| The club shop 21:30 - Jul 17 with 10232 views | oldmeadoniansR |
Hello all. Thought I would just post an E-mail sent by a very good friend to the club. Sounds like there is work to be done.
Hi Andy (and Tony if you ever read any of your retail feedback)
I was really shocked last week when I went to visit the club shop (after living away from the Bush for 6 years) to purchase some bits for my young children.
If you don't mind some feedback from someone who genuinely cares about the Rangers and have been going to Lotus Road since the age of 6. my late Dad (who incidentally represented Hammersmith penguin and GB in water polo at 3 Olympic games) was from Nottingham Dale and was watching our team before WW2 started. Me and my friends spent any money we had (which weren't much!) Following the team home and away from our schooldays long before Shepherds Bush was a refuge for yuppies and soulless people who couldn't give a toss about the area and the history of our club.
   Anyway I'll cut to the chase....
1) on my visit to the club shop I was surprised to find .... mannequins naked despite the club revealing it's new season kit two weeks prior.
2) all the merchandise featuring the old (god awful, ill concieved Ecclestone Briatore era) badge was packed in boxes but still on the shop floor apparently to go to local charities (why aren't we shouting about this?)
3)a pitiful amount of saleable goods with the new improved club badge
4)one staff member wearing nothing to indicate she was anything to do with QPR who had 'Neighbours' on the in-store TV (why not the 1967 league cup final or Stan lighting up the football league with his magic?)
5) Cars and vans Parked outside so it was really hard to even access the main entrance which for some reason you need to ring a bell to be allowed into (you ain't Prada guys). If you believe that being so close to White City Estate means you need to take such ridiculous precautions then your community programs need some serious attention.
6) Just a suggestion but if the staff you employed loved QPR and had the sense of humour/irony/sarcasm that comes with it you'd sell loads more gear!
I've worked in Retail as a Regional manager, consultant and coach/trainer and what I witnessed down South Africa Road was nothing short of disgraceful. If we expect our players to sweat blood for the hoops like many of their predecessors; your Waddocks, Gerry Francis, Holloways, Alan Macdonalds Mark Birchams, Tony Inghams and Arthur Jeffersons (Arthur was my Dad's hero as a boy and his son is a good friend of our family) then why not have a backroom (from tealady up) who will do the same?
   After visiting the club shop my friend and I went to enquire about membership. My friend is a very polite guy and waited for what seemed like ages before being acknowledged. I encouraged one of the 'team members' to come forward and my polite friend asked how much a membership was. Your team member just said...."33 pounds" and was going to leave it there. I asked "so mate, what do we get for 33 quid?" A reasonable question I thought. Your boy never had a clue and just stumbled through something that wasn't even close to a sales pitch. I actually said to my friend "come on let's try Craven Cottage" and there was no reaction! If the players on the pitch showed such lack of passion they would lose every game and rightly be booed off the park.
For what it's worth I think Tony Fernandes is the best chairman we've ever had but I can't imagine visiting Arsenal, Spurs or Chelsea and having such a poor experience. If we are setting up our season on the field as unprofessionally as we are our retail arm then get ready for league 1 football next season.
   Apologies for the harsh tone but I really feel we are missing a trick here. When JFK set a goal of reaching the moon, every one at NASA from the astronauts to the geezer that cleaned the Khazi had that same goal. When Queens Park Rangers do the same I'll have some hope that my kids and their kids will have a team to follow and be proud of.
Kind Regards and good luck for the season to come. |  | | |  |
| The club shop on 21:38 - Jul 17 with 5986 views | Gloucs_R |
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| The club shop on 21:47 - Jul 17 with 5948 views | rsonist |
Your friend is a tvvat. |  | | |
| The club shop on 21:50 - Jul 17 with 5929 views | LongsufferingR |
I have to say an awful lot of that is understandable in the circumstances and down to unlucky timing of your friend's visit. The badge replacement and the already announced delay in the official kit launch (i.e. available in club shop) to 30th July, meant a short period of turmoil was inevitable. Perhaps they should have closed the shop for a while rather than have it open to such criticism, but then people may have travelled a long distance and not been aware the shop was closed.
They suffer from a severe lack of space, but I've always been dealt with very well in there, so I think it may be best to wait for the reply from the club before posting this on here. |  | | |
| The club shop on 21:51 - Jul 17 with 5922 views | LongsufferingR |
| The club shop on 21:47 - Jul 17 by rsonist |
Your friend is a tvvat. |
Haha! Just read this after posting my response. 2 different ways of saying a similar thing I think. | | | |
| The club shop on 21:59 - Jul 17 with 5879 views | oldmeadoniansR |
| The club shop on 21:51 - Jul 17 by LongsufferingR |
Haha! Just read this after posting my response. 2 different ways of saying a similar thing I think. |
I actually thought it came from the heart and was well written. I think it will get a good response from the club who by all accounts are moving forward. Hopefully his next experience will reflect this. | | | |
| The club shop on 22:00 - Jul 17 with 5872 views | MrNITK |
I think your mate should join save warren farm.
