Fairdeal music in Brum..

[Sarah5string]

Worst customer service.. EVER.

Went in to get some fastfret as I was across the road from it on at training course (Mortgage Rescue schemes.... snore...). I went in and mooched around. All of the staff were on the counter looking manic depressive and mumbling incoherently to themselves. Wasn't asked if I needed help or anything (I'm not complaining at that, makes a change to be left in peace!). Eventually went up to the counter and asked for it to be met by the most miserable looking bloke in existence who just went 'Yup' and pointed at the counter. Grabbed it and gave it to a guy to pay who lookd genuinely put out that I had to drag him away from the group of melancholy grumbling mardy arses. The only words he mumbled to me the whole time was 'put your pin in' before slamming my card and receipt down on the counter and walking off. No thank you, no bye, not even a general acknowledgment of my existence.
The bloody fastfret was overpriced too!

Won't be going THERE again!

/rantover

[OldGit]

Print that and send it to the owner...

[Sarah5string]

[quote name='OldGit' post='886469' date='Jul 5 2010, 05:11 PM']Print that and send it to the owner...[/quote]

I don't know who it is! lol

[arsenic]

Just had a look at their website - I can't even see a "contact us" link - though they do have a Face Book page you could leave some feedback on - they even have a discussion about how brilliant they are (in fact they have commented on how friendly they are too)

Edited July 5, 2010 by arsenic

[Sarah5string]

[quote name='arsenic' post='886492' date='Jul 5 2010, 05:24 PM']Just had a look at their website - I can't even see a "contact us" link - though they do have a Face Book page you could leave some feedback on - they even have a discussion about how brilliant they are (in fact they have commented on how friendly they are too)[/quote]
and I thought I'd seen it all...

[Ian Savage]

I haven't been there in ages, they can be totally crap customer service-wise. Far too much over-priced Chinese-made rubbish in stock as well last time I was in. There's a dearth of decent music shops in Brum now, Sound Control/Reverb were also dreadful for customer service and now they've gone, I THINK Bass Centre's disappeared as well (haven't been over that way for a bit) - won't go anywhere but PMT now, personally, as they've always given me sterling service.

[OldGit]

[quote name='Sarah5string' post='886477' date='Jul 5 2010, 05:17 PM']I don't know who it is! lol[/quote]


Just post it to "the owner" marked "very personal"...

[bumnote]

[quote name='Ian Savage' post='886527' date='Jul 5 2010, 05:53 PM']won't go anywhere but PMT now, personally, as they've always given me sterling service.[/quote]


I think it depends on the store

I was totally ignored in the one in oxford last week

[DarkHorse]

Fairdeal are a joke.

A few months back I looked on their website and they were advertising a Dean fretless six string; "status:available". So I went in on a Sunday morning to try it out and, all being well, buy.
No sign of the bass anywhere, so I asked one of the assistants about it,
"Ah," he said in the most patronising tone I've heard "our website refers to a different location and I know [i]for a fact [/i] that they don't have one. If you want one we can order one in from Dean".

I walked out. Later that day I emailed them (their head office is a different address to the shop) and asked them if the Dean was, in fact, available. I also suggested that, if it wasn't available, that they should update their site.

Two days later I got this answer-

"Rob, Dean fretless six string, one available. If you want to buy it, let me know and we'll order it in for you."

That was obviously some new meaning of the word "available" with which I'm not familar. :wacko:

[EBS_freak]

Sounds like the place is at least consistent.

[Sarah5string]

When I mooched today they had 2 fretless uprights but nothing else. I was very disappointed! They seem to have expanded their selection or fad guitars but reduced the amount of basses. There wasn't even one bass I could see with more than 4 strings.

[RhysP]

They're just probably not used to talking to females & were trying to impress you with a display of macho surliness.

Edited July 5, 2010 by RhysP

[JMT3781]

One of my good mates part time manages there, i'll pass on comments

[sprocketflup]

[quote name='Ian Savage' post='886527' date='Jul 5 2010, 05:53 PM'], Sound Control/Reverb were also dreadful for customer service and now they've gone,[/quote]


Have they? Cant say as Im surprised - again same story as Sarah5string had, zero enthusiasm and customer service. What I always do tho in these situations when met with total apathy or arrogance from a sales assisatant is to be staggeringly overly cheerful just to piss them off . Sometimes they get the joke and wake up a little.

