Total Lack of Customer Service (Tesco)

Member Name: Tesco Hater

Product:	Tesco
Date:	25/07/09 (84 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Close to Home

Disadvantages: Treated Like an Inconvenience by the Staff

On 22 July 2009 I EMailed Tesco Customer Service with the following, which is self explanatory. I have only blanked out the staff members names.

Dear Sir,

I have had occasion to complain in the past about the store in our village. It is:

Tesco Express,
Belton,
Great Yarmouth

But service at this store is going from bad to worse. I will quote you instances.

This morning I went in to buy newspapers and a magazine for my husband, Autocar. This comes out every Wednesday, and I always buy one. This morning, the magazines (as often happens) were on a trolley near the papers, still bound up. I asked at the till if there was an Autocar, and was told "We haven't got enough staff to sort the magazines out. If you wait I'll see if I can perhaps get someone to have a look". I said not to bother! I appreciate this was not the lady on the tills fault, but this standard of apathy is normal. I would not mind if this was an isolated incident, but if I had £1 for every time this happens ........... well, let us just say it is a regular occurrence. A previous week I could see an Autocar on the trolley in a tied up bundle of magazines not put out. I asked for one and was told I couldn't have one until they were all checked in, and that wouldn't be for a while. Is it too much to ask that someone took one from the bundle, and put a note in to this effect? It is not rocket science. But when I suggested it, the staff absolutely refused to let me have one. AND I am never in the store before 8:30 am, so the store has already been open for over one and a half hours without the magazines being dealt with.

On my walk home this morning, I met a friend and told him about the lack of service. His response was that this is absolutely the norm. He related the following example. He always goes to the store early on Sunday mornings for his newspaper. A couple of weeks ago, the papers were not out, and two members of staff just stood in front of the pile of newspapers, not working but gossiping about what they had done the night before. My friend asked for a paper and was ignored. He repeated his request, and was told they hadn't been undone yet and he would have to go back later. He pointed out that they only had to cut the string and get him one. When they still refused he said he would just have to ring Tesco Head Office. They immediately got him his paper!

I have regularly heard members of staff complaining, in front of customers, about staff shortages. This is nothing to do with customers and this sort of conversation should not be taking place in front of them. One particular member of staff, *****, is downright rude at times. She has a few favourite customers who she will carry out lengthy conversations with at the till whilst keeping other customers in the queue waiting. And if you are not one of the favoured few, she treats you like you are a nuisance. On one occasion she rang up all my purchases without acknowledging me, or even looking at me, while complaining to the member of staff on the adjacent till that "with these staff shortages, they can't keep on working us so hard. I'm not putting up with it much longer" etc. She then just held out her hand for payment, whilst still looking at the other member of staff and complaining to her. Only when I didn't put anything in her hand did she look at me, and snap "£8.76!" Another time, I put my basket down at her till, which she promptly shut in front of me, saying "You'll have to wait until the other till is free. I've got other work to do." And she walked off! People in the queue behind me just stared in amazement.

I would add, however, that one member of staff, *****, is consistently friendly and customer oriented. But she is the exception.

Tesco may have the monopoly in our village, but the villagers complaining about it in conversation is commonplace.

The staff in this store need to be made aware that without the customers, they would not have a job, and customer service is paramount. I have no idea who the manager is, but it is about time that the staff were made to realise they are there for the villagers convenience, and they are not doing us a favour!"

Apart from an automated acknowledgement, I have received no response, even though I chased them on Thursday late evening.

Do they care? Obviously not!

Summary: Wouldn't shop there if there was an alternative in our village.