Blanchardstown Centre Staff! Your Opinions?

athtrasna

M&S staff are amazingly helpful - but that seems to be a corporate policy as I've found it across all Marks stores.

A lot of the staff in Next seem to try not to have to serve customers, rather than leaving long queues and the store is frequently a mess. As a next fan I'd rather go to Liffey Valley.

Worst staff around the centre are those idiots controlling traffic :mad:

amdublin

I think the m&s staff who are on the tills are exveptional. They apologise for keeping you waiting and alsways make some small talk/personal connection with you.

Stinjy, i like being asked "can i help you" when i walk into a shop too. Even better when it is prefixed with a big friendly hello!

Stinjy

amdublin wrote: »

I think the m&s staff who are on the tills are exveptional. They apologise for keeping you waiting and alsways make some small talk/personal connection with you.

Stinjy, i like being asked "can i help you" when i walk into a shop too. Even better when it is prefixed with a big friendly hello!

Yeah that's fair enough, I do it because its what the job requires but if I had my way I'd let people have a look and approach when they've had a bit of a look and maybe actually have a question rather than the minute they walk in, unless they come towards me, but good to know, I'll feel a little more confident in it now ,

Diddler1977

Stinjy wrote: »

Yeah that's fair enough, I do it because its what the job requires but if I had my way I'd let people have a look and approach when they've had a bit of a look and maybe actually have a question rather than the minute they walk in, unless they come towards me, but good to know, I'll feel a little more confident in it now ,

Stinjy, I'd feel very confident when you ask someone how they are getting on that you are doing the right thing.

If they say they don't need any help I'd just respond with something like "Well I'm just here if you have any questions, just give me a call if you need any assistance"

Your managers are right to tell you to do this.

Customer service can be severely lacking in some shops and it is not right to expect the customer to have to come to you for assistance - you are there to serve them and you need to let them know that you are glad to have them in the shop and are ready to help them.

Even a simple "Good morning, let me know if you need assistance!" is a nice helpful greeting to give a customer as they come in the door.

kelle

kelle wrote: »

I love the staff in Dunnes Stores food department. Everybody is nice and helpful, and all the checkout girls are great for a chat. It feels like one big family there.

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Thats the problem, they are not there for a chat.

I didn't mean it like that, I meant they chat to the customers as they put the groceries through!

Zaph

kelle wrote: »

kelle wrote: »

I love the staff in Dunnes Stores food department. Everybody is nice and helpful, and all the checkout girls are great for a chat. It feels like one big family there.

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Thats the problem, they are not there for a chat.

I didn't mean it like that, I meant they chat to the customers as they put the groceries through!

This must be some alternate reality Dunnes Stores then because all I ever get from the staff on the tills there is a scowl or if I'm really lucky a grunt. They always make me feel that I'm inconveniencing them somehow. Damn me and my groceries for keeping them in a job.

kelle

Zaph wrote: »

This must be some alternate reality Dunnes Stores then because all I ever get from the staff on the tills there is a scowl or if I'm really lucky a grunt. They always make me feel that I'm inconveniencing them somehow. Damn me and my groceries for keeping them in a job.

Maybe I just have the kind of look that entices friendliness from the most scornful of people

Hilly Bill

kelle wrote: »

I didn't mean it like that, I meant they chat to the customers as they put the groceries through!

Thats nice and all that when its quiet but annoying as heck when its busy..

amdublin

Hilly Bill wrote: »

kelle wrote: »

I didn't mean it like that, I meant they chat to the customers as they put the groceries through!

Thats nice and all that when its quiet but annoying as heck when its busy..

Ah i dont think it slows them down. And its nice!

Diddler1977

I never find staff in Laura Ashley to be in any way helpful. They are constantly chatting to each other and looking at the customers in a very snooty way. They tend to talk down to you when you ask for assistance.

wildlifeboy

yeah that guy with the beard in starbucks beside waggamama is sound. first experience of him over the weekend and he was very friendly to me and my daughter and then i saw this thread again and remembered him. i only go to starbucks cause the wife likes her mochachino latte bull**** but it has nice cookies and its comfy

LouiseR

hi.
I work in blanchardstown m&s and am sorry to read your remarks. I have been there for eight years and it doesn't sound like the store I work in. Not excusing it but hopefully it was an isolated incident. Why not give us another chance!
..itll.save petrol for you in the long run, so we'll be saving you even more money in the long run... (bad attempt of humour! Soz!!)

Zaph

I think to be fair, the general opinion of M&S staff is that they're excellent. There are a couple of staff in particular on the grocery checkouts who are probably the most friendly and helpful retail staff I've ever met.

LouiseR

Hi zapf...thanks for your comments...I'll pass them on to everyone there today!
happy Monday

eviltwin

M&S are great esp in grocery, so are Boots. I find the staff in Easons and Game aren't overly friendly but if you have a question they do know their stuff or take the trouble to find out. The staff at Mannings are very good too as busy as they are.

The newsagents aren't great, staff never smile and look miserable a lot of the time.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Not sure why this has been resurrected but I'll give my ten cents worth

I worked in the centre for the guts of 10 years. We had a lot of "customer service" training drilled into us for years, and we only ever put about half of it into practice. That said, after leaving that job and just being a customer in the other shops I have noticed how terrible a lot of them are. Like I said, where I worked was okay, but I never thought we were anything special, but seeing the way staff are in other shops it's amazing.

Staff having a chat while you're standing waiting at the till to be served. Continuing their chat when they do eventually serve you and barely acknowledging you're there. Anything more than 5 or 6 people in a queue with only one server on till while other staff members are walking around doing nothing. Staff that can't even make eye contact with you when you do ask them something.

