In message , Paul Corfield
writes
On Sat, 10 Dec 2005 22:11:02 +0000, Ian Jelf
wrote:
The queue for the limited edition models at the LT Museum shop on
Thursday morning (an hour's wait but I did get them). Great company in
the queue there, too. (Has anyone else noticed how much friendlier
staff are in the shop since the temporary move to the Market proper?)
I queued for mine on Saturday morning for about an hour. While I
understand why there is a big demand for the models I found the
arrangements to be close to barking mad. They could have set up a
completely separate stand on the piazza and sold them through that.
I suspect that their arrangements with the Covent Garden people
themselves would probably have prevented that being done. (Covent
Garden is a pretty regimented place, however "spontaneous" it might
look, usually for the better!)
it was, though, *very* unfortunate that the shop was in temporary
premises and very cramped ones at that at this time.
Forcing everyone through the shop meant that all other customers who
were not interested in the models had to queue for an hour or so -
utterly daft.
Yes, we wondered how much "passing" trade the shop was losing. Probably
not enough to worry them in tandem with the sales on the EFE models,
though.
I have not noticed any change in the museum shop staff - they are all
the same people as before and can be as sullen and unhelpful as ever.
That's interesting. It was me that first mentioned here on utl how
unenthusiastic people were in the shop, I think. But since the move it
has seemed very different to me. One man (probably the manager) had a
long talk to me one day about their subscription service for models (it
was a weekday, though and correspondingly quiet).
Then during the melee on Thursday the girl serving downstairs was very
pleasant, laughing and joking with my wife. Maybe I've just been lucky
but it seems to me that there's been something of a "sea change" since
the move. I hope so anyway.
Once in a while I would like to be treated as a customer rather than a
hindrance to their social life.
Yes had that in the old place.......
I also don't appreciate being "told off"
for the inadequacies of their mail order system that takes months to
send out models [1] or being required to seek out other members of staff
because they can't be bothered to talk to each other.
And that!
[1] I can order models from Hong Kong that take 1 week to arrive despite
travelling thousands of miles.
Yes, having obtained the relevant forms for the Mail Order service, I
have to say it does seen *very* cumbersome and complex. Ordering from
online services is *much* easier. But then I like to support the shop,
I'm often free for a while in Covent Garden and I get the discount as a
Friend.
Having seen the queues for the models on Saturday afternoon, I did
wonder though how many were actually produced and were we all "duped" a
bit?! :-)) Alistair Stewart, offering a model as a prize on London
Tonight on Friday said that 6,000 had been produced. The girl in the
shop told my wife that they had 300 to sell per day. Even allowing for
300 of each model and assuming that 6,000 meant 3,000 of each, that
still gives a total of only 900 sold in the shop and 2,100 "spare". Or
maybe the figures are wrong.
Anyway, I don't really care; as I said, it was a great time and I was
*so* glad to be able to be there!
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK
Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk