Dixons - Classic or Dud

so i was then directed to Harriet who said she'd exchange the goods and sort out the difference in price (turned out the USB stick was cheaper by £14 than the one I'd boought in error. Result!). She had to gfill in something on a pc in the shop first tho, which took ages. She filled in this online form for faulty goods. The goods weren't faulty, but this was taking long enough already, so i was hardly going to argue. A question came up on the screen "Describe the nature of the fault" and in the box below Harriet typed, very slowly, very deliberately, DOES NOT WORK.

> I wandered around the store a few times without finding one of the
> shelf and without finding a member of staff who wasn't stacking
> shelves, serving a customer or dealing with another customer's query

how dare they! 8)

NEVER EVER LISTEN TO THE DIXONS GUYS ADVICE ON PC'S THEY KNOW NOT OF WHAT THEY SPEAK.

Me : 'Is a USB cable included?'
Assistant : (reads the product features card out loud VERY slowly) 'Er - dunno it doesn't say'
Me : 'I know it doesn't say. Can you find out please?'
A : Erm, you'll have to ask him. (Waves vaguely in the direction of another trog-like assistant)
Me : Alright. (To Assistant 2) 'Is a USB Cable included with this scanner?'
A2 : 'Should be'
Me : Well can you get one and we'll have a look inside the box?
A2 : 'I dunno if we've got that model'
Me : 'Well can you find out?'
A2 : 'Go over there and ask at the back...'
Me : 'Can you go and do that please while I look at some other stuff. I'll be over here'
A2 shuffles away. I wait 10 minutes, then I see A2 mooching about near dishwashers..
Me : 'So do you have one? '
A2 : (obviously hasn't checked) 'Er...yeah should be one'
Me : 'Well where is it? I want to buy it.'
A2 : 'He should be bringing it down.'
Me : 'Who?'
A2 : 'Stores'
I wait another 5 minutes. Start to lose it. March up to the cash desk.
Me : 'How do I get someone to find out whether you have an H-P Scanner in stock?'
Cashdesk : Can you ask an assistant?
Me : 'I have, but no-one seems interested in looking for one'
Cashdesk shrugs and turns away.
Me : 'Who's the manager here? I just want to buy a scanner!' (Begin to formulate plan)
Manager comes. I explain situation. He goes off - another 10 minutes elapses and he comes back with a scanner. I say 'I want a Dyson, a printer and a George Foreman grill too'. I take manager over to them and point out which ones. He summons A2 and tells him to go and get them. They come back in double quick time. I have 4 items now!

Me: 'Can I just have a look at what's included before I pay?'
Manager : ' Yeah I suppose so, it should say on the back'
Me ' Hmm, it's not clear, can I just open the box?'
I open the scanner and the Dyson and get them out, feign inspecting them.
Manager : 'Will you want an extended warranty on any of these?'
Me. 'Actually no. Because I've no intention of buying them. I just wanted you to know what it feels like having your time wasted. Enjoy putting these back in the boxes. I'm off to buy a scanner from someone who gives a shit about customers'.

A2 :

Of course that's the reason they offer low prices - get barely human staff, give them no training and hope that people will just walk in and buy stuff anyway. But wait... ever heard of John Lewis? Two year guarantee, same prices (never knowingly undersold), and staff who actually make an effort to help.

Comet are also SHITE, but I did manage to pick up a pair of Denon SCM101 speakers in there (ex-display) for only £62 when they're normally £80-90 everywhere else.

I mean look at them - they're beautiful!

i generally shop online for such stuff now... i remember a time when it was possible to scare up some service from someone in one of those shops who might actually know what they're doing, but the staff are generally one shitty rung above the drones at McDonalds who haven't a clue about the stock and really could give a toss if they help you or not. i mean, it really sucks. if i need to grab anything at dixons or currys or comet that i might actualy need some assistance with, i have to factor in duncing about the shop for twenty minutes to find a free sales assistant.

i feel like i'm turning in to victor meldrew here, but i used to work in a shop and at least attempted to know what i was talking about (books, mags, music, sweeties) and actually earn the meagre amount they were paying me. if they were working on comission it would be a different story...

shopping for electrical goods turns me into the worst kind of tory...

Although in their defense if someone asks me for a "memory stick" i would have thought they mean the camera thing too. that's like the brand name and everything!

I've never really bought anything in Dixons ever, but i sometimes buy from PC World, who are part of the group i think.

pc world in wimbledon are awful too... though they were pretty good after i bought 2 dud laptops off them in a row, actually getting any kind of service in the shop was dreadful. to get the laptops' dudness confirmed, they had to get inspected by their PC Doctor, a beleagured and rather forlorn fellow who was visibly appalled to be working with such electrical illiterates.

does anyone else find their everyday social experiences literally oozing with moments of melancholic british sitcom ennui?

and most of the time I only really go to PC World etc. to check out the "street" prices for goods and then buy them from a computer fair/online anyway. (to feel good about myself for having saved money)