back to article Comet staff should be for life, not just for Christmas

Dixons Retail is throwing a lifeline to beleaguered Comet staff awaiting the arrival of their P45s by offering some of them seasonal work in its PC World and Currys stores over the peak Christmas season. Administrator Deloitte took control of Comet late on Friday after the ailing retailer ran into insurmountable liquidity woes …

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  1. Wize

    A temporary job is better than none at this time of year. And, if you outshine the existing personnel, a chance of keeping it.

    1. Silverburn

      I agree - any job is better than none. But they'll still be booted out, even if xmas provides a temporary stay of execution IMO. Comet need a miracle, and in this climate, they won't get one (through a massive and sustained sales spike).

      Be interesting to see how many seniors fall on their swords for this...

      1. sabroni Silver badge

        Be interesting to see how many seniors fall on their swords for this...

        I'm guessing none.

    2. AngelLaHash

      TEMP

      it comes as a TEMP job to someone else.. AGENCY workers who they WONT give JOBS too .. just keep them HANGING on .. just to give JOBS to COMET..

  2. Simon B
    Thumb Up

    The 1st time I've ever seen administrators do something good for the customer, nice one :) And good on the Dixon's group, a lovely gesture.

    1. NogginTheNog

      And good on the Dixon's group, a lovely gesture.

      Good PR for them, already-skilled staff, and one less competitor* in the run up to chrimbo - what's not to like?!!

      * Come on, how many of us have gone to the retail park, gone in to each of the electrical stores, compared prices and played them off against each other?

      1. Lee Dowling Silver badge

        Re: And good on the Dixon's group, a lovely gesture.

        "Come on, how many of us have gone to the retail park, gone in to each of the electrical stores, compared prices and played them off against each other?"

        Not me. I go through each of the stores, then buy the model I want online and save 50%, or take it from some small independent retailers who has stock ready to take away, on that day. Amazing how many of those shops just cannot sell you a freezer today (despite having hundreds on display, and it being a FREEZER - an item that you're unlikely to buy just on a whim, or because you've psychically determined your own is about to break).

        Did that for washing machine, tumble-drier, dishwasher, fridge and freezer this year. I just used them as a showroom for the real item so I could measure up properly and see where the pipes came out, etc. and then spent half the total price they would have cost me by buying online (with free delivery / fitting) or going to a small retailer around the corner who knew every model he had in stock by heart and where the pipes went and whether the door opened/closed fully enough to be put into a cupboard, etc. and that I could also TAKE AWAY THAT DAY.

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Flame

          Re: And good on the Dixon's group, a lovely gesture. (@Lee Dowling)

          Indeed. I had this problem a decade ago where Comet staff laughed at me when I asked if they could deliver the next day, or, at a pinch, if I could pick up my white goods that or the next day. When I told them that I'd try Curry's instead, their sniggering comment was "they'll just tell you the same".

          Did Curry's? No. Surprisingly, they understood my predicament and told me to come back the next day to pick up instructions to their warehouse, and that they would notify the warehouse of my arrival. The Curry's "are you sure you don't need an extended warranty? Doubly sure?" gauntlet was worth it though because I got what I needed the next day, not in three weeks as Comet had predicted. And surprisingly, a decade later, both items are still going strong.

          I feel sorry for the Comet staff though; being laid off with two months to the end of the year is not pretty and chances of finding a new position before then are slim.

          1. AngelLaHash

            Re: And good on the Dixon's group, a lovely gesture. (@Lee Dowling)

            i would feel more sorry for the AGENCY staff they LET go month to XMAS to be filled up by COMET staff

            1. lorisarvendu

              Re: And good on the Dixon's group, a lovely gesture. (@Lee Dowling)

              In the run-up to Christmas their Agency will have no difficulty finding them other work. What chance do Comet staff have?

        3. bitmap animal
          Unhappy

          Re: And good on the Dixon's group, a lovely gesture.

          @ Lee Dowling - "I just used them as a showroom for the real item so I could measure up properly and see where the pipes came out"

          Why didn't you go to the place you bought it from to measure up and see where the pipes came from? Let me guess, they don't have the expense of the staff and showrooms locally to you enabling them to sell goods cheaper. If you value the service enough of a company then have the decency to give them your trade.

