Another Futureshop Annoyance Thread

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Prottotype

Right now, most retailers are doing pretty close to more returns than sales. It's not the funnest thing to handle as an employee.

Going on ohter sites I'm amazed how it has become the norm to buy a big screen TV. Try it out for a month, take it back for exchange and try another one and than another and than regret that the first TV was probably the best. This has got to drive up prices. Somewhere, somebody has to pick up the bill for this.

[Devils'Advocate]

Pft. That's nothing. You should see the returns line-up the day after the Superbowl.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

About a month ago I was at a Future Shop here in Ottawa to buy a freezer. I found the freezer that I wanted out on display, so I needed someone to get one boxed up for me. There were two people working in that section and both were with customers. I tried to grab a third person and he told me that it wasn't his area and that one of the other two would serve me as soon as they could. I signaled to the older guy (manager?) that I needed assistance. He finished up with the customer and another came flying in saying "Excuse me sir, but I'm in a rush. Can you help me with..." and off they go. Thus far I've waited 25 minutes. The guy that was in a rush took 15 minutes to decide what he wanted and I started walking over to the service rep when a young, pretty woman walks over to him at the same time. He looks at me and says "I'll be with you in just a minute sir." and proceeds to serve her first. BTW - the younger guy had been helping a woman pick out a dishwasher and she just couldn't make up her mind, so he was with the same customer the whole time. Him, I don't blame.. he was with her before I arrived and still with her almost an hour later when I left. I am boycotting that Future Shop... not that that does anything in the grand scheme of things. People tell me I should have written a letter to the store manager, but I didn't think to get the guy's name.

-=-=-=-=-

On the flip side, I understand the lack of motivation for minimum wage jobs. As Chris Rock says, being paid minimum wage is the company telling you that if they were legally allowed to pay you less, they would. You are worth that much to them. Hell, when I worked at Kmart I never got employee of the week... okay, some guys would go above and beyond to help the customer and they got their picture up at the front of the store. Whoopidee-doo. They still got paid the same as I did. I didn't go out of my way to disrespect the customer, but if someone asked me where the mens slippers were I'd point in the general direction and say "three aisles down, opposite the steel-toed work boots". My manager would have gone down, shown them exactly where they were and helped them find the exact type and size they were looking for.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

Pft. That's nothing. You should see the returns line-up the day after the Superbowl.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

About a month ago I was at a Future Shop here in Ottawa to buy a freezer. I found the freezer that I wanted out on display, so I needed someone to get one boxed up for me. There were two people working in that section and both were with customers. I tried to grab a third person and he told me that it wasn't his area and that one of the other two would serve me as soon as they could. I signaled to the older guy (manager?) that I needed assistance. He finished up with the customer and another came flying in saying "Excuse me sir, but I'm in a rush. Can you help me with..." and off they go. Thus far I've waited 25 minutes. The guy that was in a rush took 15 minutes to decide what he wanted and I started walking over to the service rep when a young, pretty woman walks over to him at the same time. He looks at me and says "I'll be with you in just a minute sir." and proceeds to serve her first. BTW - the younger guy had been helping a woman pick out a dishwasher and she just couldn't make up her mind, so he was with the same customer the whole time. Him, I don't blame.. he was with her before I arrived and still with her almost an hour later when I left. I am boycotting that Future Shop... not that that does anything in the grand scheme of things. People tell me I should have written a letter to the store manager, but I didn't think to get the guy's name.

-=-=-=-=-

On the flip side, I understand the lack of motivation for minimum wage jobs. As Chris Rock says, being paid minimum wage is the company telling you that if they were legally allowed to pay you less, they would. You are worth that much to them. Hell, when I worked at Kmart I never got employee of the week... okay, some guys would go above and beyond to help the customer and they got their picture up at the front of the store. Whoopidee-doo. They still got paid the same as I did. I didn't go out of my way to disrespect the customer, but if someone asked me where the mens slippers were I'd point in the general direction and say "three aisles down, opposite the steel-toed work boots". My manager would have gone down, shown them exactly where they were and helped them find the exact type and size they were looking for.

Correct me if I am wrong but I don't think any future shops in Calgary pay minimum wage. Not to mention they run on a commission system.

When I was in high school I worked at a gas station for minimum wage. It was self serve but when it was slow I did full service. Just because you are not getting paid $50,000 a year doesn't mean one should not have work ethic.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

Correct me if I am wrong but I don't think any future shops in Calgary pay minimum wage. Not to mention they run on a commission system.

FYI - Bad netiquette to quote more than you post.

I'm in Ottawa, so it may be different here. But I know someone who had his first job at FS and they paid minimum + commission. In cities with labour shortages, it's $8.50 + commission. But the people at the returns desk don't get the commission advantage the people on the floor do.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

FYI - Bad netiquette to quote more than you post.

Oh...sorry....I guess the 500 other posters should be informed of this rule aswell.

Why do people have to be so God damn picky about stupid ****?

