Myer - bad attitude

gadgetguy on 17/11/2013 - 10:28

My girlfriend returned an ipad mini case yesterday on which the plastic had cracked and snapped off in some parts. This was after about 3 months.

We got a refund but the attitude of the saleswoman was awful. She said "what do you expect, they are made of plastic, you shouldn't expect it to last very long. You have returned it but most other people wouldn't bother for that amount."

We were pretty shocked by her attitude. This wasn't a young girl either it was an older lady. The item has a 12 months warranty by the way. I've never experienced such a poor attitude in Myer. My girlfriend got her name and is thinking of reporting the incident.

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Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 17/11/2013 - 10:31
    +60

    Do it, report it, name and shame - the old cow ought to be put out to pasture

    • cloudy on 17/11/2013 - 21:26
      +19

      Report her, there are plenty of energetic willing people who wants to work, old stubborn hags should be put down. Do everyone the favour.

      • Cheeper on 18/11/2013 - 13:56
        +5

        Age has no bearing when it comes to being treated like c**p in a store.
        I mostly get it from young ones…

    • [Deactivated] on 21/11/2013 - 10:53

      Dont bother, worked at myer and they dont really do much about it

  • wharlie on 17/11/2013 - 10:45
    +6

    From my experience, service at Myer is generally pretty bad.
    I prefer David Jones.
    As an example I was trying on business shirts at Myer and the salesperson had a go at me for removing the shirts from the packaging to try them on. At David Jones the sales assistant will remove the shirt, pins, tags etc for you then repack it when you have finished.

    • djones145 on 17/11/2013 - 10:50
      +5

      myer tends to have some racks of tester shirts of all sizes, they usually point you there
      however I have had times where they would open it for you to test (usually the cheaper brands they don't care)

    • Keynesian houso cnt on 18/11/2013 - 23:17

      Agreed, DJs has much better service than Myers.

      I have had horrible interactions with staff just for returning/swapping items. Yet at DJs it has been the opposite.

      • Untameable on 19/11/2013 - 17:22

        This used to be true but recently in the Perth CBD at least the DJ store is an absolute ghost town for sales staff, compared to Myer which is still populated.

        Go up to the top level. It's really depressing.

      • [Deactivated] on 20/11/2013 - 00:15

        DJs headhunted someone high up from Myers and now they're following suit, ie have brands provide their own staff in store.

        • Baghern on 21/11/2013 - 14:56

          Yep, great in that I can get service from those brands, but not for things Myer looks after. No service staff available at lunch time in the CITY(Sydney) mens department… enough times that i just stopped going all together.

    • KBZ on 17/11/2013 - 12:18
      +41

      Don't publicly list her name, sure she gave bad service so you report it to management but turning this into a witch-hunt is even worse.

        • Tal_Shiar on 18/11/2013 - 03:41
          +16

          You must have worked in retail which is why you are siding with the "witch"

          what comment are you reading to make that assumption about kangaberries?

          If I had to interact with you at your job and didn't think much of the encounter, would you like me complaining about it on your employers facebook page, using your name? Didn't think so…

  • p1 ama on 17/11/2013 - 12:25
    +12

    You can report it if you want, but personally I've never done that just because it's just not worth my time and I understand that sales assistants can just have bad days and all that plus I'm not really fussy with regards to customer service and all that ho-hum, if I get my refund, I'm happy. Some people are very big on the whole principle idea though.

    • duneknight on 19/11/2013 - 20:45
      +2

      same here, im not gonna even think about it.

  • exc3113nce on 17/11/2013 - 14:14
    +5

    We had a sub-contractor accuse us of lying once…we reported her and they told us we were the 3rd person to report her within the month!

  • YTW on 17/11/2013 - 15:19
    +8

    I've had shocking encounters twice with the same horrible old cow in the bra section of our local Myer and have avoided it (for years) ever since. Looking back, I wish I'd reported her as her level of snark and surliness was well above the usual acceptable levels (haha…you know what I mean, allowances do need to be made for someone having a crap day etc). I'm just going to wait a couple more years to be certain she's dead and then I'll start shopping there again :)

  • tran_p on 18/11/2013 - 02:55
    +9

    Ok guys I let you guys in a little secret, my friend his a manager in one of the Myers in perth, he said if you wanna complaint "report it on their website" that will go straight to the head office, and she'll be dealt with! She will get her ass whooped! Hope that helps :)

    • cwongtech on 18/11/2013 - 13:55
      +3

      +1
      Don't complain via the phone. No evidence of any encounters.
      Same with compliments. If you want to make sure that the time you used to either rage/praise a retail member, do it via their feedback form/email on the main website.

