Calling any Manfrotto 190XPROB owners ( & Jessops)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jo
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i've been into jessops and all iwanted was a comparison and perosnal opinon between the d40/d40X/400D

the lady that served me all be it rather nice looking really didnt seem to bothered about making the sale, she wanst knowledgable, didnt really want to find out. so i left went down the street to jacobs. where he gave me his opinion, i was told the pros and cons on each and i ended up buying the 400D.

I have used jessops again since but a different store (we have 2 in sheffield), this store is by far more knowledgable and i respect thier opinions when buying stuff.

as far as high street stores go - If they give me good advice and they are not too more expensive than online/other stores - i will pay for the service. its only fair.
 
I've always thought that Jessops-Argos could be a great business. Cut out the carp, offer the best prices with products you can pick up on the day. From just the comments on here, I wonder how many sales they lose just by talking to a sales person.
 
walls said:
I've always thought that Jessops-Argos could be a great business. Cut out the carp, offer the best prices with products you can pick up on the day. From just the comments on here, I wonder how many sales they lose just by talking to a sales person.
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Most Jessops stores are aimed at non-photographers or newbies, hence there is no real need for staff with any photgraphic knowledge, as the customer is likely to have even less of a clue what they are talking about than the salesman has :naughty:
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Most Jessops stores are aimed at non-photographers or newbies, hence there is no real need for staff with any photgraphic knowledge, as the customer is likely to have even less of a clue what they are talking about than the salesman has :naughty:
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I disagree to that! you still need experience of kit to sell even a p&s. i.e. some are better at low light than others.

if your statment was true they wouldnt stock L glass they would be like the click shops that onyl do P&s and printing services.

not having a go or anything this thread is already heated as it is!
 
33L said:
I disagree to that! you still need experience of kit to sell even a p&s. i.e. some are better at low light than others.

if your statment was true they wouldnt stock L glass they would be like the click shops that onyl do P&s and printing services.

not having a go or anything this thread is already heated as it is!
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I didn't think you were having a go, everyone (well, most people ;)) is entitled to their own opinion...

I've seen both extremes of knowledge at Jessops branches in Glasgow - the main Sauchiehall St store has some staff who really know what they're talking about and I would (and have) buy kit on their recommendation, but in one of the others I overheard a female sales assistant tell a woman that 55-200 on a lens meant that you could focus on any object that was between 55 and 200 mm in front of the camera......:bonk:
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Take it back and demand either a NEW tripod or a full refund
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Just to wade on in there - a prime example of the cr*p Jessops staff have to put up with - try being slightly nice and courteous - genuine errors occur and staff will want to help up until the point that the customer gets self righteous and frankly ******.

People just need to remember that just because someone is working in a shop it makes them no less experienced / knowledgeable / intelligent than the jack ass having a pop at them for working in that shop.

Rant over - and you know what, I've had bad experiences in Jessops - I just don't hold it against the hundreds of employees which work across the country

;)
 
joodles said:
Just to wade on in there - a prime example of the cr*p Jessops staff have to put up with - try being slightly nice and courteous - genuine errors occur and staff will want to help up until the point that the customer gets self righteous and frankly ******.

People just need to remember that just because someone is working in a shop it makes them no less experienced / knowledgeable / intelligent than the jack ass having a pop at them for working in that shop.

Rant over - and you know what, I've had bad experiences in Jessops - I just don't hold it against the hundreds of employees which work across the country

;)
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I didn't say be rude or nasty, I just said "demand a new tripod" - please don't put words, or anything else (unless it's fry's chocolate cream) in my mouth, ok? :thumbs:
 
Some of you guys crease me up..............:lol:
 