There are plenty of shops that have lovely, well trained staff, but it's interesting when you come from a background of customer service what you do notice. Obviously if you've never worked in a shop you might view your shopping experience differently, but I do see lots of shops where I think we never would have gotten away with that when I started work! (just to point out I'm not some auld one giving it all "in my day.....!!")

daymobrew

Zaph wrote: »

There are a couple of staff in particular on the grocery checkouts who are probably the most friendly and helpful retail staff I've ever met.

Today (Tues 9th, 4pm) I had a very positive experience at M&S Grocery. Bought 1 item for 1.49. My 5 year old had the 1 euro coin and my 2 year old had a 50 cent coin. They separately gave them to the cashier and she made a big deal of including them in the transaction. They liked that and it made me smile.

Morag

I have found the staff in easons to be dire, 3 time I gave my contact details in realation to exam papers and was never contacted, I also called in when they said they were due in to be told they arrived the day before and were all gone. The staff don't know the book or publishing business off all, they are just there to operate the tills. Went down to pick up a book on the day it was due to be released to be told that at noon the books were still in boxes in the back and chances are they would not be on the floor until after 2pm.

Needless to say I now take my business to chapters in the city and the book shop in Roselawn shopping center.

Richard Hillman

The manager in McDonalds once gave me a free Double Sausage McMuffin because the debit card machine was out of action. I'll never forget the day

Some serious hotties in Burger King too and always very nice.

Polar101

M&S staff are always friendly.
Tom Stanleys - the staff don't seem to like customers at all, they have a way of making you feel unwelcome. I've taken my business to Bon Expresso instead, as they are more friendly.
Dunnes groceries - they only interrupt their chatting to say CLUB CARD.
Easons - have had both good and bad experiences there.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Richard Hillman wrote: »

The manager in McDonalds once gave me a free Double Sausage McMuffin because the debit card machine was out of action. I'll never forget the day

Some serious hotties in Burger King too and always very nice.

Guy in Burger King once tried to give me loads of free food because I told him he'd given me back the change of a 20 when I'd only given him a 10. I said if you're that keen to give me something I'll just keep the money. He said no

Toto Wolfcastle

Polar101 wrote: »

Dunnes groceries - they only interrupt their chatting to say CLUB CARD.

Recently one of the women working on a till in Dunnes decided to comment on the front page story of a paper by calling whoever was in the picture a fcuker. It was a new low.

I Luv Crysis

Dealz staff - comments anyone?

Zaph

I Luv Crysis wrote: »

Dealz staff - comments anyone?

Well maybe you'd like to give us your opinion first?

BabysCoffee

I Luv Crysis wrote: »

Dealz staff - comments anyone?

Generally fantastic. Seem to be very well trained at upselling at the til.

dukedalton

I recently decided to treat myself to an iPad. PC World seemed to have the best deal for what I wanted. However, my previous experiences of buying computers etc hard been soured by the insurance hard sell that seemed to be obligatory with every purchase. With this in mind, I went into the Blanch branch fearing the worst. However, I was pleasantly surprised that I did not have to go through this rigmarole with the staff there

jeffk

Dunnes is a joke, was in there the other day and the woman decided to scan my all my soup in as family size when more of them where normal size and then my packets of meat all the same price of €4 when some where €3.

Herself works in a shop and whispered it to me as the woman was doing it, but with the attitude of the woman and the fact she ignored me saying they where all different sizes/meats, I decided to let it go and went straight up to the customers service desk.

They had to refund it all and start from scratch, id say I was over charged around €5, then one of the girls asked another girl who it was and said her name, she then said again.

Compare that to say Lidl, OK your not going to get much more than yes or no out of most of them, but how often to they charge you more etc

Twice now I have been in Starbucks in the cinema and its terrible, two staff members hadn’t a clue as they where only there x time. Its a far cry from nulook Starbucks where the same staff knew the coffee and could recommend something.

Overall I find the staff in the centre by and large are good, including their own staff.

BabysCoffee

jeffk wrote: »

Dunnes is a joke, was in there the other day and the woman decided to scan my all my soup in as family size when more of them where normal size and then my packets of meat all the same price of €4 when some where €3.

Herself works in a shop and whispered it to me as the woman was doing it, but with the attitude of the woman and the fact she ignored me saying they where all different sizes/meats, I decided to let it go and went straight up to the customers service desk.

They had to refund it all and start from scratch, id say I was over charged around €5, then one of the girls asked another girl who it was and said her name, she then said again.

Compare that to say Lidl, OK your not going to get much more than yes or no out of most of them, but how often to they charge you more etc

Twice now I have been in Starbucks in the cinema and its terrible, two staff members hadn’t a clue as they where only there x time. Its a far cry from nulook Starbucks where the same staff knew the coffee and could recommend something.

Overall I find the staff in the centre by and large are good, including their own staff.

Staff in the center Starbucks are brilliant. The staff in the leisureplex Starbucks leave a lot to be desired - I find them very unfriendly.

jeffk

Cinema starbucks
or
Red entrance starbucks

Arciphel

Are we talking about the Starbucks downstairs in the centre, near the fountain and across from the Imaginarium? The one where the place is filthy most of the time, there's a massive queue because there is normally only two people behind the counter, the one where they stand at the till and shout at you to come and collect your toasted pannini?

The only Starbucks I would go to in the centre is the one over next to Mamas & Papas in the retail park. Costa beats it by some margin, and the coffee in Butlers Cafe in the centre is way better than Starbucks, but you can never get a seat in there.