Shameful Practices of Toys R Us

[jaydisc]

Just remember this, TRU are a multination company who care nothing about what the customer thinks of there prices and only cares about the bottom line...

Sounds like every company.

[STL]

Sounds like every company.

Correction, at least some companies pretend to care b/c it hurts their bottom line.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

talking about TRU shameful practices .its just not transformers as well, My wife went in there the other week to buy their $30 box of nappies they had on special in the catalogue, what they didnt tell you in the catalogue is you had to spent another $30 else where in the store to get the nappies at that price.If it was in the catalogue she didnt see it. Just remember this, TRU are a multination company who care nothing about what the customer thinks of there prices and only cares about the bottom line...

They just seem to suck more and more. I was lead to believe that they were aiming towards the "baby market" so to speak, but they treat that one just the same.

[d*r*j*]

You can't please collectors most of the time. People bring all these problems on themselves... With all this buying/ swapping/ returning/ price matching that goes on with toy collectors, add the many constant questions and demands for unprovidable information. Why would anyone want to cater for this type of consumer? It's too much hassle. They only buy things when they are priced cheaply and in a condition that most modern toy manufacturers struggle to maintain.

Why don't you go to a comic store or independant toy shop and behave like this? Because the people there will just tell you where to go?

It kinds of sucks that this hobby is so retail based most of the time. It sucks that a lot of people that are involved in this hobby are impolite, self-important, anti social, grown up spoilt brats.

[kup]

You can't please collectors most of the time. People bring all these problems on themselves... With all this buying/ swapping/ returning/ price matching that goes on with toy collectors, add the many constant questions and demands for unprovidable information. Why would anyone want to cater for this type of consumer? It's too much hassle. They only buy things when they are priced cheaply and in a condition that most modern toy manufacturers struggle to maintain.

Why don't you go to a comic store or independant toy shop and behave like this? Because the people there will just tell you where to go?

It kinds of sucks that this hobby is so retail based most of the time. It sucks that a lot of people that are involved in this hobby are impolite, self-important, anti social, grown up spoilt brats.

I don't think that the attitude of collector's has anything to do with the poor practices of TrU which do affect collectors but at the same time it also affects everyone else.

I am sure Tetsuwan is not into Nappy collecting for the hell of it.

[d*r*j*]

I don't think that the attitude of collector's has anything to do with the poor practices of TrU which do affect collectors but at the same time it also affects everyone else.

I am sure Tetsuwan is not into Nappy collecting for the hell of it.

I think the attitude and manner of collectors has a lot to do with the way collectors are treated and collectables are priced.

The thing with the nappies... it's designed to get you in the door. I am under the impression that the sale price of nappies cannot be beaten, so why not tie it to a purchase? You buy their baby equipment, candy, video games, toys there and become a loyal customer... They are not a clearance center and it seems that they don't want to act like one. TRU have a lot of very nice baby gear and sometimes the prices are very competitive.

[kup]

I have a feeling that you could be TrU bestest costumer ever with a hundred thousand dollars worth of buys and they would still treat you the same once you walk in through that door - loyalty works both ways.

[d*r*j*]

I have a feeling that you could be TrU bestest costumer ever with a hundred thousand dollars worth of buys and they would still treat you the same once you walk in through that door - loyalty works both ways.

It all depends when you are talking about the way people treat you.
In my experience every single time I have spoken to a TRU employee they have spoken back to me nicely and tried to help me to the best of their (very limited) ability. Everytime I have asked about something specific they have told me what the computer tells them (Commemorative Soundwave, MP Starscream)... the computer is usually just wrong.

[dirge]

In my experience every single time I have spoken to a TRU employee they have spoken back to me nicely and tried to help me to the best of their (very limited) ability. Everytime I have asked about something specific they have told me what the computer tells them (Commemorative Soundwave, MP Starscream)... the computer is usually just wrong.

I think this says a lot about TRU - and TRU specifically. Their (plebian) staff are poorly supported/trained, and really while the individual may be quite helpful, they're not empowered to be able to assist customers with specific questions.

The fact that they hire 17 year olds also lends itself to the staff having less of a vested interest in knowing the product range. A 17 year old working at TRU on a Thursday night (or a 19 year old at days off from uni) is unlikely to have the same dedication to the job they're doing as they would to their career after school/uni. This isn't the fault of the kids, but this hiring policy has a flow on effect to TRU's customers.

The net effect is staff who lack a vested interest in going above and beyond what's required, since the job is temporary, and a low requirement from the company. Which means that the service ends up being poor.

Personally, I rarely need to consult with TRU's staff anyway - the pricechecker tells me what I need to know 99% of the time. But considering that TRU are usually more expensive than places like Big W and K-Mart (for Transformers _and_ other lines), if I'm unable to find what I need at TRU, I'll give up pretty easily and head down to Big W - if they do have what I want, it'll probably be cheaper anyway. So yeah, TRU's staffing policies effectively push me away. I've found other chains (particularly Target) to be more helpful, so I'll put more effort into spending my money there. It's not a loyalty thing perse, but Target's extra effort gains my loyalty in effect.

[jaydisc]

I suspect that all of these many corporations have done some research to decide if the extra expense required to either more effectively train staff or hire more qualified staff most likely does not result in a proportional increase in revenue, and thus, the law of diminishing returns quickly applies.