Spent some time searching prices for a Denon AVR 1910. Found Forum Hifi in Nottingham advertising it on their website at £379.95. In big letters at the top of their website it suggests ringing them to see if your purchase is cheaper in store so I did. Spoke to a very pleasant guy who confirmed that they had it in stock, initially confirmed the website price and when I mentioned the suggestion on their website about asking if their in store price was any cheaper he said he would reduce the price by £5.50 for collection in store, thereby making the price £374.45. Ok, I thought, my father lives in Nottingham, so I could always pay for it, get him to pick it up and he could drop it off next time he was up in the North East (he comes and stays usually once or twice a month).
Then I remembered that Richersounds do a Price Beat promise which would make my purchase £10 cheaper. Seeing as I live in Sunderland and the nearest Richersounds is in Newcastle I gave them a call first. I mentioned their Price Beat promise and the price at Forums Hifi. Was reassured they would be able to beat the price by £10.
So I drove straight through to Richersounds in Newcastle excited about the prospect of my new purchase. Took a printout of Forum Hifi's product and price. The salesman said he would give Forum Hifi a call to verify the price. I stressed to him that the £374.75 was the in store price and that I my father would collect it if was buying from Forum Hifi, the significance being that the price I had been quoted was not for delivery to me. The salesman went through the back to make the call, came back and said that they had confirmed the price at £379.95 for delivery. Had he listened to anything I had just told him????? Again I explained that the price I had been quoted was for in store collection. This time a different salesman rings Forum Hifi (who later tells me he is an actor and can do different accents). You can now picture Forum Hifi thinking this is a wind up with 2 different northeners ringing up within 5 mins, the 2nd of which is putting on a stupid accent. Again, he comes back stating that the delivered price would be £379.95. Clearly, the ability to listen to customers isn't a requirement for a job at Richersounds.
At this point the Deputy Manager gets involved presumably to try and help out his 2 incompetent staff members. In an attempt to try and get the situation resolved I offer to ring the guy back at Forum Hifi, refer to my conversation I had about an hour earlier so that Richersounds can get the confirmation they require of the price at £374.45 for in store collection. I even offer the Deputy Manager to ring the number himself on my mobile and listen to the conversation. At this point it becomes quite clear they're are sticking to their guns and will only Price Beat the price on the website printout, the Deputy Manager refusing my offer for me to get Forum Hifi to confirm the in store price with the inference that I'm lying about the price.
To cut a long story short, the end result:-
Richersounds have wasted my time and petrol in a 20 mile round trip
They employ numpties who can't listen to their customers
They turn down a very reasonable offer to clear up the correct price
They make me feel like a liar
They lose the sale over £5.50
More importantly they lose a customer for life again over £5.50
Here's a suggestion for you, Richard Clayton if your still the Operations Director, remove your Price Beat promise altogether because I'd bet my house on the fact that you're losing more customers than you're gaining as a result of this promise and your employees attitude to it.
Then I remembered that Richersounds do a Price Beat promise which would make my purchase £10 cheaper. Seeing as I live in Sunderland and the nearest Richersounds is in Newcastle I gave them a call first. I mentioned their Price Beat promise and the price at Forums Hifi. Was reassured they would be able to beat the price by £10.
So I drove straight through to Richersounds in Newcastle excited about the prospect of my new purchase. Took a printout of Forum Hifi's product and price. The salesman said he would give Forum Hifi a call to verify the price. I stressed to him that the £374.75 was the in store price and that I my father would collect it if was buying from Forum Hifi, the significance being that the price I had been quoted was not for delivery to me. The salesman went through the back to make the call, came back and said that they had confirmed the price at £379.95 for delivery. Had he listened to anything I had just told him????? Again I explained that the price I had been quoted was for in store collection. This time a different salesman rings Forum Hifi (who later tells me he is an actor and can do different accents). You can now picture Forum Hifi thinking this is a wind up with 2 different northeners ringing up within 5 mins, the 2nd of which is putting on a stupid accent. Again, he comes back stating that the delivered price would be £379.95. Clearly, the ability to listen to customers isn't a requirement for a job at Richersounds.
At this point the Deputy Manager gets involved presumably to try and help out his 2 incompetent staff members. In an attempt to try and get the situation resolved I offer to ring the guy back at Forum Hifi, refer to my conversation I had about an hour earlier so that Richersounds can get the confirmation they require of the price at £374.45 for in store collection. I even offer the Deputy Manager to ring the number himself on my mobile and listen to the conversation. At this point it becomes quite clear they're are sticking to their guns and will only Price Beat the price on the website printout, the Deputy Manager refusing my offer for me to get Forum Hifi to confirm the in store price with the inference that I'm lying about the price.
To cut a long story short, the end result:-
Richersounds have wasted my time and petrol in a 20 mile round trip
They employ numpties who can't listen to their customers
They turn down a very reasonable offer to clear up the correct price
They make me feel like a liar
They lose the sale over £5.50
More importantly they lose a customer for life again over £5.50
Here's a suggestion for you, Richard Clayton if your still the Operations Director, remove your Price Beat promise altogether because I'd bet my house on the fact that you're losing more customers than you're gaining as a result of this promise and your employees attitude to it.