Memory, processing power, external optical drive - buying a new laptop is a minefield of specification decisions. And then you get into software, extended warranties and service options.

But never fear, say the electricals retailers. All the main players are pushing their service credentials and none more so than nmain competitors’ stores. So we braved the M25 to visit Lakeside in Essex and Bluewater in Kent to find out.

Blue Monday

Best Buy was the first store we visited. On a Monday morning there were as many Blue Shirts on the shopfloor as customers. But it lived up to expectations, with spot-on advice without being pushy and a great store experience. Laptop computers are complex products and a lot of consumers would need some assistance and advice to make a purchase decision.

Best Buy provided this and although it prides itself on great prices, the staff member who assisted was able to move the conversation on to which product would actually provide the best value for money.

However, the hard work that the other electricals specialists have put into upping their game means that it is not a one-horse race. Staff in all the stores we visited were helpful; and nothing could be further from the cliché of being served by a spotty teenager who knows or cares little about the products or their customers.

Best Buy triumphed on this occasion, but only just. DSGi particularly can be proud of how its proposition has improved since our mystery shopper last visited its stores on a similar real-life shopping mission a few years back, when the poor service meant they left empty handed.

Best Buy, Lakeside, Essex

What happened? Greeted by a member of staff as I entered the store, the service delivered on the Best Buy promise.

After being given a few minutes to browse I was approached by a Blue Shirt who asked about what I wanted to use the computer for, before talking me through the relevant specifications of the two laptops I had asked him to compare. He said that the more expensive laptop I had pointed out was overspecified for my needs and I would be able to do everything I needed to with a cheaper model.

He discussed the discounts I could get by buying Microsoft Office and security software at the same time, and also pointed out a trade-in programme Best Buy runs. He then invited me to spend as much time having a go on the laptops as I liked to get a feel for them, and as they were fully set up and connected to the internet I was able to go online.

He wasn’t able to provide any information on the different laptops that I could take away, but suggested I go online in the store to check out customer reviews. There wasn’t as much in-depth product information on display as in some of the other stores visited, but when you can go online there and then to get anything you need, this was not really a problem.

Would I buy? Yes. I was impressed that the advice I was given to go for the cheaper laptop. He asked all the right questions about how I would be using the laptop and what I would use it for, but there was no hard sell. Perhaps most importantly, this was the only store where the demo laptops were connected to the internet and you could really get a feel for what it is like to use different products.

The store itself looks great and this, combined with the enthusiasm of the staff for the products on sale, makes a real difference. Not only were there no hard-sell tactics, but the staff member who served me really came across as though he was enjoying his job - even on a Monday morning. The only reason the store doesn’t score a 10 is that its website is not yet fully live with product information and ratings and reviews. Once this is up and running, and can be accessed from all the computers on display in store, then it will be hard to beat.

Score 9/10

John lewis Bluewater, Kent

What happened? The John Lewis service experience didn’t quite live up to its reputation.

Retail Week was quickly approached after milling around the laptops for a minute or two, but the first member of staff was not able to answer my questions about the difference between two products. However, he did quickly locate a colleague who was able to talk me through the differences and expand on the information on the point-of-sale material.

She did give an incorrect answer to one question, about whether both of the products I had asked her to compare had external CD/DVD drives. She told me both had internal drives, though one was clearly set up on display with its external drive plugged into a USB port.

But she went away and quickly printed out full product specification information for me with the prices of both products written on and the sales tickets for both items attached so I could go straight to the tills and make my purchase if I decided to buy.

She was also able to demonstrate features of the products that weren’t on the point-of-sale material, and clearly explained the significant price difference between two laptops that at first glance looked quite similar. She also advised that the cheaper product was likely to be more than adequate for my needs.

Would I buy? Probably not there and then, as I was slightly put off by that particular sales assistant getting something wrong. But I would be tempted to go back and take a second look, and perhaps speak to a different assistant. The look and feel of the technology area in the store inspires confidence and John Lewis is the only retailer to offer a two-year warranty on the laptops it sells as standard.

Score 7/10

Currys Lakeside, Essex

What happened? I was greeted on entering this massive store and was quickly able to locate the laptop area by overhead signage.

However, the way products were merchandised was a little confusing, with part of the range arranged based on size and portability, but with some products on separate branded displays. I wanted to compare HP laptops, as I had in the other stores, but couldn’t find any among the display of ultra-portable laptops. Then I realised that the HP products (and Sony’s) were displayed on separate branded stands at the rear of the store.

A sales assistant approached me and when I said I was interested in an HP laptop he took me to the display.

There wasn’t any detailed product specification for one of the two laptops I was keen to compare, so he went away and printed off product details for both laptops I was interested in and gave them to me, which took him some time.

The assistant was also able to answer my questions about software bundles and how long the warranty lasted. I did have to push him a little to get him to talk to me about the products and he didn’t seem to have much product knowledge, but I was pleased that he was able to give me information on two products to take away.

Would I buy? If there weren’t other electricals retailers so close by then, maybe, yes. But having visited Best Buy and PC World, I would be more likely to return to one of those stores to make my purchase.

The way the products were laid out in the store made it more difficult to compare like with like, and the product knowledge and enthusiasm for the products was not up to the same standard.

Score 7/10

Comet, Lakeside, Essex

What happened? I was not acknowledged as I entered the store and was then left to browse for a long time with no sign of staff nearby. I eventually found a sales assistant in another part of the store to help me, which he did straight away once I had asked.

However, he couldn’t tell me any information about the two models I wanted to compare apart from what was on the point-of-sale signage. He also didn’t explain about the software bundles on offer, or any extended warranty options, though this was on the point-of-sale information. The laptops all had demonstration software running, so I could not actually have a go on one and see it working.

The only question the sales assistant asked about how I would use the computer was whether battery length was important to me. Once he had reeled off the differences he left me alone to browse the products and wasn’t pushy.

Would I buy? Probably not. There were some good offers on laptops, with an extra 10% off the two I was most interested in, but they were all ex-display models being cleared. If I was going to spend £500-plus on a computer that I would want to suit my needs and last at least a couple of years, I would want the sales assistant to offer a little more confidence that not only was I getting a good deal but that I had made the right product choice.

Of all the stores that I visited, this was the least appealing in terms of the way product was merchandised. Although there was a good amount of product information displayed, I was disappointed with how this was supported by the staff member in store.

Score 6/10

PC World, Lakeside, Essex

What happened? I was offered help a couple of minutes after entering the store by an assistant who was helpful, knowledgeable and, unlike previous visits to PC World, not at all pushy. I asked him to compare a couple of the laptops on display and he was able to talk me through the product specifications that were mentioned at the point of sale, as well as information such as the difference in battery life.

He also explained the special offers on software if I purchased it at the same time as the laptop, and the warranty package. The ‘Whatever happens’ service option meant that for £8.49 a month my new laptop would be covered if it broke, or was damaged, but also includes a health check once a year.

The assistant asked how I was planning to use the computer and why I had picked out the two particular models I had asked him about. He was honest that the brand of both my choices is more reliable than others and gave me confidence that both the products I asked about were worth the price premium.

Would I buy? Yes, and whether I purchased a laptop from here or Best Buy would almost certainly come down to the price of the product and bundled software and services. The only slight let down was that the laptops weren’t connected to the internet here, as they are in Best Buy, but the knowledge of the sales assistant and point-of-sale information would have left me confident enough to make a purchase.

Score 8/10