When I studied at Stockholm University I was exposed to the telephone time concept. If you wanted to talk to a teacher you had to only call during certain times and visit them during certain times. Even if they were in their office with the door open you could not knock and talk to them if it was not visiting time (I thought about standing outside their office and calling them during telephone time though!).
More and more retail stores are taking the same concept to an alarmingly new dimension.
If I walk into a store it is because I want personal service, otherwise I will buy online. Many electronics stores have such terrible service (I will NEVER shop at On Off ) and instead of hiring and training sales people they are now making us book a time with them.
This photo is taken at an upmarket electronics store but many others also now offer the service of personal service – all you have to do it book a time!
Service is seems is not something we can take for granted, we need to book it in advance…….wrong thinking think I.
In Australia they have someone packing your groceries into bags or they have the cashier do it at the same time as they scan it. Not in Sweden. Why not?
What else can we not take for granted when we are trying to spend our hard earned money? Will we be charged an entrance fee to enter a store?
Cheers!
Mark
Tags: On Off
Hi, Mark – I cannot agree with you more. Interesting that we have both had poor service experiences at On Off!
Although Americans do sometimes take the service concept to extremes (Hi, I’m Kathy and I’ll be your waitress today), still when you go into a store, you know you’ll be waited on in good time.
I have had the poorest retail service in my life in Sweden, and it has not improved in these last 8 years. Here the stores and retail sales people act like they are doing you a favor to sell something to you. It is insulting!
Around 5 years ago, I started buying major purchases from EU retailers and eBay in both the UK and in Germany. The sellers there understand service and competition. And I have saved several thousand crowns because the prices do not have such high mark up as in Swedish retail stores.
I’m relieved to read of your experiences because I used to think it was “just me”.
My very best regards,
Karyl
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sweden is so extremly highly taxed that its impossible to have some one doing your baging for u in the store. We have to work four hours to afford to hire someone for one hour.
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I have to agree with you Mark. There are many great things about many great nations, but I have got to say that there are many things that leave you with your mouth opened, as to why this country, have humans that act like robots when it comes to service, its totally absent, and yes, you are paying your money, and their salaries! How could any nation, adopt a culture, where manners, self.respect, discipline and just plain no standards, exists’..I mean what do you expect from kids, when the Parents themselves have been bought up with no manners, or standards! Most seem to be content with drinking, smoking, trying everything they possibly can from kids, so when they grow up, as adults, they have nothing to look forward to! SAD!
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