The other ploy is to play so completely dumb and see what kind of bullsh*t you can drag out of them, that can be fun too. remember, they are being paid to be there - its only proper to get your moneys worth out of them lol


The bass Centre ( if you are thinking of the place just round the corner on Livery street) is alos long gone, shame really, got some really good deals and service from those guys

[Platypus]

[quote name='Ian Savage' post='886527' date='Jul 5 2010, 05:53 PM']Sound Control/Reverb were also dreadful for customer service and now they've gone,[/quote]

Still, at least they did provide me with a new, hand made in the USA, Spector NS5XL for £999 when they folded

[OliverBlackman]

[quote name='Ian Savage' post='886527' date='Jul 5 2010, 05:53 PM']There's a dearth of decent music shops in Brum now, Sound Control/Reverb............ won't go anywhere but PMT now, personally, as they've always given me sterling service.[/quote]

Theres guitarguitar now in birmingham and PMT have fantastic customer service just a tad expensive for me

[Annoying Twit]

I've been into Fairdeal a few times on visits to Brum. Always had friendly helpful service. I only visited Reverb in Brum once, and the two guys there were very helpful. It might be that they're shy in the presence of beauty. They do say that shyness is often confused for standoffishness. Or perhaps OP they've seen you playing and they're jealous as £&^%

Edited July 6, 2010 by Annoying Twit

[gelfin]

The world of retail is struggling to survive. I work in a specialist Hi Fi shop and have seen footfall drop dramatically over the past couple of years. We survive by trying to give the best possible service. If a customer does not buy I often ask why so?. The answers vary from I'm not ready to buy to excuses or sometimes the customer tells me that we have not performed to expectation or served them well. This last answer is often the most helpful as it gives us a chance to put things right.

My experience of music instrument shops is much like the original post. (Unless I am in a known good shop).

I think we should all make the effort (however difficult it may seem) to tell them at the time that they are not performing well.

On an off chance on day I was in a traffic jam and spotted a shop I had not seen before, so parked and went in for a browse. Just like original post the staff were all at the counter talking and didn't even acknowledge me. I eventually found the basses and saw a Tokai T Bird that I fancied. Signs said don't touch without permission!! Tried to attract attention to no avail so I just took it down and tried it. (no amp) Wanted to buy it but felt I didn't want to give them the business for being so ignorant. I'm just 50 and in a position generally to buy what I want.

Went to counter and asked who was in charge. Boy called Nick said he was the manager. Took him to one side and explained patiently why I was upset and that his shop was probably losing business because of the attitude of his staff.

The T Bird was priced at £399. Eventually he sold it to me for £139 out of embarresment I expect.

Anyway I'm sure if we all let them know then things will get better eventually.

Please don't let the internet only companies drive retail out of business.

[Ian Savage]

[quote name='sprocketflup' post='886752' date='Jul 5 2010, 10:21 PM']Have they? Cant say as Im surprised...[/quote]

Don't get me started on Sound Control I bought a secondhand power amp from them a while back for a bit of extra 'umph' for my PA rig that night - got it home and it didn't work. Of a panic, I dashed back over there, and since they had another one of the same model in (also secondhand, I assume from the same trade-in or whatever) I arranged to simply swap the one I'd bought for the other one. To be on the safe side this time, I asked to test it out before taking it home - I was told that there were no staff available to help me. THIS WAS EARLY AFTERNOON ON A SATURDAY AND THERE WERE AT LEAST THREE MEMBERS OF STAFF STANDING AROUND DOING SOD-ALL!!!!!!!

Grrr.


Haven't been into GuitarGuitar yet, but shall at some stage - it looks a bit flash from the outside, mind.

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='Ian Savage' post='887917' date='Jul 6 2010, 11:10 PM']Haven't been into GuitarGuitar yet, but shall at some stage - it looks a bit flash from the outside, mind.[/quote]

The one in Edinburgh is excellent, if that's anything to go by. Decent staff that know their gear, good mix of new & used, vintage stuff on occasion & as I've said before it was the place where some tw@t (ie. ME) saw a Rockinbetter Rick just out for £299 ...... and passed on it!