By Nikon
On July 25, 2010 at 7:00 pm, visited London drugs location (41st avenue and Victoria driver, Vancouver, BC) at the camera department, the sales person name is “Steve w.” I was ready to purchase the Nikon d90 package together with bag, battery, and sd card. The total price is about $1500. Since I am spending this kind of money, I decided to ask this sales for a little discount! Guess what this guy was telling me in return! He said ( with a nasty and unprofessional tone) ” I am Not in commission so just goes somewhere else! Do not waste my time” ! I was completely shock to hear that! What a f**king guy! I was so upset and decided to go else where! Th e next day I wrote a complaint letter to LD’s head office and hope they will train their staff in a more professional and more respect their customers! Because of this idiot, LD lost my sales!
Joyce says...
Yes, the sales guy was a tad rude…. but please, learn to write before posting!
kerry says...
10 to 15% percent of a discount seems fair.What did you have in mind…..If the item wasn’t on sale,i would shop around,first..
sean says...
Why should the guy give you a discount? LD is a large company and not some mom and pop shop. Their prices I’m assuming are set from a head office and I know that where I work if I were to just give out discounts on my own I would be fired.
Ashley says...
Unfortunately, that’s the kind of service you get at a drug store. They aren’t a large retailer like Henry’s, Best Buy or Future Shop. When you’re buying that high end of a camera, I personally would go to a big box store where they have trained staff who can answer questions. Not only that, they are usually good about discounts depending on what you are buyng. Sorry you had a bad experience at LD, hopefully they will train their staff better in the future.
FunkyMunky says...
@ Sean - I guess you have never worked in retail
ANYONE can ask for a discount ANYWHERE and it’s ok to be declined but in a pleasant manner - for example Black’s is a big franchise, however they regularly give generous discounts if the person is making a hefty purchase
seriously, the review section has the most obnoxious posters sometimes.
Sally888 says...
Yes Funky Monkey they all hang out here.
A lot of places will give you a discount or throw in an extra, future shop has done that for us quite a few times.
Blacks has too, and so has Henrys.
Kay says...
Odd-I have never had that problem at LD. But I would never ask for a discount just for the amount that I am spending and would instead shop around and ask them to price match.
Personally, I would have asked to speak to a manager or asked when they were in because often that’s who has the authority to potentially discount something if it is returned or a floor model, but not if it is a brand new product, where the price is set from head office.
Also, the response you are likely to get depends on how you ask. If you act as though you are entitled to a discount because you are spending “$1500″ dollars than honestly, if I were that sales person I don’t know how nice I would have responded either.
In response to Ashley:
I’ve had way better service at every Victoria BC London Drugs than anywhere else, especially the Victoria Future Shop whose terrible service on numerous occasions and at all levels, including management, is beyond the scope of this post. Even when the sales people are being attentive, often they try to up-sell you on unnecessary things and are not honest with what you really need.
Litesandsirens911 says...
Your post is misleading…the store in which you had bad customer service is a VANCOUVER BC store on Victoria Drive (The street name!!)
The headline should be corrected in my opinion…the customer service in Victoria at both the LD’s I have been to have been excellent.
PS: I am sorry about your terrible service.
Tom says...
Why do you think that you would be entitled to a discount because you were going to spend $1500? People spend far more than that on a daily basis. Prices are the way they are.
Jeff says...
Tom, The better question to ask is why are you such a horrible dog? My god, what a meanie you are.
Anyway, asking for a discount is perfectly fine. I hope the sales person get some retribution from your letter. It’s appalling to act like that.
GreenJoe says...
Having worked in retail I can tell you there is probably a lot more to the story than the poster is letting on. I’ve been asked for discounts in situations where I could not given one and my susual response is “I’m sorry we don’t offer package discounts.” Whhile you may thingk that the retailer is making big bucks off your $1500 sale. Digital cameras have the worst margin due to places like Henry’s and Walmart selling AT cost (they make it up on warranties and accessories). But this is besides the point the point is you claim the salesperson told you.
“I am Not in commission so just goes somewhere else! Do not waste my time”
You may protest all you want, and make up whatever justification you want. But I believe you are lying to justify your anger and disappointment.
He may have said something that upset you, but I HIGHLY doubt that he used those words with the tone you stated. You know it.
Why would this person risk their job saying something like that?!
