Power Buy's Customer Answer

[DekDaeng]

Farangs in Pattaya think their white skin makes them experts in business -- and everything else. I get tired of their offensive bloviating.

Do you understand that locals just do not give feedback?

Look at Kasikorn on P Dai. Outside 3 ATMs, 1 CDM, 1 passbook updater.

Usually a long line at CDM esp in evenings, ATMs little used.

Inside 1 CDM, hardly ever used, of course never used a/Hrs.

Suggested to assistant manager to swap one outside ATM for the inside CDM. Suggestion accepted with great reluctance. Can presume nothing will be done.

[yoslim]

Anyone guilty of shopping in central pattaya, the mecca of tourist overpriced shops does only have himself to blame if something goes wrong

I bought my TV at NumChai, very good service, my fridge at BiGC and all my computer parts from BananaIT or JJB in Tukcom, no need to go to central at all

[Satcommlee]

I had a LG TV fail under warranty which I bought from Powerbuy in Central, a technician came out and took the TV away..

4 Weeks later no sign of my TV coming back so I went to Powerbuy to complain.

The manager came out to see me and apologised for the delay, explained it was LG and not Powerbuy that was causing the delay and promised me that if I don't get my TV back in 1 week that he would replace it from his stock.

My demeanour was very polite and respectful, and I certainly didn't suggest how he should run his shop.

Did the OP raise his voice and wave his arms? I think so!

[toenail]

I had a LG TV fail under warranty which I bought from Powerbuy in Central, a technician came out and took the TV away..

4 Weeks later no sign of my TV coming back so I went to Powerbuy to complain.

The manager came out to see me and apologised for the delay, explained it was LG and not Powerbuy that was causing the delay and promised me that if I don't get my TV back in 1 week that he would replace it from his stock.

My demeanour was very polite and respectful, and I certainly didn't suggest how he should run his shop.

Did the OP raise his voice and wave his arms? I think so!

I am the one who started this post, and no, I did not "raise my voice and wave my arms". I have lived /worked in Thailand for 8 years so I am aware of the Thai personality. After shopping there many times and having the same experience of waiting for a clerk (20 minutes or more -in the evenings) I thought I would suggest to the manager that it would be a nice improvement to add additional help. Yes, I said it with a smile. I am not complaining about the expertise of the sales people at Power Buy, I was suggesting to the manager how to improve his store which most store owners/managers would be concerned about. My surprise was the manager's response (by the way, I do not think this guy was the manager, just the one in charge that Sunday night) telling me to go to a Power Buy in Bangkok without any concern). If this was a ma-pa shop down the soi, or a locally runned Thai restaurant I would not have bothered to make a suggestion. I suppose if one is retired in Pattaya and is not working, one can be more patient to wait 30 minutes for help in a store and can be more patient.

[tropo]

Anyone guilty of shopping in central pattaya, the mecca of tourist overpriced shops does only have himself to blame if something goes wrong

I bought my TV at NumChai, very good service, my fridge at BiGC and all my computer parts from BananaIT or JJB in Tukcom, no need to go to central at all

I'm guilty of shopping there and make no excuse for it. They'll fix things under warranty the same as at any other store anywhere else.

The prices at Central are the same as at any branch anywhere else.

Perhaps you didn't know there's a Banana IT in Central too - with the same prices as their branch at Tukcom.

Some of us enjoy shopping under one roof. Grab a meal in a nice restaurant, go to a nice coffee shop, do some grocery shopping while the wife picks up some cosmetics - check out the computers, phones and other appliances at Power Buy etc etc.....

It beats driving around to different shopping centres with half the choices.

Edited February 28, 2013 by tropo

[watcharacters]

I have always been fine in Powerbuy, and other retails stores. I think its cos the chicks dig me and I'm POLITE!!!

Oh lucky HanSum man YOU!!

[yoslim]

Anyone guilty of shopping in central pattaya, the mecca of tourist overpriced shops does only have himself to blame if something goes wrong

I bought my TV at NumChai, very good service, my fridge at BiGC and all my computer parts from BananaIT or JJB in Tukcom, no need to go to central at all

I'm guilty of shopping there and make no excuse for it. They'll fix things under warranty the same as at any other store anywhere else.

The prices at Central are the same as at any branch anywhere else.

Perhaps you didn't know there's a Banana IT in Central too - with the same prices as their branch at Tukcom.

Some of us enjoy shopping under one roof. Grab a meal in a nice restaurant, go to a nice coffee shop, do some grocery shopping while the wife picks up some cosmetics - check out the computers, phones and other appliances at Power Buy etc etc.....

It beats driving around to different shopping centres with half the choices.

