Does anybody have .....

[Alanc]

I'm sure that some will say that this is not the right place to post this message but I'm desperate !

I have just returned from a trip to my local Brico Marche (nr Chinon - 37 ) - ten minute drive -  where incidentally I've spent thousands of euros over the five years or so I've been trying to make a ruin habitable, where I have again had to endure dealing with staff who are sullen, unfriendly, unhelpful, who feign an inability to understand my french, even though I know ( for once) my pronounciation is correct. It's almost as if there's an instore anti -brit policy. If they are to be believed their knowledge of the products they sell is nil. I base this assessment on the fact that whenever I seek advice on the suitability of a particular product for a particular purpose, they respond by shrugging their shoulders and telling me they don't know. Compare this to the attitude of the staff at my local Leroy Merlin - 45 minute drive -who are friendly and helpful in the extreme !!

My question is : does anybody have the address of the Brico Marche charm school ?  I want to write and tell them they're underchieving.

There, I feel better now that I've got that off me chest !!  Oops, just realised I need some screws. Here we go again !!!

PS The management are no better !

[dave21478]

Welcome to France.

Now try taking something back for replacement under warranty to see exactly how unhelpfull and obstructive they really can be.

[cooperlola]

I bought a load of hedging plants from Jardiland yestereday, Dave.  As I paid for them the assistant said, "All the shrubs are guaranteed for a year."  My o/h and I looked at each other thinking just the same thing - it's tough enough taking back something mechanical that no longer works - how the heck would I ever manage to take back a plant for replacement, for goodness's sake?

We've all come across this sort of thing on occasions, Alan.  Happily, it is not universal, as you have found out.  And shop people can be equally rude to the native French, don't worry!

[Chancer]

[quote user="cooperlola"]

We've all come across this sort of thing on occasions, Alan.  Happily, it is not universal, as you have found out.  And shop people can be equally rude to the native French, don't worry!

[/quote]

I second that.

And the situation will never change all the time the natives accept this treatment and then politely thank the salesperson for their time:trouble etc and slink away defeated.

Even when you write a strong letter of complaint custom says that you should end it with a very polite salutation, here is how I ended one of mine to AXA:

La politesse me demande de finir avec la salutation qui suit mais je vous rassure que ce n'est pas forcement mes vrai sentiments!

Je vous prie de croire Monsieur/Madame à l'asurance de mes sentiments distingués

[Panda]

I agree totally about how the natives accept the treatment.  I witnessed a friend, an intelligent, stong minded business woman practically grovel to France telecom over something they had failed to do, she said things  like 'thank you so much for taking the time to look at my problem, I am very grateful and so it went on!  They had failed to put a line in, simple as that and yet she said, when I tackled her on it afterwards, that it is expected that you always have to speak to these people like this otherwise they wont do the job!!

 I was shocked and can say that I feel my own approach of very directly asking for a named email address of someone in charge who I could write a formal complaint to regarding their inability to meet a simple customer request worked better than her approach , no way was I taking the same stance when the week after they still hadn't done it!  Who knows which method worked at least my way made me feel better, I've never been a good groveller!

Things are not going to change on the customer service front whilst people let it happen...

[Edward Trunk]

Part of the problem is that employees in France are virtually unsackable. If they sprayed their customers with horse manure as they came through the doors they would still keep their jobs. And you'd get charged for the manure used.

[dave21478]

[quote user="cooperlola"]

I bought a load of hedging plants from Jardiland yestereday, Dave.  As I paid for them the assistant said, "All the shrubs are guaranteed for a year."  My o/h and I looked at each other thinking just the same thing - it's tough enough taking back something mechanical that no longer works - how the heck would I ever manage to take back a plant for replacement, for goodness's sake?

We've all come across this sort of thing on occasions, Alan.  Happily, it is not universal, as you have found out.  And shop people can be equally rude to the native French, don't worry!

[/quote]

Funny you should mention that....I bought 6 young fruit trees last year and was told they were guaranteed for a year. 5 took fine and 1 endured a couple of months then died. I called the place I bought them from and they apologised and told me to bring it back next time I was in the area, which I did, and they gave me a new tree no questions asked.

Compare that to the battle I had with Geant to return a deep fat fryer that was a couple of months old - that saga dragged on for several months and ended up with me buying a new one elsewhere and promising to never set foot in their shop again. They couldnt have cared less.

[just john]

And there is now a distinct likelihood that it will become law to refuse exchanges on faulty goods EU to ban shop refunds[8-)]

Quite where this leaves Consumer rights protection I'm not sure, but Dave will sort it I'm sure[8-|]

[Gardian]

[quote user="Edward Trunk"]Part of the problem is that employees in France are virtually unsackable. If they sprayed their customers with horse manure as they came through the doors they would still keep their jobs. And you'd get charged for the manure used.[/quote]

[blink][:D]

[Alanc]

God what a can of worms I seem to have opened. I posted the message after I'd had yet another  bad experience at the Brico in question. Felt better for it!

I've been back since because it's local, bought a few bits and pieces but will not now to spend anything like the money I've spent in the past.  As far as staff attitude is concerned nothing changes!

 I'd be interested to hear of anybody elses experiences of this particular store.

Is it right that these stores are franchisees ?

[Chancer]

Ours certainly is and is owned by the same family as the buiders merchants so they have a monopoly on high prices and indifferent lousy service [:(]

The nearest major towns Amiens and Arras are a 30 minute drive and most of the local population have only been to one or either of them a few times in their lives hence the cycle continues.

Mind you the service is equally bad there as well but it does improve the closer you get to Lille or the channel ports.

[Frederick]

Be VERY careful when mentioning staff of France telecom...they are easily upset over 20 have committed suicide in recent months .... always grovel .... As for SFR they still owe me money after writing to them ... will I get it back ? ....is that a pig I saw fly over ?