    • Saiya on 19/11/2013 - 16:53
      +1

      Yep whenever I get bad service (especially from my local Bunnings store) I have always sent off a polite email with my disappointment. At least that way there is a paper trail.

  • camelgrass on 18/11/2013 - 06:23
    -1

    I don't get the purpose of this post. Is it you just letting off some steam? Do you just feel like sharing? Will it some how benefit somebody here?

    I can understand you were shocked at her attitude, but if you feel like reporting her just be done with it and move on. After all, you got the refund you were after.

    I feel your frustration. Just in the last 3 days I have received unsatisfactory and sometimes downright rude service from 2 major retail chains. In the same period I've been tailgated by a woman in a European SUV, she then passed me and then abused me because I was doing the speed limit. There's not that much I can do about it, I just accept it as part and parcel of society today. I will make complaints and reports if I think it warrants it on the balance of things but I am not going to waste my time just because ''on principle''.

    I have written at least a couple forum posts on OzBargain about completely unsatisfactory behaviour and customer service and on at least one occasion downright deceit from certain companies where the behaviour is/was endemic within those companies I named. The posts were more of a warning to consumers. On one occasion the company was making false claims about a product that could have compromised the well being of consumers.

    But are we to do a write-up every time we receive rude service from an employee of any given company?

    Anyway, after all that I encourage you to report her to management if you feel that is the right thing to do.

  • ethereal88 on 18/11/2013 - 07:09
    -8

    Its in every job, one or a whole herd of old cows who've been there since 1945, they are kept on as tokenism nothing more and are always out of touch. Good news, the old farts will soon die out.

  • camelgrass on 18/11/2013 - 07:29
    +37

    The attitude of the saleswoman may have been awful as the OP has described, but the attitude of some of the posters here is just as bad or even worse.

    The term ''cow'' has been used by at least 4 different users to describe her, as well as ''hag'' and ''old fart''.

    I don't get all the name calling. Does it make you feel big or something around here?

    • Bargain4U on 18/11/2013 - 17:17
      -1

      Déjà vu

    • [Deactivated] on 19/11/2013 - 16:01
      +1

      Yup, her age and gender has nothing to do with her lack of tact. Those who label her with derogatory adjectives are also displaying the same deficiency.

      I hear the general message here. Poor customer service is inexcusable. We pay a sizable premium to buy from a brick and mortar store, and we expect sales assistants, not a lady with a bad day. Empathy is irrelevant in retail, and it applies both ways.

    • HereYeeHereYee on 19/11/2013 - 18:45
      -1

      pretty much
      plus there's always two sides of a story, maybe OP was being a 'hag/old fart' as well lol

  • amandaspanda on 18/11/2013 - 08:45
    +3

    Experiencing bad service will make you less likely to want to return to that business because of that experience.
    Receiving good service will make you more likely to return.
    I'm sure the Upper Management at Myer would rather be told about a worker with a bad attitude so they can address the issue and leave their customers with good experiences and the want to return.
    If management don't know there's a problem then they can't do anything to fix it.

    • Merapi on 18/11/2013 - 10:18
      +4

      I agree. I have made an online complaint due to receiving a poor service from a Myer staff and someone from the management rang me to apologize. He also said that he will find out who was working on the floor at that time by reviewing the surveillance and have a "talk" with the staff responsible. I feel much much better afterwards.

      Go for it!

      • [Deactivated] on 18/11/2013 - 12:36
        +1

        If they were real leaders they would get back to you to confirm the staff member had been spoken too. I doubt they'd ever look back at the surveillance tapes. In fact most of the cameras I've ever seen in Myer look like the 'dummy' cameras from Dicm Smiths! I'm sure their reel-to-reel CCTV footage video recorder died years ago.

        • Merapi on 18/11/2013 - 13:00
          +1

          Aww, I had my hopes up. Anyway, the manager knows the time/date of the incident so hopefully he could find out who it was or address the whole area. Also, it's nice to hear that at least someone in the company does care enough to ring me and acknowledge the issue.

