Myers Vacuum review: Poor customer service

The Australian retail industry is forever complaining that internet websites and online retailing is contributing to the decline in retail sales. This is a complaint regularly espoused on myriad current affairs programs and through the printed media, especially around the holiday (gift giving) seasons. Well, I’d like to say that this shift to internet sales is largely now their own fault. Take my own experience for example: today I entered my local Myers store to purchase a wedding gift from the registry compiled by my sister and fiance, and spent over an hour browsing the store, deciding upon a $450 new-you-bewt food processor.

But, when I asked the saleswoman to place it on lay-by (lay-away), to be picked up in a fortnight, I was told: a) they did not allow lay-by purchases on registry lists AND b) did not allow lay-by purchases on any electrical goods. This struck me as odd, considering that many of the items on the registry list were in the sum of hundreds of dollars, and many were kitchen electrical accessories. Surely they don’t expect all their customers to enter their stores with ready cash-in-wallet, or to purchase everything on credit cards?

Surely they recognise that this global financial decline has meant that the majority of people strive to live to a budget, and try to limit the number of large purchases ($450 is a large enough sum to me that I’d like the option of layby, especially considering that Myers DO advertise this “option” in their brochures). As a result of this unforseen retail mis-adventure the bride and groom have now removed Myers as their preferred registry provider and have changed to an online service that offers a wider choice of goods at a cheaper price, with delivery, and without the added hassles of parking, crowds, limited store supply and poor customer service.

Sure, goods will still now have to be paid in full (there is no lay-by service available), but at least that knowledge is assumed, and the convenience and cheaper costs make this a better choice. It may not sound like a great fortune to a multi-million dollar retailer, but the 120 guests that were expected to spend between (on average) $200-$400 on a gift (totalling between $24000 and $48000), will now be spending their money elsewhere – on internet sales – and it is all due to poor customer relations and poor service by the local retailer.