Sounds like he likes a hard sale. We need to send the club shop employees down to Car Giant. Price the home shirt up for £5 but by the time you've finished your payments you've payed £500! 😉 |  | | |
| The club shop on 22:27 - Jul 17 with 5781 views | DWQPR |
| The club shop on 21:59 - Jul 17 by oldmeadoniansR |
I actually thought it came from the heart and was well written. I think it will get a good response from the club who by all accounts are moving forward. Hopefully his next experience will reflect this. |
Reading it I thought that at first it was written by a 10 year old. | |
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| The club shop on 23:06 - Jul 17 with 5691 views | TacticalR |
I don't see anything wrong with reporting a bad experience at the club shop.
I think the problem is that now that the club's shirt and badge have been upgraded people might actually want to buy something in there. It's a very difficult situation. |  |
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| The club shop on 08:58 - Jul 18 with 5396 views | Tonto |
It doesn't help that the club shop is waaaay to small (particularly on match days), and miles from anywhere. You are hardly going to get any footfall there that isn't specifically going to the ground/shop.
I've often wondered why they don't get a shop on the Green or High Street. Maybe we don't sell enough kit to warrant it, but I always remember Parksy's sports being pretty chocker whenever I went past that! |  |
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| The club shop on 09:16 - Jul 18 with 5364 views | DesertBoot |
I've always thought we should have a club shop in Westfield seeing how many fans you see in there before and after games, not to mention how packed the centre is at weekends.
The club shop is too small yes and every game you see so many supporters see the queue and change their mind about going in.
West Ham have had an outlet in Stratford Westfield since it opened, likely to be a gold mine now given the proximity to the Olympic Stadium. |  |
| Wish I could be like David Watts |
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| The club shop on 09:36 - Jul 18 with 5322 views | enfieldargh |
| The club shop on 09:16 - Jul 18 by DesertBoot |
I've always thought we should have a club shop in Westfield seeing how many fans you see in there before and after games, not to mention how packed the centre is at weekends.
The club shop is too small yes and every game you see so many supporters see the queue and change their mind about going in.
West Ham have had an outlet in Stratford Westfield since it opened, likely to be a gold mine now given the proximity to the Olympic Stadium. |
Westfield would not be viable.
I know there was a sports shop by the market but didn't we have a shop along Uxbridge road at one time
I was in the shop last Friday, they are waiting for all the new ranges to arrive, in fact a delivery was due that day.
Sadly your timing was unlucky.
The girls in there are pleasant but they will never offer to help unless you ask. I was on my own and ran in as my car was parked on double yellows. I asked them to keep an eye out for the parky which they did.
Don't know what they get paid per hour but if it's mw like any shop don't expect great service |  |
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| The club shop on 09:57 - Jul 18 with 5278 views | stevec |
The problem is the club shop is like a ghost town Monday to Friday, parking is virtually inaccessible (nobody wants to pay for parking on a one stop shop) and hard to see it being a viable venture at the rents Westfield would charge.
I think a club our size, in the Championship, effectively provides a club shop as a service these days rather than a profitable side of the business. |  | | |
| The club shop on 10:00 - Jul 18 with 5265 views | BrianMcCarthy |
Most shops in Westfield lose money but continue to operate under extortionate lease rates as having a shop there gives them status. Don't think it would be viable for Rangers. |  |
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| The club shop on 10:02 - Jul 18 with 5260 views | CamberleyR |
| The club shop on 09:36 - Jul 18 by enfieldargh |
Westfield would not be viable.
I know there was a sports shop by the market but didn't we have a shop along Uxbridge road at one time
I was in the shop last Friday, they are waiting for all the new ranges to arrive, in fact a delivery was due that day.
Sadly your timing was unlucky.
The girls in there are pleasant but they will never offer to help unless you ask. I was on my own and ran in as my car was parked on double yellows. I asked them to keep an eye out for the parky which they did.
Don't know what they get paid per hour but if it's mw like any shop don't expect great service |
Why wouldn't Westfield be viable? I've always felt they've been missing a trick by not having an outlet there. The filth have an additional club shop in Kingston town centre. |  |
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| The club shop on 10:10 - Jul 18 with 5237 views | stevec |
| The club shop on 10:02 - Jul 18 by CamberleyR |
Why wouldn't Westfield be viable? I've always felt they've been missing a trick by not having an outlet there. The filth have an additional club shop in Kingston town centre. |
Ring up Westfield and ask how much for a 10 year leasehold on approx 2000 sq ft. | | | |
| The club shop on 10:28 - Jul 18 with 5190 views | 18StoneOfHoop |
Sheer unlucky bad-timing to make a visit to the club shop during refurbishment.
However, a third of that e-mail is taken up by 'your friend' who thinks so much of himself trying to establish steeped-in-hoops credentials and then there's the grating egregious error: "my late Dad...was from NottingHAM Dale".
