The anti-moaners are worse than the actual moaners though. So happy to accept mediocrity and a lack of effort, existing in a blissful malaise of ignorance.

None of the initial posts were your average moaning. We all want Saints to succeed and improving the club's commercial performance is a vital aspect of that. I'm sure if you got Mr McManus and asked him if he's happy with the above levels of customer service, he'd insist he wasn't.

If you go into the Manchester United shop at Old Trafford, it's an experience at least on par, if not better, than established mainstream sports retailers. Although they obviously have more money than Saints, but there is no reason at all why those levels of customer service and professionalism couldn't be applied at Saints.

Customer service is a key element. There are low cost courses on customer service at most educational facilities in the country. Get the staff on one now.

Retail is a specialist area. It is not something you get minimum wage employees to do. You have the layout designed by an expert, the range of items stocked done by a professional, based on demand and also the need to create a vivid and dynamic retail experience. The stadium is a fantastic opportunity for the club to earn money outside of matchdays and season tickets. The cafe and shop have so much potential, wanting them to strive to maximise that isn't 'moaning'.

why don't you get a job there with your marketing experience? What would you be happy with a Marcy’s in NYC type store? If saints had a massive store in Manhattan and bigger than MAN UTD people would moan about something.

vivid and dynamic retail experience? Every club shop ive been in is the same, and I’ve been in loads including REAL Madrid, Barca, MAN UTD, MAN CITY and even the mighty New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

The issue i have is that people critise left right and centre but when it come to the crunch they have no ideas on how to improve. Simply saying copy Man UTD isn’t a plan. Don’t you think everyone would love to do that in every club shop.

'Customer service is a key element. There are low cost courses on customer service at most educational facilities in the country. Get the staff on one now' I worked in customer for 5 years. Good customer service is just common sense, if the bosses are employing idiots than they need to look at their recruitment process. Simply breathing is not a qualification

I have never had problems with the staff at Saints and they've always been very helpful when I've been in. The employee in question may have been caught at the wrong time but that is no excuse for poor customer service. I would like to think that there are appraisals at Saints and if the employee is under performing it will be highlighted in the appraisal and an action plan will be drawn up.

With regards to what I've highlighted, do you know the budgets for both the cafe and shop? Man United, an example you've used, will have a massive budget for their shop and cafe in comparison with Saints so comparing the two is totally wrong, its like comparing Marg's to Harry Ramsden's, one a small business and the other a multi million pound company.

I have no idea what the budgets are for both areas at Saints but in my visits I've been impressed with how far the club have grown in the past ten or so years. Money is tight so the budgets will be very tight and only things that are likely to be bought will be bought into stock by the club.

As I've said, the club will keep out the 2012 range as long as possible to try and get it sold. That's also why they're having a sale, like any big retail company. Its all end of the line stock and the club have used their brain by organising an event at the same time as this sale. The 2013 range will probably be in stock from Monday with more stock arriving before Xmas.

Sorry if I'm a moaner about the shop but every single time I buy or order something from the shop they get it wrong.

We ordered our seats from the stand at KR, they lost the order and disposed of the seats

My wife ordered me a limited edition print of KR and they lost the order and by the time they acknowleged it they had sold them all.

They lost our order for heritage shirts and after ages of searching while we stood there in the shop they eventually said we should just take some off the racks in the shop despite that fact that they had no proof we'd even ordered any shirts at all. Then about 3 months later they phoned to find out why we hadn't collected our shirts.

I ordered and paid for a tile on the wall of the new stadium and it took about 9 months after having paid for it for them to actually put it up. they were taking orders and money from people for several months when they had no idea when they would actually be placing orders for the tiles from the supplier.

I could go on, the latest episode was the one that I started the thread with.

So yes if I get treated like that I will moan.

Perhaps the reason it continues to be the way it is because people seem happy to accept being treated that way.

Have you seen my PM aqbout the club wanting to talk to you about the issue?

Seems a good idea to me.

You can only the judge the club shop on your own experince. If the above has happened, your more than entitled to "moan" as IMO that's not acceptable.

I've had simular experience with the club myself.


It seems you can't criticise the club on here due the fans that only see things thru Saints tinted specs.

You can be critical but the counter view is also allowed. 17 posts 0 moderated.

My experince a few months ago.

Looks at several things on shelves and racks and find many of them have no price. Thinks fair enough maybe they haven't had a chance to price them, despite there being three staff behind the counter just chatting and ony me in the shop. But never mind, it's not the end of the world.

So... first item take it over to counter - how much for this - price given verbally

further browing

second item take it over to counter - how much for this - price given verbally

further browing

third item - now getting fed up of going to counter to get a price so shout over (only me in shop) - price given verbally

but now I'm getting suspicious as the prices seem a little off and 'randomn'

further browsing and decide to test them

fourth item has a price but I shout over to the counter "this has no price, do you know how much it is?" and sure enough get instant reply of randomn wrong price.

fifth item shout over.

I can see they're getting annoyed with me now and one girl gives me a dirty look, tuts and comes over to search for a price. She says in an annoyed voice "all these things are priced". She searches for a price label. She searches the rack for a similar item with a price label. She can't find one. She shouts over to the other two at the counter "How much is this". They respond with what I suspect is a totally randomn number.

Eventually I select 3 items. They are scanned and come up with completely different prices than they shouted out to me (to my advantage).

They don't blink or even acknowledge the difference.

As I am processing my debit card in the machine I casually mention that not one of items I bought was the price they shouted to me.

The girl looks annoyed at me and says "well they are all supposed to priced up", as if it was my fault they weren't.

It wasn't a terrible painful experience, but I did come away thinking that somehow I had interrupted their day by being an awkward customer by actually wanting to know the price of stuff and interrupting their conversation.

The whole thing could have been a satirical comedy sketch lampooning British retail customer care.

I've been back since and most stuff was priced this time.

I was in the "superstore" yesterday getting few Xmas presents. I asked do I get a discount of 5% as I'm a season ticket holder, they replied no, it's only for training gear.

I then asked, if a boot bag was not training gear, she said no. I then asked if the saints rugby bag was training gear, she replied no.

I just thought stuff it and Also bought the new saints jersey as another present.

What do we get 5% off from being a season ticket holder?

The whole concept needs some work.

Its a massive change from the town shop.

No casual browsers outside.match day. You make.an effort to get there and are ready to buy.

I do think though the club are missing a trick not having a pop up shop.in the town centre.for.xmas as well as the club shop especially if they want to shift stock.

Plenty of empty shops.

A little lottery style booth in the town centre that sells match tickets and displays what stock is available would be ideal, you could place orders there and pick up later on? Seems simple enough to me.