Primani…. a place where women revert to their primeval instincts.
In Primark anything goes, it’s like another world, a modern day journey to the heart of darkness.
You walk through the doors in a good mood; it’s a sunny day and you’ve been shopping. But once you get through those doors everything changes. It’s an attack on the senses, children are crying, women are elbowing each other out the way, men are hovering timidly on the sideline, constant announcements are being made over the loudspeakers, oh no there is no soothing in store music in Primark. To avoid changing room queues people are getting changed in the middle of the shop, inhibitions forgotten. Shop assistants can even be seen telling customers to clear up the clothes they’ve finished looking at…. errrrm excuse me? Isn’t that what you’re paid for?
Despite the fact that there are far more people per square meter than in any other shop, well, anywhere except perhaps Oxford street Topshop on Christmas eve, the air conditioning is something we, as customers, can only dream of. Instead their mediocre attempt at keeping the temperature somewhere below boiling point is a fan in the corner of the room.
Aforementioned trauma aside you spot a bargain across the shop. You bravely grab a garish purple sack (do they need to remind us we can’t afford to shop anywhere nicer?) and head into the masses.
Everything, absolutely everything is on the wrong hanger. You think you’re picking up a size 12 and it turns out to be an 18. You hunt through rails of clothes building up a sweat, ignoring the children who seem to have no parents wrestling at your feet, the shop assistant who nearly ran your feet over with a clothes rail and the chavs fighting over the last fake Burberry belt. Ah ha, you’ve finally found your size, you turn around in triumph to show your friends, but no, they’ve gone. Disappeared into the crowd never to be seen again. Then comes the next problem, cell reception. It is almost impossible to get a cell reception in Primark as everyone is lost trying to call their friends. If you are lucky enough to get through, it is almost inevitable that their voice will be drowned out by some unfortunate and undesired primarktastic noise. Primark! How difficult would it be to set up meeting points? I myself, have lost 2 friends in your shops before!
Then the changing rooms. After filling your basket with bargains and queuing up for at least half an hour you are only allowed to take in six items at a time! Six?! So, after the moody looking assistant hands over your items you are allowed in. The curtains, you will definitely find, don’t close properly, meaning the changing rooms may as well be communal. Wonderful.
Eventually, after you have made several journeys from your changing room to the basket to collect yet another 6 items and decided on your purchases you are forced to stand in yet another half hour queue to pay.
But eventually it is over. All you want to do is leave. Alas no. Primarkians all walk extremely, excruciatingly slowly. It will take at least another 15 minutes to locate an exit.
So, good luck on your quest to Primark my friends!
Hello, i am dissapointed that every stores of primark , stocks are limited . eg: bra sizes i can never find any 38b bras .
I am the same with 32D yet they can have a 32DD which is a larger cup… It make no sence so now i have to spend £16 for a brand new bra from a different store!
i am very dissapointed whatever primark stores that i visit never have limited stocks on bras , they never have any size 38b , maybe this is apopular size but they should stock more . i like to shop in primarks but it is very frustrating that i cannot find bras of my size and also recently they are not stocking g strings. so alternatively i have to go to other retail shops for these items.
Had my first and last ever experiance on Saturday when I wanted to exchange some support leggings because they were too small.
Had receipt and had not been opened but NO I couldn’t exchange them because they are classed as underwear. When I bought them at no point was it made clear to me either from the stand that they came off or at the till the I couldn’t returned or exchange.
At first I thought ok I should of known this because they came off a stand near the underwear but as I was queying in a rage to pay for more leggings they had another stand which was away from the underwear and again there wasn’t a sign which states they couldn’t be returned.
I will not be visiting Primark again if they treat customers like that
Completely accurate comments. Here’s a masculine view. I was sauntering through Primark Hammersmith this morning (it’s a shortcut to Sainsburys) when I was unwisely drawn to a pack of 3 pairs of boxer shorts, loose fit, for £3. Why not, I thought. I hiked over to the distant checkouts, since the conveniently placed ones are no longer in use, and me and another chap wandered past the unmanned checkouts looking for some sign of life. A woman behind one of the tills she shouted across “Do you want to pay?” We said yes and she told us to go to the adjoining checkouts. So we walked 10 yards back and another 8 between the barriers and the same woman walked 3 paces and served us. I left the shop and went to browse in the shop opposite. Glancing at the Primark bag, I noticed the red S on the little hanger on the packet. I had picked up Small when I wanted Large. I went back into Primark, got the correct size pack, up the escalator, across the width of the shop to Customer Services, presented the 2 packets of pants, apologetically explained my mistake and could I make the exchange. The young woman said “Did you leave the shop?” I said yes, I went out maybe 10 minutes before and came back, which she could see from the receipt anyway. She didn’t say anything about not being able to return underwear, maybe because the pack was obviously unopened, but that if I had left the shop I couldn’t have a refund or exchange. This was news to me but I couldn’t be bothered to argue. I said: “Oh well, never mind.” and started to walk away. She called me back to take my purchase with me. I said “Why would I want to?” She said “It’s your purchase, you can’t leave it here.” I said “I picked up entirely the wrong size, they are of no use to me.” She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and I left, convinced more than ever that Monty Python was a documentary. The only lesson I can draw from all this is that I should have lied and said “No, I was downstairs all the time admiring Primark’s extensive range of quality products at bargain prices” – then I would have been fine. And if you can possibly afford to shop elsewhere, for Gods sake do so!
