Mystery Shopper is looking for the best router available to wirelessly connect 3 devices including PC Desktop, Laptop and Printer.
Currys Digital
The snowy weather was obviously taking its toll on the footfall level as the store was quiet and staff milled around freely appearing unoccupied. The front of the store displayed bold posters shouting ‘sale’ and ‘no VAT added’ from the large window bays either side of the entrance.
I found the router display, more by luck than judgement, and began inspecting the options available. Belkin and Netgear products dominated the display ranging in price from £29.99 to £139.99. After 10 minutes of browsing the boxes I went to search out assistance, a staff member with James on his name badge was quickly found and he happily returned to the display to advise me. Handing me the box, James began “I would choose the Belkin enhanced wireless connection starter kit, it comes with a high speed ADSL router with built in modem and a USB dongle in case your laptop doesn’t have wireless built in.” “It uses wireless N standards so it has a very fast network connection.” This choice looked very acceptable and seemed to tick all the necessary boxes, I wasn’t exactly sure what ‘wireless N standards’ were but James spoke with confidence which was reassuring. “This is popular router because you get the USB dongle as well as the router for a competitive price, Linksys do a similarly priced and featured device but I would choose Belkin from my experience.”
James looked to have made his mind up that this was the product for me so I thanked him for his time and let him return to his work. I was pleased with the experience, it didn’t set the world alight but I received a solid recommendation backed by good product knowledge and confidence.
SCORE: 8/10
PC World
I would be amazed if anyone didn’t know this store had a sale on as they entered, inside point of sale picked out prominently displayed items which were reduced in price positioned in high footfall locations.
The store layout was easy to follow despite the size and I quickly located the routers neatly displayed on the right wall between hard drive and PC accessories. In a similar fashion to Currys Digital both Belkin and Netgear had the lion’s share of the shelving space at eye level. Display boards around the products gave step by step instructions about how routers work and how to select the correct product for your needs breaking the units into two separate sections, cable or landline.
After reading the information available and examining a number of potential routers for 10 minutes I decided to hunt down some help via the customer help desk. I met Andy who left what he was doing and accompanied me to the router section, whilst walking Andy enquired about my needs and what I intended to use the router for. I explained I would be printing and sharing files including video, photos and music. “I would say the Belkin N300+ Modem router kit would a good choice, I’ve used this before and it’s quick and has a good range.” “The router kit is priced at £129.99 and includes a USB port which allows an external hard drive to be linked directly to the router and shared with wirelessly connected laptops and PCs.” Andy was very enthusiastic about the product and had answers for all of my queries; I was very impressed with how he simplified technical answers without sounding at all patronising. After being feeling thoroughly informed and at ease with the recommendation I asked for some information to take-away which Andy quickly located and delivered. “If you have any questions or issues please come back and see me; we have a technical support line and online support as well should you need any help.”
The mystery shop was very effective, a comparison to another product would have been useful but the choice made was given with confidence and delivered with humour and aplomb. I left the store having very nearly bought a router I didn’t need, a very good sign indeed.
SCORE: 9/10
Comet
The large windows allowed unobstructed views into the tidy 2 tiered store with more modest sale posters hinting that price reductions were available. Navigating my way to the router section proved trickier than expected compared to other large stores visited but I eventually found myself face to face with a router range including Develo, Belkin and Netgear products.
There were many staff members who were wearing company uniforms visible on the sales floor but it took 10 minutes of looking confused and trying to catch their attention before Rob approached me with a smile and asked if he could help. I recited my quest and he paused for thought before reaching for a Netgear DGB111G Wireless G Modem Router Bundle priced at £59.99. “This should do it” he said whilst continuing to read from the rear of the box; “It comes with a USB dongle to plug into your laptop or PC if it isn’t already wirelessly enabled.” “That sounds good, what makes this better than the others you have?” At this point I think the box didn’t have much more to give as Rob’s conviction in his decision began to waver. A few more points were picked from the exterior of the packaging before it was placed back on the display. I looked on hoping for a second choice or an up-sell but Rob seemed to be done, “Do you have any literature I could take-away?” “I’m afraid I don’t” was the reply. I took this as a suitable moment to let Rob go and thanked him for his time.