  • Baa on 18/11/2013 - 12:47
    +2

    I never bother to report bad conduct as it is just not worth the effort (or the time) - and really most employers will not do much with this feedback especially in areas such as the retail sector. Plus when buying something I usually know what I want and where I am getting it from before I buy it, so long as I get what I need who cares? Even after being stung by Kogan'd I still buy stuff from them if they are offering a good price.

    I think on this note however it is important to let employers know when somebody has gone above the call of duty in their job. Occasionally when I deal with somebody who has really gone out of their way for me I will take the time to email through to the company - from the person I deal with at the supermarket right up to buying a house.

    Too often people in retail have to deal with asshole customers (which I am not implying the OP is) and forget that just being courteous can go a long way.

    • elf888 on 18/11/2013 - 13:29
      -1

      Agree, I was worked at KFC and treat annoying customer like ShXt. (e.g. 10min before close, asked for all Breast pieces in a 3pce box.) Have a couple complaints but manager just has the same feeling with me, so no problem at all.
      Complaining is useless in retail, just a waste of time.

      • Baa on 18/11/2013 - 14:23
        +1

        Exactly "customer is always right" applies to their face only.

        I know how these conversations go -

        Manager "Some has complained about you"
        Employee "Cool story"
        Manager "Yeh I have to come let you know as a technicaility, bai now"

        Manager proceeds back to their office to have a kip.

      • Feng9 on 19/11/2013 - 02:18
        +7

        "10min before close, asked for all Breast pieces in a 3pce box"

        "treat annoying customer like ShXt"

        You are the problem in society nowadays.

        • elf888 on 20/11/2013 - 11:16
          -3

          Please read it with brain! people nowaday only read and not think. obviously referred to the word annoying!
          Bring your mine when you reading.

  • kwaker on 18/11/2013 - 13:22
    -7

    I agree that the lady should keep her opinions to herself in that situation.

    But at Myer and the price you paid for you cheap plastic Chinese item you have paid the markup for the warranty otherwise go on ebay.

    I can't say she is wrong most people wouldn't bother. You are obviously one to fight for pennies and that's fine.

    I often say people like yourself often don't factor in historical cost (time stress bus fare etc) and here you are stressed and upset. That was the cost of returning the item which you chose to do so your the one who has to deal with that so its your choice

    Its why I don't bother returning small things.

    • gadgetguy on 18/11/2013 - 15:36
      +5

      The case cost $40. If this is "pennies" for you then you are doing well.

      • kwaker on 18/11/2013 - 19:30
        -7

        $40 cash minus the historical cost that your on here complaining about.

        • camelgrass on 18/11/2013 - 21:53
          +4

          $40 is not pennies and it's completely reasonable that the OP sought a refund.

          It's also understandable that they were somewhat shocked at the attitude of the saleswoman.

          What's not understandable is why they decided to share their story here. Bad attitude is so common these days whether it be at tbe shops, at work, on the road, socially, in society in general. It happens all the time. Just decide whether to report her or not and move on. It's not really that a big deal.

  • Cheeper on 18/11/2013 - 14:05
    +3

    Store managers and dept heads know which of their staff are letting the team down but it is awkward to do anything without customer complaints.
    Report bad service if you want good service.

    On the other hand it is not unusual for young people to be downright rude in this day of zero respect. They cry when it gets dished back at them… :-(

  • earths_pacifist on 18/11/2013 - 15:16
    +4

    I used to be a manager at Kmart and can tell you that if a complaint was received by head office that would immediately be sent to the Store Manager and there would be diciplinary action taken. The staff member would have to prove that they were in the right and this is can be very subjective depending on the Store Manager and how far they took the "customer is always right" slogan.

    All complaints were followed up vigorously at the 2 stores I worked at. Fortunately I only ever saw one person fired because of complaint but that was his own fault and was his 3rd official substantiated complaint. Everyone else learnt very quickly.

  • gadgetguy on 18/11/2013 - 15:39
    +5

    I just want to point out that my girlfriend has actually had many instances of great service at Myer and often sends complimentary emails on these occasions. She even bought one staff member some chocolates for going "above and beyond". I guess that's partly why she was not happy with this incident.

    Oh and the case cost $40 and I don't think most people can afford to just write that off.

