Random musings and general banter.

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The Duke of Cheese said:
Would you employ him?
Click to expand...
Yes, probably, as far as TV shopping channels need presenters.

I'm sure there's a selection of female audience members who find his lilting Irish tones, beard and salt & pepper styling who like him... 'nuff said.
You buy from a person, as the old saying goes.

Also, compared to some, he was quite a smooth demonstrator of the furniture and heating products and had an iota more product knowledge than many others on IW, which is not saying much!

No umming and erring and stuttering, so better than some other I could mention!
 
Yes, you are right. A good looking man of mature years. Fairly witty and charming. All he needed was a box of Milk Tray (ah..he's already done that) and some flowers from the roadside seller and he would be the dream date for most Age UK Women in Sheds bus clientele.

The trouble with him was, he appeared to be playing a role within a role in whatever expert area of retail was thrown at him. Furniture expert? Technology expert? Painting things on roofs expert? Fans expert? For me, if truth be known, he was expert in none of those things- least, not to justify being given such a title on a shopping television channel. But he talked a fantastic game, which is probably something to do with where he's from and his background in acting. All I can do now is picture him sat on that rattan furniture, without an apparent care in the world, show after show after show after show during the very final days of the channel. He was either milking what was owed to him while the shopping udders were still there to be pulled, or blissfully unaware there was even a problem. What do you think? Would you suspect there might be a longevity of operation problem if the entire schedule for the entire week was 90% rattan being shipped (or not shipped) by somebody else? Draw your own conclusions?
 
The Duke of Cheese said:
Yes, you are right. A good looking man of mature years. Fairly witty and charming. All he needed was a box of Milk Tray (ah..he's already done that) and some flowers from the roadside seller and he would be the dream date for most Age UK Women in Sheds bus clientele.

The trouble with him was, he appeared to be playing a role within a role in whatever expert area of retail was thrown at him. Furniture expert? Technology expert? Painting things on roofs expert? Fans expert? For me, if truth be known, he was expert in none of those things- least, not to justify being given such a title on a shopping television channel. But he talked a fantastic game, which is probably something to do with where he's from and his background in acting. All I can do now is picture him sat on that rattan furniture, without an apparent care in the world, show after show after show after show during the very final days of the channel. He was either milking what was owed to him while the shopping udders were still there to be pulled, or blissfully unaware there was even a problem. What do you think? Would you suspect there might be a longevity of operation problem if the entire schedule for the entire week was 90% rattan being shipped (or not shipped) by somebody else? Draw your own conclusions?
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Were he (or others) actually ever introduced as an 'expert' for the furniture, chairs, rattan, fans, ceramic heaters? Or for anything?

More just as a product demonstrator and as someone who has familiarised themselves with the product's operation more than the generic slot presenter they're alongside. BAs aren't touted as experts either?

As for the ethics of selling whilst suspecting the business is closing.... Well he's a contracted agent, asked to do a job, commissioned via multiple layers of management for a business that needs cash to have a chance of surviving.

You might argue they were trying to make cash sales for a future restructured IW. Suspect the management would have assured them that the business was operating and selling normally until close.

And remember, they also would have suspected their own 'back pay' for the final month, whenever the hammer fell, would also be in doubt, so no doubt trusted management/finance dept assurances.

Business is about money. Duh. Also, in many businesses there are times when staff are contracted or requested to do legal but questionably ethical actions.
Bailiffs, digger drivers taking protesters down or demolishing contentious buildings over objections,
You are contracted or already employed to do a legal job, you do it.

Yes, ethically you can argue all the presenters should have argued the honest way would be to announce fire-sale/closing down sale a d get management to guarantee in writing/on screen to honour all orders. As they indeed have subsequently attempted to fulfil according to the administrators.

So I have some sympathy with the presenters and am not quite as critical as many other final weeks actions. Somebody has to do it while the business is still operating. You can only control

Far more critical of the subsequent behaviour and thoughtless out of tune behaviour of particular presenters after the IW closure. Afaik, PV, MM, even PS, are not in that category.

