me but the other staff are wonderful and a joy to deal with.

 

[David Jones]

The Jessops in Douglas, IOM, is pretty good at the moment in terms of a friendly and helpful reception - but this entirely down to the current staff. Generalisations need to be applied with caution perhaps.