  • Krizy on 18/11/2013 - 15:39

    I had a good experience with making a return at Myer the other day. I tend to assume that stores like this won't do the right thing and it's a pleasant surprise when they do. You're in the right, so make a complaint if you want to and then move on from it.

  • EnALup on 18/11/2013 - 16:05

    Personally I would report it. No one has a right to disgrace customers and show attitude. Its not about time or

    That said, I mostly take clothing from Myers Liverpool. The old ladies in clothing are so nice and helping. They would often come to you and will help you choose shirt, tie colour, size, etc. If I could not find one particular size, they will go inside and confirm if they have anything there.

    I have personally given positive feedback to two ladies in writing without telling them in store as they have feedback form at billing counter.

    So I think it is also down to the store manager , how he motivates his team to give more service or the individual sales person who is arrogant.

    I have seen Kmart, target and BigW having young staff just ignoring you and talking to each other here and there. You run and ask them something and get a usual response: whatever we have in stock is displayed.
    Whereas JBHiFi has all young blood and they are so helpful and nice.

    • camelgrass on 18/11/2013 - 18:57

      I think you'll find a certain percentage of staff at jbhifi are working on commission basis so it pays for them to be nice. But yes, it depends on management as well.

  • Charlatan on 18/11/2013 - 17:58

    Out of curiosity, what case was it?

  • Daabido on 18/11/2013 - 20:44
    +4

    Go to Japan, experience what true customer service means, then return to Australia and be bitterly disappointed with many / most retail transactions until you once again return to Japan to enjoy the best fake sincerity your yen can buy, as well as whacky Japanese game shows and food that will blow your mind.

    • lplau on 19/11/2013 - 14:01
      +3

      I don't believe it is fake sincerity.
      I think it is actually real sincerity, its built into their culture.

      I remember losing something in my hotel room, the manager sent a guy to look through all the rubish in the floor to see if a maid accidentally thrown it away.

      Wasted around 2 hrs looking through the rubish. I was skeptical that they would ACTUALLY look through the rubish, until I walked by the room where they store the rubish, and very easily heard somebody shuffling through stuff. Highly doubt it was a maid looking for stuff as it was at around 11PM at night, so I was convinced the guy actually did look through all the trash.

      Once he couldn't find it, him and his manager came knocking on my room. Apologised to me and then bowed 3 times each while saying sorry. Then told me they will interrogate the head maid tomorrow when they arrived at work.

      I doubt any hotel even the 6star hotels in Australia which would actually provide this level of service.

      Other experiences in Japan:
      My wife dropped something on the street (was reletively expensive), the guy behind her actually knocked on her shoulder and told her about it… Doubt that would happen in Australia, somebody would wait until you walked far enough then pocket the item.

      From all my experiences in Japan, their service is number 1, the stores treat you as if you are their Master.

      • Harry2017 on 20/11/2013 - 01:39
        +2

        Yeh i agree with your comments about Japan. When i first arrive there, i had no idea where to go and i certainly couldn't speak the language. A couple of people saw i was confused and lost, asked me where i wanted to go, and instead of just pointing me in the right direction, they actually walked me a good 10 minutes to where i needed to be. I think Japanese culture must be about consideration and helpfulness or something, it was amazing.

  • nutsackjake on 18/11/2013 - 22:54
    +1

    If anyone cares or it makes anyone feel better. If you, as a team member at Myer, get a complaint; the manager will follow you up on it. That goes with compliments too. It's amazing how far the managers will go to track down a team member that had a complaint against their name.
    My advice, complain. Unfortunately it's the only way action is made. That being said, if you ever get good service, please use the same amount of energy to give praise! It doesn't happen enough.

  • ankor on 19/11/2013 - 07:49

    I would complain, as someone else pointed out in this thread, that was totally uncalled for.

  • Janko on 19/11/2013 - 09:26

    "what do you expect, they are made of plastic, you shouldn't expect it to last very long."

    Response:

    "I guess your face proves that."

  • ThisJustin on 19/11/2013 - 10:42
    +1

    Definitely rude and poor service. You have every right to return the product. It's not her place to comment on what most people would or wouldn't do nor insult you for returning it.

    I'd report it. This type of behaviour continues if no one complains. Unfortunately we are just expected to tolerate crappy service in this country.

  • ilostnemo on 19/11/2013 - 10:57

    I would call, and speak to her again.

