Sevenoaks What a bunch off !!!!!

Having worked for Sevenoaks before, I do know they do many things to keep the stores running along similar lines. But, at the end of the day, we're all human, and that's one thing you can't control, unless you can monitor all stores at all times.

Bigboss that gave me a big shock when he replied but i had nothing to hide i only spoke with my uncle last month and he said again how much of a let down it was.

Well maybe it was me but i just didn't feel welcome or like they had any interest in us . But i will be going back to the SuperFi shop they bent over backwards to give me demonstrations and made me feel very welcome 

So i will be making sure when i'm ready to purchase my ipod music system i will go back to Superfi 

The best thing to do is to pop in again - if you get the same treatment, then you know the store has a problem. Everyone has off days, and not everyone can hide this from people that visit the store.

Strike Watford off the list too!

I've had terrible experiences with them in the past. I went tin their once and was treated badly, then made the mistake of giving them a chance and e-visiting the store a few years later in the hope that they had changed. The treatment I received was even worst. It was bad enough for me to put in a complaint to Sevenoaks head office (and I never complain to shop head offices. In fact that is the first and only time I've ever bothered to do this).

Once I can forgive and forget, but twice is another matter. Especially as the staff told me to travel 30 miles to the store as they had my speakers and the amp I was interested in so I could demo them together (I was given a time to arrive at the store), only to discover that when I got there, not only was no demo set up, but they did not have the speakers either.

He made several points in a condescending tone:
1) That they don't have the speakers as they were a few years old now, so why should they.
2) That the demo was not worth their while for the money made (it was an £800 amp)
3) That while I was their I might as well buy the amp and I can take it back if I don't like it. (Not good if you want to demo multiple amps at once).

I would have been fine about this arrangement if he had been honest with me on the phone, but the fact that he lied to get me into the shop and wasted a 60 mile round trip, then spoke to as if I was not worth his time, was quite annoying.

This was even the more annoying as I was an existing customer and had purchased a sub from them in the past.

But as it's a franchise it's best to treat the shops individually...the Witham store has excellent service, so I wouldn't want to tarnish all stores with the same brush! Also the Sevenoaks head office did respond well to the complaint. I had a phone call from them to discuss my experiences, and I can't ask for much more than that. I just avoid the Watford branch.

The Peterborough shop closed down recently and i believe the Bedford one just has as well.

You'd have to be a pretty successful franchisee to make it through the next year or two....

FrankHarveyHiFi:

You'd have to be a pretty successful franchisee to make it through the next year or two....

 

Yep, i thought things were pretty dire at the moment still.  But I see sevenoaks seem to be opening a couple of new shops still.

Brave!

If they're franchises, then good luck, they'll need it! They may possibly be owned by the Sevenoaks group and not a franchise, which would be in a better position to survive the rest of what is going to be an extremely tough year for some....

Any idea what an increase in VAT could do too prices?

gel:

Any idea what an increase in VAT could do too prices?

Tarquinh:

gel:

Any idea what an increase in VAT could do too prices?

Increase them?

Possibly, but things look pretty high at the moment anyway and if they do increase who is going to buy stuff then?

FrankHarveyHiFi:

Brave!

If they're franchises, then good luck, they'll need it! They may possibly be owned by the Sevenoaks group and not a franchise, which would be in a better position to survive the rest of what is going to be an extremely tough year for some....

 

David, i'd suggest it's best to leave comments about other retailers to actual/potential customers of those shops.

You can take that as a blanket statement - I wouldn't want to open up a new store in todays climate, regardless of what company name is above the door.

gel:

Possibly, but things look pretty high at the moment anyway and if they do increase who is going to buy stuff then?

Ah, the essential problem facing the entire economy, especially when there are some big bills to be paid (like £70bn a year in interest unless we get our skates on, apparently)...