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How to make someone feel small.


Brighton Belle

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To me, it is good customer service to offer useful advice, suggest a suitable product and make sure it is what the customer wanted.

This is a great example of terrible service, I wouldn't expect to go to Tesco's and be laughed at for buying Tesco Value Baked Beans, and no-one is, because it is not the way to treat a potential customer. Tesco may not need my custom, but astronomy shops which aren't anywhere near as big as Tesco do need the custom. Being rude not only makes people feel small, it also pretty much guarantees a customer to go somewhere else.

I'm really sorry you had such a bad experience, in my local shop, they were really helpful, and gave me an idea about astronomy. Since going on SGL, I've learnt a lot more, but I'm very grateful for the help I received.

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I drove more than an hour today to visit an astronomy shop, the only one anywhere near me.

When I told the owner I had a Celestron 114eq he actually sniggered. Then spent the next 15 mins explaining just how rubbish it is and how he could have done me a much better deal for less.

Now, my scope was a birthday present from my daughter, she saved hard for it and did lots of research on the 'net, this scope was highly recommended for beginners. I was thrilled to get it.

I have bought a few filters and a couple of extra lenses and desperately hope I will be able to view something.

I did buy a couple of small items from this guy today, simply to justify the long drive, but I was really quite upset :cry:

Ok, rant over.

How can I put this, politely............

Mmmmm. Fatherless pig.

Very, very poor.

:mad:

Andy.

ps: Perhaps this take on 'scope snobbery' may cheer you up......

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Got my first scope from a camera shop that my Dad used to do business with, J&A cameras. They set my up with a nice 70mm refractor which I still love and use. They where very helpful (even if the are a very long drive from me)

My other kit is either purchased from FLO or is second hand.

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You were brave to even venture into the shop! I buy everything over the net as I don't feel experienced

enough to face the assistants yet!

thanks Sallystar, I thought it would be useful to speak to someone in person, learn from their experience, but will now go back to buying things online!

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I would like to make 2 small points:

1) He will check Telescope House and price match (or at least he did the last few times I was in).

2) The little table of 2nd hand eyepieces and other bits sometimes has nice items at excellent prices.

which in no way mitigate the vendor's attitude, especially to newcomers, which is awful (many people have obviously found the same as you, myself included).

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If I had been treated like that I would have gone home, put the kettle on, and had a nice brew.......... then, I would have:

Called the shop. Explained that I was new to Astronomy and was looking to buy a nice new telescope.

I would explain that the shop had been recommended by a friend as being a great place to buy from, but that I needed some help.

I would mention one or two (fairly expensive) telescopes that I had been recommended to consider, and ask for their help and advice with "all the other stuff I might need to go with it"

At this point you can probably imagine the £££ signs starting to cloud their vision at the other end of the line!

I'd keep this going a bit further though. Making them build a considerable list of items and accessories, then make them add it all up for me.....

"do you have it all in stock?"

"how much for delivery?"

"ok, sounds good. So, how much is that altogether then?"

"How much?"

"Great, that seems very reasonable........ however....... I'm afraid I don't do business with shops that are rude and discourteous to customers, and who snigger at people who only have a Celestron 114eq...... good day!"

Click, burrrrrrrr.......

:grin:

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... Love it, wish I'd thought of it at the time :grin:

I think the idea was based on a scene from a favourite film of mine....... can you guess which one?

Shop assistant: Hello, can I help you?

Vivian: I was in here yesterday, you wouldn't wait on me.

Shop assistant: Oh.

Vivian: You people work on commission, right?

Shop assistant: Yeah.

Vivian: Big mistake. Big. Huge. I have to go shopping now.

There were so many great lines in that film! :grin:

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When you go into a shop that sells astro gear, you can tell the difference between a sales person and an astronomer.

A sales person will try to sell you the biggest and best scope because they are earning commision on every sale. If the sales person is an astronomer themselves, then they will listen to you and your wants/needs and advise on the best way to go.

When i bought my first scope, the guy in the shop (who is an astronomer and a friend of Sky at night tv show) took into consideration my disability(wheelchair) and guided me towards a scope that was half the price of the one i had in mind (i was actually going for a 114mm), but i came out with a 90mm on an EQ mount.

Summary: Never buy a scope from a person that does not know their backside from their elbow.

If in doubt...............GO WITH THE FLO

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/

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There seems to be a lot of pent up anger here.

People are who they are, and are not going to change their ways, it's a fact of life; a leopard is not going to change its spots as they say. As for snobbery, and jealousy which is the flip side of the coin, you can't win; small minds think small.

Life is too short to worry about such people. Think good thoughts.

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There seems to be a lot of pent up anger here.

I don't think so. I would say instead that we seem to agree that the person in the shop was unprofessional, unkind and inconsiderate.

People are who they are, and are not going to change their ways....

Yes indeed, people are who they are.... but shop assistants engaged in serving customers in a rude and unprofessional way most certainly can change their ways. They can realise their mistakes and modify their behaviour (learning) or they can be warned about their behaviour by the shop manager or owner. If the person is the manager or owner then they learn via complaints, poor sales, or by reading forums such as this one. :p

Life is too short to worry about such people. Think good thoughts.

Absolutely! No need to worry about it, but you don't just accept rude and unprofessional behaviour. You deal with it..... then move on. :smiley:

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I think you should be very proud of that scope. I certainly would be if my daughter had worked so hard to get it for me.

The lame shop arrrsistant you dealt with should be ashamed of himself, and knows nothing of this science.

I would in all honesty seriously consider returning those eyepieces..

He does not deserve our business!!!

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