Cortina Watch Service

[pegasi]

So many feedback of bad experience at Cortina in this forum. Could be the reason why they chose to advertise in the other forum and not here.

I am sure the management have learned about such feedback by now...A really service oriented retailer will react the way some hotels reacted to the customer feedback on the popular tripadvisor.com - acknowledge or clarify the feedback and take action to improve. Hopefully that will happen some days when sgroc grows bigger and even more popular...

[pegasi]

There is a Cortina at Paragon but there are few other watch shops there too...

[lighthand]

You know the really sad part of it all?

During the F1 weekend when I had a bunch of clients flown in to watch the races, they told me tales of extreme (to them) poor service in highend retail outlets.

Like when one of them wanted to get a nice Tag at Paragon (no idea the name of the shop), he said the lady took one look at his t-shirt and shorts with flip-flops and did not even bother to attend to him.

Here we are trying to get more visitors with all kinds of events, IRs, etc, and these SA can't even get their act together.

[triton]

raffles place or raffles city?

i avoid cortina raffles place like the plague. never had good experience there regardless of how i dress haha...

[redneckk]

i had an experience with THG at lucky plaza too. lol. this short old man was very reluctant to serve me. i was looking at the exterior display window and when i was about to go into the shop, he stood at the door and asked me: "Yes?". i said i wanted to enter to take a look at the watches. He then said in this uber sarcastic manner: "yes yes of course, look all u want." well, aft that, lets just say i said some things that were'nt exactly pleasant. here's the punchline. i described the incident to my friend after. turns out, the old man is his uncle. HAHA!

[exxondus]

i avoid cortina raffles place like the plague. never had good experience there regardless of how i dress haha...

maybe its cos I look too young and they feel i confirm bo lui one. well, they arent too far wrong tho..

I think of all the ADs, THG's service is the better of them (comparing with Dickson, Cortina, Allwatches and Watches of Switzerland). Maybe cos I bought a few watches from THG before...oh well....they need to have a bit of service standard in the first place mah...thats why singapore service industry is one of the lower ranked in the world with regard to customer serivce.

[Oceanklassik]

Read though the postings....

My goodness, I did not know cortina is so "well known". I was over in Dickson and the service was not perfect but not too bad either, decided to buy the watch there and then. However found out later the watch was reserved, though the SA did bother to put my name down for the next one coming in a week time.

Sigh!! How hard is it to get good service in SG?

Some ADs/pte dealers I'd experienced or heard of, that I will have no qualms to return for more purchases include the Hour Glass (THG) @Ngee Ann City (nac), Millenia Walk, Raffles Hotel, Lucky Plaza; Sincere Fine Watches @nac & Suntec City; Tai Hong Hung @People's Pk Cplx, KOH Watches @People's Pk Ctr.

I'm in no way related to any of the above and it is purely my personal experience/knowledge.

[Oceanklassik]

"regardless any AD, there are always such sales staff around. if i got time to entertain them, i go back to look for the particular staff, express my sincere express. sit down, negotiate price. when the time comes to make payment, i say i got the interest to buy but because of my previous experience with you. i wont buy from you. i am heading to another AD to buy. thank you very much."

This is bad..

[lighthand]

Read though the postings....

My goodness, I did not know cortina is so "well known". I was over in Dickson and the service was not perfect but not too bad either, decided to buy the watch there and then. However found out later the watch was reserved, though the SA did bother to put my name down for the next one coming in a week time.

Sigh!! How hard is it to get good service in SG?

[triton]

generally, most sales staff generally look at what you are wearing to gauge for themselves the customer possibility in buying an item. why? one possibility is that they dont want to spend time entertaining a customer who is just asking. because there could be another potential customer who walks through the door that is likely to buy and the sales staff cant get to that customer. this result in potential loss of sales and/or commission.

different AD, different branch all sales staff works different. i do know of a particular AD of a particular branch where all/majority of the sales staff will entertain all customers whenever possible. why? each branch has a target sales. so by them helping one another, they can reach sales target faster. also, they believe in the fact that if every customer is entertained and they leave a good impression, then the customer will recommend more customers to them. sometimes i do bring friends to the outlet, eventually they bought from another sales staff because sales staff is busy or on leave.

as such, i believe their working philosophy is correct. you scratch my back, i scratch yours. everyone gains. however, management tends to have different thinking. as such, this cause a change in working philosophy with 'new' staff who does not share the same belief.

regardless any AD, there are always such sales staff around. if i got time to entertain them, i go back to look for the particular staff, express my sincere express. sit down, negotiate price. when the time comes to make payment, i say i got the interest to buy but because of my previous experience with you. i wont buy from you. i am heading to another AD to buy. thank you very much.

[Oceanklassik]

See if this helps:

cortina

[Oceanklassik]

Hi lighthand,

If you read here enough, you'll be able to learn that this particular watch company, and the branch that you've encountered, is pretty much less to be desired. You, sadly, are not the first to have received such poor service, and very likely, you'll not be the last.

But I do appreciate you sharing here because at least, we all know they haven't improved all these years.

[lighthand]

Cortina Watch Service

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to check on your experince with the service in Cortina?

Reason for asking is cause I was at the Raffles City branch (Rolex Unit) yesterday to look for the watch I want, and the stuff who approach me was less then what I whould have expected from a high end shop.

To be honest I was wearing t-shirt & bermudas (just brought my kid for swimming lessions). But I still don't think that's reason for poor service.

Example of what was said to me:

Me: "Hi. I'm looking for a black face SS Daytona. Do you guys have any available?"
Him: "It's very expensive sir... it's selling at a premium price...."
Me: "Emm... ok but do you have a piece?"
Him: "It cost about $15,000+"
Me: "Do you have a piece?"

Finally he went to check and came back with a "sorry no stock".

Is this a one off incident or should I expect this all the time?

[seiko.citizen]

For me I'd find another salesperson that is willing to attend professionally to my queries. I will then buy the watch from this person and see the reaction on the one that had ignored me earlier...when he realised the commission he had lost.

Now that would be priceless...

i have been saying that for so long.......... and it works too. once in perth i was buying a expensive laptop for a friend, but i walk in, no service, ask for price, he just give me one worders (no, yes, $4999; you get the idea )

so i walk over to his partner (nice chio bu ) and buy from her, somemore pay CASH, and make up mind straightaway. later as i was browsing, i can hear the original staff say that i was his "customer"

i can only imagine what his partner must be thinking

[feilong108]

lolz...screaming dun help in most situations...lol...esp if the SA is a chiobu...