Reeling in the customers

HEAD south out of Croydon down the Brighton Road and you’ll find The Audio Centre. From the outside it’s an unpromising sight – a window full of old reel-to-reel tape recorders and variegated ‘stuff’.
However, looks are deceptive; this is a fabulous shop that specialises in repairs, which are carried out in-store – hence all the clutter and a thin layer of dust.
I asked about a CD player and was guided to two models, which were amply demonstrated, and all the while there was a free flow of information from the proprietor about his recommendations.
A choice of CDs was offered so I could judge the quality with different musical styles – a detail that really made me feel like a valued customer. It was just a shame I wasn’t out to buy but if I ever do need a CD player I know where to go.
I left the store feeling informed and happy and at no time was I sold too in a traditional sense.
Yes, The Audio Centre could do with sprucing up a little but the quality of service more than made up for that. A truly fabulous store that proves that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, so to speak.
If you’re ever in the area go and check out The Audio Centre. You won’t be disappointed and might even learn something, too.

Score: 10 out of 10

Simply charming

People buy B&O products for a number of reasons: perceived performance, build quality and most importantly for that B&O experience. Value for money doesn’t really enter the equation. It’s a bit like buying a Bentley.
The Croydon B&O store was no different from others I’ve visited – it offered up ‘the experience’ in spades. The shop was clearly laid out, and the staff were supremely courteous, professional and charming. Oh, you could learn to love this level of attention in-store.
My only complaint – and I’m being picky now – is that the shop was almost too spartan, although the minimal layout helped set off the TVs to their best.
Let’s face it, the B&O customer is a very specific person and the brand clearly knows who that is and while it might not be me it’s always nice to see what money can buy – a really classy retail encounter… except for the location.
Putting your store across from the main shopping area, cut off by a dual carriageway, seemed like madness as it effectively reduced passing trade to zero.
Yes, B&O relies on having destination stores, but even taking that into account I still believe that a more central location would have helped. A jam of cars and buses is hardly the backdrop you’d want.

Score: 10 out of 10

Pass my wallet, I'll take that Samsung!

Head out of town on the tram to Purley Way Retail Park and you’ll find a massive Comet. It’s cavernous interior was never likely to be cosy but I have to admit that the bright, airy feel wasn’t as clinical as it might have been.
There’s only so much you can achieve with a store this size and this Comet was at the good end of things.
I wandered around for a while, invisible to sales staff for the most part, but as soon as I stopped to look at some flat panel TVs, a member of staff approached me.
We chatted about what I was after, price and performance, and I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised – my encounter was both friendly and informative. My salesman knew what he was talking about.
He pointed out the comparative black levels on various sets – the Samsung he recommended was especially impressive in that respect – and talked about colour representation, too. And all the while he was dealing with a phone enquiry. Now that really is multi-tasking.
I could have been approached sooner, but on the whole I came away perfectly satisfied with my visit. It was refreshing to have a salesperson knowledgeably talk through a product range without either bamboozling you with science or mumbling through the difficult bits. He was so good I almost reached for my wallet and ordered a 37in Samsung LCD.

Score: 9 out of 10

Confident and friendly

A SHORT walk from South Croydon’s Swan and Sugarloaf pub sits Richer Sounds – newly moved from the less appealing environs of East Croydon railway station.
As you’d expect, the shop was clean, tidy and well laid out. In fact, it would be hard to fault the shop and the staff were pretty nifty, too.
My opening questions about flat panel TVs were all confidently answered and the overall level of in-store service seemed to be pretty high.
And there were plenty of smiles too, which always helps.
I would, however, have liked a greater demonstration of product knowledge, as a £500 purchase shouldn’t be made without knowing exactly what you’re buying.
Also, my follow-up questions about panel response times and 100Hz processing weren’t fully addressed.
But it was a good and friendly experience. nonetheless, and I never felt rushed or hassled.
Mind you, Richer Sounds’ ‘open door’ policy meant that there was a cold breeze blowing around the front of the store when it gusted outside.
Is there such a thing as a bad Richer Sounds shop? Judging by my experience here and elsewhere, I very much doubt it.
And as ever, prices were highly competitive and there were plenty of bargains – just what consumers looks for.

Score: 8 out of 10

Piled high, but well sold

Pas under the flyover that separates Central from South Croydon and you’ll discover Redhill Appliances, a corner shop for fridges and hobs that had previously been home to a rather glitzy specialist in lamps and lighting.
First impressions are always important and I was initially disappointed by what I saw – top brands stacked in a manner best exemplified by the Netto approach to in-store design. However, I needn’t have worried; the shop was chock-a-block with quality products that were surprisingly accessible.
The service was good and my questions were accurately answered, but I couldn’t help thinking that the whole experience would have been far more satisfactory if my environment had exuded the same sort of class as the products on show.
But you’d be hard pushed to complain about the range even if I’d never seen the Miele brand stacked up warehouse-style.
A little extra thought in the presentation would have resulted in Redhill Appliances getting a higher score as it was sometimes hard to imagine what an appliance would look like in a kitchen when it was racked up to the ceiling.
But if breadth of product range is important, then this shop was just the ticket.

