Jessops Are Truly Terrible - Worst Service Ever
After singing Dyson's praises yesterday I suppose it is only fitting another company makes my blood boil today. I don't think I ever wrote about it but a couple of years ago my wife and I went to Ibiza to spread my brother's ashes with my family. I took my SLR camera and ended up taking about seven rolls of film out there. Louise took them to Jessops in Sheffield city centre near Ponds Forge. We used them a little before that and I actually bought my SLR camera from them about six months earlier.
She asked for one hour processing when she dropped them off on her lunch hour. We went to collect the films at about 16:30ish after work and they weren't ready - in fact they had not even started to process them. The machine wasn't doing anything at the time. They actually lied and claimed that she had asked for four hour processing (we didn't even know they offered that - all that was advertised was one hour or next day I believe). They weren't even ready in four hours. They had a kid with long hair in the back who did the processing and he actually started talking about Louise with the other staff whilst she was stood there - hurling insults at her which she overheard as he wasn't talking as quietly as he might have thought.
I complained to the manager, he was pretty spineless and didn't do anything about this rude employee. He offered us the processing for free, but then when he realised how expensive it would be backtracked and offered it to us half price. We stood there and waited whilst the kid who was so rude continued to process the film. In the end (after about 45 minutes) we got our photos and I let the manager know again just how unhappy I was. I also wrote a letter of complaint to their head office and got a reply back basically saying we're sorry and not a lot else.
Then yesterday I was placing an order with Club 35 whom I have found to be very good over the last year or two. As I was looking at the negatives I noticed that the photo I wanted an enlargement of has had its edge sliced off. Looking through the other negatives quite a few of them are like this. Now Jessops is supposed to be an award winning photo processor (part of the reason I paid more to use them) but I also remember him slamming the blade down as he was chopping up the negatives. To me that is just gross incompetence or possibly even malicious. I prefer to believe incompetence but I suspect it was malicious.
That guy didn't have a clue how much or how little those photos meant to me or my wife. Hopefully the guys at Club 35 will be able to make an enlargement from the negative anyway, but I really just wanted to write this post to express my sheer anger. Jessops should discipline their staff if they behave in such a manner, it upset my wife and that guy has damaged the negatives to my pictures from an event that will only ever happen once. It also reminds me how much trust you are forced to put in strangers and how it is so easy to let you down...
She asked for one hour processing when she dropped them off on her lunch hour. We went to collect the films at about 16:30ish after work and they weren't ready - in fact they had not even started to process them. The machine wasn't doing anything at the time. They actually lied and claimed that she had asked for four hour processing (we didn't even know they offered that - all that was advertised was one hour or next day I believe). They weren't even ready in four hours. They had a kid with long hair in the back who did the processing and he actually started talking about Louise with the other staff whilst she was stood there - hurling insults at her which she overheard as he wasn't talking as quietly as he might have thought.
I complained to the manager, he was pretty spineless and didn't do anything about this rude employee. He offered us the processing for free, but then when he realised how expensive it would be backtracked and offered it to us half price. We stood there and waited whilst the kid who was so rude continued to process the film. In the end (after about 45 minutes) we got our photos and I let the manager know again just how unhappy I was. I also wrote a letter of complaint to their head office and got a reply back basically saying we're sorry and not a lot else.
Then yesterday I was placing an order with Club 35 whom I have found to be very good over the last year or two. As I was looking at the negatives I noticed that the photo I wanted an enlargement of has had its edge sliced off. Looking through the other negatives quite a few of them are like this. Now Jessops is supposed to be an award winning photo processor (part of the reason I paid more to use them) but I also remember him slamming the blade down as he was chopping up the negatives. To me that is just gross incompetence or possibly even malicious. I prefer to believe incompetence but I suspect it was malicious.
That guy didn't have a clue how much or how little those photos meant to me or my wife. Hopefully the guys at Club 35 will be able to make an enlargement from the negative anyway, but I really just wanted to write this post to express my sheer anger. Jessops should discipline their staff if they behave in such a manner, it upset my wife and that guy has damaged the negatives to my pictures from an event that will only ever happen once. It also reminds me how much trust you are forced to put in strangers and how it is so easy to let you down...
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Ruth on :
Marcus D. Hanwell on :
Sean on :
He is the long blond-haired bloke whos face resembles that of Gollum in Lord of the Rings. He is lazy, angry, he is heavy-handed with the printing equipment. He is also indifferent about what customers actually receive as a set of prints. Nobody in that branch dares confront him so he continues to shock customers regularly. Oh!... and damn is he one ugly S.O.B.! I'm thinking I might tell him next time, the only thing is, I didn't see him last time. I guess he might have been on holiday in a cave somewhere but here's to hoping he has finally been turfed out on his ass. He's useless!
cutomer Nov 09 on :
The laugh is that after the debarcle this morning I went online to find I can get the camera ?10 cheaper from a reputable supermarket and that the camera is now available through Jessops for collection in store. If they had rung as planned before despatching I would have opted for either of these options rather than the mess I now find myself in.
Would I use them again. A definite NO. Jessops take head, how can you afford to lose customers?