I think that Jessops have it hard although I am not actually a great fan of my local Jessops (and some others too). I think that, as a customer, we are now very demanding. We want all the products there to play with, to be able to pay how we choose, to get what we want immediately and we want the same or similar prices to those offered by internet shops with very different business models and no ability to play before you buy.
At the end of the day, I am also one of those demanding customers too. However, where I live and within a 20-mile radius (as far as I know), there are no good tog shops. This leaves me frustrated when I want to get some little bit or something or indeed, have a play. However, I have also caused this as I have not patronised the 4 shops or so that used to be in my town.
Add to this falling retail margins, rising retail costs and it does rather present a bleak future for the High Street as I like it.
With respect to cheap price on demo models it used to go like this - a retailer used to agree to stock a certain product. They gave a good guesstimate of how many they or the chain would sell and took on an initial stock of items so that they would have them on their shelves to sell and immediately deliver. Included in this deal, would be some demonstration units sold at below normal wholesale price (or even consigned to them free of charge). These were the units which customers could poke, prod and play with and, at the end of the line or when a replacement model came out, would be sold at a lower than normal price - seems quite fair and sensible doesn't it.
These days, margins are down and costs are up so these tried and tested models are no longer around.
If we accept that internet purchasing is to rise and that this may cause the ultimate demise of the retail shop (in some market segments), then where will this leave us. In my opinion it means that the major brands will be fine but what about the new comers and new players. Say if I were to launch a new specialist DSLR 5 years ago, then I would have a marketing campaign etc. but would also invest a lot of time, money, effort and training on some specialist dealers/shops whose opinion and influence ability is strong within their customer base. However, without those dealers I might simply not be able to do such a launch successfully. This means that the powerful brands will get stronger whilst new innovative ones will suffer - not good for innovation, invention, competition etc.
I am not sure where this leaves us but I am left feeling wary.
 
Flash In The Pan said:
I didn't think you were having a go, everyone (well, most people ;)) is entitled to their own opinion...

I've seen both extremes of knowledge at Jessops branches in Glasgow - the main Sauchiehall St store has some staff who really know what they're talking about and I would (and have) buy kit on their recommendation, but in one of the others I overheard a female sales assistant tell a woman that 55-200 on a lens meant that you could focus on any object that was between 55 and 200 mm in front of the camera......:bonk:
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you and i are in the same boat. if thte advice is obviously crap then i wont spend my money there. however if the advice given is good and fair (i.e. not trying to push one brand or product) then i will thank them for their time by buying something or at least putting a deposit down etc...

I went into jacobs and wanted an eyecup and spirit level. i also enquired about tripods as it was on my upgrade list anyway....

i walked out with... nothing. they only had manfrotto spirit levels @£25 i wasnt prepared to pay that much nowing a shop down the road had some @£10. But he did order me an eyecup and i have put a deposit down on a giottos tripod and 322RC2 head. after checking online and if anything i could of saved £20.

the reason why i got the tripod and head was because he gave me good advice i could of been in and out in 10 minutes i was there for 45 minutes trying the tripods out looknig at different heads.
 
Was quite an in depth answer.
But I can't be arsed with you mate.

Changed my mind!

See below.......
 
foodpoison said:
I don't care what my employers think. I'm honest about the stuff I do. I'm 17, my job is not my life, and I have absolutely NO intention of going into retail when I'm older. Dear lord I couldn't think of anything worse. Not my cup of tea, having to deal with people such as yourself :thumbs:

Such as myself :eek:
You have probably only ever read one of my posts, but you know an awful lot about me, don't you??
I can see why you work in Jessops mate........

Okay.
So, instead, I'll say, "Yes of course we can get that tripod to you by thursday!"
and then when thursday rolls around we'll be in even more sh-t.

Then take it off the shelves.
If it's not in stock, then it's not in stock. You cannot sell it. Obviously.

That was an honest to god statement. No sarcasm meant. I don't like the service from most high-street retailers, I don't like having to queue, and I just love the convenience from internet shopping.
It's simple really. If you don't like their service, go somewhere else?
I'm not going to say, "Well, you should continue to buy at Jessops even though half of your purchases have been a disaster and the prices they display aren't exactly competitive,"
Customer service?
Giving good advice is good customer service. Perhaps you need to brush up on common sense? :shrug:

So a 17 year old KID has the right to tell me about common sense?
Don't think so matey. I've been through more in my 32 years than you probably ever will go through. So think about your saying before you open your gob.

I take that last comment to heart, and I find you being very rude now.
I know I'm not the next ansel adams, but have you looked at my photography? I don't think it deserves the title of "No photo skills"

I'm not being rude yet mate. But when you speak like you have done in the last post, what do you expect....????
And no, I haven't looked at your pics.
I don't need to. I'm a shat photog. I know I am. You are more than likely 100% better at photography than I am.
I COULDN'T GIVE A MONKEY'S.........

My customer service skills might be so bad they're starred out, but christ, by the looks of it your people skills are dire.

