Shop assistant rant!
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Category: Pregnant
Forum Name: Pregnancy
Forum Description: Pregnant! Wanting to chat to other mums-to-be (or dads-to-be)? Share your thoughts, experiences, and ideas... This is that place!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3159
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Topic: Shop assistant rant!
Posted By: daikini
Subject: Shop assistant rant!
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 10:41am
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Since Josiah will be 18 months old when Xavier is born, Nat and I know we are going to need to get a new pushchair... we took the oppertunity of being in Tauranga where there actually are baby shops to go around a few and start figuring out the different types and prices etc... Kiya had spent the night at my parents place, so we made the most of the chance to browse without her!
We went to Baby City, and talked to one of the shop assistants. She was great! Showed us the different umbrella-style side-by-side strollers, discussed whether or not a buggy and toddler seat would be appropriate, and demonstrated the Phil and Ted system (which I was already biased towards wanting  ) which Nat promptly fell for! All in all, she spent about 15 minutes with us, then let us browse and push buggies around. We wandered around the store for a while, as well.
After that, we went to Baby Factory... what a comparison! I asked one of the assistants for help, giving her the same information I had given in BC. She said "These are the double pushchairs we have, and those ones over there are the ones that can have a toddler seat attached." She started to walk off! I asked what the maximum weight of the toddler seats were, so she looked at the info listed on the back of the price ticket and read it off there. After 2 minutes, she left us to browse and push buggies around. 2 minutes later, we left the store and Nat said to me "I don't think I'll ever buy anything from that branch after that experience". Both Nat and I felt that the BF lady knew nothing about the products, and wasn't inclined to help. ------------- Becca, mum of 2 girls & 3 boys |
Replies:
Posted By: Roksana
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 10:46am
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OK so I missed the post where you announced that you were having another Boy!!!
Congrats...what a nice name you have chosen!!! Dont you just hate Customer service people like that? You would have thought that they would get training in all dept of that shop. Arrggg. I can tell you that BF in manukau and botany (skl) have much nicer and knowledgable people!! So have you chosen a buggy? ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: stevie_88
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 10:52am
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Doesn't that make you mad- the ignorance of some people and then the immaturity level and then the lack of experience or knowledge of the products they are selling. GRRRRR! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 11:05am
I found that with both Baby City and Baby Factory here on the shore...hence why Mama Mia's has been the sole store we have bought everything through!  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: daikini
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 11:09am
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Yeah, I've had really good experiences in BF Hamilton, so it was probably just her... honestly, we wouldn't have minded if she'd said "Here's our range of buggies, feel free to browse and I'll just go and find someone who can answer any questions"... as long as someone instore knows what they are talking about for any given product, then it can be worked out!
I think we'll get a Phil and Ted double buggy system... neither Nat or myself want a side-by-side double, Josiah will be too young for a toddler seat, as none of them support a sleeping child very well, and no one is stocking front-and-back doubles anymore. We also both like the flexablility of the PnT system, and they last really well, which is good as we aren't finished having kids yet! Don't know if we'll end up buying new or getting a second-hand one, but Nat's talking about using our Parental Tax Credit payout to buy new. No rush. ------------- Becca, mum of 2 girls & 3 boys |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 11:18am
Yer its the same down here with BF and BC i found BC awesome, i spent $1k in one go with BC and they gave me a free set of sheets for the cot  Awesome bunch of ladies there
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Posted By: mrs frantic
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 11:48am
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there are some reallky shocking assistants out there ey!!!
When I went to baby city this assistant starting talking about the effects of impacts on some car seats and the different safety standards and really she went way over the top - talk about scare factor - needless to say in her opinion the only safe one was the $600 one!!! WHile I wanted to know the facts her whole description of what happens to the baby on impact was too much for me and I just couldnt go back there - she was saying tings like "now imagine if this was your baby and blah blah happens..." - I dont WANT to imagine my baby in a crash thank you!!!! - she just went too far...  ------------- Mrs Frantic Baby Maddisyn born 28 Sept 2006 http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Kellz
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 11:56am
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Becca we have found the same also, with those same shops. Like you we dont have any baby shops here, so have to wait til we go to Tauranga. They are great at the Fraser Cove BC- was it the lady with short dark brown hair? ( there are probably lots of them!), anyway se was sooo great! She spent ages with us shopwing us how heaps of buggies work,and encouraged us to practice putting them up and down etc..and when we went around the shop to look at other stuff,...she came to see if she could help us with anything else before she went to lunch! We dont bother with BF there anymore,..so unhelpful!
We have also decided on the Phil&Ted's e3 buggy with toddler seat and capsule, cos we thought that had the best toddler seat - which supports the todlers back so they can sleep and dont have to always sit up like in other toddler seats, and it looks cool too! Also its the lighest and most compact when folded We are gonna order it from www.babyuniverse.co.nz cos its $715 for buggy and toddler seat and they deliver anywhere in NZ for just $6! |
Posted By: daikini
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 11:59am
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It was a lady with short blonde hair
Ohhh... might have to have a look at babyuniverse.co.nz! ------------- Becca, mum of 2 girls & 3 boys |
Posted By: Andie
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 12:21pm
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Babycity and Baby Factory (ugh, that's such a terrible name for a shop!!) in Palmy have both been great for me - I've been all around asking a million questions about buggys and mattresses, and found both shops had pretty knowledegable and patient staff. But the baby area at Farmers... now that's another story!! We came away from buggy-browsing there with more questions than answers and half the answers we did get were wrong anyway!! But at least Farmers has a toilet - hmmmm. ------------- Andie |
Posted By: Kellz
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 12:35pm
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Maybe she dyed her hair,..or maybe they are all fabulous!! Hee hee!