Central BananaIT is the laptop product branch, not computer parts, in Tukcom they have 2 shops, one with laptops and all the fancy crapola and one selling the "real" computer stuff. All the shops in central are a pseudo excuse of shops with limited choice and mostly focused on selling some fancy product to tourists, not my idea of a place to shop. Nice for the restaurants or sone window shopping but that's about it

[tropo]

Anyone guilty of shopping in central pattaya, the mecca of tourist overpriced shops does only have himself to blame if something goes wrong

I bought my TV at NumChai, very good service, my fridge at BiGC and all my computer parts from BananaIT or JJB in Tukcom, no need to go to central at all

I'm guilty of shopping there and make no excuse for it. They'll fix things under warranty the same as at any other store anywhere else.

The prices at Central are the same as at any branch anywhere else.

Perhaps you didn't know there's a Banana IT in Central too - with the same prices as their branch at Tukcom.

Some of us enjoy shopping under one roof. Grab a meal in a nice restaurant, go to a nice coffee shop, do some grocery shopping while the wife picks up some cosmetics - check out the computers, phones and other appliances at Power Buy etc etc.....

It beats driving around to different shopping centres with half the choices.

Central BananaIT is the laptop product branch, not computer parts, in Tukcom they have 2 shops, one with laptops and all the fancy crapola and one selling the "real" computer stuff. All the shops in central are a pseudo excuse of shops with limited choice and mostly focused on selling some fancy product to tourists, not my idea of a place to shop. Nice for the restaurants or sone window shopping but that's about it

Certainly if I was looking for computer parts I go to Tukcom, but you can find computer accessories in Power Buy you'll not find at Tukcom.

It amazes me that so many locals such as yourself have such a negative image of Central. I love the place. It was the best thing that ever happened to Pattaya. You remind me of the guys who were too afraid to shop there because they thought it was going to collapse.

[JSixpack]

Anyone guilty of shopping in central pattaya, the mecca of tourist overpriced shops does only have himself to blame if something goes wrong

I bought my TV at NumChai, very good service, my fridge at BiGC and all my computer parts from BananaIT or JJB in Tukcom, no need to go to central at all

I'm guilty of shopping there and make no excuse for it. They'll fix things under warranty the same as at any other store anywhere else.

The prices at Central are the same as at any branch anywhere else.

Perhaps you didn't know there's a Banana IT in Central too - with the same prices as their branch at Tukcom.

Some of us enjoy shopping under one roof. Grab a meal in a nice restaurant, go to a nice coffee shop, do some grocery shopping while the wife picks up some cosmetics - check out the computers, phones and other appliances at Power Buy etc etc.....

It beats driving around to different shopping centres with half the choices.

Central BananaIT is the laptop product branch, not computer parts, in Tukcom they have 2 shops, one with laptops and all the fancy crapola and one selling the "real" computer stuff. All the shops in central are a pseudo excuse of shops with limited choice and mostly focused on selling some fancy product to tourists, not my idea of a place to shop. Nice for the restaurants or sone window shopping but that's about it

Certainly if I was looking for computer parts I go to Tukcom, but you can find computer accessories in Power Buy you'll not find at Tukcom.

It amazes me that so many locals such as yourself have such a negative image of Central. I love the place. It was the best thing that ever happened to Pattaya. You remind me of the guys who were too afraid to shop there because they thought it was going to collapse.

Agreed. Central's a wonderful addition to Pattaya except for the extra traffic it causes.

Actually the BananaIT at Central isn't devoted exclusively to laptops. There's some hardcore computer parts sold there and a variety of peripherals--but it's a much smaller shop than the combined spread at Tukcom, so the selection accordingly smaller. I assume you could order an item and have it delivered at Central. And why not?

In contrast the PowerBuy at Central has a lot more stuff than the branch at Tukcom. I was drooling over some fine high-end JVC headphones there just today. What other shop in Pattaya has them?

Prices are the same in the Central branches of chainstores as in the others. A similar oft-repeated myth is that chainstores charge more in their Tukcom branches than in Bangkok. Utter nonsense. Anything to whinge about Pattaya . . . .

[tropo]

Go to NUMCHAI there is one on the sukhumvit and another in Naklua ,i have had excellent service from them for years ,also their after sales service is good

Yeah, Numchai are the best in Pattaya in terms of customer service - unlike Powerbuy you get the feeling they actually want your business....!

Each to their own. I don't enjoy having shop staff following me around trying to get me to buy stuff. At Power Buy no one bothers me. I like that.

I certainly don't need to feel wanted by any shop assistant. That's a very emotional approach to shopping.

I would never rely on any Thai staff member for reliable information on products. You do your own research before you buy something.

Edited March 1, 2013 by tropo

[DD13]

Completely agree with tropo

Being a shop manager and have customers tell me how to lead my business... specially in Thailand where loss of face is such an issue... can only lead to one answer... whether spoken or thought...

