QVC

by Eugene G.

Created on: October 05, 2008   Last Updated: October 07, 2008

QVC is by far the best shopping network on television. I have watched both QVC and HSN for a number of years. I have purchased items for use around the house and for my mother. The network has excellent customer service. While HSN does a nice job presenting their products, there is no comparison to the creativity and studio presentation of QVC. There are several factors that make QVC the better shopping network and I will describe each one in detail.

The first reason has to do with the program hosts. QVC does an excellent job at evaluating on-air talent and the hosts do their job extremely well. They are much more personable and funny than the HSN hosts. While some people may think that talking about jewelry or clothing for three hours is easy, I'm sure the program hosts would tell you otherwise. There is much preparation that goes on behind the scenes to make what they do look so easy. Each of them has the unique ability to establish a connection with their audience. Watching them feels like you are listening to someone you know (a mom, a parent, etc). Who does not like Mary Beth Roe? She is warm, likeable, friendly and absolutely beautiful. Moms out there can relate to Mary Beth's stories about her husband, children, etc. Who doesn't laugh at the offbeat personalities of Lisa Robertson or David Venable? Even when they have a new host starting out, or the hosts make a mistake, the callers offer them encouragement. I remember catching a show where Mary Beth Roe and Steve Bryant were presenting china. I believe one of them was talking about how the manufacturer was very reputable, so these were dishes that would last a long time. At that moment, Steve accidentally dropped a cup and it broke on the floor. They both kind of smiled about it because although this was unintentional, anything can happen on live TV. The viewers want newbies to do well and offer praise to their favorite hosts when they call into a particular show. If the program hosts were not likeable, not too many people would be watching QVC. They have the best on-air hosts.

The second reason would be product selection. QVC offers products for just about everyone. I'm a Star Wars collector and that is how I originally started watching QVC. I remember watching Steve Bryant and Steve Sansweet present Star Wars merchandise. HSN has good products as well, but QVC seems to have the superior quality and brand names. They have top jewelry and fashion designers. Top brands like Dell, Susan Graver - even Junior's Cheesecake, Corky's Ribs, or the latest cookbook by Paula Deen are always featured. They have just about anything: designer clothing, computers, auto detailing products, pet items and products for inside/outside the home. QVC has many different payment and shipping options, which also helps you save a few dollars.

The third reason is overall studio presentation. When I watch HSN, no matter what product the hosts are presenting, it seems like the studio is poorly lit. They never seem to have enough lighting and sometimes it looks like they are presenting from a giant warehouse. QVC's Studio Park enhances the presentation and everything looks better because of it. The products, hosts, models - everything just looks much more colorful. The sets are spacious, but close enough to allow program hosts and guests to interact with models. They always have plenty of space for demonstrations, whereas the demonstrations on HSN seem cramped. Perhaps it's the camera angle, but it does not look appealing.

Reason number four would have to be models. QVC's models are selected to represent real women in today's world. Yes - they have the young, tall, slender models, but they also have average and plus-size models. QVC is smart enough to realize that women have different body types, so they have beautiful models in all sizes - plus-size, petite, slender, etc. QVC also does an excellent job of allowing their models to be part of the overall presentation of products. The models are often exchanging conversation and sharing their opinions with the program hosts and guests. This is one major reason why QVC is much more successful than HSN. The program hosts on HSN never interact with the models, whereas the models on QVC interact all the time. Want further proof - I can't name one model on HSN, but I can name at least 10 models on QVC (Corinne, Iko, Deanna, Kerri, Joy, Suzanne, Kate, Angela, Sheila, Monica). Why - because QVC models are an important part of the show and viewers love them.

The fifth and final reason is live audience interaction. QVC allows viewers an opportunity to tour their studio and also feature live shows of different programs. The program host and guest interact with the audience. Audience members are given a chance to ask questions. QVC will also go out on tour to meet fans and look for new and exciting products. I can't recall HSN ever having a live show with an audience or going on tour to meet and greet viewers.

In conclusion, these were just a few of my personal reasons why I believe QVC is a better shopping network than HSN. QVC establishes a connection with its viewers and provides creative approaches to interact with its television audience. The program hosts are much more personable and do an excellent job getting the models involved in product presentations. There is a much better product selection on QVC than its competitor. QVC models are beautiful and represent women of many nationalities and body types.

This shopping network does a great job and I hope the QVC brand continues its long running success.

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