Body Shop's inconsistent service

It was a "sweet and sour" experience for Quek Lay Choo when she went to two Body Shop outlets to buy shaving cream for her husband.

Her story: "I was going to purchase some items for my husband and myself since there was a members' special discount for the week. I went to the branch at Holland Village.

"When I made an enquiry about the men's shave cream because the packaging looked different, the staff told me it was a totally new product that replaced the previous one. She told me it is better to get my husband to go down and select it himself.

"She also, impatiently, showed me some products I was asking about and just walked away. There was no attempt to take the initiative to serve. I was so annoyed that I walked off without buying anything.

"Later, after shopping around Holland Village, I went back to the shop to give them a 'second chance' and save myself another trip to another branch. Maybe it was just pure bad luck just now.

"When I went in, it was worse. The two retail staff were discussing their personal matters and were oblivious of my presence. When one of them finally came to attend to me, she could not answer questions about a product properly. I did not have to consider anymore about buying anything from this shop.

"The next day, I went to the branch at Tiong Bahru. Although one of the staff was a pregnant lady, she was still very friendly and helpful. Another staff told me the shave cream was the same as the previous one, just that they added an extra ingredient. That is why I decided it was safe to buy it for my husband.

"Two shops, two different answers!!?? In the end, because they were very helpful and knowledgeable about their products, I spent more than $100 instead of $0 at the Holland Village branch.

"Good service can really make or break a sale. Retailers must train their staff well, especially in the area of product knowledge and service.

"I would give a boo-quet to Holland Village branch and bouquet to Tiong Bahru branch."