Jessops, insurance and visit

15 August 2012

We are stuck in today because like the rest of country we expecting rain - you know, just for a change ;-)))  Actually, we don't have reason or need to go out today anyway apart from a letter to be posted so hopefully I shall be able to get caught up with a few things that do need doing.  This morning we had a letter from the insurance company about our claim for the lost camera gear.  That has had to be the first job so I can get out and get it posted before the rain arrives.  The only company to contact us over the claim was Jessops. 

Now, I have had some mixed dealing with Jessops over the years.  A few years ago the branch here in Dorktown was pretty dire with a manager who seemed as if she wasn't bothered whether we shopped there or not.  There's a new lass in there now and she is very good.  The branch in was helpful too when I went in there once.  The major problem with both of these is that they are very small shops and don't hold a lot of stock.  The type of lenses I lost are not the sort that there is a lot of people asking for, which means they have to be ordered and that means an even longer wait. 

The other really bad incident I had with them was in the Brum branch.  There a young girl was trying to change a couples mind on what camera to buy.  They wanted an Olympus E510 - one I was fancying at one time.  The girl was trying to get them to buy a Nikon.  When she said, "The other major problem with Olympus cameras is that if you want to buy any new lenses there's a long waiting list because they are amde to order and have to imported direct from Japan." 

Nope, I sorry but I wasn't having that and challenged her over it.  She stuck to her guns though, even when I gave the couple the phone number of wearhouseexpress.com so they could ring them and see was right, me or the girl.  The result was that Jessops lost sale that day, another sale when I came to buy my new kit.  The following morning an email was sent to the manager about what had happened.  Guess what, no reply from them.     

That is why I have spent time printing out the items from the warehouse.com site.  With them I can more or less guarantee that they will have the items in stock - just as their website says they are.  They will then be sent out with next day delivery.

Jessops are having major problems as a group.  The instances I have given here are replicated in various places up and down the country.  The bad news always get's spread about of course and the few good reports get missed.  As the major high street photo store in the UK, they really do need to concentrate a lot more on customer relations.

Enough of Jessops - I shall put that hobby horse away now.  Today's photo is of Charlie ...  

Charlie belongs to a really pleasant couple who live on Bracebridge Street.  He always knew when he came near our front gate and would be looking up and a round for his fuss from one of us.  How he's doing now I have no idea.  But he's a cracking little dog.

Funny time ...

An Australian guy goes into a bar in the Greek Islands. Jill, the Australian barmaid takes his order and notices his Australian accent.  Over the course of the night they talk quite a bit. At the end of the night he asks her if she wants to have sex with him. Although she is attracted to him she says no.  He then offers to pay her $200 for the deed. Jill is traveling the world and because she is short of funds she agrees.
The next night the guys turns up again and after showing her plenty of attention throughout the night he asks her if she will sleep with him for $200. She figures in for a penny in for a pound - and it was fantastic the night before so she agrees.
This goes on for 5 nights. On the sixth night the guy comes into the bar. But this night he orders a beer and goes and sits in the corner. Jill is disappointed and thinks that maybe she should pay him more attention. She goes over and sits next to him.
She asks him where he is from and he tells her Melbourne.
"So am I" she says.
"What suburb in Melbourne?"
"Glen Iris" he says.
"That's amazing" she says, "so am I - what street?"
"Cameo Street" he says.
This is unbelievable" she says, "what number?"
He says "Number 20" and she is astonished.
"You are not going to believe this" she says, "I'm from number 22 and my parents still live there!"
"I know" he says, "Your father gave me $1,000 to give you.