If you want examples of my people skills, I'll give you plenty.
But right now I can't be bothered with you.
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Flash In The Pan said:
I didn't say be rude or nasty, I just said "demand a new tripod" - please don't put words, or anything else (unless it's fry's chocolate cream) in my mouth, ok? :thumbs:
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Lol, pure connotations, nothing was being put into your mouth and it definitely won't be if it's fry's peppermint choccie as that's allllll mine!

On a lighter note, people need to lighten up, both on this thread and on the high street and be less cynical - I understand Jo's frustration about the tripod, I understand her want to check if indeed there was a fault or poor design feature and just generally blow off some steam but I really don't think that people need to turn it into a witch hunt for all related to Jessops - I'm not defending the company - I'm defending myself and my friends which work there as there's been a jolly great big brush tarring us - people balls up - individuals - and sometimes companies balls up and not the people - all I'm saying to some people is widen your minds...just slightly

:)
 
foodpoison said:
I don't care what my employers think. I'm honest about the stuff I do. I'm 17, my job is not my life, and I have absolutely NO intention of going into retail when I'm older. Dear lord I couldn't think of anything worse. Not my cup of tea, having to deal with people such as yourself :thumbs:

Okay.
So, instead, I'll say, "Yes of course we can get that tripod to you by thursday!"
and then when thursday rolls around we'll be in even more sh-t.

That was an honest to god statement. No sarcasm meant. I don't like the service from most high-street retailers, I don't like having to queue, and I just love the convenience from internet shopping.
It's simple really. If you don't like their service, go somewhere else?
I'm not going to say, "Well, you should continue to buy at Jessops even though half of your purchases have been a disaster and the prices they display aren't exactly competitive,"
Customer service?
Giving good advice is good customer service. Perhaps you need to brush up on common sense? :shrug:

I take that last comment to heart, and I find you being very rude now.
I know I'm not the next ansel adams, but have you looked at my photography? I don't think it deserves the title of "No photo skills"

My customer service skills might be so bad they're starred out, but christ, by the looks of it your people skills are dire.
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If it's worth anything, I've just looked through your flickr account, and you are a fantastic photographer.
I love some of your BMX in the dark kind of shots, and some of the cloud shots.

And in case you're wondering, that's NOT sarcasm.

I can only ever wish that people as good and obviously passionate about photog as you would work in camera stores.
 
We'll never get anywhere, so I suggest a truce. I offer my apologies for the possibly rude and probably brash statements/comments, and hope that we can put all this behind us :thumbs:

*extends a hand*

ps. And thank you very much for the comment about my photography, was heartwarming. And yes, I would have said all the above even if you hadn't said anything nice about my photography :p Just so you know :)
 
foodpoison said:
We'll never get anywhere, so I suggest a truce. I offer my apologies for the possibly rude and probably brash statements/comments, and hope that we can put all this behind us :thumbs:

*extends a hand*

ps. And thank you very much for the comment about my photography, was heartwarming. And yes, I would have said all the above even if you hadn't said anything nice about my photography :p Just so you know :)
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A truce is just great with me matey.
*Extends hand back, and enjoys a firm handshake* !!

Although it did get a bit personal, I really didn't intend it to.
I just get very peed off with this country, and everyone wanting to rip us off all the time.
It's not just Jeesops, as far as I'm concerned it's all the goddamm high street shops.
But hey, that's my opinion, and I really should keep it to myself!!!!!

I was a bit of a git earlier, so please accept my apologies.
Fair play to you for chucking a bit of good humor into this thread.

(I was only joking about your photography.
You are a load of arse).

:lol::lol::lol::lol:
 
What annoys me is the price difference between the UK and the USA.
The Cannon 100mm macro lens can be had in the USA for £50 - £70 cheaper :(
 
I have bought a few items from Jessops and always ask if the item has been on display and will only buy if it is brand spanking new...I have emailed Jessops head office about selling display cameras as new items and they told me by reply email that if a camera has been on display the customer will be informed....i do not believe this and If you reserve and collect and get the text/phone call telling you the item is ready for collection it has probably been dusted off and reboxed without you even knowing.
Don't forget if you pay peanuts you will only get monkeys to work for you.
 
I think we can sum up this bloated thread as such :

Working in retail, regardless of the nature of the business, is complete sh-it.

As a customer, you WILL get rubbish customer service from a certain branch or individual within these companies at some point, it's inevitable.

From the other side of the counter, you WILL have to deal with a number of complete ar5eholes at some point regardless of your standing, age and knowledge in the field, that's inevitable too.

Group hug anyone...? :love:
 
Awwww, isn't it nice when everyone gets on :D.
 
