JD Sports / Sports Direct

[BARBaggies82]

I've just had to visit the above stores for a particular product as a gift to my missus from the kids for mother's Day.

I am absolutely gobsmacked by the staff and customer service in both of them.
Big shops run by kids who think good service is grunting and murmuring in that hideous urban twang that kids seem to have adopted these "dayyyzzz".

I was had to ask a member of staff in JD if the display items was all the sizes they had available or were there more "out back". I got the reply from the heavily made up chav assistant "I'm not really surrreeee". Me then expecting her to toddle off and find out she just stood there looking at me, dead behind the eyes.
I just said "umm ok?" and walked out.

It's no wonder these big physical shops are struggling when they employ staff like this.

[Omegstrat6]

You pay peanuts....

Even so, these retailers have to pay minimum wage so you should expect more but the owners of these outlets are only concerned about profits so don't expect them to spend money on training staff on niceties like customer service.

[mickd1961]

You pay peanuts....

Even so, these retailers have to pay minimum wage so you should expect more but the owners of these outlets are only concerned about profits so don't expect them to spend money on training staff on niceties like customer service.

That’s not the point.

It’s about culture and leadership in store.

I worked for Hepworth Menswear from 78 to 84 on minimal wages plus commission.

Our staff training was the best I received at any company and each shop was managed by someone who drove the standards expected.

What we didn’t earn didn’t come into it……it was all about culture and expectations and pride.

Minimum wage is no excuse for ignorance, stupidity and the “ I can’t give a fk “ type attitude.

[TipperaryBaggie]

Loved Hepworths Mick. Got my first suit there in 1967. Felt like the bees knees especially as it was made to measure.

[mickd1961]

Loved Hepworths Mick. Got my first suit there in 1967. Felt like the bees knees especially as it was made to measure.

Which branch did you buy from Tip?

[Omegstrat6]

That’s not the point.

It’s about culture and leadership in store.

I worked for Hepworth Menswear from 78 to 84 on minimal wages plus commission.

Our staff training was the best I received at any company and each shop was managed by someone who drove the standards expected.

What we didn’t earn didn’t come into it……it was all about culture and expectations and pride.

Minimum wage is no excuse for ignorance, stupidity and the “ I can’t give a fk “ type attitude.

Think you must-read me Mick, or else I didn't explain myself properly. I totally agree with you but just think that money is still a part of this as well as a difference in culture as too many companies now do not invest the time and money in training their managers as they once did which means that they now lack key skills. This inevitably trickles down to staff and impacts on standards and performance. Too many managers seem to be simply "implementors" rather than what I would call proper "managers". Their poorer skills in dealing with conflict, for example, coupled with too many younger staff being unhappy with being challenged was never going to result in better productivity. Certainly not true of all companies, but more noticeable these days. Very short-sighted.

[TipperaryBaggie]

Which branch did you buy from Tip?

The one in my home town of Folkestone Mick.

[baggieal]

Refuse to shop in Sports Direct as they treat their staff just like Amazon and pay peanuts.

Disgusting how in 2023 these c unts get away with giving credit notes for returns instead of returning the original payment!

PS - Amazon deliver parcels to the door step so don’t blame all those customers who call to say it was not received and get a refund! At least with DHL a signature is required so their liability if parcel goes missing.

[phild]

It amazes me how little some of these sales assistants know about the products they sell.

Some of the worst are in car dealerships. The wife put an order in for a new car and I said at least you will be warmer in the winter with them heated seats. The car salesman pipes up and says 'I don't want to disappoint but this model doesn't come with em'

I told him that this model has had em for the last 12 months, he went and checked and came back saying 'well you learn something everyday'
They know how to take money off you though!

[Omegstrat6]

It amazes me how little some of these sales assistants know about the products they sell.

Some of the worst are in car dealerships. The wife put an order in for a new car and I said at least you will be warmer in the winter with them heated seats. The car salesman pipes up and says 'I don't want to disappoint but this model doesn't come with em'

I told him that this model has had em for the last 12 months, he went and checked and came back saying 'well you learn something everyday'
They know how to take money off you though!

Yep! A work colleague was in a showroom looking at a car which happened to have a sun roof but the sales assistant told him that it didn't actually open. He said that for that money, it should do then opened the door, found the control and opened it. "Oh" she exclaimed, " I never knew it did that! " 😂