    You should never receive bad service, but sometimes people have bad days, and sales staff aren't exempt.
    She may of had some bad news recently, may of just had a customer abuse her 10 minutes before you saw her etc.

    If she isn't apologetic or understanding then I would take it further.

  • frostee on 19/11/2013 - 13:53
    -3

    Agreed with poor customer service skills in Myer. I'll never forget in Year 10 at high school there was a teachers strike for half the day so me and a couple of friends went to the shops until school started late at like 12pm or something. We were playing an Xbox that was set up (remember those?) in Myer and the dumb lady asked what we were doing and why we weren't at school. Calmly told her that there was a teachers strike and she ended up demanding we leave the store! Was an absolute joke and to this day it bugs me that I didn't report the old cow.

  • RocketSwitch on 19/11/2013 - 20:43

    I agree with the sentiments with some of the posters.

    I whole heartedly agree you should report it, this behaviour is not acceptable.

    No need for name calling.

  • paloverde88 on 19/11/2013 - 21:15
    +2

    Worse place to do returns and refunds and exchange, the world champion gold medal winner of bad attitude and condescension: Harvey Norman stores, proud winner of worse attitude and condescension towards customers who exchange or return electronic gear. 10 years in a row winner! They should be so proud they are still making money.

    • erroorfree on 20/11/2013 - 19:18

      lol.thats y there hardly normal. so true!

  • Harry2017 on 20/11/2013 - 01:34
    +2

    2 years ago i had an elderly gentlemen serve me in Myer. I was looking for a certain set of headphones. He talked to me like it was beneath him to even serve me. He was so rude. I got his name, called up the manager and gave him a full acount. The manager was really good and assured me he would deal with it. Whether he dealt with it or not i don't know, but at least i felt better that i actually did something. You should make a formal complaint. You'll feel better and hopefully that lady will treat other customers better in the future.

  • MrMaxwell on 20/11/2013 - 09:33

    Always report these kinds of issues to store managers - trust me they want to know!

  • DarrylD on 20/11/2013 - 15:27

    I bought a vacuum cleaner from Myer about 18 months ago and it died about a minute after plugging it in. I was in the shopping complex the next day and asked a woman working in electrical if I could return and replace it. I told her I'd bought it 3 weeks ago - outside the usual 7 or 10 day return policy these companies pull - but she said that wasn't a problem.
    I went back on the weekend to do the exchange and ran into 2 hostile 25 year servants of Myer who told me that woman was new and didn't know what she was talking about. I got annoyed and laid down my government-endorsed rights to a replacement for a dud, not a Sanyo warranty claim at my expense as they wanted. You would have thought I was taking money out of their own pocket the way they behaved. I got my replacement and didn't complain to management but I do wonder what treatment these 2 unpleasant ladies gave the elderly newbie the next time they crossed paths.

  • ironplus on 20/11/2013 - 17:42

    Can I ask who which store this was? I had a rude older lady at Adelaide Myers a few months ago. After I paid I realised they didn't give me a coupon after spending a certain amount (was a promotion) so I asked her and she gave a real attitude and said she had customers waiting (who were behind me). Excuse me, hello, I too am a paying customer b*tch, saw her ugly face again a few weeks later and wanted to throw something at it, that's how much she pi$$ed me off. That was the short story, there was much more to it. Spent like $300 and thinks I am not a customer.

    • Tal_Shiar on 20/11/2013 - 23:40

      If you ever get to the point you feel like committing assault and battery you really should go see someone at Myer in some capacity. Everyone is entitled to their opinions about what will get done , but they won't know until they're informed and keep it civil or it will more than likely be dismissed

      • ironplus on 21/11/2013 - 00:08

        I was never going to hurt anyone, i was just describing how i felt. The feeling you get when they take your money and don't get back what they promise you, plus more (of the bad attitude). Some people need to know when they are rude, even I thought I did a decent thing for not dobbing her in, maybe I should've… Thanks for the advice though.

  • erroorfree on 20/11/2013 - 19:16
    -4

    come on mate. $20 case broken down afta 3 months . big deal! its an accessory made in china for $1 or $2. what do you expect, if you paid $30 or $40, its your mistake to buy it off them to begin with. lol

    • paloverde88 on 20/11/2013 - 21:10
      +2

      By your admission these are $1 or $2 that Myer sells for $30 or $40 that's a really good profit they are making so what's exchanging or refunding a couple hundreds matter to Myer at all? It sure is a big mistake to pay $30-$40 for a $1-$2 item. Of course return it to negate the bad karma.

