A Masterclass in Customer Engagement or Something Like That
Today, I visited the Timberland Expo Outlet with the simple goal of finding a good winter jacket. One would think that browsing quietly might be a normal part of the shopping experience but alas, it seems I was mistaken.
While I was looking through the jackets, a staff member approached me and, without any greeting or basic courtesy, asked, “What do you want?” A refreshing approach, really skipping the pleasantries and diving straight into abruptness. One might even say revolutionary.
I must admit, I hadn’t realized that customer service had entered its minimalist era. No hello, no “can I help you?”, just a tone that suggested my presence was more of a problem than a potential sale.
To the management: if this was a one-off, perhaps some light retraining is in order. If it’s the new standard, then bravo Timberland has truly redefined the in-store experience.
Needless to say, the jacket search will continue elsewhere, ideally in a place where curiosity is met with kindness, not condescension.
Bb Sg
5
Great bargains now.. Friendly and helpful handsome young man called James Lin. Knowledgeable and attentive ! Definitely store manager material if not already.
Ying Yi Foong
4
Place has lots of stuff, good for those traveling and looking for gears such as hiking shoes etc!
Reiko H
5
Cater mostly women & men shoes with excellent pricing. Excellent Customer service, kudos to Joseph & team!
Vikas Kumar Sinha
5
Good discounts, stock and staff. Bought 2 pairs of timberlands boots @ 70% off (6” premium nubuck waterproof). Following is detailed review.
1. No discount on following items:
a. If you are looking for Icon series, there are no “icon series” boots and boat shoes at this store, and since these articles never carry any discount, so you better visit the boutique stores for this.
b. Shoe care products
2. Heavy discounts:
a. Most of the (rest of) footwears and clothing, you will get around 50-70% off (range may vary)
b. If you are okay with Boots almost similar to icons, I bought Icons boots (6” premium) for 300 bucks, but similar shoes with just one difference on the top leather padding design (not material) will get you 50-70% discount.
c. These items are generally of last season.
d. During my visit, they were having add on discounts like $99 off on the purchase of >=$239, however you couldn’t add in “must buy” (they already had 70% off), socks and shoe care products. Do check with them for such discounts what is included and what’s not!! For me it worked well as the footwear which I chose were already having 50% off + this discount added in additional 20% (on original box price)
3. Collection:
a. Very good for men’s items (footwear and clothing)
b. Very good for women’s footwear only !! They don’t carry women clothing
4. Membership points etc:
a. You can not redeem any vouchers there (as per my knowledge)
b. However you can get the bill amount linked to you account for history and points (if you gain any).
5. Overall:
a. Visit the store if you are looking for heavy discounts and open for alternative articles.
b. Better visit in non-rush hours.
c. Give them a call before visiting if you have any queries.
d. Also check the price of your item on their ONLINE official store, their website, Lazada, Shopee, Zalora. Sometimes you may get better deal online for the same item. However it was not much of difference and for the items that I bought, best price was there on this outlet only.
e. For reference images, do refer to other posts (as I forgot to take pics 😂)
6. General point:
Never ever go to ‘any’ store with very high hopes, you never know what is there in offering during your visit.
I was not much impressed during my first visit last year, as I was having wrong expectations of boutique store kind of stuff etc. Remember this is kind of a factory outlet situated in a mall.
However even at that time, I was pleasantly surprised by the discounts. But during this second visit I knew what to expect (as mentioned in the points above) so focused on that only.
Hope this review helps you.
Happy Shopping 😃
June Seah
5
Shoutout to Nurhidayah Binte Hamid for her amazing service today. She was very patient and helpful to help me find the right size shirts for my sons.
E Ng
5
They were running a great promotion: 50% off so long as one buys at least two items. We bought two pairs of men’s slip-ons and obtained that discount, which made the shoes good value for money. There were many customers so the staff were slightly overwhelmed, but they still managed to handle payment efficiently.
Ace Shimizu
5
The store is really nice and items are well placed. The staff was really friendly in answering my questions about the shoes i had and also how to take care of them, seems that the staff is really knowledgeable about the products that is sold in the store. Currently the shop is open today and there are sales with big discount given for most of the items do come down as sizes for the shoes are running low on stock! Really liked timberland products as they are really good quality and last really long before needing to resole.
Samuel Goh
5
5-star service from James who was very patient with our requests and looking for the many products in order to find the perfect pair of boots and shoes for us. He was very informative and not pushy at all. Great job! 👏🏻👍🏻💪🏻 …
Liam W Masterson
3
Quite a good store. Full of discounts and a lot of wares. Not everything for Singapore, but if you are going to colder climes, there’s some good gear here. Prices are quite good too.