[redforever]

Originally Posted by fleury

I was annoyed that they BSed me to begin with, but when I went back, all I wanted was my exchange. When I mentioned to CS rep #2 that the previous CSR said there was nothing in stock, it was a casual mention - not one bit confrontational at all (and yes, she was #2 ). When you talk to a manager, it gets into the area of trying to get the person into trouble (yeah yeah, you can say that you're trying to correct their mistakes blah, blah), but the reality is, it's trying to tell the manager that X person is not doing their job properly, so you should deal with them. I wasn't prepared to get somebody into trouble (the first time at least), but I was annoyed. The second person should have been fired, although, you are probably right about seeing the manager in this instance.

yes, that is exactly what going to a manager is all about. If you are not willing to go to the people that can address the situation, the situation will not change. Yes, going to the manager might get those 2 customer service reps in trouble, but they SHOULD be in trouble for that lack of service. Now stuff can happen with computers and inventory but at the same time, you should not have been treated as you were.

Ranting on here will do little except get some of the heat off your chest. Some stores have a reputation for poor customer service, so be forewarned, and if you do have a problem, better you be willing to talk to those who might be able to rectify the situation.

It is the same thing as the people who constantly rag on and on and on about our politicians, BUT have NEVER voted. You have to be willing to put something in at one end before you can expect to get something out of the other.

[jroc]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

I'm in Ottawa, so it may be different here. But I know someone who had his first job at FS and they paid minimum + commission. In cities with labour shortages, it's $8.50 + commission. But the people at the returns desk don't get the commission advantage the people on the floor do.

In Calgary FS hires at $10.50 plus a little bit of commision for CSR's and most new Sales Associates... Most of the sales staff is paid fully in commission.

[SOMBRI2]

hi folks, my first time posting here and i feel the steams.

i am enrolled to BB card and got promotion offer to buy stuff over $1000. just simply the one you pay 99.95 admin fee and for 24 mth no interest thing.

last month, i receive calls almost 4 times a day and blasted me for over due amount of about $120!!! and i got called 4 times a day. on the other end, it sounds like someone calling from another continent and had absolutely no idea how america operates.

i cut my card at the end.

there is no better situation in FS and BB if you talk to those CSRs face to face.

CompuSmart perhaps just a bit better.

just my 2 cents.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

FYI - Bad netiquette to quote more than you post.

One of the funniest things I've ever heard. Keep up the jokes!

I've never personally gotten the shaft by Futureshop but my friend got hosed bad. He bought a laptop from them and had it shipped. Apparently during shipping something happened to the Laptop, but it was easy to fix. They gave it to him and said if there were any problems to just bring it back they would fix it up. So he tells them just fix it now, there is no point in taking it home to find out that it's broken. Well they kept it, gave it back and it appeared to be working fine. After about a month the problem popped up again and when he brought it back they told him that for what ever reason the warranty didn't cover it when it was their technicians who didn't fix it in the first place. Apparently they were trying to charge him something like $200 to fix the laptop they didn't correctly fix.

[FireItUp]

I've returned lots of stuff at FS... I've never had a problem.

[@theCBE]

I was at the N.W. futureshop a couple weeks ago while I was paying the guy working the till got a call on his cell phone. He proceeded to pick up his cell and chat with his buddy on the other line about the party they were attending that night. He didnt' even wait for me to leave before telling his friend that he "hope there are some hot bitches there". He tossed my reciept and a pen for me to sign without even looking at me. I was speechless.. I know there are a shortage of employees but **** like that is unacceptable as far as I am concerned.

[MagicallyAdept]

I don't think we have futureshop over here in the UK but i once saw a guy in Dixons (an electrical retailer) go mental and kick a huge widescreen tv off its base causing it to smash. I wanted to applaud but i was in the middle of stealing.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by MagicallyAdept

I don't think we have futureshop over here in the UK but i once saw a guy in Dixons (an electrical retailer) go mental and kick a huge widescreen tv off its base causing it to smash. I wanted to applaud but i was in the middle of stealing.

Lol...quoted for hilarity .

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by MagicallyAdept

I don't think we have futureshop over here in the UK but i once saw a guy in Dixons (an electrical retailer) go mental and kick a huge widescreen tv off its base causing it to smash. I wanted to applaud but i was in the middle of stealing.

Riiiiight. Was this before or after you partied with Paris Hilton?

[JBR]

I worked at Future Shop in the early 90's and still shop there and at Best Buy (We did buy our Plasma TV at CompuSmart because of the service).. I can say that the focus on customer service has definitley changed over the years. It seems that most of the employees there are extremely young and perhaps lacking a bit of maturity.

I do have some great FS customer stories.. but my best was about an employee...

The first employee (name withheld for obvious reasons) that I was assigned to train turned out to be a great salesman and was making a lot of money... until the day came when he was arrested at the Kelowna airport for.... MURDER!!! This is no joke. Apparently, he was a former member of the Hell's Angels and beat someone to death years before... I never found out more about what happenned with him.. I remember some calls we got from customers wanting to cancel their orders because they purchased their item from "The murderer!!" Priceless.