Bad customer service – Sussex Computer Centre, Hove
I apologise about the parochial nature of this post. But bad customer service gets me angry. I try to shop locally – to support local traders against the onslaught of the superstores and the internet. Not 100m from where I sit now is long-established small business, Sussex Computer Centre, where one can get computer repairs, peripherals, software, etc. When I bought my Blackberry Playbook, I thought that I would augment it with a portable mini Bluetooth keyboard. I visited Sussex Computer Centre on 7 July and purchased the keyboard pictured bottom right. It cost me £29.50
On the top right is – or was – a little button that acts as a mouse. Neat idea, but seemingly not fit-for-purpose. When I extracted the keyboard from my bag, I discovered that had broken off. I retrieved the remnants of the mouse from the bag and presented them yesterday morning to the owner of Sussex Computer Centre.
I do not think that any shop owner relishes a customer trying to return items that either do not work or are damaged. But bearing in mind this
business has been running for over ten years, I would have thought the owner might have developed some customer service skills in preparation. Seemingly not.
Essentially, it was my fault. Indeed, he asked me whether I had dropped it. Or put another way, I dropped it and therefore it is a ‘customer problem’. The fact that he may have sold me something that is not actually fit-for-purpose does not come into it. He will not be selling me anything in future.
Be informed 
If you break the product you bought intentionally or accidently, surely you do not expect the trader to pay for it. For goodness sake lets be fair. Misuse or carelessness or cavalier attitude behaviour from oneself you cannot expect others to pay for it. Honesty is a virtue, not many people nowadays have in themselves
Your response seems to make my case for me. My integrity is called in to question again and not the products for sale. I did not misuse the product. I was not careless or cavalier. A portable keyboard should be robust enough to be carried around in a pilots case (my bag) without irreparably breaking. As a customer, I can only go to the retailer to get a replacement. To then be accused, immediately, of lying about the cause of the breakage is poor form.
I have never had any problems with Sussex Computers, and have dealt with them in a small way for a number of years. They have supplied me with hardware, software, installed a printer for me, and various other bits and pieces. I have always found them to be reasonably priced and civil.
I’ve used Sussex Computer Centre for over 10 years. I’ve always had polite and helpful service. There has never been any question of quibbling about anything. I bought a laptop there which unfortunately malfunctioned a couple of weeks later, while i was in the Caribbean working. Despite the warranty being 3 months, when I returned 7 months later the unit was replaced without question or hesitation. I can only say you guys must’ve got off on the wrong foot, as my experience has always been excellent.