Primark is utter rubbish and I agree with Leslie;s comments and as for my esperience see my email to Primark:
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Dear Mr Marchant,
On Thursday 5th June 2014 I purchase several items at the Primark outlet in Stratford, Westfield Centre, East London. This was the first time I had ever shopped at a Primark store.
I was very impressed with the pricing, and some products quality and also the cashier that served me, abate some messing merchandise everywhere.
Amongst the items I purchased included a pack of 3 men’s boxer shorts priced at £5.00. Since I had a smaller backpack than I normally do the cashier (a lovely, friendly, cheerful woman) suggested to me that it would be a good idea to discard the boxer shorts packaging as all my items will them fit nicely into my backpack. Before I could have a think or even say “no thank you” the cashier had already ripped off the packaging.
However, when I arrived home I told my wife that i had purchased quite a lot of items (including a T-shirt which I paid in cash on my second trip to the tills) and showed her what I had bought. When she looked at the boxer shorts she said they were too small for me and then put one of boxer shorts against one of mine – it was evident the Primark boxer shorts were too small. At no time did I physically try the Primark boxer shorts on.
Today (Monday 09/06/2014) I went to my local Primark store in Lewisham to ask for a full refund of the boxer shorts and your store manager and then a senior manager called “Sham” said that I could not get a full refund because the item were men’s underwear. I then replied that I was not made aware that that underwear cannot be exchanged or refunded until I saw the receipt – had I known about this sales term I would never have purchased the boxer shorts. I explained to Sham that I did not see any information to states that underwear cannot be exchanged or refunded at the store in Stratford because the items were hanging from a “crossed metal stand” and nowhere did (easily or made aware) of a sign to notify me that underwear cannot be refunded or exchanged. Other retailers allow customers to exchange of refund underwear and I did not even try the items on at home.
The facts are:
1. Until I had purchased the goods did I see a sales condition on the bottom of the receipt stating that underwear could not be refunded nor exchanged by Primark.
2. Nowhere on the free standing display next to the boxer shorts items did I see any notice at the Stratford Westfield Primark stating that underwear were excluded from refund or exchanges – had I known about this obviously I would not have purchased any underwear from Primark. Furthermore, it is common for buyers to purchased goods and only to find that (when customers had gone home with items) that the size of an item does not fit properly or even at all. Also and more importantly I was not allowed to try the boxer shorts in the changing rooms so if the item does not fit surely I would be able to get a full refund or exchange? This is Common Law.
3. I even said to your Sham that would be happy to exchange (to meet the half way mark) for a bigger size rather a full refund but he declined. Your Sham apologised to me and stated that if I had the packaging then I he would provided with a full refund or exchange. The thing is, your sales receipt does not state that packaging has to be returned to Primark in order for customers to get a refund or exchange items. For example, Sports Direct (see attached their sales conditions) states that refund or exchange are only allow if the original packaging is also returned. Various high street retailers allows customers to exchange or be provided with full refund so why is Primark so different?
Being a first time customer of Primark this experience has hampered me into giving any more revenue to your company. For the sake of £5.00 your staffs are not going the extra mile, using commercial common sense judgement and simply act like robots following policies and procedures. They are not educated in Common or Consumer Law so have not acted above and beyond their duties to provide excellent customer service.
My wife was rather livid when she found out I had purchased the goods from Primark as people are aware (through Facebook, BBC investigations, etc. from last year) that retailers such as Primark have been using manufacturers and suppliers that exploit low pay, child labour, poor working conditions and long hours from third/developing world economies. I informed these data to your Sham and he simple said “Who told you that? They are not true and it does not concern our company”. A very typical and defensive stance from company (especially the NHS) to defend their organisation negative feedbacks.
Please can you make an executive decision so that I can be provided with a full refund or at least exchange my boxer shorts for a larger size. The boxer shorts I have are no good to me as I can not wear them and is a total waste of money. I would need to speak to the consumer and trading standards agencies for assistance. The items I purchased, except the mens coat and boxer shorts, are meant to be provided as donations for kids that want to get involved in sports but cannot afford even the most basic cheap clothing!
