Brit consumer watchdog finds just 8 in 154 salesmen give sound advice

LONDON - A product testing and campaigning charity in Britain has found that most store salesmen are clueless about the products they sell and that just eight out of 154 can give good advice.

‘Which?’ researchers conducted an undercover research and found an astonishing lack of basic knowledge among staff, which meant they were guilty of regularly giving bad advice.

The team visited 154 stores with questions about HD televisions and personal video recorders (PVRs), and only eight of the outlets were rated as “excellent” for their product knowledge and advice.

“We found alarming examples of bad advice which, if followed, would have left customers buying the wrong size or type of machine, and spending more than they needed,” the Daily Mail quoted ‘Which?’ as saying.

The investigation found Comet and the Currys chain came out worst in terms of product knowledge, and some branches of John Lewis and Richer Sounds were excellent but others were not “up to scratch”.

In 10 cases, staff contradicted the printed correct information on a product’s specifications that they had handed to researchers.

‘Which?’ said shops need to ensure their staff are properly trained to guarantee they were serving the best interests of their customers.

“Electrical stores have to up their game and train their staff properly. We trust them to know about the products they’re selling,” the group’s chief executive, Peter Vicary-Smith, said.

“Unfortunately, big retailers are letting their customers down, offering wrong or misleading advice that could leave people shelling out more money for features or products they just don’t need,” he added. (ANI)