Peter on :
I would never trust a High St processor Jessops or otherwise with important films-they need to be insured and sent to a Professional lab where boo-boos are much less likely.
christine s on :
ChrisW on :
How does the electronic product market work? Profits are very tight, particularly given that some firms operate solely online rather than having an online street presence, which in itself can be a disadvantage. Therefore its important that a firm with potential high overheads sells itself and its strengths. I have purchased much of my Hi-Fi equipment from Richer Sounds. Should you want to try out equipment, RS will setup listening rooms for customers to test out brands and models until they are happy, even if they have to unbox new equipment. The service and a high street presence reinforces the customer focus so that a client buys the appropriate equipment for their needs.
Jessops have a different approach as I discovered recently... having sold my previous DLSR to a work colleague, I'm looking for an upgrade and have identified another model. I wonder into a Jessops store in the City inquiring with a member of staff whether I could see the model in question... now there's a buying signal if ever there was one! He looks in the display cabinet (I'd looked there already and the model I wanted wasn't there). He checks the computer system to see if there are any in stock... there is. I ask if I can see it. No... its still in the box and can't be opened!
So I try a different buying signal approach... I produce a print-out from a website stating that I want to buy a camera that is in stock and will Jessops match the price... They WON'T! = I spend, not an insignificant amount of money (enough to make my wife's eyes roll), ELSEWHERE!
My advice... do your research (magazines/internet), identify a manufacturer/model based upon your requirements, but do not... under any circumstances (unless of course you want to receive a similar level of service) ever walk into a Jessops store... so ignore the poster offers in the shop window cause imagine how much cheaper the same models will be elsewhere online!
You pays yer money and you takes yer choice!
Jessops Employee on :
Robert Bates on :
When I asked what was the difference between the cameras, he said none, they all do the same thing. I said I wanted something simple to use to which he replied 'if you cant mange one of them you cant manage any of them. I said I wanted something fairly robust so he said dont buy one of these, get a camera phone. I asked about internal storage of immages, he said they dont have any. I managed to extract from him that they have a memory card. How many immages do they hold? Depends whether you want to use it or leave it in the box he said, and so it went on unti I decided enough was enough and left.
I did ask if he realised that his attitude had lost him a sale and he smiled for the first time and said yes!
I have sent a message to jessops via their web site but had no reply. I cannot find the address of their head office. The service is disgraceful and I will not be using jessops in the future.
Robert Bates
zatanna on :
but then on the other hand, i have noticed that jessops themselves have not given 2 hoots about their labs recently. they just shut down the only one in our town (which leaves me without a job) and there isn't another one within 10 miles. not to be giving it a disgruntled employee angle, i did really love my job, but thier aim seems to be cutting corners and makin profits even when it greatly reduces customer satisfaction.
since i started they have been trying to "give jessops and fresh, young look" which basically meant rather than keeping their well respected customer care-based and knowledgable, mature staff, they basically started employing spotty teenagers who couldn't care one way or another. which is obviously where they lose their repsect and customer base.
victoria on :
wag on :
Peter lee on :
What a load of untrained arrogant morons in their camera department.!!!
Jessops customer on :
I bought a Fujitsu Siemans laptop from Jessops Edinburgh on 18/03/2006. It was delivered to the store, opened, and the DVD remote was lost. Jessops said they would replace it. Heard nothing further. I contacted the shop again. Jessops offered ?40 to order it myself! The laptop never functioned properly from purchase. Jessops would not deal with it, and referred me to Fujitsu Siemans for servicing 3/2007. After the 1st service the laptop still had the same faults, froze, and reverted to the French Alphabet randomly. After the 2nd service the laptop was noisy, overheating, and the screen was red on startup. I cut the power, and phoned Fujitsu Siemans again. I was told ' something has been left inside by mistake' 'just pack it up now, don't use it' ' .After the 3rd service the laptop was returned outside its years guarantee with the same faults. Meantime I used my home PC and had to purchase a reliable laptop elsewhere. 9/2008 I switched on the Fujitsu laptop. After startup the screws and components could be seen as the screen turned black. There was a burning smell. I cut the power. Fortunately I had not left the room, and was able to deal with it.. I complained 'Sale of Goods Act' . Jessops letter... average lifespan of a laptop 60 months, divide ?1199.99 by 60 = ?19.99 x 26 months usage = ?520.00 = partial refund of ?679.99. Laptop to be collected, then payment by cheque. I contacted Barclaycard for a refund of ?1199.99 since I have Fujitsu Siemans 3 service reports, and an independent PC engineers report stating the motherboard was always faulty. Components were replaced , on each service. The laptop was further damaged due to their error on the 2nd service, damaged components changed again, then the laptop was returned to me, posing a fire risk in my home. The Laptop involved Fujitsu Siemans AMILO M3438G / BU M3438G/ PM 760. I NEARLY HAD A FIRE IN MY HOME OVER A DANGEROUS PRODUCT, NEARLY A YEAR OLD! RETURNED TO ME BY FUJITSU SIEMANS, CAN ANYONE TRUST THEIR SERVICING STANDARDS? AND JESSOPS - It should have been a third party sale sent to your home not the store. It was in Jessops catologue but nothing to do with Jessops. Deal with Fujitsu Siemens direct. By the way Fujitsu currently offer a ?50 lifetime extended warranty full details in Computer Active Magazine .........
