Greensborough Plaza — Attraction in Melbourne

CENTRE MISMANAGEMENT: I have been shopping at Greensborough for more than a decade now and I have seen it go through some changes.

Aesthetically in the last four years there has been a bit of a facelift in some parts of the centre and not others. This has created a “has” and “has not” feel to the overall experience as a consumer. Effectively, by facelifting one part of the centre - the cinema end and the newer eateries (they are not quite restaurants) closest to the cinema – it has let down the other (original) food court. There is also now a downstairs collection of places to eat, although they are mostly geared for takeaway.

The original foodcourt, where KFC, McDonalds & Subway are - has been left to languish – one of the former Italian style food vendors has been gone for about a year or more now and its replacement never seems to be reopening. I have to feel a bit sorry for the existing vendors in the original foodcourt, it has been in need of a revamp for sometime; but I fear that if the renovations were too good then they would be slapped in rent increases. Recently, there were some renovations (of a kind) in the original foodcourt. Frankly, I hope that as a result of these “renovations” that the vendors are now enjoying a reduction in rent … I had always assumed that “renovations” carried a positive meaning, I was wrong.

The new renovations to the original foodcourt are nothing short of a failed project, devised by mediocre year 9 students who lack any serious imagination or common-sense. If this is not the case, then the planners are idiots and have missed the point entirely. The new seats are the least comfortable version of budget outdoor furniture that the former USSR ever made. Woefully unattractive painted metal seats that discourage anyone from ever wanting to sit in them, replaced the perfectly inoffensive chairs from a few months ago – I am confident that convicted criminals who actually receive custodial sentences get better seats. But it gets better …

There is now a retaining area where “parents” can lock their children into. True story, pool-fence style magnetic lock to the retaining enclosure = "lockable". McDonalds used to have a play area where “parents” could leave their children unattended – now it is a big caged area in the centre of the foodcourt. So far it is just uncomfortable chairs and a caged area for dumping small children into … I don't have any small screaming children to lock in a “play-area” so I feel left out. Contrast this play area with the well positioned children’s play area outside the front of Toyworld, where someone actually spent, probably too much money, on the open-plan area. It is true that the open-plan area is conveniently located next to the Toyworld, a confectionery shop and modern bathroom facilities - but it is also next to the chemically fragrant nail salon as well, so it doesn’t get everything quite right.

If anyone is actually familiar with the toilets in the original foodcourt (versus the nicely renovated ones) they will immediately understand what I mean when I say … the Greensborough Plaza, through neglect and appalling planning, is creating a slum differential within its own walls.

Parts of the Plaza have had huge amounts of effort lavished upon them, whilst the original foodcourt is turning into a cheap and nasty 1970s version of a foodcourt. This is appalling for customers, but for businesses that are expected to pay rent – this is a joke. I am able bodied and can tough out the awful seats for as long as it takes me to finish a coffee or have a meal. If I am shopping at Greensborough Plaza I will always head to the original foodcourt – despite my horror at the "Abandon your children here" area. But the business owners are getting the shaft with these lazy, unimaginative decorations – it cannot continue.

The Greensborough Plaza needs some cohesion in its overall direction, currently it has lost the plot and allowed parts of the complex to free-fall and others to modernise; I can’t see how the two competing paths can...

At 12.10pm I took my daughter to the Fun Town arcade today. Having a great time until one of the tokens dropped under one of the machines and the basketball game ate a number of tokens without working. So we go looking for a staff member. (This was happening to other families as well). After 10 minutes of looking and asking other parents if they knew where the staff member was we decided to use the rest of our tokens and hope the staff will arrive. We accumulated a lot of tickets and got our receipts and began looking for staff to get our prizes. No staff to be found. The sign outside said that the arcade is staffed between 12.00pm and 5.00pm. We and other parents were not happy as we wanted to leave. We did not want to come back. 30 minutes had passed at this stage. I decide to ring the center's customer service. I told them the situation and they said they would contact the owner to find the missing staff member(s). Ten minutes later still no staff. My daughter and I want to choose our prizes and leave. We have other things to do. I ring customer service again telling them that staff had not arrived. I suggested a manager can come down and help me and the other families waiting. I was told that maybe I ring the owner of the centre. The audacity. I asked why am I having to do this. I dont work here. Who would be compensating me for the phone call? Remember this is CUSTOMER SERVICE'S suggestion. I then walk to level 1 and speak to customer service in person. They thought that it was a more than reasonable suggestion that I chase the owner of the store to locate the missing staff members. I told them that they need customer service training as you would never ask a customer to make phone calls to solve their incompetence. Extremely rude and not aware of what they were asking a customer to do. We decide to go and have lunch and return 30 minutes to the arcade. Finally a staff member was there. I explained to her that nobody was here well past 12.30pm. She said she had other jobs to do. She refunded the lost tokens and then later decided to offer an apology. The customer service of the centre is a train wreck. The have no idea on how to treat and value peoples time. A public relations disaster. Now the 'owner' provides feedback below using a generic statement that probably was created 5 years ago and is displayed when responding to an unfavourable review. They probably either haven't read the review or had someone else hired to respond. They dont even put their name to the feedback. How do these people get appointed to these positions....

Greensborough Newslotto - Terrible attitude to customers. I was doing some grocery shopping and walked past the shopfront and noticed a stand displaying Mothers Day cards. Stepped into the store. Observed social distancing standing 2 metres from nearest person. Was merely looking at the cards on display for a couple minutes and did not touch them. A middle aged female staff looked at me in an aggressive manner and pointed in the direction of another shelf, ordering me to go there to look at those. Notwithstanding that there was already another (potential) customer who had a baby in a pram who would have to shift awkwardly just to meet her demands as the aisle was narrow. We acknowledge covid19 is a difficult time for retailers, but she should understand she is not alone and the whole community including customers are facing these same difficulties. Yes retail has suffered because of covid, but it is fundamentally terrible service and attitude to customers which will be the demise of a business (irrespective small of large in size). Its pretty basic stuff to show some common courtesy to customers who may even need help (heaven forbid?) - for example she could have said "Would you like to see the other range of cards we have on display". Customers make a choice to support your business and livelihood. The least you can do is not treat customers with contempt. There are many retailers in Greensborough Plaza and Main Rd offering great products and warm customer service. I choose to continue to support these. However I choose never to purchase anything further from Greensborough Newslotto. Plenty of other places nearby to buy cards, lotto and newsagency materials who deserve support...