Score: 7 out of 10

Queue up for good advice

The Jessops store in Croydon isn’t in the most picturesque location, unless you have a liking for buses and trams. Salubrious it ain’t.
However, the shop includes all the standard Jessops features – clear displays, a tidy layout and a largely counter-based, and therefore impersonal, customer service.
That said, when I reached the head of the queue my questions about memory cards and camera cases were all answered with authority and although the shopping experience lacked that personal touch, given the way the shop was set up I really couldn’t have expected much more.
The number of people in the store suggested that the good people of Croydon like photography and it might, therefore, be an idea to get the staff out from behind the counter more often as the personal touch can add value to a sale, both in terms of selling up and for also for creating the sense that customers are valued.

Score: 6 out of 10

Rushed off their feet

Croydon ’s pedestrianised precinct has a Currys.digital slap bang in the middle. The shop also opens out onto the Whitgift Centre behind, making the store a thoroughfare between the two.
This might have accounted for why the shop was heaving when I visited, but whatever the reason, it was hard for customers to move. Staff were busy serving and the whole place had a pleasant buzz about it, underscored by plenty of chat and ringing tills.
It would have been unreasonable of me to have expected to have been immediately picked out by a sales person, so I cornered one when he became free and asked about large-screen LCD TVs. I was given some perfectly acceptable replies – albeit rather quickly – but under the circumstances I couldn’t really complain.
A second visit would probably have been needed to finalise my prospective purchase, but a busy store always sends out a positive message and under the circumstances I would have been happy to return at a quieter time, ready to believe that I would then get a level of service that would match my needs.
Maybe the management could make a case for recruiting more staff if my experience was typical.

Score: 6 out of 10

Bread heads take no dough

Nestling deep inside one of Croydon’s indoor shopping malls is a Shop at Panasonic – a small but perfectly formed window onto the world of Panasonic products. So far, so good.
As soon as I walked into the store, my attention was grabbed by a heated and very loud debate among staff about how to pronounce ‘ciabatta’.
At times, the shouting and laughing reached such a pitch that it would have drowned out any attempt at conversation so it was just as well I wasn’t in a position to start a discussion with anyone.
This banter carried on for a good five minutes, while I wandered around the store unmolested and it’s a small store so I couldn’t hide out of sight.
By the time one of the salesmen could drag himself away from the Italian bread debate, I was ready to leave so his lame “Can I help you?” fell on deaf ears.
Could my encounter have been worse? Perhaps, if they’d been talking about pronouncing focaccia, and that hardly bears thinking about…
A truly dreadful retail experience and one guaranteed to have prospective customers running for the door.

Score: 0 out of 10

Galleria has no sales art

The Sony Galleria in Croydon’s Centrale shopping centre is a magnificent-looking store. Sadly, it was staffed by people allergic to selling when I visited – all four of them.
I walked in, walked over to the TVs on the back wall, wandered around a bit more, swayed from foot to foot and generally tried to get noticed, but all to no avail. And as I was the only person in the shop there really was no reason for me being ignored.
As I was leaving the store, two men walked in and started to look at some portable audio products. They were ignored, too, despite actually picking things up.
What really made this visit so dreadful was that the shop looked great from outside – it really lured you in, but once within its walls it was little better than a browse around a website, such was the lack of interaction.
An all round wretched performance from the Sony Galleria, which begged the question: why were the staff there at all?
Blessed if I know.

Score: 0 out of 10

MY VISIT to Croydon was the proverbial Curate’s egg, with the good being especially good and the bad ranking as atrocious. The Audio Centre threw conventional approaches to the wind with its mix of shop-front repairs and a conversational ‘no sell’ selling technique – a real old-fashioned shopping joy.
I also liked the Comet on Purley way – proof that the multiples can offer quality service after all. I’ll be revisiting the store sometime soon to see if the standard is maintained.
But what can I say about Shop@Panasonic? Ignoring customers is one thing, but to deafen them with a spectacularly brainless debate about Italian bread really does take the biscotti.
My overall impression of Croydon was that of a thriving retail centre, albeit one in need of a good scrub.
And with all the hustle and bustle there really is no excuse for the Sony or Panasonic stores being appalling. That’ll be business lost to a multiple across the road.