I look forward in receiving your response within 5 working days and by 12.00noon on Tuesday 17th June. Failing this I will take all the Primark goods back for a full refund and will not buy anything furthermore from Primark.
hi, just brought primark wipes and have had a massive allergic reaction around my eyes, swelling was so bad i couldnt see and servere stinging. not impressed. if this ios what gentle cleaning causes then i will not be buying any beauty products there again!!!
also, reading others comments i do have to agree with the bad customer service and problems finding bra’s
I bought several items from the bolton store primark – only to discover that the wrong size was on the hanger.
my brother said i am going into town so i will exchange it for you or get your money back. no that would be to easy.
they did not have my size so he asked for the money back. he had the item and the receipt.
they could not give him the money back as i paid on my card. they would not put it on his card. so all over xmas i was left with a top that i could not wear and no refund. i have closed the account that i paid the card on so were do we go from there.
not very helpful – you will not gain custom with this behavour
i might have some useful info for you. if the account is closed u should still be able to get your money back if you take your statement in. i work in retail myself…not primark thank the heavens…and our practice is that if the account is closed and you still have the receipt proof of purchase on the statement should be enough. primark should understand that people close accounts.
I work for primark and can say there is no weekly or monthly trainning staff get fed up coz they are doing the same thing for the whole of there shift all they wanna do is go home I agree with you there is no music witch can make the working day boring and customers waiting in line get fed up
Please rate my complaint a high rate. It is the one called ‘Lack of hygiene at your leisure centre’
Thanks
listen ya silly cow shut up ya winging! the store is huge! i know i work there! the staff do not at any point tell customers to pick up there things they have left behind, and also they get paid less than £6.00 per hour and so much is expected from them u think u have a hard job try working in there hey! maybe if u went at a decent time of day like morning time maybe u will be able to walk around and if u dont like it then dont go in divvy! why are you so lame as to write a silly commentary on the internet why didnt u speak to someone in the store? maybe the problem u so called have would of been solved! now shut your wining and u call people chavs, u shope there yourself u buy the same things as them so ur one big fat chav ur self arent you!
Rant over with!!
Haha amazing rant, I work in Primark too! Totally agree with what you’ve just said!
Well Sam, you epitomise everything which is wrong with our country! What a rude person you are!
As for the renumeration you receive all I can say is OMG, lucky to have a job with your attitude.
Lets hope Primark start buying from suppliers other than those in third world countries, put prices up lower wages and people like you with customer couldn’t care less attitude will be disgarded to the scrapheap of the many unemployed of this country.
So im at the front of the returns/customer services desk, at Primark, waiting my turn, waiting for the guy to call me over after finishing with the customer in front of me, thanking the gods there wasn’t the usual line of people, buggys etc, when low and behold an obviously upper member of Primark staff, went up to the guy and returned her Primark shopping, and then quibbled with him about charging her wrong for the items she wanted to replace them with. I could not believe it. Im not a complainer usually, it seems to be coming with age though lol, but I will be emailing them to complain the very moment I find there hidden!!! email address.
I Travelled to uk went around shopping as i m from Pakistan ,on asking how can the VAT be refunded the coustomer service was of the opinion that shop for 2000 pounds then you are eligible . a strange reply .I M SURE THE amount must be much less any how i have also contacted the tax department . I hope the problem be looked into . thanks
i have also the receipts .
Khalid, there are vat forms at the customer service desk. Ask a member of the staff for one. Show your recipt and you get the form filled out. Just show it to customs on the way out of the country. The £2000 is nonsense
When we show the form customs at the airport, do they pay the VAT back immediately? (Is the money refunded at the airport if we paid it on cash when we were buying? or will we be refunded days/weeks later?)
Thank you very much for your comments and sharing your idea and knowledge with us..
My phone was recently stolen at a Primark (was in a very packed area, was took out of my pocket), I notified the security guard, and being quite a young teenager, I got a little bit upset at the fact my phone was stolen. The security guard didn’t help at all, and he was quite rude to me about the whole thing, telling me I was making a big fuss over a phone which could be replaced. Words can’t explain how upset I was.
Everybody laughs at primark & criticises it , but I work at 2 primark stores in the midlands & must say they are busy every day so someone likes them ,the sizes are misleading but most customers allow for this & usually purchase a bigger size than their normal one . The security at these stores is usually tight & personally I believe there a lot worse places to shop …..
i recently bought a shirt for my 1 year old daughter and when i put it on her she screamed out in pain. Turns out there was a NEEDLE in the are still hanging off the shirt with the thread still attached! I am appalled!!!! it had stabbed her in the arm!!