  • sydshopper on 20/11/2013 - 21:17

    Below is the response I got when I complained (via the website) about customer service in Myer once. It probably was a standard letter and who knows if there was any real follow up? I've removed store identifying information.

    Thank you for taking the time to write to us regarding your recent experience at our Myer XXXX store.
    We were most concerned to read your comments, particularly that our team members were not attentive to your needs in the XXXX Department. We want you to know that we are truly committed to ensuring that our customers receive quality service when visiting our stores, and we expect the behaviour of our team members to reflect this commitment.
    Please be assured that we have followed up on your concerns with the Management Team at Myer XXXX who will most certainly review that store’s customer service standards.
    Once again, thank you for contacting us. We appreciate having the opportunity to respond to your concerns, and we look forward to seeing you at Myer again.> Block-quote

    • cwongtech on 20/11/2013 - 23:28

      Probably a standard copy and paste response for the "complaint" feedback

      • PonyTable on 21/11/2013 - 09:42
        +4

        As former Myer Upper Management - who worked for them under the current ownership, I can confirm this was a canned response.

        However, this complaint will land at 3-4 email addresses, once the complaint has been checked by head office (ensuring its not spam etc).

        One of the 3 email addresses is the State Manager, then the store manager, who then passes it down the line to Customer service & or floor managers, who will then take appropriate and fair procedure to talk to the staff member, as someone who was there these emails did not go down lightly, and you had about 24 hours to have it returned to the state manager with a please explain.

        There also has to be a fair and just procedure for staff as well, as there are a lot of heinous complaints because generally a lot of people complain when they don't get their own way, not necessarily because of bad service.

        Staff have a 3 warning/re-training condition in their employment agreement, and management need to give the team member the opportunity to redeem their mistake, or at least learn from it and avoid repeating it. If they get 3 complaints the would need to be re-trained in service or counselled with the possibility of losing their job.

        As for repatriation for the offended/upset customer it heavily depends on the situation, generally at the least you should get a personal letter/call from the store manager/department manager to apologise and offer their personal assistance in resolving the issue.

        If it was an issue where the customer had been refused the return for example, a manager would request they return to the store and consult with them to see if they could resolve the issue.

        Other complaints are resolved with vouchers, discounts etc. - all assessed on a case by case basis.

        So to weigh in on the original post, in my opinion its a completely legitimate return - unless its obvious customer abuse of the product (If I had a dollar for the amount of DVD players/VCRS I saw with random stuff in the tray!) But as its a case, which is designed to protect a device from bumps and scratches etc. It should be able to handle fair wear and tear, and should have been a simple as just returning a clearly faulty item.

        Ultimately the cost of returns don't come from the staff members pocket - the supplier will foot the bill as part of their agreement with Myer. If the staff member is concerned about sales figures for the day they should have returned your item and offered you a replacement, possibly a better product. That's how proper service should be.

  • akoli on 21/11/2013 - 09:52
    +3

    It only takes one member of staff to sour a brand, I went to Myer to buy a particular perfume for my wife, was about 20 mins before closing and it was pretty dead.

    I went to the necessary perfume counter where the attendant was speaking to a fellow perfumee who looked to have just finished the shift…I waited for 5 minutes whilst they finished their conversation she looked and turned the opposite way and walked off and her friend left the store… no courtesy message of I'l just be a minute …and never came back… after another couple of minutes of me obviously mumbling to myself that it was just downright rude …a lady from Clarins came over and served me instead… so good on Clarins she was really nice …but it has been 4 years since I have been in Myer now….and wont be there anytime soon… cant be gassed with snobby sales attendents…your there to look after people and be nice not judge if they are going to earn you comission or not.

    • PonyTable on 21/11/2013 - 16:52
      +1

      I agree that most of the complaints go unheard - to the detriment of the business, because for normal people a lot of the time its not worth the trouble to go through the process, and really, for Tier one department stores, you shouldn't have to…it should be top shelf service always.