          If you want to pay internet prices, don't leech off other traders.

          1. Lee Dowling Silver badge

            Re: And good on the Dixon's group, a lovely gesture.

            Why? I have no moral obligation towards a large corporation. If they can't make profit because people are measuring things up but not paying their atrocious prices they have two options - stop me doing it, or raise prices, both of which worsen the problem.

            And if their prices were *anywhere* near sensible, or they had stock on the shelves you could actually *buy*, or could have delivered that day (which the others all had and which costs THEM to give me as a customer), I'd have been buying from them instead. Fact is, they're expensive, and manufacturers don't publish enough information. In absence of that, I will abuse their service totally legitimately to get what I want, of course I will.

            And most of the places I bought from I couldn't go measure up - that's the point - but got a range of other services that Comet, Dixons et al DO NOT OFFER (like buying the fecking product from their GINORMOUS warehouses and taking it home). I'm not going to pay a premium for the privilege of knowing what I'm buying before I part with my money, and not going to reward Comet for not being able to stock product. This I abuse Comet to get the measurements and overall choice of model, Amazon to suck up product reviews, search engines to check prices (online and local), and local store's cheaper prices to take home the product I want.

            Anyone would think I was nicking the damn thing, the way you talk. How dare I research the product I want in several places but only buy from the cheapest? Get a life.

    2. AngelLaHash

      AGENCY

      they just ditched all there agency workers to fill the holes for these people.. Nothing but PR stunt

      1. lorisarvendu

        Re: AGENCY

        Sure they ditched their agency workers. Those workers cost DSG twice as much as the Agency worker actually gets, so Comet staff are going to be far cheaper to employ. Plus those Agency staff will get other work (from their Agency). AND it's good PR. Everyone wins, nobody loses.

        1. AngelLaHash

          Re: AGENCY

          ive been working for Dixons on and off over 16 years with AGENCY spending 2yr on Average at a time

          The reason they do this, is in there yees so they can Ditch them at a moments notice

        2. AngelLaHash

          Re: AGENCY

          mm Dont get any OTHER work from the AGENCY .. i think you are in a DREAM WORLD there.

          Agency are just there for the here and now..

          and for how much Dixons pay for the AGENCy they could pay me that much adn i am more than WILLING to go any time they dont want me to

          Its just a PR stunt .. for people like you to FALL for it and you fell

  3. Stig2k
    FAIL

    I'm not surprised they're going under though

    Went shopping for a Nexus 7 last night. Found them in Currys and PC World at £169 and then next door in Comet at £184.

    1. mark 63 Silver badge

      Re: I'm not surprised they're going under though

      You didnt try online?

      http://lmgtfy.com/?q=nexus+7

      Not bad prices , but i found better in 10 seconds without driving to a retail park

      1. Stig2k

        Re: I'm not surprised they're going under though

        I checked online first. Ordering direct from Google gets it delivered in 3 days time at a saving of £0.04. I 'd rather play with it now thanks ;)

  4. mark 63 Silver badge

    Talk about the blind leading the blind!

  5. M7S

    It might be that Comet's administrators also want this....

    ....as if they suggest to the staff that they'll only be made redundant after a date by which they'd need to have started working at Dixons, then staff have a dilemma:

    -Stay at Comet, get redundancy but any positions at Dixons have likely been filled, so unemployment beckons, or

    -Jump to Dixons, forego the redundancy payout (as they've resigned voluntarily), and have a new job with no protection until they've been there a couple of years or whatever the regulations are now.

    Of course this is only speculation. I don't know if consultative periods affect things in any way. A canny administrator could save on some payouts which is partly their job after all.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The offer from Dixons is pretty much like their in-store deals. Hollow. They are offering temporary work (not an issue as others have said, a job is a job).

    Biggest issue is that all they are offering is a six hour week. Mmm, can't see too many Comet staff taking that over Jobseekers allowance.

    Still, it made Dixons look good in the press and that has to be good doesn't it?

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