This is not a moan about watch availability, more about the state of my local AD.
So I was in Reading today to drop some stuff into my accountant's place and thought I'd pop into Goldsmiths to do a bit of watch shopping. It's my local Rolex AD and I only get to visit once or twice a year. I wasn't expecting much and my expectations certainly weren't met which is a shame as I've got a big old chunk of cash burning a hole in my pocket. It was a much better shop before it moved into the Oracle if you ask me. I have, in the past, spent quite a lot of money with them and used to get invited to some of their special events. Anyway…
For starters: staff - 3, customers - just me.
Combined age of the staff? 60. Maybe 65 at a push. 2 of them were certainly too young to shave, but I digress.
Q. Any stainless steel Sub dates?
A. No.
Q. Non-dates?
A. No.
Q. Sea dwellers?
A. No.
Q. Taking orders? Know when any might be coming in?
A. We have no stainless steel sports Rolex at all, we don't know when we're getting any more and we aren't taking any orders for any of them.
Fair enough, it was a bit of a long shot.
Q. Are you taking preorders for the new Omega Seamaster?
A. No.
Q. Know when/if you're getting any?
A. No.
Q. Got a list for people interested in one?
A. No.
OK. On to the third and final thing on my list.
Q. Have you got a Black Bay Steel in. With a date? I've not tried one yet but could be tempted given the difficulty in getting a Sub.
Youngest member of staff brings me a Black Bay with no date. (Not a BB Steel).
Q. No date?
A. There aren't any with a date yet. They're being released later in the year, possibly.
Tried it on and didn't really take to it. Upon leaving the shop spotted a BB Steel with a date in a display cabinet.
Q. What's this? (Pointing at the watch)
A. Oh that's a Black Bay Steel.
Q. I though you said there weren't any with dates?
A. Oh yeah, there are those, but not any of the other Black Bay models.
I gave up. I think I must be doing this wrong.
Originally Posted by sunaxi
Cut and paste this and sent it to Goldsmiths.
I don't care about the idiots working there. They don't deserve the job that they have anyway.. and are doing it VERY badly.
They have no customer service skills and sound to not even care. Pathetic.
This.
These people are employed to sell watches and look after customers, not just to mill around the store.
Unbelievable
Total disgrace of a situation.
As previously said report that level of arrogance and plain stupidity.
Shocking. What is the world coming to...
I'm sure Goldsmiths have expensive and 'rigorous' training programs as well as a thorough selection process that tells them your experience couldn't possibly be accurate...... ;-)
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Obviously if anyone wants to recommend a good/friendly AD (Rolex or Omega) I'm prepared to travel.
Unfortunately this seems to be the way in a lot of main dealers now!!
People all want the same watches so they seem disinterested, almost as if they are doing you a favour?!?!
I for one prefer the smaller jewellers now and buy a fair bit online from Jura when they have their sales on?!?
Not felt the need to join any 5 year queues for a watch I won’t get🤣
Watch collecting has changed massively in the last 24months or so especially in terms of limited editions etc!!!
It’s made me move onto different brands other than the top 4-6 which has lead to some new found love of different styles! I’ve even almost sold all my Rolex apart from a couple of vintage pieces and an Airking!!!
I might even try Panerai and they were never my thing but I seem to be getting pushed to them by other brands and maybe also as I get older my tastes are changing?!? Just got to stick between 38-44mm for my divers I think??
Vintage pieces seem to have become an absolute bargain to me these days plus I get a better service from used dealers!!
Chris
I had a fun experience in the Goldsmiths in Southampton. I didn't have a huge pile of cash burning a hole in my pocket but while the wife was shopping I meandered in to look at the (then) new Autavia reissue. They didn't have one. They had 3,000,000 coming in, would I like to go on the list etc. No thanks. Do you want to have a look at anything else? I try on a blue Pelagos. I can hear the bloke behind me knows what he's talking about while the salesman talks complete nonsense. My salesman then tells me Tudors are so hot they immediately go up by at least £500 as soon as you leave the shop. I was tempted to get him to underwrite that claim but couldn't be bothered, he was an arse. As I left a third customer had appeared, who also knew what he was talking about and was also being served by a salesman talking codswallop. I really don't think we're their target.
"A man of little significance"
A little bit of a trip for you, but Pragnell's in Stratford upon Avon always get it right and have lots of fantastic brands to browse.
The target market seem to be viewers of 'love island' and 'TOWIE', intelligent staff are not required.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
can only assume that those who buy from goldsmiths go to timpsoms for their battery changes
I think the problem here is that you have money, sense and taste - a combination which three 20-something shop assistants will have no understanding or comprehension of.
It's a good thing it's not an AD... oh wait, it is. Sheesh.
Pathetic.
You don't go retail shopping to make sensible informed decisions these days! You're doing it wrong!
To be fair, you possibly shouldn’t be blaming the sales staff. In my view, it’s the fault of the retailer. They’re employing inexperienced young staff on minimum wages, working unsocial hours and giving them no training in sales or even the products they are selling. You can’t blame the youngsters for having little interest.
