I am looking for a kids soccer goalie kit. Amongst the stores phones was Sportsmans in Atterbury, Pretoria. The Consultant there advised me that they do not have stock and to look at Adidas and Mr Price Sport. Upon phoning Sportsmans Warehouse Head Office to speak to a Buyer, I was told that they do not deal with customers and that I should order at branch level. I then asked to get the office number of the CEO, to be told that he does not deal with customers. The CEO's name was given as Mr Kevin Hodgson. The receptionist refused to divulge her name as "I was being difficult". A few minutes later a very helpful Regional Manager, known as PJ called me and apologised for my customer experience. PJ informed me that her name is Val. He also reiterated that this is how their Head Office operates. In this day and age, customers are shown to branches and not dealt with at Head office level, based on the queries raised. As a Head Office, your toll free line is obviously for complaints only and not to cultivate new customer relationships. Customer service is a national priority, and should not be a delegated one.
Service in retail is problematic, we now know why.
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