That would be as a result of the suppliers, not us. When we put products out, we don’t have time to check each product individually. I appreciate that it was absolutely unacceptable and you need to direct a complaint to Head Office with the item number of the item (it’s on the label and if memory serves me it should start with 5 but don’t quote me on that). The address for Head Office is on your receipt. When we put products out, we don’t have time to check each product individually.
I went to primark in the metro centre and i bought a superman t-shirt and a batman t-shirt but i am complaining that you dont have any spider man shirts WE DEMAND SPIDERMAN T-SHIRTS
Haha, what an amazing collection of posts… It’s Primark! What do you expect?! When it costs you less to buy a tshirt than it does to buy a sandwich, you can reasonably expect that they are going to be cutting corners somewhere!
Bottom line:
Beggars CAN’T be choosers…
Costumer service is getting worse and worse In Primark. Last week I was told off when asked to go into changing room to feed my baby as I’m still breast breastfeeding. I been told to go somewhere else to feed him as it’s apparently a new rule in Primark, she suggested me to go to Mothercare as they have baby feeding rooms, but i am them customer so why should i go else where looking for it??? Sorry for the babies, it’s not them fault that they are not able to eat anywhere they like. I wasn’t asking any special room for it, all i needed just to feed him in one of the changing rooms. Next time i will have to pretend that I’m going to try some clothes on, how stupid is that that you have to hide something like this. By the way it happened in Ilford Primark, where staff are so horribly rude including them management, it seems that people don’t get trainings on good customer service no more. Today i was asked to leave the changing room when i walked in with my mum to see how the jumper fits her. So i said i will try something, so took a blouse, this girl came in and saw that i wasn’t trying it on but was just waiting for my mum to come out with that jumper so i could give my opinion, so this girl told me to leave the changing room as i wasn’t trying it on, i refused to leave as all rooms were empty and i wasn’t doing anything wrong. I told her that it’s my worse experience in Primark were staff are treating them customers with no respect at all, so she was happily arguing with me. When i said that i came here not to argue but shop that bitch called the security on me. They told us to listen next time what staff are saying and told us to leave the shop, how ridiculous is that??????????? wtf?????? it’s sad that the customer service is as high as them item prices which is LOW and staff can talk anyhow they like to customers and nobody cares that they shouldn’t do so! Everybody in the shop was staring at us while security was leading us to the exit making us feel like the biggest criminals ever!! Won’t ever come back to this shit place ever! What a horrible shopping experience to my mum as she was only visiting the country. Earlier before all that happen mum tried the hat on and wanted to see herself in the mirror as we couldn’t see one close by she went to the changing room that was closest with mirrors, so she’s been told to leave the changing room as she’s not suppose to try the hats in there and got pointed to the mirror in the shop, instead she could’ve let her in and be more polite and nice i was just speechless. Hope head office is reading all the comments made and will take some action as they have so much to work on talking about them staff. I was working 6 years in customer service and never let feel any of my customers like that, always been told to treat them with respect no matter what so would like to be treated same way back.
I don’t work in the particular Primark you are talking about but I may be able to shed some light on your issue. Regarding the breast feeding problem, this is actually now a part of the customer service training currently being delivered to employees. Although staff can’t always allow you into the curtained fitting rooms for security reasons (as there are other customers and stock going in and out), you should have been able to use a disabled fitting room provided it was available and wasn’t needed by a disabled customer. For reference, the law does also state that women may breastfeed anywhere they like, including in public should they wish to/feel comfortable doing so. Management should have assisted you. However, if management fail to deal with your complaint effectively in store, I can only advise complaining directly to Head Office who will be able to resolve your issue.
In terms of the fitting room issues surrounding trying things on. These are the rules and they are part of our security policy. All employees must follow this and as normal retail operatives, we are NOT able to use discretion and deviate from this, even in circumstances where we would like to. Our stores are busy and we need to limit theft as much as possible. We cannot allow customers who are not trying clothes on into the fitting rooms – it means customers who do wish try things on are forced to wait longer and also increases the risk of theft. I appreciate that you did not intend to steal but, sadly, it is the minority who ruin it for the majority. Without meaning to be rude, this is our policy and by not doing as asked by the member of staff and leaving, she was further obliged (by policy) to contact security.
Hats, shoes, accessories and outdoor coats can also not be tried on in our fitting rooms. This is for the same reasons; it creates queues which could otherwise be avoided and also increases the risk of theft. If the employee in question had been found not following this policy, they would have been the person in trouble – not you. She could not have let you in the fitting rooms but yes, she could perhaps have been more polite. However, please bear in mind that your attitude towards her may have come across as somewhat rude and abusive. Staff have the right to work without customers treating them in this way and manners don’t cost a penny – a polite attitude generally means the same in return from staff.