Little point in trying to talk business sense to a manager...........

They would probably be "just" a shop assistant who happens to have been there the longest.

Try telling the company head office

Having suggested that..... I expect their reaction will be just the same......

This "loss of face" thing makes me laugh.....They don't command any respect in the first place

[Kilgore Trout]

Farangs in Pattaya think their white skin makes them experts in business -- and everything else. I get tired of their offensive bloviating.

If you dont like it then leave

This is thailand

[JSixpack]

This "loss of face" thing makes me laugh.....They don't command any respect in the first place

But THEY believe they do--in accordance with the culture--and that's what matters.

You may not get anywhere even when showing respect and good manners (according to their definition), but not doing so ensures that you won't. It's merely Asia 101--a course every farang should take before getting of the boat here.

[Rimmer]

Off topic bickering posts about gyms removed.

Topic is about Power Buy.

[Rimmer]

Just to add my two cents worth, the other day I went into the newest Power Buy store to buy a telephone for my wife, I stood and waited patiently for around 10 minutes but there seemed to be no one looking after the telephone section, so I asked the Television guy, he could not help as he sells Televisions, I then asked the computer guy, they could not help as they sell only computers, after maybe 20 minutes two gentleman who looked like supervisors or manages appeared so I interrupted their conversation and gave them the model number of the phone I wanted, after a further ten minutes I was told that there is no stock, I asked why there is no one on the phone section and was told they work in the afternoon.

I then went to Lotus who are not now anything to do with Power Buy, gave the girl the model number and she gave me a bar code slip and told me to go to the counter at the side, they opened the locked store asked me what colour I wanted, I told them, paid for the phone and left the store, total time 7 minutes.

[jbrain]

Just to add my two cents worth, the other day I went into the newest Power Buy store to buy a telephone for my wife, I stood and waited patiently for around 10 minutes but there seemed to be no one looking after the telephone section, so I asked the Television guy, he could not help as he sells Televisions, I then asked the computer guy, they could not help as they sell only computers, after maybe 20 minutes two gentleman who looked like supervisors or manages appeared so I interrupted their conversation and gave them the model number of the phone I wanted, after a further ten minutes I was told that there is no stock, I asked why there is no one on the phone section and was told they work in the afternoon.

I then went to Lotus who are not now anything to do with Power Buy, gave the girl the model number and she gave me a bar code slip and told me to go to the counter at the side, they opened the locked store asked me what colour I wanted, I told them, paid for the phone and left the store, total time 7 minutes.

So you know now.

If you want to buy a phone from Powerbuy, you have to go in the afternoon.

What time they sell the refrigerators ?

[NanLaew]

Go to NUMCHAI there is one on the sukhumvit and another in Naklua ,i have had excellent service from them for years ,also their after sales service is good

Yeah, Numchai are the best in Pattaya in terms of customer service - unlike Powerbuy you get the feeling they actually want your business....!

Each to their own. I don't enjoy having shop staff following me around trying to get me to buy stuff. At Power Buy no one bothers me. I like that.

I certainly don't need to feel wanted by any shop assistant. That's a very emotional approach to shopping.

I would never rely on any Thai staff member for reliable information on products. You do your own research before you buy something.

PowerBuy is good but Numchai is better. They don't particularly want you but they do want your custom. Even the most self assured and confirmed solitary shopper should be able to tell the difference.

I have had the most success with phones at the AIS stores. That is AIS's main stores and not the mall kiosks with AIS stickers. They have some good discounts going and always know what is in stock.

Back OT, the OP has been here 8 years so should realise that customer service in some stores is to have a clueless shop assistant shadow you and in most others it is an alien concept. If you think Pattaya retailers are hopeless, try somewhere where farangs are scarcer than hens teeth. My epiphany was in a huge Carrefour in the MegaMall in Bangkok. There's no handy English signage and as soon as I stopped and picked up anything, sales staff would scarper rather than have to deal with a non- Thai customer.

As tropo says, do your research first and go and buy exactly what you want. To be honest, this has also been my experience in the UK where savvy sales staff are few and far between but there are loads of clueless shelf stackers willing to mislead you.

Edited March 2, 2013 by NanLaew

[seasia]

I went to Power Buy in Central yesterday.

There was a product there I wanted to buy after having done some research, prices, suitability etc.

Nobody approached me, just how I prefer it, went and found an assistant, I immediately had 2 assistants help and demonstrate the item.

I bought it, no problem, good service.

I cannot of course comment on what any future back service will be should I need it, hopefully not.

Last year bought from Banana IT in Central, also thought the service and price was good..

Numchai in naklua, bought a couple of products there, once again, no complaints, ( although would prefer to browse first without being approached).

Different strokes for different folks I guess.