I sold a watch to them last week
Bunch of idiots
Hard work to say the least.
Store was full of kids knowing less than me about watches.
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T'is not only Goldsmiths.
I had to visit a major, and very well reputed, London AD last week about a service issue (new strap for almost £500).
Certainly couldn't claim they were not knowledgeable, but they equally certainly not keen to order me a strap -- seemed beneath them. Tried to send me to the boutique of the manufacturer. Had to insist.
Grumpy!
And shops wonder why people don't bother to visit them these days and buy everything online instead....
It's not only younger people who have no knowledge.Was told the moonwatch double sapphire was an automatic despite me pointing at the handwound movement..would not believe me.That was in an omega boutique.Rolex "specialist" telling me every rolex was made by hand over a period of one year using a block of metal.But there was this young girl who said I was damaging an automatic by gently swirling to start it running.She grabbed it out of my hand.She said her training had taught her this.
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Imagine if this forum were to run a shop...Sir would like to look at a tudor,well let me tell you a 10 minute story of Han wilsdorf and rolex finishing with his creation of the sub brand tudor and how he came by that name.What do you mean you have to go?
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You may jest, but this 'heritage' element is precisely where the cost-justification comes from!
They have forgotten this and the process, in full, is now:
Lots of expenditure on marketing/brand awareness/celebrities = sales. End of.
You're right unfortunately.Tudor seems to be aiming at the younger crowd.Lady Gaga adverts etc..there is nothing about this which tells the brands story or history.Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk
I second this, Tarratts in Leicester is equally good.
What I find strange about the Rolex & Tudor advertising and ambassadors is it’s like they dropped the two advertising campaign files a few years ago and mixed them up.
“Pass me the new file for Tudor with the vintage inspired Heritage Range please... Lady Gaga wow ok”
“And now let’s see the Rolex file for the latest bling looking ceramic jewellery... Roger Federer at Wimbledon?”
To me I feel like Rolex should be advertising with Gaga as their watches are always moving forward and new tech with the ceramic and all shiny shiny. Yet Tudor with their vintage inspired watches seems to go after the younger audience, odd.
V valid points re marketing and product design.
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Partly fault of Rolex - not easy trying to sell something they never have (apart from possibly that Tudor).
To be fair, Goldsmiths have got their one star Trustpilot status to try & uphold https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.goldsmiths.co.uk
I popped into the Goldsmiths in Milton Keynes a few weeks ago and had a good chat with a chap in there about Tudor (even put my name down on the list for the new GMT). He seemed to know his stuff and had a genuine interest in the brand.
Sounds very much like a one-off sadly.
Ouch
Well there’s at least two of them working for goldsmiths. My AD has a new chap the same. Previous experience was dire.
Sadly it's not restricted to stores like goldsmiths. I was after a new car a few years back, dropped into a ford dealer, wondered round the forecourt and then inside the showroom the salesmen were having too much fun chatting to bother with me. Same with a vw dealership who despite me leaving a number with their receptionist made no effort to take my money.
Ended up at another VW dealers where the salesman took his job title seriously and sold me a car.
It shouldn't be hard to spend money but strangely sometimes it is.
I agree entirely, although a part of me feels that you have some responsibility to at least make an effort to know your product. Nobody even made an attempt to sell me a Pelagos or another nice diver, although one of them did suggest I look at the Tags and Raymond Weils. I may have rolled my eyes. I nixed the Breitlings before they could push me that way either as I don't like being gouged by their servicing model.
It was noticeable that none of the staff from last year's trip into Reading were present. That trip was memorable as of the two sales staff one said he knew nothing about any of the Rolex models and passed me onto his colleague. She said to come back in maybe six months to a year if I wanted any SS sports Rolex. Didn't try to sell me anything else and didn't ask for my details.
Good point, and I do agree with you.
I just think manners cost nothing, and a bit of politeness goes a long way. It’s got to the point where I’m actually a bit reluctant to go in asking about a SS sports model if I know the answer is going to be delivered with disdain.
I think many retailers have fairly basic training but there's nothing to stop sales staff having some pride in what they do and reading forums, looking on sites like Hodinkee or ABTW and gaining some general knowledge that way.
I've always found it incredibly hard to buy a car from a dealer as well. Its like Rolex dealers - whatever you want, they haven't got one, can't get one, don't know if they'll ever have one, can't order one. Though car dealers often pretend they understand their products, though they are mostly bullsh!tting. And if you force them to admit that they may have a car that you want, they'll offer you such an insulting deal you'll walk out anyway.
There again, in both cases, 99% of the customers have no interest or understanding of the product they are buying, so in most cases are entirely happy with the product knowledge of the sales staff!!
I was very struck by something I saw in a 'reality' TV programme about a secondhand car dealers in East London. The star salesman said 'I'm not interested in cars - they bore me, but I'm interested in people'. Another reason for me NOT to become a car or watch salesman!!!
I'm going to buck the trend here by saying the staff in my local Goldsmith's are actually pretty good.
Yes, there are some younger, less experienced ones, but there are also a good few more mature, well experienced and knowledgable ones. I always feel able to try watches on without any real pressure to buy.