During december n this month I have been on a few shopping trips to primark in woolwich south east london and I find the level of discrimination towards staff And customers by members of staff and management in store no. 567 absolutely DISGUSTING! Now I’m not of ethnic origin but find this unacceptable in this day and age where we are ment to be promoting diversity n equality at work! I have worked in retail for over 15years in the city of london and have never seen anything quite like this, how on earth are primark employing individuals to manage and be the face of their store and they are promoting racism and discrimation with no care in the world! it was hard for me to even purchase goods on these occassions but I did just so I could talk to different members of staff and find out how they were feeling and how they could handle this on their shifts. One member of staff told me they were too scared to complain to head office because they might lose their job and another member said that they got no hope iin hell as that’s how management and most staff of that race in the store are they stick together and treat us however they want because they can, so they put up with it as there’s no one to support them if you complain it gets ignored and you get treated worse ! Ridiculous! Is this what britains retail industry has come to! I work with many people from different ethinic backgrounds and they certainly would not be put through this on a daily basis. Being told this isn’t their country so they have to do all the work whilst members of staff and management the same race as me stand by laughing! I remember 2 ladies in paticular by the names of katherine and stacey being awfully racist to staff and a customer returning goods whilst I was browsing near by there was no customer service being given to the customer she was being shouted at and spoken to like dirt a member of staff who was of ethnic origin then got told you want to come here and take all our fucking jobs and its our country so you do your work! I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and then the other lady agreed who I later found out was management! I’m appalled by this! It wouldn’t be so bad if I was treated the same when I asked for help with an item then I could put it down to the ladies having a bad day but no they were fine with me because I’m not ethnic which is totally wrong and I’m sure goes against all ethical polices but yet they are getting away with this! The well being of staff at this store is not even there scared hard working staff being buulied victimised n discrimated against great impression this store is giving of the british society today I’m surprised a mystery shopper hasn’t caught these staff out yet and hope they do get caught out soon as they don’t deserve to have a job I’d be dissapointed if that was one of my stores a customer experienced these awful shopping trips and am greatful my staff are trained managed disciplined and supported properly!
This is not the case in all Primark stores and it is certainly not the case in the one I work in. Our staff are from a range of different backgrounds but racism has never really been an issue and, if it was, I’m sure it would be taken seriously and dealt with properly.
I can only advise that you make a complaint to Head Office regarding this – it is certainly sufficiently seriou and they will be able to deal with it effectively. As a company, Primark does NOT tolerate racism and the staff who wish to complain should not be afraid of speaking to their Union Representative or Head Office staff should they feel uncomfortable complaining to someone within the store they work at.
I shop at primark at least nce a week and apart from the sameness of items (also the reductions stay on the racks for ages) I don’t see anything to complain about. In my opinion if you want first calss service then shop at Harvey Nicks. Primark retails goods made in third world countries, this is reflected in the prices, I know what to expect when I go to a store therefore I don’t winge about facilities or qeues or staff. You get what you pay for and again if you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen!!!!!!!!!!!111
This isn’t to be generalised to all stores. Ive worked for sustained periods of time in two different stores and in both issues of racism and equality were taken very seriously. the customer surveys given at some tills are reported back to staff to improve service. Once an instance where two staff members in a Primark store insulted a customer in a different language was reported back during training sessions to highlight these problems, and the seriousness , to all staff.
So this evening my friend and I went into Primark as my friend was looking for a few stuff, we were in the shop for about 20minutes walking about at which point I felt tired as I’m really lazy, I usually do most of my shopping online as I don’t like having to waste my energy walking around and searching when I could easily do it from the comfort of my bed. So anyway after a while I noticed a few members of the primark staff walking around and looking at what my friend and I had in our hands, but I ignored this. A bit later on though my friend noticed the security guard blatantly following us with no attempt to look discrete whatsoever, at which point my friend started complaning, and for the rest of the time that we were there the security guard kept following us, even when we went upstaris. Now I don’t want to accuse anyone of being a racist but that was just clear discrimination there, we were being victimised. I mean why the heck would be rob from primark anyway? Its like the cheapest place to shop! I bet if it was white girls then they wouldn’t have been victimised, but it always has to land on the blacks. What a load of bloody shit!
i dont know about anybody else but does anyone notice the MAHOOSIVE lack of size 7’s ALL OF THE TIME in stores near them? it is so bloody annoying!they have 80,000 of every other size but no size 7’s and the retarded staff dont ever seem to know anything either.I am so sick of primark its a false economy save your money and go to river island.