While I wasn’t there and can’t say for sure what happened I will say. “suck it up buttercup” the world does not revolve around you. And the customer is not always right.
Quit trying to get some poor kid (probably barely making minimum wage to pay for school) fired because he wouldn’t give you a discount.
signed,
a former retail sales person.
Tom says...
I agree wholeheartedly GreenJoe, especially on the point about getting some poor kid in trouble.
You can call ME a “meanie”, Jeff but I think you should take a look at yourself. Hoping that this employee gets punished is downright mean.
People who often complain about poor customer service really need to get their priorities straightened out. While someone being rude IS annoying and can taint your day, it’s not the end of the world. Nor is it personal. Don’t abuse the power you have as a customer to personally get someone in trouble. Especially when you know you can’t be held accountable for how you may have acted towards that employee.
Supermumma says...
We do not live in a country where bartering is the norm. Companies need to make a profit in order to keep their business afloat and in order to pay their staff.
London Drugs prides themselves on the training and expertise of their staff. I doubt the employee said what you are telling us. I also know that they will match any competitor’s advertised price They have a thirty day price match guarantee
Because you are s spending an exorbitant amount on a camera does not ENTITLE you to a discount. I also know that LD often gives a free “how to” DVD
Don’t be such a selfish jerk!
Squash 500 says...
IMHO this is a very interesting thread. IMHO due to the bad economy bartering is now the norm in Canada. IMHO the OP was perfectly entitled to ask for a discount as long as he did it in a respectful way.
Curtis says...
Laura, one of the cashier at the Victoria Dr. location is extremely rude. She’ll give you attitude if you require anything else other than checkout, pay, get out. I politely asked for a price check and she started sighing and rolling her eyes. I don’t know how she still has a job there.
Jean, on the other hand, is one of the nicest cashiers I’ve ever encountered.
David says...
That sucks you experienced that tone and attitude….however, most sales staff @LD are ultimate professionals. You may have experienced a part timer that does not care - period. Those commenting on “big box” superior knowledge blahblah is speaking out of their as*! My company has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at LD because they know their stuff. The SERVICE you experienced is unacceptable and has nothing to do with product knowledge and expertise that I am familar with. As far as discounts go…beware….you think that because you are dropping some money there they will be glad to further discount an item that is most likely discounted already or close to cost. Good on you for asking but c’mon….think of it as your business. Nothing is free nowadays.
Joe Joe says...
I have to say, having worked down near Victoria and 41st for nearly a decade, that the clientele in that region would give anyone a short fuze. Understand that that region of Vancouver is the most multicultural region of the city in which people from countries all over the world converge and attempt to force their own cultural norms on the retailers there. That said, I’ve shopped at that LD a hundred times or more and the folks are more patient than anyone else in the area. It’s a busy, understaffed location with probably the chains highest theft rate and lowest per dollar transaction numbers. That alone would be enough to stress employees out.
More to the point though, retailers don’t do the kind of thing that the original poster described. They do that and they get fired. Sounds like the original poster got burned with a bad understanding of the language (see the grammar in the original post), and a deflated ego brought on by a lack of success in trying to talk his way into a deal.
However, if people are so upset about their experiences at that particular location, then go to one of the shiny, popular stores like the one at Brentwood Town Center. The people at that location are incredible, top to bottom.
P.S. I love the comments about big box stores. If you want to get your ass fleeced by a kid that makes money by selling warranties and has to go read about the product from the box in order to relay information to you about it, then by all means, go nuts. Those stores are toxic and the people that shop there are easily the stupidest people in the country. You can just as easily price match at LD or one of the small local electronic shops and then at least the money you spend is going to Canadian businesses. I guarantee that you will get better help, and a better camera, by purchasing at London Drugs or Broadway Camera than you could ever get at Futureshop or Best Buy. You might as well by your gear at Walmart if you think big box stores work.
John says...
Your right the sales guy was wrong to act that way!!! I have worked retail for many years and it’s hard you have bosses on your ass to do well you have customers come in all the time and complain about everything and after the customers buy they feel that they don’t have to read the manual and you should treat them like there the only person there. The sales guy might have had a bad day and took it out on you wich is so common in retail that you get customer that just pii you off. I read what everyone had to say I have been to big box stores and two seconds after you leave the store dont try to come back and get help with your problems because they don’t have time for you if your not spending money. London drugs is a Canadian company and I find that I always get good help even if I have problems months later so try and give them another chance.