Service excellence - Home Pro don't know what it means

[Dannie Boy]

Thai Wat Sadu on Petchkasem Rd towards Cha-Am look like they are just about ready to open.Anyone had any experiences with them? prices?

I heard this morning that they are due to open on or about the 8th March. I have no experience of them personally but through friends of my Thai wife, they seem to be ok in terms of service, availability and price - I will certainly be giving them a try once they open.

[deepee]

I asked that Dannie Boy cause I just spent a few hours in at Boon Tavorn and found it so heavy going to the point I walked off.Our young self-appointed sales assist was so in my face I was near on losing it .

[advocate]

You have to keep in mind that as sales assistants they are required to assist the customers, and to be seen by their boss just standing around while shoppers walk around alone would get them sacked. They are poorly paid and poorly trained, but it's a job.

[tonymaroni]

You have to keep in mind that as sales assistants they are required to assist the customers, and to be seen by their boss just standing around while shoppers walk around alone would get them sacked. They are poorly paid and poorly trained, but it's a job.

"required to assist the customer"
Yes that would be different than every Thai Dept. Store, Supermarket I've ever been in where there are usually 3-5 staff hanging out in the aisle talking, looking in their little mirrors, mobiles etc.

Or if you ask them a question they need to ask 1-2 other staff to talk to you. The Farang is asking me a question HELP!

must be a new concept, this required to assist customers thing.

Tony

[TingTongJohn]

You have to keep in mind that as sales assistants they are required to assist the customers, and to be seen by their boss just standing around while shoppers walk around alone would get them sacked. They are poorly paid and poorly trained, but it's a job.

If anything most times when instore be it home pro or other most when they see me(Staff that is) kinda wander the other way to avoid the issue of dealing with a falang. Not always but a large percentage of the time. SO in ending I have found you should do your own leg work as in product looking for and or location in store and then if need be look for help and try not to confuse things to much keep it simple would be the motto. Find the item pick up the item and pay for it..Simple.

TTJ

[advocate]

I think their behavior would depend on if the boss is around.

[richard]

I agree with Bucksi

Power Buy are good insomuch as the staff are helpful and willing to listen. The cashier end seem to think they are a level above but the staff on the floor very pleasant (flirty too if you encourage )

[Coldmike]

I've never been hit on at Power Buy, but then again, most of the staff are male. Power Buy stores in Bangkok are pretty good. They do have an agenda to sell certain featured brands, but get past that and they seem to know at least a little about their products and aren't afraid to wait on farangs. Hua Hin Power Buy didn't seem to employ staff with much product knowledge and just seemed to want to sell me anything I asked about. My Home Pro experience echos OPs, but I still go for small stuff BUT I do check to make sure packages have'nt been opened and have missing parts

[Dannie Boy]

Thai Wat Sadu on Petchkasem Rd towards Cha-Am look like they are just about ready to open.Anyone had any experiences with them? prices?

I heard this morning that they are due to open on or about the 8th March. I have no experience of them personally but through friends of my Thai wife, they seem to be ok in terms of service, availability and price - I will certainly be giving them a try once they open.

Thai Wat Sadu opposite the Regent Hotel between HH and Cha Am is now open. I called in there this morning and although I was short of time so only had a very quick look, they seem to have a wide range of items which looked to be considerably cheaper than Home Pro or elsewhere, so definitely worth checking out for any of your housebuilding and DIY requirements.

[johnnyk]

I AVOID the "staff" at Home Pro. I'd much rather look for things myself than have some doofus approach me only to say "mai mee". The doofuses are overwhelmingly male and excellent advertisements for the excellence of the Thai public eucation system.

[buksida]

Why oh why do I punish myself with visits to what must be the most frustrating and utterly useless chain store in the Kingdom.

The cold sweats upon entering, the silent sweep stake on how many minutes before the first "mai mee", the gaggle of clueless staff playing with their phones ...

So, I needed some replacement light fittings and since this place has a huge lighting section thought I'd start here, at our closest branch in Chumphon - bad idea. There was nothing wrong with my current light fittings aside from a few broken clips so I located the exact same light fitting, pulled it apart and asked if they sold the clips ...

"mai mee" said the Asian equivalent of an Essex girl without even looking up from her nails. Three minutes twelve seconds, must be a record.

Alrighty, lets go find a similar light fitting (we'll I'll need a whole bunch of them now). What was displayed was actually a better unit, with pattern and plain options - ok have you got the plain one as indicated here on the box?

"mai mee" said staff loiterer number two ... blood pressure rising.

Hmmm here is another one that doesn't look too bad, do you have 8 of these?

"mai mee, only for show" ... start the car.

[Big Boy]

I try to avoid the place, but sometimes avoidance is not possible. I walk in and Mrs BB, who knows how I feel about walking with a clueless leech on my back, tells them to back off. So instead of a leech on my back, I've usually got a bunch of hyenas lurking at the end of an aisle.

If I find what I want, I tell Mrs BB who tells the hyena, who now that he/she is wanted again transforms back into a leech and starts trying to tell me my choice is not fit for purpose, and I really want this. I'll sometimes ask why they are stocking rubbish on their shelves while making my way out of the store - I can't stand it being told that I can't buy what I've selected by a kid who just wants to sell me what he/she gets the best kick back on.

I went in to buy a pot of paint a few weeks ago, and I had 11 leeches attach themselves to me (11 staff on a Saturday, when traditionally they are busy). I selected the paint I wanted, and of course, without even knowing what I wanted to paint, I didn't want my selection, I wanted.............................. I just dropped my selection where it was and walked out. This is one thing that without fail, winds me up in Thailand.

Everywhere seems to have leeches, but Home Pro are worst.

We went into Power Buy last week to look at a product (I'd already been in Home Pro, and walked out because of the leeches). We narrowed down what we wanted down to 2. I said before we bought, we'd check Big Kiang to see if they had the same or similar. As it turned out, they didn't. We walked back into Power Buy to decide on which of the 2 we wanted, and 4 leeches immediately attached themselves. They kept telling Mrs BB that she wanted something different (I remained focused on the short list of 2). The 3rd item was clearly end of line, and of inferior quality.

This was my 4th shop in a day - I go stir crazy if I'm in 7-11 for more than 2 minutes. I'd gone in there to buy something, and I was determined. Walking out would have meant a 5th shop . I basically raised my voice to Mrs BB, and told her to choose one of the 2 - in the end she chose the right one (my preference of the 2).

Then paying for large items!!! You can't just hand over the money, ang get the goods and receipt. They want to know everything about you - why? It took over 20 minutes for them to take my cash

Thanks buksi, your rant got me ranting. I hate shopping - not just in Thailand, but worldwide.

[richard]

I know. It's annoying but fortunately I'm not out and about too much these days in that situation. I remember though a trick I used to play sometimes where to totally blow their limited brain cells I'd deliberately find a product showing two similar models and ask them to tell me the differences apart from the price. 99 times out of a 100 they would scurry off to find someone who knew and rarely came back.

Bit like finding how to throw a phone marketeer/salesperson off their script. Great fun IMO

[Big Boy]

Not for me I'm afraid. There is no way Shops and fun go together in my world.