      Another factor in particular with cosmetics is the strategy that Myer and DJ's both have now, as the staff are 100% provided by the cosmetics houses so will only look after their own counter/product. Whereas it used to be a 50/50 split on wages e.g. half Myer half Estee Lauder etc etc.

      The new system is very flawed, and unfortunately is now rampant in the fashion areas as well - its flawed because the "brand staff" only serve customers in their area which is what their boss tells them to do, and Myer generally only have one floating staff member for the whole department, its how Myer in particular have been able to keep their doors open because they rent out the floorspace to these brands, reducing the cost of their lease etc.

      All in All though, the market in Australia has changed, and so has the world, We want prices to be rock bottom on everything (that's what we are here for) and it has to come at a cost, the trouble with Myer is, they haven't dropped the prices accordingly, just the service…which was the redeeming thing about it, and one of the reasons I left the company and because of stories like above becoming common place.

  • edsnails on 21/11/2013 - 14:37

    This staff member (like others I have encountered at Myer) is sour because she wished she could work at David Jones.
    At DJs you get a promotion for acting like you constantly have a stick up your butt.

  • savit on 21/11/2013 - 22:05

    We got a refund but the attitude of the saleswoman was awful. She said "what do you expect, they are made of plastic, you >shouldn't expect it to last very long. You have returned it but most other people wouldn't bother for that amount.">

    What makes the buyer think that saleswoman attitude was awful or shocking?
    Was the salesperson refusing the refund or exchange?
    Or the old woman seems just tried to be honest with buyer and shared the facts about the unsatisfactory quality of product they sell and other buyer's attitude regarding the returns? I do realise that such comments may be unpleasant for many to hear, however, I would appreciate her honesty unlike sweet lies at most of the retail stores where most of the salespeople have 90% attitude to sell by all means and 10% of actual knowledge of the product.

    • savit on 21/11/2013 - 23:47

      It's ok to neg my comment. So far 3 neg votes. Everyone has the right to have his/her own opinion.
      Do you mind to explain also with what you do not agree with me?

      • cwongtech on 22/11/2013 - 00:12

        I am one of the neggers for your comment, feel free to respond/neg/whatever. Haters gona hate.

        She said "what do you expect, they are made of plastic, you shouldn't expect it to last very long. You have returned it but most other people wouldn't bother for that amount."

        I expect, a $40 case to last a fairly long time (3 months is not really satisfactory), if they're going to charge such a massive premium on it, I expect quality, and I expect no questions asked with warranty at that price. I would return it too, if it was $40.
        "What do you expect" - is not "agreeing" with the customer, that is like rolling your eyes at someone verbally. If she said: "Yeah, this stuff would break all the time, no worries" - that's agreeing with the customer and following up their request.

        Was the salesperson refusing the refund or exchange?

        Doesn't matter. I wouldn't do business with someone who spat in my face. Stores are for service and experience, that's why they charge so much. Making derogatory comments or anything that could cause a customer to feel unhappy is not part of any retail member's job description.

        I would appreciate her honesty unlike sweet lies at most of the retail stores where most of the salespeople have 90% attitude to sell by all means and 10% of actual knowledge of the product.

        That was not honesty, that was attitude. It's also not product knowledge that an item your store sells should break fairly easily. It's pretty insulting to a customer.

        You have returned it but most other people wouldn't bother for that amount.

        How can that even sound like a good comment to make? "but most other people wouldn't bother for that amount". Look at but and bother, how do those words sound in any sentence?
        Retail needs to weed out the terrible staff, if they want to survive. There's too many people that are employed purely because they've been there at the store for ages.
        One thing I need to make clear to everyone: Length of employment in a non-skilled profession means jack-all, if anything, it means they weren't good enough/haven't improved to be able to move up in position.

        Disclaimer: I work in retail as a casual member.

        • savit on 22/11/2013 - 01:42

          cwongtech, thanks for your detailed comment.
          I do not expect the end salesperson to be responsible personally for the quality and warranty of the sold product. If it is poor quality then the product has to be refunded/exchanged etc. There are policies for that purpose.
          I would assume "what do you expect" to be just a rhetorical question which does not require answer or rolling eyes. Most of $xx products in AU cost just $x in China. Sometimes margin is 10 times or more, however it does not improve the quality of the product no matter what you paid.I thought it is obvious for most of the people.
          May be, old lady has its own attitude however I'd rather talk in the store with 'alive' person who knows what he/she sells and has his/her own opinion rather than a smiling 'robot'.
          Definitely being rude is not a part of any job description however we can not judge how she said in that situation, just what she said.
          I do agree that there is a number of terrible staff in large retail, however from my experience, it was usually a management staff who treated customers like sh$t no matter whether it was franchising or not . So, I would start weeding out from them.
          ps I did not work in large retail, however I owned a few small ones.

