marky1 Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 Any of you guys out there read the web page of trust pilot very interesting reading material trust pilot then type in timpsons complaints page was interesting to read with my coffee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenB Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 You mean this page: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.timpson.co.uk Lee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike at Vauxhall Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 I see "Marine" waited 11weeks for her (poss his) shoes frpm cheapside. Still gave them three stars ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 73.7% 1 star reviews. I hope this doesn't reflect on the whole industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marky1 Posted March 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 there is some positive feedback but I was amazed at the amount of issues, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenB Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 there is some positive feedback but I was amazed at the amount of issues, I always bear in mind with these sort of sites that people are generally only going to be motivated to go on & publish reviews when they have had a bad experience. A normal transaction is much less worthy of the time to write a review, but if something goes wrong, you want to shout about it from the rooftops. Besides, how boring would the page be if they were all 5 star reviews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 73.7% 1 star reviews. I hope this doesn't reflect on the whole industry. It certainly doesn't help things does it?..........We can only hope that people try their independents and realise we are not all tarred with the same brush. Mike at Vauxhall, gavin and kobblers 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavin Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 well said Argy kobblers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Muppet Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 With 1399 shops, I don't think that's too bad. Like Steven said, people are normally only motivated to write a review if they have a bad experience or an unusually great one. I just hope people don't think this is a reflection of the whole company. I have my own problems of course but never allow the customer to get angry over something that is my own fault. There are definately issues when work gets sent away to be done, but that's down to poor training. If they knew how to do it, they wouldn't have to send so much away. kobblers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marky1 Posted March 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 I agree poor training I know of blokes running shops that have not long passed level 1 on shoe repairs and the amount of engraving I get sent as they have told customer i,m too nervous to do it on watch backs , tankards etc really shouldn't be happening, I help the staff out sometimes when they can't put a watch back on but I don't mind helping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marky1 Posted March 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 On work being sent away I was told and needs to be confirmed but I think one of the workshops has closed possibly sarsdens and the work for new zips etc gets sent to a prison to be done as a customer bought a zip in for me to redo as it was a black boot and they used white thread on both sides and didnt even ink it to hide it so are they covering costs by getting prisoners to do it and getting rid of qualified staff I speak to the staff around the area a good majority are feeling under pressure lots of shops to little staff even some of the adms are moaning to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 With 1399 shops, I don't think that's too bad. Like Steven said, people are normally only motivated to write a review if they have a bad experience or an unusually great one. I just hope people don't think this is a reflection of the whole company. I have my own problems of course but never allow the customer to get angry over something that is my own fault. There are definately issues when work gets sent away to be done, but that's down to poor training. If they knew how to do it, they wouldn't have to send so much away. Who's fault is the poor training down to then Count?................Poor training shouldn't be an excuse.........I'm not pointing a finger at you......I think you are the only employee here of said company who offers positive input to the forum..................I don't send work away to be done and probably most independents don't either....And don't get me wrong.... I have seen some horrendous work from independents too...Be it shoe repairs, engraving, or key cutting or anything else........... I'm probably privileged in having served a 5 year proper apprenticeship into this trade many years ago............But I still learn stuff every day...............Sorry I'm waffling on. kobblers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Muppet Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 The Sarsden workshop was closed around 2 years ago. I don't know the full details but I do know that everyone who worked there were given the option to transfer to one of the 2 main workshops that we have within the prisons. I'm under the impression that the workshops aren't set up as you would immediately think. Not like an American style workshop where the prisoners are paid to do the work. I'm pretty sure that Timpson are given space for regular workers in return for working with the prisoners, and that most of the work is done by someone who comes in the morning and goes home at night. The training is bad because those who could do the work properly all left or retired. This has left the untrained training the trainees. Those trainees are then made to take on their own trainees after 2 years or so because tesco has been forcing timpson to open units at too fast a rate. The shops are now short staffed because the trainees leave due to the pressure they are under and there is now no time for any quality training. There aren't many people who are 100% happy. The main trouble is that it is rare that anyone will speak up about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 Only you.......... .......You should become an independent.........The time is right for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marky1 Posted March 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 i agree its a big step but as long as location is right you shouldn't go far wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Muppet Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 I had thought about it but I've got it easy doing what I'm doing at the moment. It may be something I think about in the future but I'm still reasonably young and haven't ruled out a career change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kobblers Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 I remember having an argument with my ADM at Timpson, when I worked there. It revolved around the fact that (according to the ADM) they were going to get rid of the 'dead wood' in the company. When I asked him to clarify this he mentioned that Timpson was keen to diversify and go forward with an heavier 'push the extra sale' approach and that a lot of the old school gents there were rebelling as they'd taken employment (moons ago) with Timpson on the understanding that they were there to work as mainly shoe repairers and not mainly salesmen. I also got the distinct impression that a lot of them were deemed too old to learn new tricks...... I argued at the time that getting rid of the older guys was a massive mistake as we would have no-one left, qualified enough, to teach the next generation of shoe repairers how to do the job correctly. I left not long after as I also did not want to be first and foremost, a salesmen. I was also appalled at the lack of respect being shown to the guys who had been training others for years by referring to them as 'dead wood' I was proved right. Rick. Mike at Vauxhall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike at Vauxhall Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 Some of the complaints about price are without merit ( timpsons charging 55p more than someone else, do me a favour!) If they quote a price and the customer accepts it that should be the end of the story. ( provided end service is to expected standard) For every bad review I'm also sure there would be another five customers who received bad service and not written a review. Also customers who may not have received super bad service, but decided to never go back. When I was a branch manager of a high street chain. ( H Samuels, not Timpsons. ) about a third of my time was consumed with customer complains. Chains will always get more complains, alot of this is due to staff apathy, poor training and miscommunication. Some of it was due to customers trying it on BECAUSE you are a chain. ( Always threatening you with head office.) When I decided to go it alone, my two main worries were complaints and shoplifting. Neither have every been a big issue . Back to timpsons ,Telephone repairs seem to be a particular bone of contention. Either way..A GREAT READ. kobblers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marky1 Posted March 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2016 very interesting reply on that website, generally seems to be the topic floating around the staff as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Friend Posted March 11, 2016 Report Share Posted March 11, 2016 Back to timpsons ,Telephone repairs seem to be a particular bone of contention. now I misunderstood that line and wondered how you can repair shoes on the phone! ooooh silly billy mick Mike at Vauxhall and kobblers 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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