With a range of routers available comparable to other stores visited the experience was lacking in the actual sale process. The reliance on the product box to deliver sales information doesn’t inspire confidence in choices especially if you have already read the box before the discussion begins.
SCORE: 5/10
Currys
Large exterior posters promoted the January sale and ‘No VAT Increase on Selected Lines’ as I approached the well lit store. A recent refit was evident with a new layout, fixtures and signage throughout the sales floor although the small sign text size did cause navigation issues occasionally.
All the sales people were smartly dressed in company uniform; some were walking the shop floor whilst others appeared to be busy checking stock. Locating the router section I found the range to be slightly smaller than I expected from such a large store with Belkin well represented with about 90% of the display space available. An explanation board was located between the cable and landline router sections to help customers begin to narrow the choices displayed. This is especially useful as the product boxes are quite similar in appearance.
After 10 minutes of browsing I asked for assistance and a staff member named Scott came to assist me. Scott listened carefully to my story and had a quick glance across the display before picking up the Belkin G54 Modem Router and Adaptor Bundle priced at £74.99. “This has a USB dongle included which you can plug into your laptop or desktop PC if it isn’t already wireless compatible; it uses the G standard which should be adequate for your needs.” “It has 128bit WEP encryption for security.” Scott went on to talk about other key features including signal strength and the differences between cable and landline routers which showed his product knowledge was very good but his pitch was a little too technical for my understanding.
After having my brain filled with new jargon and technical terms I requested some information to take-away which Scott promptly printed out and handed to me. I thanked him for his time and made my excuses feeling informed but unsure if the product recommended was really the best for me.
SCORE: 7/10
Computer Warehouse (Independent)
The window spoke of the services available within although it was difficult to ascertain whether they were actually open as I approached; the door shutter was still visible and there was little light from within. Plain cardboard boxes on the sales floor gave a cluttered feel to the already cosy environment.
I was warmly greeted by the only staff member in the store who was named Asaf; I asked him to recommend me a router that will connect 3 devices wirelessly. Asaf began to ask a number of questions establishing what I would be using the network for before walking over to a brown box and removing a TP Link W890/G router. “I will sell you this one for £32.50 cash; this is the cheapest store in town.” Apart from the product displays in the window there were nothing else to see, everything inside was stored within brown boxes. I awaited some product description but nothing came, Asaf was basing the sale solely on the low price he was quoting. I explained I was just looking and asked if he could note down some details which he did handing me the paper and a business card. The description contained some key features of the router; it was a high-speed DSL modem, wireless G access point and 4-port Ethernet router running on the G network standard. The conversation ended and I made my exit reflecting on a rather odd mystery shop experience.
SCORE: 4/10
NSB Distribution Ltd (Independent)
There were various products on display in the window; however there were no visible routers. The sales floor had multiple displays including PC towers, various data storage devices and audio discs. 2 members of staff were present and I was greeted by Shiraz and with a pleasant and warm smile, he asked if he could assist to which I explained my requirements.
He moved towards a shelf which was home to a range of TP link routers and recommended the TP link TDW8920G wireless router priced at £35. “I have this one at home, it’s very good.” “You can set it up very quickly and all my family access it; the speed always remains quick.” Shiraz’s knowledge of the chosen router was extensive and he was very comfortable talking about it although I felt this may have prevented him recommending another option which wasn’t so familiar. Before leaving I asked for some details to take-away, Shiraz produced a leaflet with other services available in the store and noted down the selected router model number. Before leaving Shiraz said to call if I had any more questions, I thanked him for his help and let him get back to his work.
The visit showed a very solid personal customer experience often received when shopping within independent retailers. I was well looked after and a recommendation was made that was backed by personal experiences. The range of routers available was fewer than the nationals but the customer service was definitely on par.
SCORE: 9/10
Summary
It was surprising the knowledge levels of staff towards a product that is essential to most customers varied so greatly. Recommendations largely relied on personal experiences rather than solid product knowledge although Belkin proved a more popular recommendation in national stores.
The mystery shop showed that good customer service can be given within any retail store and that it is not dependent on range size or square footage. It boils down to a personal exchange offering a clear, confident choice backed with product knowledge and enthusiasm.
PC Retail Mar 2010 – Best Wireless Router