Even with the discount they have at BC at the mo- the buggy for $600, the toddler seat is not on sale, so it still works out slightly cheaper on babyuniverse including delivery, plus the major bonus that you dont have to go back to the shop! We have already played with that buggy about 3 times now so are sure its the one! |
Posted By: daikini
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 1:13pm
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Probably they are all fabulous! Hehehehe... ------------- Becca, mum of 2 girls & 3 boys |
Posted By: mum2paris
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 1:36pm
We found baby city really great here in palmy but then our baby factory is wonderful as well - (helps that our new neighbour works there!) And  for wanting a phil and teds - try looking on trade me - that's where my MIL got ours from - was a single buggy and she got a single chade cover, single rain cover with it, then she just went and ordered the second seat through baby city and got us a double raincover... so we got the whole package for the price it would have cost for just the buggy plus the extra seat! ours is not the e3 model but the version before that so the seat zips in and out of the front toddler position (the one that's on top of the baby lying down position) where as the new ones have hinges that the seat clips onto. but otherwise it's all good. so i'd say definately try there and you can still order extra seats for any buggy in the pnt range - even the old school ones, through baby city. also - have al ook in your bounty book - i dunno if they still them in them this year but last year they had a 10% off voucher for baby city in them - which if MIL had bought new would have meant we got the double rain cover free.
wooohooo my ploy is working lots more PnT addicts.  ------------- Janine and her 2 cool chicks, Paris & Ayja 
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Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 1:39pm
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Hey Andie
Yeah, I love the ladies at BF and BC at Palmy too.We bought some disposbale nappies to try from BF and the next day went baclk to get something else. She remembered us and asked how the nappies were going. When I saaid they were great she was really pleased and gave me a nappy card thing. A few weeks later one of the nappies had this hard thing in it. I took it back and she gave me two free packs! As for other shop assistants - honeslty some of them should not be aloowed near people. If I were you Becca I would seriously thin about lodging a complaint! n (might get you a discount!) |
Posted By: daikini
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 2:07pm
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Yeah, Janine, I've noticed some PnT buggies in really good condition on TradeMe... now that we're back home, with broadband, I'm going to do some serious research ... gee, what a hard life I have - my husband is telling me I have to spend a couple of weeks looking at baby gear on TradeMe!
We're not in any rush... we've just finished paying off a major debt to IRD, so now we'll have an extra $100 a pay (YAY!!!) which we are going to save towards whatever buggy we buy, and also for a cradle. If Xavier comes before we've actually got the buggy he'll go in the frontpack and Josiah will be in the single pushchair we have now. ------------- Becca, mum of 2 girls & 3 boys |
Posted By: jack_&_charli
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 4:42pm
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lol janine...i was wondering when you would pipe up about phil n teds
they do look like great pushchairs, wish i had one ------------- http://www.alternatickers.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Andie
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 4:53pm
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I must be a freak for choosing the Bertini Jet instead!!! Everyone's raving about Phil and Ted's, and while price was a consideration, the buggy was a gift and my MIL kept saying "just choose the one you want... don't worry about that" (awww, lovely MIL!). But Bertini just appealed! ------------- Andie |
Posted By: Tastic
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 5:59pm
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Becca, Ive decided we are going to get a phil and teds pram too!
Bailey will be 18 months old when bubs arrives and the thought of a side by side stroller just didnt appeal to me, and My friend had a pram with a toddler seat and seeing her find it really hard to push and getting on and off the bus is such a mission! Now to convince Jamie that a phil and teds pram is worth the cost
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Posted By: 11111
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 8:31pm
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I decided against the phil and Ted I personally don't like the way the new born lies so low in the buggy, and we could not afford a new buggy so we have got a second hand duble moutain with a bassanet on oneside.
And as for rude shop assiasnts I totally know what you mean Andi about the Farmer's ladies funny thing i know them all reasonably well as my Dad use to work there. The bf ladies here in NP are wonderful all ways been very helpful for us. ------------- Deborah Mum to:   
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Posted By: nikkitheknitter
Date Posted: 17 July 2006 at 9:19pm
| Becca... the woman obviously didn't have children. Grrrr. Isn't it her job to be helpful!??! |
Posted By: Bombshell
Date Posted: 18 July 2006 at 7:05am
| my DH was allowed to go put the Holden three wheeler away for us. It is basically the same as the Bertini(Sp?) and has newborn cradle, older straps and full front cover....but due to our work / extended family household etc we are going to need two once daycare starts etc so am looking for one so this thread is really helpful. Thanks |
Posted By: Leish
Date Posted: 18 July 2006 at 10:28am
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We've got a Bertini Bidwell steerable pram with a bassinet attachment so it will go from newborn all the way through. I really love the old style prams and have loved this model for ages. I can't wait to use it!! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 18 July 2006 at 8:24pm
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OOOhhh I love the Bertini bidwell, but I have 2 friends with them who mention that it isn't that great for folding up. Can you use a toddler seat on it? I am thinking Bertini Jet, as I like bertini, and I already have a pram that cost alot of $ from Jacob, that dosen't fit a toddler seat, and I realllllly like the Valco's, but I jsut can't justify spending $700 on a new pram... (not when we have just bought a brand new car to ferry me and the kids around in in style, anyhow, lol) ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: jack_&_charli
Date Posted: 19 July 2006 at 9:52am
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annie i have the bertini jet! it's great! keep an eye out on trademe, i got mine brand new off there for $280
they are great to push around, alot better than the steelcraft one i had before that. ------------- http://www.alternatickers.com">
http://lilypie.com">
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