talkmagic.co.uk

I'm curious as to what a numbers deck is now though

Yes he was banging on about that too....kids in a sweet shop a

Now, had I read your other thread yesterday I would have asked if you fancied a pint instead as I was only in there as I had an hour to kill!

One day I will find international magic !

A magic chum and I (Andy for those of you that have met him) now refuse to go into Davenports or have anything to do with the idiots. They show a complete lack of desire or ability to cater for anyone, full stop. And that kid....grrr he really grinds my gears, I'd love to go in there with a girl and say "See this? This is what all the Magic Circle tie pins in the world will never get you you snide little oxygen thief."

i think beardy is destined to work in there...

Betty is terribly fierce and rules the place like a rod of iron. If she sees this thread then God may have mercy on the souls of the children who work there.

Actually all magic dealers are miserable. It is par for the course that anyone who sells fun never actually has any. I have seen magic dealers and joke shop owners all over the world and probably 90 percent of them are as miserable as sin. That is because they sell fun.

On the other hand I once knew a funeral director who was quite a jolly chap.

Come to think of it I know a brilliant clown in Toronto who makes people laugh but is the most miserable individual I know. He should probably own a magic shop.

mark lewis wrote:On the other hand I once knew a funeral director who was quite a jolly chap.

One of my good friends spent some years as a funeral director and he is one of the nicest funniest chaps I know.

Back to topic... I've thought about going to Davenports when I go up to London next... but I'm not so sure. I have used their on-line shop once, but the item I bought took over a month to arrive even though I was told it was in stock. I rang and was told each time that they had the order and were dealing with it. (Whoever I spoke to was very pleasant). And I emailed them only to have them ignored. I gave up in the end and bought it elsewhere... only to have them both arrive in the post on the same day.

Ah well... put it down to experience.

I found Alan Alan to be quite a helpful chap. Maybe it's because he mellowed with age (I only discovered his shop a few years before it shut). I did get a mild rebuke for blowing a (very basic) forcing technique; I assumed the guys hanging round there would have known it!

I really don't enjoy visiting Davenports (or International) due to the haphazard quality of service. I much prefer giving Alakazam or Top Secret Magic a call.

Anyway, it sounds like Chris and Agecroft got disgraceful service. Bad show.

I have often thought that in Toronto the local magicians don't know how lucky they are. They have two well stocked magic shops there and the service is good.

mark lewis wrote:Betty is terribly fierce and rules the place like a rod of iron. If she sees this thread then God may have mercy on the souls of the children who work there.

I think a lot depends on how much these kids are getting paid, though. Young 'uns will be happy as a pig in poo to work in a magic shop, where they must learn all the newest stuff, and get to earn some pocket money along the way.

More experienced magicians, who have learned to assign a value to their time are almost certain to cost more.

I could be compltely off-the-mark about the low wages thing though...

It's a crying shame that in an age of internet and online magic sites, that one of only two bricks-and-mortar magic shops in London should be treating potential customers in such a terrible fashion. And I'm sure they have gotten worse over the years. You'd think they would be doing their best to attract and retain customers, just like any other business. Evidently not.

Magic Shops need more folks like, Michael Murrey, and Dominic Reyes & Peter Nardi all of which Ive found bend over backwards to be helpful...the service is great and to be fair the tricks they are selling are top of the game and usualy always in stock....The fact Davenports is buried in 15 foot of concrete underground and isnt getting as much clientel as and internet based or high street shop, youd have thought they would be doubling their sales efforts and have top notch Magicians in there....Ive seen more enthusiasm at Marvins Magic in Hamleys, and the bloke in there had been performing Dynamic Coins and dlites for over ten years....I brought my dynamic coins when I was 13 and its still the same bloke performing now, with just as much enthusiasm.....

Replicant wrote:It's a crying shame that in an age of internet and online magic sites, that one of only two bricks-and-mortar magic shops in London should be treating potential customers in such a terrible fashion. And I'm sure they have gotten worse over the years. You'd think they would be doing their best to attract and retain customers, just like any other business. Evidently not.

Quite right, especially when, as they say: if you receive bad service you tell 7 people about it. And with the internet and forums like this that figure can go up considerably. I'm not so sure if I'd go to Davenports now the next time I'm in London.

It's sad.

I'm not so sure if I'd go to Davenports now the next time I'm in London.

http://www.internationalmagic.com


go to International, they are always soooo friendly in there and have so much tim for people!

Although I am not condeming Davenports or telling you not to shop there as that is your decision, and It would be unproffesional of me to say that, I like to think that this post may raise some awarenss to the owners of the store to do something about it, before it does turn into more of a problem for their business....In a time especially when the credit crunch is effecting everybody and money is sparingly being spent on props/effects etc...If I was a shop I would want that little money to be spent in mine...It would be a shame for one of a few remaing classic magic shops to loose business due to bad customer service....

I very nearly ended up working there about 5 years ago. I had a short interview in the back (they have a theatre, well a sort of stage). I have a customer service background & would have been very different to the service that has been mentioned here. Luckily I had a better offer from the tv world & ended up doing that instead.

Their interview techniques are about as good as their salesmanship. Pretty poor.

Russ
www.smartmagic.co.uk

I've just spoken to Bill Davenport and mentioned to him that he may want to take a look at this thread. He said that he was vaguely familiar with TM but had never visited the forums. Let's hope he decides to drop by.