I’ve read through all of this and I can’t agree with everything. I don’t deny that some staff in Primark fail at their jobs. It is minimum wage. Even supervisors only earn around £6.80 an hour. Staff turnover is ridiculously high. I started working at Primark as weekend staff 9 months ago when I started my degree. I started with 11 other people. 3 of us remain. When you shop at Primark, there is a good chance that the staff who deal with you have not been in retail very long and therefore are not fully trained. If training needs are not met, it will inevitably impact on the day to day running of the store. Particularly with weekend staff, there is little time set aside for training and it’s a case of ‘sink or swim’.
The standard of service and the number of sizes available is different for each store. When we get deliveries, there are often limited numbers of certain sizes. A good department manager and supervisor will try to ensure that all sizes we have in stock are available. I know it’s something that is insisted upon within my old department even if it means taking numerous size 14s off the rail to make space for size 12s. We regularly have customers from different places comment on the variation between stores; I had a gentleman from Essex at the weekend telling me he was astonished that he could find what he wanted and didn’t have to queue for an hour. Department staff often have little time to assist customers because of the large workload that comes with working at Primark. Some customers deliberately throw/drop/leave things on the floor and cleaning up after people who make mess deliberately can become very frustrating. If we don’t meet department standards by closing time, the work drags over to the next day and essentially builds up and up to a point where it is unmanageable. You are often left with little choice but to focus on things rather than people which isn’t how it should be but it’s sadly how it is. We are a value-retail store and therefore do not act as personal shoppers. If customers would kindly assist us by simply picking up items they have dropped or leaving items they don’t want on shelves rather than the floor or with fitting room/till staff then we would likely have much more time to assist you with any queries you have.
In terms of fitting room staff, they do not set the rules but if they don’t follow them and stock gets stolen then they essentially face disciplinary proceedings for not maintaining secure processes. Yes, they could have been more polite but dealing with customers who can often be very rude can be demoralising. We literally haemorrage stock as a result of theft so we have to have stringent rules and procedures in place. I appreciate that for the majority of customers this is annoying at best but it is unfortunately the minority who ruin it for the majority.
In terms of tills, the reason you would be expected to walk to a particular till which the member of staff was serving on is because staff are assigned a till at the start of their shift. This is done for security purposes. The till is regularly spot-checked (making sure that the money in the till is correct) and if something’s gone wrong, it is naturally much easier to identify who has made the mistake if each till is only in use by specific operators at specific times.
I am ALWAYS polite at my till and my customers usually leave smiling. However, I do refuse to tolerate customers who are abusive and sadly, it happens often in Primark. I have only ever had one customer complaint (made by an abusive customer) and when it was reviewed by my manager, it was found to be completely unfounded and therefore no further action was taken.
I don’t appreciate that all staff and stores have been tarred with one brush. Please bear in mind that Primark staff face busy and demanding work every day with little support and often rude customers – I’m sure if you approach staff more politely, it will be returned. Weekday and weekend teams are made up of almost entirely different staff. We weekend staff often are unable to answer your questions because the majority of changes are made during the week and we are not kept up to date about them.
Primark is another shop classy people avoid like the plague. The staff in our local branch – cast aways from other retailers comprise of some of the most obnoxious people walking the face of the planet. Company ethics fail to buttress the fact that child and under-aged labour is unacceptable, unnecessary and not what keeps good customers happy. Money spent in Primark is bad investment and the rubbish will only be worn a few times before ending up on the rubbish heap. Is all the hassle worth it? No!
i went to primark in my loacol city centre ,liverpool, with my mum on monday 3.09.12 and we went to the top floore to get flat shoes and ass the queis wer so big we walked down to the next floore and just ass we came off the escerlater an walked around the corner which brought us to the second floor, there wer two cloths rails coming off the wall, the top rail had cloths on but the bottom never and the cloths from the top wer hiding the botom rail and i my mum walked strait in to it and nocked herself on the floor, i was in shock because i just herd her screem in pain and ass i turned round she was on the floor , the bar knocked strait into her ribs ass i helped pick her up an another lady said to me she ass been stood there for a couple off min an that was the second person it had happend to but with my mum being so small an pertite it just threw her. but my concerns after id calmed down wer that if a kid comes running round the corner the pole would take an eye out or certenley do damage.So anyway i went and told a lady who worked there an she was helpfull and got the manager for me an waited untill he came over even now she,d clocked of for her break, when the manager came he ask wats the problem and i told him an his reply was well really u shoudnt be walking threw that way the way it is around but i could fill in a accsidence form an did we need to see a medic but we wer in a hurry and just wanted to get out off there so said now but when id thought about it wat if we wer looking at cloths down that way then that incident still would ov happend or ass that lady said it had just happend 2 min be4 uno that could of been a child there shouldnt be rails rite ther wen coming off the escerlaters ppl are obviously gunna cut threw the shop its always busy and if they dont move them then atleast put cloths on them. He said we can fill a accident form an then next time if that same thing happens an gets reported then it will get somthink done about it basically in a nut shell it has to happen againe for sothink to be done an thats if i had off put a report in so now thinking off it i should off an thats wats making me come on this site now theres already been a closer over accicdents in my loacal 1 ass ppl already now it was all over the news lil grl on escerlaters
excuse my miss spelling and litrecey ::;;}}]
I love a bargain so shop in Primark for odds n sods. The trouble is whenever I go into the Liverpool store I always get followed by the security guards for no other reason I can see than I am Black. They are so blatant it’s laughable. When it first happened I ignored it but it’s got to the point now that when I do visit I like to keep them on their toes so I will sit on the benches in the shoe section reading my Kindle whilst the guard paces up and down or will take as many pieces of lingerie as I’m allowed into the changing room and just sit there surfing the net on my phone! Childish I know, but if they are going to stereotype me then I will make them work hard for their blatant racism.
