Hi, just wanted to write in about Canada’s newest FutureShop location in Moncton, NB and all the bullshit I’ve had to put up with since it opened 3 weeks ago.
OK, first lets start with the store opening and how they fubared it royally…
- Nov 10, 2006 = Old Dieppe, NB store warns me they will be moving during week of Nov 13. when I was in-store.
- Nov 11, 2006 = All stores closed for Remembrance Day.
- Nov 12, 2006 = I had to go back and get something else. Asked them about move and was “guaranteed” old store would be open during the move.
- Nov 13, 2006 = Call old store to see if they’re open. Get message advising of new store phone #.
- Nov 14, 2006 = Go to old store, notice it’s boarded-up. Sign in the window saying they’ve moved. Go to new location, it’s boarded-up as well. Half a dozen employees smoking cigs in the parking lot. Ask them if store will be open, they say it’ll be open by 5:00pm that night. Go back at 5:00pm, store still closed.
- Nov 15, 2006 = Call new phone #, no answer all day.
- Nov 16, 2006 = New store still closed. Call Saint John, NB location to find out if they know any info. Was told store was supposed to be open Nov 14 and that they had even sent staff up to Moncton to help ensure store would be open that day!! Later that night, get a store flyer in my mailbox saying Grand Opening is Nov 17.
- Nov 17, 2006 = Go to new store that night. Nothing’s unpacked, products aren’t on shelves yet, displays aren’t put together yet, loads of boxes in aisles, total mess.
So, FS effectively let us go for 4 solid days without any open stores in Moncton and even though they had extra help, they still didn’t have everything ready for opening day.
2nd week store is open = They don’t get a major DVD release which is released nation-wide. They are the only store in Moncton not to get the DVD. Luckily, Wal-Mart across the street had it in-stock for a few $ cheaper. FS website has correct map, yet still displaying old address & phone # for new store listing. All items showing “info unavailable” when you’d check store stock online.
And finally, just 2 days ago… almost a full month since the store has been open. I go look for a CD and DVD. The CD is listed as out of stock on the website, the DVD is listed as in stock on website. I get to store, the CD was actually in-stock and the DVD was nowhere to be found. I even had them check the in-store inventory computers and the DVD was still showing that they had 2 in-stock!!! What the hell?!?
It seems the simple act of moving from one store to another has further dropped the IQ of all store staff even lower than a jar of mayo. They’ve gone from being “mildly incompetent” to “totally frickin useless”. At least at the old store, they could find items within minutes, now, they haven’t got a clue WTF anything is.
Also, the store itself is 10x smaller in size, so less items are in-stock and they went from a huge mall parking lot of over 250+ spaces to a tiny lot of approx 80+ spaces. The mall lot was insane during last year’s “we consider Dec 27 to be Boxing Day” sale. Can you imagine the ungodly migranes people will have trying to find a parking spot at the new store this year?
Total bad planning from the start… the contractors didn’t have a clue wtf they were doing when they drew the blueprints, the store managers didn’t have a clue wtf they were doing when they agreed to move and the store staff don’t have a clue wtf they’re doing any day of the week. The least they could’ve done was fire all staff and build a BestBuy instead. Sure, it’s the same products for the same prices, but maybe seeing a new brandname store in town would motivate the lackeys that work there to smarten the hell up.
I have about 20 more stories I could tell about the old location, but I’ll save those for some other time.
Mailed in Thanks
You have to realize that a big move like that cannot always happen as planned. There’s going to be snags and mess-ups along the way. There’s literally TONS of stock to move and miles of stock documentation to categorize and keep tabs on. All in all the move seemed to have gone pretty well considering anyone can go in and get the products they want, and if not available the associates are willing to do whatever it takes to help the customers find the product, even if it means going to the competition.
I understand your frustration of not being able to get a product that shows as in-stock but imagine how the sales associate feels when he or she is unable to help you any further. Makes them all feel pretty helpless and with people giivng them sh*t makes them feel pretty sh*tty. Imagine thousands of items coming off a truck and having to put it all away and keep tabs on it all. It’s not physically possible to do it all at once. let them work out the kinks. A customer is important to them but at the same time, a little understanding and common courtesy goes a long way.
As for the 10x smaller than previous location. Have you really looked around? Sheesh.. the old store appears tiny in comparison. In fact.. it’s actually roughly the same square footage but instead of islands in the way everywhere and the cashes taking up a ton of room it’s all aisles that are well divided into sections. It would take an idiot to not be able to find the items you are looking for.
Considering the move, change of layouts and high expectations that customers have from a new store I think they are doing pretty good all things considering. There’s always kinks to work out, and sometimes it’s at no fault of the retailers themselves. Many times the lack of items is of fault of the manufacturers and/or shipping companies.
Left by ohneat on December 14th, 2006