The over-all supercilious high-horse tone doesn't appeal to me but I don't work in retail. I would be more impressed by your friend,old med,if he'd kept his email confidential.
Throughout 'your good friend of QPR' is digging out the club then the sudden brown-nosing of 'Tony Fernandes is the best chairman we've ever had' when all evidence proffered - and real life results - seem to indicate the opposite view.
At the end of the day there is just not enough space at Loftus Road. You can''t fit a quart into a pint pot. Lee Hoos is well aware of that fact..we need a new fit-for-purpose,more spacious ground with 21st century facilities ASAP, IMHO. |  |
| 'I'm 18 with a bullet.Got my finger on the trigger,I'm gonna pull it.."
Love,Peace and Fook Chelski!
More like 20StoneOfHoop now.
Let's face it I'm not getting any thinner.
Pass the cake and pies please. |
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| The club shop on 10:37 - Jul 18 with 5162 views | LythamR |
I applaud the intention of the writer of the letter.
The shop experience might have been poor due to timing, restocking etc but there are some fundementals that can be improved, the in store monitors should be showing QPR stuff not Neighbours. the Staff sound like they need a bit more training and to be more pro active.
Business owners do need feedback from customers in order to gauge how they are doing and how they can improve. |  | | |
| The club shop on 11:24 - Jul 18 with 5090 views | daveB |
bit harsh really as the new stock is not due in until the 30th July so they are just getting rid of the stuff with the old badge on. |  | | |
| The club shop on 11:32 - Jul 18 with 5081 views | TacticalR |
How about knocking some out from the back of a van on Shepherd's Bush Green? All you need is an experienced retail consultant to handle the sales and someone else to keep an eye out for the police. | |
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| The club shop on 11:47 - Jul 18 with 5033 views | Northernr |
New badge, new kit, new sponsor, new kit manufacturer... Basically means all the old stock is worthless to them and has to be moved out, and all the new stock has to be manufactured and delivered. If it still looks like that in August then fair enough but in the middle of a summer of total change around I don't think it's an issue, unless we think magical elves are just going to come and do a 100% stock change during the night!
And honestly, if the poor girl who has to man the shop during a summer weekday for the benefit of a dozen customers wants to watch neighbours during the down time I'd let her! Obviously different on match day. |  | | |
| The club shop on 11:50 - Jul 18 with 5023 views | johncharles |
I'm surprised by the OP. Every time I've been to shop the staff all seem to QPR fans and the TV always has some Rangers footage running. |  |
| Strong and stable my arse. |
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| The club shop on 12:01 - Jul 18 with 4993 views | PlanetHonneywood |
| The club shop on 11:50 - Jul 18 by johncharles |
I'm surprised by the OP. Every time I've been to shop the staff all seem to QPR fans and the TV always has some Rangers footage running. |
Yup, have to agree JC.
Clearly in the run up to a new season, there is a myriad of things to be done and alas, the visit might have coincided with a lot of preparatory work going on.
Although the letter is not the template to be used when complaining and is annoying to read in parts, the club ought to be able to respond positively to this i.e. apology, valid explanation and some gesture. But anyone selling for or promoting QPR, ought to be able to do a better job than the bloke referred to over the membership enquiry. |  |
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| The club shop on 12:32 - Jul 18 with 4922 views | Stanisgod |
| The club shop on 09:16 - Jul 18 by DesertBoot |
I've always thought we should have a club shop in Westfield seeing how many fans you see in there before and after games, not to mention how packed the centre is at weekends.
The club shop is too small yes and every game you see so many supporters see the queue and change their mind about going in.
West Ham have had an outlet in Stratford Westfield since it opened, likely to be a gold mine now given the proximity to the Olympic Stadium. |
Hammers also have one in Lakeside. |  |
| It's being so happy that keeps me going. |
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| The club shop on 12:52 - Jul 18 with 4854 views | daveB |
| The club shop on 09:16 - Jul 18 by DesertBoot |
I've always thought we should have a club shop in Westfield seeing how many fans you see in there before and after games, not to mention how packed the centre is at weekends.
The club shop is too small yes and every game you see so many supporters see the queue and change their mind about going in.
West Ham have had an outlet in Stratford Westfield since it opened, likely to be a gold mine now given the proximity to the Olympic Stadium. |
The cost to put a shop in Westfield is huge though and unlikely to make enough money from it to be worth the expense | | | |
| The club shop on 13:01 - Jul 18 with 4830 views | NW10Hoop |
| The club shop on 10:00 - Jul 18 by BrianMcCarthy |
Most shops in Westfield lose money but continue to operate under extortionate lease rates as having a shop there gives them status. Don't think it would be viable for Rangers. |
Probably amounts to a couple of weeks of keeping Sandro on the books. Of all the crap we've spent wads of cash on, a small clubshop in Westfield could be sensible. Certainly raises the profile of the club - there's not much sign of QPR when you get out of any of the tubes |  | | |
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