Trish
I get followed in every shop I go into and I’m 62! It dosen’t stop the security guards or that annoying bleeping camera which pin points your every move. I’ve often thought about playing games but I read somewhere about a man who was taken to court but the case thrown out – the large supermarket banned him from the shop. By the way this isn’t me being paranoid because I moved from the Midlands last year to Staffordshire and I’m still being watched and followed – a bit Orwellian 1984!!!!!!!!!
Ruby
12.12.12 secutity guard Incident he was watching me giving us dirty looks around shop, I ignored his intimidating then he walked in front of us by elevator, hesitated when he saw we’d paused waiting for daughter to tie shoes then when son got close to elevator he waiting for him to put one foot on top and then held him he held him by the head I was screaming “no he is with us we arent going down” he never said a word just carried on holding his head and took him half way down the elevator I was watching in horror and the security guard was looking back up at me tauntingly like aren’t you going to do something. Then i told my daughter to just leave her laces and come and grabbed my youngest by the hand And made my way down to him. I was very upset by now a d told him never to put his hands on my son ever again. He just said i should thank him. I went and reported him to the manager who gave me your number suggesting its his training my thing is I am sure your not training them to waiting for playful little bous to put just one goot on the elevator cut in frint of their mothers who they have heard isnt quite readt to go down and firce the to go down anyway blocking the mother from bringing her son away from the moving steps?
The Karlsruhe store was overall UNFRIENDLY. It was almost like going into a war zone, so much for pleasurable, relaxed shopping. The best was the 8 items you could take into the changing room, it’s almost as if they just want you to purchase a maximum of 8 items. So who are these stupid people in Head Office making these stupid decisions, they are pathetic. Want some advise, go to Esprit in Metzingen, you get a trolley, you can fill it to the brim and can try everything on in ONE go, it’s HEAVEN, with you it’s HELL.
Sorry PRIMEMARK your shopping experience for me was well behind the times with no emphasis on SERVICE. I’ve never experienced so many unhappy customers and so many arguments between customer and shop assistant as in your store. On one side it was quite amusing ! Mrs Trunchbull from Matilda would make a good store manager for your store.
I’m pretty sure the 8 item rule is to prevent theft. In most shops they only allow 2-3 items in at a time, how are staff expected to keep control of items coming in and out with more then 8 items at a time? Then of course you must consider the time it takes to put these clothes back on the shop floor when people usually put back 90% of the clothes they try on. I think this complaint is extremely unjustified.
I work there. It is not fun. Customers are rude. They WOULD NOT treat staff or shop property in any other store as they do in Primark. The management treat the staff like silly wee idiots and we are all deeply unhappy in our jobs. The lack of staff moral is appalling.
My shift at work is not made any better by customers throwing around clothes, on the floor or dropping them wherever they feel like it and then complaining that the place is a mess. How do you think it got that way? It’s like a daily torture. If I could, I would never enter the place again, as an employee or a customer.
My daughter works at Torquay and they are the same she just had a few days off now they are investigating her lol she is frightened she may lose her job and they said she a pathological lier she was in hospital no one should be frightened to go to work x
I work at Primark from last 6 months. I really love it and enjoy it. Time fly fast and I’m never bored!
Sometimes it’s frustrating though. All of you complaining customers! If you don’ t like the way Primark is, why don’t you just go and shop somewhere else? It,s not like us, staff throwing things all over the floor. It’s all you. I saw so many unmannered customers in my shop, that is unbelievable!
Somebody made shit and wee in the Channing rooms, I found Wally boot with pee in it. Mothers are changing there kids nappy and then living them on the bench or on the floor, people throwing food, living drinks and empty bottles everywhere! We do have bins there you know!