Karen on :
Bought my S225 Coolpix camera on 28th May, have had a problem with the lens jamming, took it back to Jessops on 19th June when I came back from holiday. They flat refused to replace or refund and said it was down to user misuse and that I must have dropped or knocked it. There is no way it was dropped and if it is so delicate that it can be damaged without the user knowing it, then it is not fit for purpose as cameras are something you would carry around in your bag etc. The manager was really rude and I couldnt help thinking that had it been any other shop then I would have had no problems exchanging. I insisted that it be sent away for a professional technician to have a look as I didnt beleive it was right for a manager just to decide by looking at it that there was no technical fault. I will never buy from Jessops again, Anyway the good news is that I decided not to let it go at that and phoned Jessops Head Office who said that as it was within the first 30 days then I could have it exchanged no questions asked. I am going back today to sort it out and try and get my money back to buy at a more reputable store.
Henry McLean on :
Claire W on :
Upon having made my payment, the assistant took both items from the display. I asked whether she was selling me the display items as I did not particularly want an 'ex-display' camera and was told that the lens was from the display but had only been out for a couple of days, but she would give me a brand new, 'unopened' camera from their stock. She then went away and returned a while later with what she said was a brand new camera, and the lens which was only partly packaged away as she could not fit all of the packaging into its box.
However upon returning home and checking the items, I discovered that the camera was the same one which I had been trying in the store (it had the same marks on it, including numerous fingermarks). I rang the branch immediately and the lady admitted to me that this is the only one they had.
I therefore agree with the above comments on poor customer service. I was extremely disappointed that a staff member instore told me a complete untruth. Perhaps I am being fussy by not wanting a camera that other people have been trying out, but this does not justify a sales assistant being dishonest about the condition of the item being purchased. I am now also unsure as to whether the lens had only been on display for a 'couple of days' as I am not at all satisfied with the store assistant's honesty.
I emailed my complaint over a week ago and am still awaiting a response.....
Kelly May on :
Barbara A on :
Fiona on :
Jay on :
Our head office is a struggle for us as well as our customers, luckily it has recently started to get better but its an issue for us as much as you.
Jessops has just spent over a million pounds on training in which all staff colleagues had to participate.
Makes such as Canon have made training programs in which all of us have had to complete with a certain percentage hit.
Our in-store printing is VERY limited, yes we can adjust brightness but primarily with FILM based orders. Digital orders come wirelessly from our Kiosks and editing each image is near impossible as our system is fairly slow and old. (this is the same for all Jessops other then new London based stores)
Nearly everyone that comes into our shop has a different monitor calibrated differently, can you imagine how many people print images that are lighter or darker then what they see on a computer screen or on a home printer. I personally spent 3 hours between my home and work trying to get the colours to be what I saw on my home computer.
Our old system which was taken out nearly a year ago was able to adjust brightness fairly quickly (don't ask me why it was changed)
In terms of selling a camera that was on display, WE make sure this does not happen by clearly letting customers know, we offer NO discount for display models and due to this we are always happy to order a brand new one in.
The customer that said they bought a S225 on the 19th of May 2009, you have been wrongly accused of breaking it. Anyone at the store I work at would of happily taken that camera and replaced it as 'Lens Errors' can happen completely out of the blue. As you were in your 30 days its just common ground for us.
In terms of staff that no nothing, I am 21 years old, have been into cameras since an early age and advise anyone on any aspect of photography, all our staff range from 20-26 and all of us own DSLRs and love to chat to customers about what way to go with photography.
It annoys me that people generalise Jessops staff without seeing the good stores aswell as the bad. A store is only what its staff is and I honestly believe the store I work at could change all of the oppinions here.
By the way, the post made about the guy with long hair who talked about your wife is completely out of order, why his managed failed to do anything is beyond me.
Ian W on :
Disgruntled customer on :
Jessops employee on :
First of all let me apologise on my company's behalf on the situation with your camera. Unfortunately cameras do stop working, but if the advisor that saw your camera had doubts about the condition of your camera (e.g. If the fault could have been accidental damage) then he is only reciprocating what the repair company will say if you send it off for repair. Please complain to the store, did you speak to the manager? May I ask which store you were dealing with?
Jessops employee
David Halstead on :
Peter on :
Ray Taylor on :
They use these models to their advantage to sell new ones, I understand that they have to get rid of them somehow but to treat their customers as idiots and deliberately deceive them is NOT ACCEPTABLE - Coupled with this and a bad experience with Jessops dot com (also detailed on my website) I question there business ethics and their future.
I wish I had looked on the internet first I could have saved myself a lot of stress. The Jessops management must feel very proud !!!!!
"There is only one Boss. THE CUSTOMER. And he can fire everybody in the company... simply by spending his money somewhere else."
Michael Orme on :