The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I feel bad for those that have had poor experiences at an AD. Where I work we try to help each customer with in a certain time he or she has entered the store. If we are in the middle of a busy rush we will hand over the keys to the case and say, "Knock yourself out, let me know if you have any questions and I will be back to check on you as soon as I am finished with this other gentleman." Seems to go over well and so far no stolen merchandise!

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Current collection: Breitling Superocean Heritage I 46, Rolex Submariner, Swatch X ****** Sistem51

Jewelers and car dealers are all so different from one another, it is amazing. Some are great, some are really annoying. It is amazing to me how the ones that are so bad manage to survive.

I don't mind as much if the staff ignores everybody (poor decision from a service standpoint, I think, but at least they aren't ignoring me specifically), but I do remember one jeweler I went into where they did help other customers but not me. It was very strange. Even after seeing my Breitling (which was better than anything they sold), the lightbulb still didn't turn on. I wasn't even dressed that shabbily, either. It does make you feel weird...you think, "Did somebody put a sign on my back or something?"

I still can't beat my wife's experience, though. She was once asked to leave a jewelry store because the staff did not think she would find anything there she could afford. How's that for customer service?? She was actually dressed well...with her leather boots (it was winter), designer jeans, leather jacket and Burberry purse. Women have an even bigger "advantage," too, because they also get the purse factor. I guess Burberry was not high-end enough for them. Go figure.

///M

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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness." --Dave Barry

I can't say I've experienced anything like that in a UK watch dealer, mostly the opposite. Mind you, if I go in wearing a Breitling jacket they are all over you like a rash!!

I have felt discrimination on another watch forum though, discrimination for being enthusiastic and British! Certainly not the case here though, the BS forum and website actually give something back to the people for being like minded enthusiasts.

Stef

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I had a similar situation at a local Cadillac dealership. I had my eye on an Escalade for a while and finally made my way to the dealership. I was wearing jean shorts, a t-shirt, and a pair of flip flops. No watch or jewelry. 4 salesman were standing at the door watching me as I looked at a used one outside. After 10 minutes of walking around it without anyone asking to assist me, I tried the door to the truck and it was unlocked. The minute I sat in it the salesman started walking. I was already irritated at this point but nothing compared to after the salesman opened his mouth. He says, Sir, I'm nicely going to ask you to get out of the truck and leave. I responded with a confused "Excuse me?" He replies, "Can you even afford anything here?" I told him we could always compare bank accounts, but that might be too embarrasing for him and walked away never looking back. I week later I was treated like I should have been at a different dealership. The point is, you never know if the salesman is having a bad day or if the whole dealership is like that. If you got bad service, visit another dealer who is willing to work for your business.

Over 60 now, and I haven't had that problem in years. I think they suspect that when you are at or near my age, no matter how you look, you might just have some cash. I think it is best to treat a salesman just like a salesman. Simply ask to see the watches and ignore most of what they say. Of course, if you establish a relationship with one , everything will change. You will get invites to see new models at private showings etc., etc. I usually keep my distance, knowing how expensive impulse buying can be!

I know what you mean Stef.

It's a different 'style' of moderation in that other place. Two out of three of them do not have any......

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Al

“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes"

I wouldn't say I've felt discrimination elsewhere, but there are some other fora that are markedly less friendly to newcomers.

As a case in point, I recently posted an "introduce myself" thread (with some pictures, etc) on a non-Breitling subforum elsewhere, and 4 days later and with over 100 people reading it, not a single person could be bothered to even say, "Welcome". I'm proud to say that kind of thing just doesn't happen on here. If people make an effort to write a post say hi, then you can guarantee they'll get a good few people on here saying hi back.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Some of the post here makes me think of something I learned during the marketing segment in business school. "Qualification". Probably sound familiar to some of you who are in sales or have a business/marketing education.

The point of this is making you feel like you have to prove yourself good enough to buy/own the product/service. The question in the potential buyer's mind will not be if the product is good enough for him, but if he is good enough for the product. This is meant to easen up or remove the yes/no descission point. If you have to qualify yourself into buying the product, there will not be a yes/no descission point, only a deal when you have qualified yourself enough. Ways of doing this is letting you approach the seller, instead of the seller approaching the buyer, not being too eager to help/sell initially, and straight out doubting your ability to afford the product. And much more.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, it's been a while since I touched this subject in detail.

Have friends in marketing and telemarketing, according to them the "qualifiication" mindset is big nowadays. Maybe it has found it's way in to medium/high end stores. Friends in telemarketing and colleagues of them experience great success with this method/mindset. But I think there is a big difference between selling cable TV to unemployed during daytime, and selling luxury products. People who can afford to spend thousands - ten thousands on watches and hundreds of thousands on cars are most likely smart minded enough not to fall for this.

I know I smell bullshit like this from a million miles, and it achieves nothing else than getting me annoyed.

Some of the comments about how you guys have been treated are appalling!!! I thought it was bad to be ignored, but I stand corrected. If somebody treated me that way they had better believe that that wouldnt be the last they heard from me.

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-RJ

My thoughts exactly. I don't normally get too wound up about things, but if if I was ever told to leave because they thought I couldn't afford anything, I would make a point of ensuring they regretted it.

Welcome D8 - we are proud to have you! We are so happy you decided to leave that silly Breitling forum and join our way awesome Invicta forum. You will find here many proud owners of literally hunderds of Invictas that never actually get worn. You see, D8, for the price of one of your foolish Brietlings, we can purchase 70 Invictas, or 96 Androids, or 132 Swiss Watch International, but anyway, I digress. Welcome to our forum!

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Omega21

Personally i like to be left to my own devises in any store i visit and if i want help ill ask for it, i hate getting pestered when im in a store, usually puts me off!

on the filp side when i ask for help i expect it to be good quick attentive service, if i ask for service it will only ever be if i want to buy something, getting brushed off would result in the store loosing the sale (but not before i make sure the manager knows his sales person has cos his business due to poor attitude)

Also im pretty lucky in that i have never had such a poor experience as some people have even though im only 25 and always in jeans and a polo or something (admittedly wearing at least a Tag on my wrist)

Having said that my Dad did have a really crap experience of being ignored in a BMW dealership despite turning up in a Benz and wearing a suit an Cartier, needless to say he let them know they had lost a huge sale and drove down the road and bought another mercedes where he was dealt with impeccably by the Dealer manager himself!

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Rolex GMT-Master II 116710LN
Tag Heuer Aquaracer

Alan, I simply cannot agree that some of those moderators on the "other" forum had no style.
I found their "style" to be humourless and narcissistic with Stalin-esque overtones, whilst still remaining to being clueless all at once.

And by God that's a style and a half!

PS I forgot bigoted too. Apologies.

Thankfully none of these traits appear to be evident here, and a much nicer place it is too.

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Best wishes,

Verner

I almost wish I really had joined an Invicta site now!

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Sorry, I'm obviously not trying hard enough, will try to correct that in the New Year.