        • cwongtech on 22/11/2013 - 02:34
          -1

          I would assume "what do you expect" to be just a rhetorical question which does not require answer or rolling eyes.

          True, if it was said with a smile, and nothing else after, it could be a rhetorical question. But the stuff after.. sort of points to the staff member being judgmental of the customer's actions to return a broken product.

          Most of $xx products in AU cost just $x in China. Sometimes margin is 10 times or more, however it does not improve the quality of the product no matter what you paid.I thought it is obvious for most of the people.

          That is true. Generally, larger retailers have buying teams that specifically weed out the mass of suppliers in China to find a reliable one that will perform consistently in quality. That is what I expect from a big retailer, the smaller retailers (like those iPhone case stalls you see in many shopping centers) will mostly source their stuff from Alibaba/eBay/eBay-seller-from-china's supplier.

          May be, old lady has its own attitude however I'd rather talk in the store with 'alive' person who knows what he/she sells and has his/her own opinion rather than a smiling 'robot'.

          You are seeking knowledgeable staff members, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, if the staff member don't have product knowledge - they really shouldn't be on the floor helping customers (if they know nothing). However, it is very important to smile at all times. Someone shared this at an event:
          Smiles cost nothing, but they will give you the world.

          I do agree that there is a number of terrible staff in large retail, however from my experience, it was usually a management staff who treated customers like sh$t no matter whether it was franchising or not . So, I would start weeding out from them.

          I do agree with some of the blame being part of management. Bad management will allow lazy candidates in an interview to slip through, and generally decrease morale of staff members. However, those in management positions, if they are very good at what they do, they WILL move up. Those who are bad.. will remain (for a long time) until someone notices and kicks them out.
          It is unfortunate, that until someone points a gun to their head, the retail industry will not change. A large portion of the staff employed are part of the "will not move up" type of people. Hopefully, with more competition this will change the face of Australia's retail industry and drop those who aren't efficient. Because that's what competition does, it forces out the inefficient (along with a lot of union whinging rather than trying to improve those who are about to get dropped), forces prices down (excellent for consumers).
          Take a look at the computer parts industry, there is an INSANE amount of competition, and thankfully, those who are shopping in that type of products aren't the "oh lets just grab this off the shelf". The market is EFFICIENT, the consumers are well-informed, which is what we really want. There's no whinging about online retail within the computer-parts market. They're probably the first industry to adapt globally.

  • Claggs on 21/11/2013 - 22:33

    Everytime I go into Myer, they treat me as if I'm something lower than they are. Always such terrible customer service - always give attitude, act very snobby and they seem to simply assume right from the moment that I talk to them at the register or asking where something is located that I cannot afford whatever it is. This is the reason I do not shop there, I've boycotted them entirely, and I don't let myself go unheard if it is brought up in conversation.

  • Garagesale on 21/11/2013 - 22:40

    Surprisedyou got any service at all, consider yourself lucky.
    Wandered round the chaddy toy are for 20 mins and not a storeperson in sight.
    How do they makke money?

  • voteoften on 22/11/2013 - 00:02

    I got the most condescending brittle treatment at Aroma Cafe at my school. I don't order coffee very often but never will from there if she is anywhere on the premises.

    This lady is also older.

    I wonder if it is a generational thing and younger people just interpret the wrong way.

    • camelgrass on 22/11/2013 - 08:01

      You could be right. Younger people tend to be more sensitive and take things more personally, while as you age you learn not to worry about it as much and just get on with your life knowing there's little point in taking on board stuff that is pretty much trivial at the end of the day.

  • ironplus on 22/11/2013 - 00:49
    +2

    Conclusion of this entire thread, old ladies with a sour personality should not work in retail/hospitality.

  • [Deactivated] on 04/12/2013 - 18:04
    +1

    wow, i had similar experience, and it's also an old lady being very rude when i asked her for a direction to change room, like, "you should go find out, i'm not here all day just giving out directions"

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