In the run-up to Christmas, I want to ask the question, do Toy Shops actually care about their customers, or is it simply a numbers game at this time of year. I thought I would have a look at the top listed toy shops in Google for the term and see how many of them offered any form of freephone (0800 number) support.
Thetoyshop.com – 0844 800 5100
Hamleys.com – 0844 855 2424
Toysrus.co.uk – no obvious tel number
Mulberrybush.co.uk – 01403 790796
Hasbrotoyshop.co.uk – 00800 22427276
LambsToys.co.uk – 01325 466042
Cambridgertoyshop.co.uk – 01223 30 90 10
Pollocks-coventgarden.co.uk – 0207 3797 866
Of the sites listed in the top 10 of Google, only one had a freephone 0800 number on offer to potential buyers. I am big on being able to contact businesses for free. If they want my business, they must be willing to do some legwork in obtaining this business.
The thing that surprised me the most was the fact ToysRus had no real visible contact number. I say hats off to Hasbro for offering a free 0800 number to help consumers out in tight times.
It has been statistically proven shoppers are more likely to phone a business which offers a free phone number. Come on you toy shops, Hasbro offer us buyers free phone calls to discuss their products, so why can you not all offer free 0800 numbers for us buyers?
It does strike me the owners of toy shops are not really bothered with offering a quality service to us shoppers. The question is whether this is just arrogance on the part of the toy shops listed, and in harder economical times should they be offering us important buyers additional service – I say yes they should.
A toy shop owner did say to me once why would I bother looking for business during the year when every child has a birthday on December 25th each and every year – literally for toy shops now it is bonanza cash-cow time , and boy they are going to milk it!