Do we know yet if this time any of the presenters are out of pocket, like last time? I don't follow their/any postings or remember if this has been mentioned already?
 
Added/Edit time limit expired.
Were he (or others) actually ever introduced as an 'expert' for the furniture, chairs, rattan, fans, ceramic heaters? Or for anything?

More just as a product demonstrator and as someone who has familiarised themselves with the product's operation more than the generic slot presenter they're alongside. BAs aren't touted as experts either?

As for the ethics of selling whilst suspecting the business is closing.... Well he's a contracted agent, asked to do a job, commissioned via multiple layers of management for a business that needs cash to have a chance of surviving.

You might argue they were trying to make cash sales for a future restructured IW. Suspect the management would have assured them that the business was operating and selling normally until close.

Would be interesting to ask PV or MM or SR what the exact circumstances were.

And remember, they also would have suspected their own 'back pay' for the final month, whenever the hammer fell, would also be in doubt, so no doubt trusted management/finance dept assurances.

Business is about money. Duh. Many businesses try to operate and make casflow towards the end to survive. It's not always clear what's needed for the business and many moving parts, potential investors/buyers, credit lines, bank loans, restructuring, cost cutting, savings, etc.

Also, in many businesses there are times when staff are contracted or requested to do legal but questionably ethical actions.
Bailiffs, digger drivers taking protesters down or demolishing contentious buildings over objections, making redundancies to loyal workers, closing departments or locatios, selloffs, hard decisions, etc.

You are contracted or already employed to do a legal job, you do it.

Yes, ethically you can argue all the presenters should have argued the honest way would be to announce fire-sale/closing down sale and get management to guarantee in writing/on screen to honour all orders. As they indeed have subsequently attempted to fulfil, according to the administrators.

So I have some sympathy with the presenters behaviour pre-shutdown and am not quite as critical as many others of their final weeks actions. Many tried to give clues too, e.g. MM talking of money back via credit card and thanking everyone past and present as effectively 'goodbye'. Also, somebody has to do it while the business is still operating. You can only control what you can influence. There will always be a close day and operating up to that point.

Far more critical of the subsequent behaviour and thoughtless out of tune behaviour of particular presenters after the IW closure.
Afaik, PV, MM, even PS, are not in that category.

Do we know yet if this time any of the presenters are out of pocket, like last time? I don't follow their/any postings or remember if this has been mentioned already?
 
Jazzydrury said:
When they sold phones he done the same demo every time
Click to expand...
Yeah. Like the ceramic heaters and infamous Linea Rattan.

My point is he knew how and what to do each time, without bungling it, more than the usually clueless co-presenter. Agreed not an expert, and frankly, who is, unless you've got 10 or 20+ years industry knowledge or a Ph.D, etc. Also, I thought we were tired of experts during Brexit but not after Covid! Lol 😀

Also, the format works well. Having a demo/BA type person to ask and talk about the item frees up the lead presenter to concentrate on sales talk, admin of item, studio/timings, direction, whilst not having to also demo and discuss the thing in depth too!

Would you call LeeH on QVC a tech expert. Former Epson employee, now salesman / demonstrator for tech. He knows how to use the products and demo their features, but I wouldn't call him an expert unless he was an industry specialist in a tech area and had some credentials in consulting, designing, implementing or manufacturing said item(s).
Maybe he has, probably around printing/Epson, if anything.
 
As both of you said - he learnt a routine/script and played it like it was natural to him. Even with the technology demonstrations, when it went wrong, as they often did, he was able to bluff his way through without being spotted by most people, I would suspect. He could take it so far with the tech stuff, and then you could see he'd reached his limits. That's when he was vulnerable. But confidence and belief in himself as a person clearly got him through it, along with a good memory and a good sense of pretending.

They had a technology expert who was an expert. A chap called Grant. He clearly knew his stuff and had much more to give, unlike Vandooroff. He was so knowledgeable that he looked out of place with the place. I think he's posted here a couple of times, too. He came over as a decent chap, and you respected him because he obviously knew about technology in depth. Vancambelt did not.
 