I do understand that staff in some places can be rude, but calling us retarded, like somebody did in one of the comments, it’s really not polite. I’ve been working in retail from 5 years and I never met so many awful and rude customers like in Primark. They are talking to us like we are slaves or something. Do this, and do that, give me this, give me that. It’s rear that I hear please. I’m not saying that is all of you, but majority of customers are like that…
I was wondering… Does primark pay its staff weekly or monthly?
I hate illford primark where the manager level staff behaved rude . I felt very bad of the service . It was about a price enquiry of a shirt where they displayed price into Hal price . I taken it to conter to pay they says it is not and I showed them but still they say full price and I said Iam happy to take it for full price .all along this transaction a supervisor level Staff named Ali he was laughing on me and kept me wait for 15 minutes saying that Iam checking price but he is not doing that he is talking with another staff and showing me and laughing . It is really a very bad customer service even the price in primark is cheap — and customer service is also Cheap . Management should teach them proper training to customer service . I never go again for cheap price and cheap customer service in illford primark . Primark is not doing favour to us infact we customer are doing favour by buying clothes . Customers are god to ur business as long as u forget this business will go down .
The Primark Store in PECKHAM is full of rude floor staff, who feel that it is acceptable to dish out verbal abuse to customers when challenged about their poor health and safety practices in store.
I was appalled when one of the shop floor staff who was blindly pulling a clothes rails that nearly hit myself and my daughter. When I asked her to try and keep the swinging rail straight, she rudely replied, “what if I do not want to keep it straight?”. I asked her if that was how she had been trained to speak to customers, only to be greeted with even more rude comments and attitude.
Assuming the supervisor and the two other people who introduced themselves as managers would intervene and speak to the young lady about her behaviour, they instead, stood there and watched the young lady continuing to behave in a rude manner. It wasn’t until I threatened to put in a written complaint until they took the young lady to one of the back room. Dare I say, they did not even have a clear system in place as, getting the appropriate information, ie, telephone number, email and postal address for their complaints department was another battle I felt I had to contend with. The supervisors/mangers all seemed cagey and unwilling to give out any information.
Primark needs to spend a bit more money to train their staff and managers, particularly in the PECKHAM store to learn how to relate to customers and more so to ensure staff are aware of basic health and safety concerns while navigating their trollies and rails in a busy store.
Primark has the most rude, lazy and disrespectful customers ever!!!! Treat the shop and staff with a bit of respect and you will get it back! Fed up hearing the shops a mess it’s like a jumble sale, how do you think it got that way!!!!! Staff try their best to keep the place tidy but it’s impossible with the volume of customers and the way they drop things on the floor and leave stock lying everywhere. If you want a personal shopper go to debenhams! We are far too busy to take every customer about the store looking for stuff. As for the 8 items a time into the fitting room? This is a lot compared to other stores, we can’t let customers in with baskets full for security purposes. Believe it or not but the amount of shoplifters we get is unreal! They think cos it’s cheap they will get away with it!! I will happily help a customer if im spoke to in a nice manner and not some sort of skivvy!! For any of you that think people in primark are daft and uneducated, majority of staff are students and mothers working their cos the hours suit! Queues at tills what the hell do you expect you are in the busiest shop on the high street. Don’t like it shop else where
Got no complaints about the goods sold in Primark stores, generally speaking the quality is good and prices are very cheap. What does brass me off a bit is the way the staff hurriedly shovel your clothes into a bag without folding them and send you on your way. I understand that time is money and the queues are long, but I really think that it gives a company a much better image if their staff take a few seconds to fold the clothes as they bag them. I think a bit of staff training with regards to this would not go amiss.
I have bought girl vasts today which had price tags of £2.80 but on the receipt I have been charged £3.00 its wrong
I would like to draw attention to the management staff at primark Torquay,they DO NOT treat their staff well at all.when staff are off sick they say they are lieing and call them pathological lyers,and some of the staff are frightened to have time off even if they are hospitalized the management don’t believe them and say they are being investigated.I think this is appalling and needs to be stopped.if management take the time to read this PLEASE do something about it or you will have no staff
The waistband in most of your gym pants are pointless and terribly made… The sports tops have no support! Dissapointing!!
I got a pack of nails and I payed for them come home and they was not in the bag but have you seen were they just though stuff in the bags
Primark lewisham
The way I witnessed what seemed to look like management talking to there staff is absolutely beyond disgraceful!!!!!!! I am a regular customer who lives in lewisham and its just bang out off order. If this is how you want to treat your staff then I hope one day you have an empty shop because no one will ever want to work there! I understand you have to deal with staff disapline but there’s a time and a place which is most certainly not on the shop floor at a very busy time of day. Primark please sort your management team out! And just remember the way you treat your staff will end up having an impact on how they test there customers!