Buying a new laptop a true customer experience

Just thought I would let you know about a recent shopping experience when I went to purchase a new laptop.

It was a mystery shopping experience with a difference where the only mystery was the poor service and training from the staff.

I wanted to buy a new laptop, did my homework before hand so I knew what to look for when I got to my shopping destination so as not to be baffled with salesman talk when I got there.

Firstly went to PC World at Rock Retail Park in Birkenhead, I looked around every laptop spec trying to find what I had researched, I was there at least twenty minutes, and had gone back to the same laptop several times to compare to other laptops, the one I found was a Dell at £399. I stood around and looked for a member of staff I even stood on tiptoes and stretched my neck but to no avail so I decided to leave, as i was leaving there were five members of staff at the till talking and laughing, when I walked through the checkout no one member acknowledged me or asked if they could help, result -0 out of 10.

So I went off to the Croft retail park In Bromborough firstly went to Tesco Home to see if they had what I was looking for but I will come back to them as this is a whole new experience, I quickly ran up to Comet and did not see anything I wanted although I was in there for five mins and nobody approached me, they are normally good in that store result slightly better no minus I gave them 0 out of 10. I then went up to Currys which is about to move up five units to a mega mega store so they did not have much on display but I did see the laptop I saw in PC world (part of the same group of companies) for a £100 pound more at £499, I double checked my info that I had written down and yes it was the same laptop only a £100 dearer (Dell N5010).  result another minus this time --0 out of 10 for trying to rip people off, I left Currys and went back to Tesco as I had seen one there and I could also get clubcard points.

The Tesco experience was well how can I put it very shabby. They had the wrong info card on the laptop I was looking at although the correct price, I then enquired about the Sony VAIO next one along, it was a £100 pound dearer than the Dell but I could get an extra 2000 clubcard points he confirmed when I asked him about it, so I bought the Sony, I did not get my extra point because I later found out that I had to buy it from Tesco Direct although their POS did not state this and the duty manager confirmed this also, I was not offered any extra warranty either, an important add on sale especially these days when any sale is hard to come by. I found the staff un-knowledgeable about their products and services result 2 out of 10 because I did get some clubcard points and they had it in stock.

Maybe I am a pick shopper because I expect a certain level of service when I do shop for larger items because I would give good service in my shop I don't think in the age of austerity shops could afford not to give good service.

Thanks

Russell