PhaedrusR said:
Yeah. Like the ceramic heaters and infamous Linea Rattan.

My point is he knew how and what to do each time, without bungling it, more than the usually clueless co-presenter. Agreed not an expert, and frankly, who is, unless you've got 10 or 20+ years industry knowledge or a Ph.D, etc. Also, I thought we were tired of experts during Brexit but not after Covid! Lol 😀

Also, the format works well. Having a demo/BA type person to ask and talk about the item frees up the lead presenter to concentrate on sales talk, admin of item, studio/timings, direction, whilst not having to also demo and discuss the thing in depth too!

Would you call LeeH on QVC a tech expert. Former Epson employee, now salesman / demonstrator for tech. He knows how to use the products and demo their features, but I wouldn't call him an expert unless he was an industry specialist in a tech area and had some credentials in consulting, designing, implementing or manufacturing said item(s).
Maybe he has, probably around printing/Epson, if anything.
Click to expand...
No. I wouldn't call him an expert. He has learnt his routines. His demos are the same more or less every time. The same analogies, the same rushed through scratching the surface demonstrations. For me, he is all show and absolutely no substance. Tim Goodwin, his predecessor, and LJ Rich likewise, plus Keith Tomlin, knew their stuff. They were wasted, though, as bland, smiling and empty matches the remit for most QVC product demos and demonstrators.
 
The Duke of Cheese said:
As both of you said - he learnt a routine/script and played it like it was natural to him. Even with the technology demonstrations, when it went wrong, as they often did, he was able to bluff his way through without being spotted by most people, I would suspect. He could take it so far with the tech stuff, and then you could see he'd reached his limits. That's when he was vulnerable. But confidence and belief in himself as a person clearly got him through it, along with a good memory and a good sense of pretending.

They had a technology expert who was an expert. A chap called Grant. He clearly knew his stuff and had much more to give, unlike Vandooroff. He was so knowledgeable that he looked out of place with the place. I think he's posted here a couple of times, too. He came over as a decent chap, and you respected him because he obviously knew about technology in depth. Vancambelt did not.
Click to expand...
Do you mean the strikingly red-headed fellow with long hair in a ponytail?

He looks a bit like the comedian Alasdair Beckett-King below:

1692717099415.png

If so, yes, he was quite knowledgeable about phones, tablets, underlying operating systems, chip cores, etc. Explained in layman's terms. Think he may have worked in the tech industry.

That's the word we want. Knowledgeable. Not experts, but knowledgeable people who know more than just the product blurb and a quick demo script, but have experience in using and similar type products and know around the subject area, not just the specific product

One might say a SME - subject matter 'expert'. Oops. 😲
 
Jazzydrury said:
Janice Phillips was also fine, she now presents on create and craft
Click to expand...
Hmmm, not sure. Would put her in same category as PVolleyball... Knew the phone, tablet and usage but not sure she knew much else. Ok as a demonstrator but never really warmed to her slightly 'false', cold persona.
Get the feeling she turns her smile/warmth for camera on/off at will?!

The fact she's a C&C craft presenter now, a TV presenter/actor and not a tech worker or ambassador hints at a generalist, not a tech knowledgeable person. Dunno', have to dig out her background.
 
The Duke of Cheese said:
No. I wouldn't call him an expert. He has learnt his routines. His demos are the same more or less every time. The same analogies, the same rushed through scratching the surface demonstrations. For me, he is all show and absolutely no substance. Tim Goodwin, his predecessor, and LJ Rich likewise, plus Keith Tomlin, knew their stuff. They were wasted, though, as bland, smiling and empty matches the remit for most QVC product demos and demonstrators.
Click to expand...
You also had Danny from HP. Even though he was a presenter Antony Heywood knew his tech
 
You do sense some of the create and craft presenters got wind of who was coming in,and bailed out nobody would want to be associated with them.
You can already see what’s going to happen lol serves them right.
This will turn into Ideal World 2 quite rapidly 😂😱🤣
 

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