Sure, they are salespeople and will give you a few sales lines but seem to realise that if they are friendly and helpful, you will come back when you actually want to buy.
The last lady I dealt with when trying on some datejusts said she had worked in the industry for 30 years and wore a datejust herself. She did use the lines "can't go wrong with a rolex" and "good investment" but that just comes "par for the course".
I also dealt with a younger lady when trying on some tudors a while ago and she was really knowledgeable about the brand and seemed really enthusiastic in the brand herself. She showed me pictures of the gmt and the BB 58 on her phone from one of the early trade events following basel. It was really nice to speak to someone with (at least what appeared to be) a genuine interest.
Yes, this was all goldsmiths, honestly (and no, I don't work for them either before anyone asks)!! They must have had the right training!
True, but we are talking about youngsters on minimum wage and probably a zero hour contract so not much incentive to learn anything ........
On the other hand, I only started looking for a 'special' watch for my 60th birthday about a year ago (born in 1957 so was looking at Speedmasters, eventually settled on a Speedmaster ‘57 Co-axial) and I knew very little about watches (still do) but when I was in the Omega boutique it was just before the 60th anniversary trilogy was released and when talking to the 'salesman' he suggested putting my name down on the list for the 60th anniversary Speedmaster Pro. I said I was looking for an automatic, not a hand winder. He said they were automatic, I said they weren’t so he had to go away and check. At least he had the good grace to come back and apologise but it just shows that even in a one-make boutique, a know-nothing customer can sometimes be better informed on their product than the sales staff!
I applied to be a car salesperson when I was 17. Went to the interview and was asked “why do you want to sell cars?”
So I very naively replied “because I love cars”. I then got a rant from the guy telling me how “Pete over there has worked here for 20 years. He knows nothing about the cars we sell but is our best salesman...”.
Unfortunately, this is how it works in the world of watches (at the larger chain stores), but now there’s no availability, it’s even worse.
Deacon’s in Swindon. Highly recommended and just down the road from Thatcham. I think they may also have a branch in Marlborough.
I personally don’t buy the “it’s not the staff’s fault”
If I was in that job I’d want to know what I was talking about, I’d study what I was selling as I’d want to know what I was selling. How are you supposed to progress in a job if you don’t make an effort? But then I guess most people are happy ticking along doing the bare minimum.
Indeed. While it is deplorable that so many companies don't bother to invest in their staff, it's equally sad that so many people have no interest in, or take no personal responsibility for, bettering themselves.
To be clear, there's honour in doing any job if you try to do it well. This includes minimum wage jobs and if you enjoy the role, fair enough. But then you have to take pride in doing a great job.
I’m sorry but imo they are employed, and paid I might add, to do a job!
I work in Reading and I hate going into Goldsmiths here so much so that I never do anymore, as I always get the impression that they can’t really be bothered and you are more of an inconvenience than anything else.
It’s very rare when I have experienced good customer service from someone that actually 1, wants to help and be of assistance and 2, actually knows them what they’re talking about.
I’d 100% be sending in a complaint to Head Office describing what happened and how you let under valued as a customer.
I don’t buy into the don’t blame the staff aspect.
Still young myself. 35. I have worked in bars, hospital facilities dept, selling websites b2b, selling health and safety and selling advertising for a farmers magazine! And guess what? I worked damn hard in each to understand what I was talking about and be able to hold an good conversation on my area of employment!
It’s called pride!
I’m now self employed and again I’m a massive knowledge searcher!
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It’s a bit hit and miss these days. I used to pop into Goldsmiths in Basingstoke in my lunch hour occasionally when I worked nearby. Most of the staff were gormless millennials as described above and literally knew nothing about watches. However, once I went in to try on a Blackbay and the very young lad, maybe 18 I would guess, complimented me on the Stowa Airman I was wearing. He proceeded to tell me he likes the independent German brands like Nomos, Stowa and Sinn and thought they were great value compared with the big Swiss brands. I was surprised and impressed. He then started telling about the history of Tudor. Next time I visited he wasn’t there. Probably massively over qualified for the role.
Priceless!
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My only story that I can add is I know a group of brothers multi millionaires and the youngest was coming up to their 21st birthday so they popped into a Ferrari dealership where the older ones had bought in the past, now picture 3 rough looking typed in dirty overalls walking in with mud all over them and their boots, now the story goes that all the sales people scattered and they were ignored for a couple of minutes which they were never used to and were ready to walk out when the manager arrived back from lunch who had dealt with them before and you guess the rest the carrier bag was dumped on the managers table and the deal made with cash, you can’t go on looks alone is all I can say
I heard/read Pragnells are opening up a branch in London - Mayfair i think if that helps
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I think they have a Mayfair branch fully open, but not been there myself.
I guess we are forgetting that the generic name for shop that sells watches is a 'Jewellers' and I guess that many of the useless assistants may be more knowledgeable and interested in Jewellery rather than watches - though as I've never bought a piece of Jewellery in my life, I'm just guessing that's so!
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