:clap:
robbie t said:
I think we can sum up this bloated thread as such :

Working in retail, regardless of the nature of the business, is complete sh-it.

As a customer, you WILL get rubbish customer service from a certain branch or individual within these companies at some point, it's inevitable.

From the other side of the counter, you WILL have to deal with a number of complete ar5eholes at some point regardless of your standing, age and knowledge in the field, that's inevitable too.

Group hug anyone...? :love:
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:clap::clap::clap:

And so say all of us.
 
Is it all over and done with now........;)
 
dear oh dear oh dear, what a lot of hate in here!

One major problem that Jessops have is inconsistency between branches, and unfortunately it's usually biased towards **** service. I speak from lots of practical experience with this, I am a branch manager who, along side running my own store, has ran about 8 other stores from time to time for a few week periods.

Now, starting with my store. Every single member of staff in my store is passionate about photography and the kit to make it happen, and every single member of staff does genuinely enjoy helping the customer to get exactly what they want, not just equipment wise but the knowledge on how to use the equipment to get the results. The amount of time's ive heard people DOWNsell to get a customer a better suited camera to them I can't even calculate, although yes we do have sales targets, I have found that by genuinely being helpful, my store is one of the most successful in the country.

Customer service is our key point. If customers are happy with the service they are receiving they will naturally (in most cases) speak with their money. If they're not happy with it, even if we do get a sale out of them, it'll be a one off sale and they'll never come back. I have a LOT of repeat business, and that's what i pride myself on. I've been in charge of my particular store for coming up to a year, and in that time I have not had a single customer complaint with regards to my staff, and anything that has arisen due to factors beyond our control have been resolved in store and the customer has ALWAYS walked away happy....backed up by the fact i've not had a single head office complaint!

To go back to the original post, yes, display items are indeed sold alongside new ones, but I know at least in our branch it is always the policy to then remove the item from its packaging, tell the customer that it has been on display, show the customer over the product and ensure they are perfectly happy with it. 9 times out of 10, the item is fully functional and not cosmetically marked, and most people are happy to take it away as is. If they're not, some kind of arrangement will be made that suits both parties, whether it's a small discount, free print vouchers or whatever, but we never try and trick customers into believing a display item is completely new.

I all too often hear of bad service in other stores, and have unfortunately seen plenty of it and have tried within the best of my authority to correct practices as often as possible, but unfortunately i only have confidence in my own particular branch, and it's disheartening knowing that my store is doing such a good job whilst there are so many clowns in the rest of the company completely ruining the photographers faith in all stores!

If any of you guys are ever in the West Yorkshire area, pop into the Halifax branch and I assure you the service mentioned in this thread will NOT be the norm. If it is, let me know asap and I'll get it resolved! Hell, just pop in for a chat if you wish, I'm the only Tom there and i'm 6'4 so it's easy to spot me :p Mention you're from talk photography and I'll see what i can do for you as well if you're looking at getting something, I've ended up chatting to a few guys from here who have made themselves apparant as TP'ers in the middle of the sale and hace received a few thank you PM's afterwards on here!

Tom.
 
My experiences of Jessops hasn't exactly been a sucess either, on one occasion I explained exactly what I needed in a video camera, and was sold one totally useless for what I wanted. On another occasion I was given one price over the phone and 20 minutes later in the shop the item had gained a hundred quid. The staff have often little product training, and are often not even photographers.
Personally I have given up using them, I now shop in their rival store, if Jessop go out of business tough, they can either shape up or get out. Wayne
 
Grockle said:
Sorry, foodpoison, but an ex-demo item is USED. If your views in seeing nothing wrong in selling these as new are representative of the staff mentality then it is no wonder people are seeking other outlets to spend their hard earned cash with.

If such items are being passed off as new then Trading Standards may well be interested in taking a look at the problem.
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This isn't the first time that Jessops has tried to pass off an ex-demo camera as new. Jessops tried to sell me an ex-demo model a few years ago and claimed that it was new, even though I knew it was the ex-demo model. I walked out of that branch in disgust and they lost a sale.
 
Well, I have only had positive experiences with them - particularly when they used to sell secondhand gear. These days their advertised prices can be pretty high, but they're often willing to negotiate down based on pukka UK prices, and I've only found their staff to be friendly (if not always as knowledgeable as I'd hope) - which is the main reason I'd rather see them turn themselves around and start to perform better.
 
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