The anti whinge thread

[Bunnylump]

I thought it might be nice to have somewhere to put celebrations of helpfulness, kindness, charity etc. To sort of counteract the whinge thread...

So here's mine for today...

My mum goes to Waitrose once a week. Same day, same time ( she likes her routine). Because she can hardly walk, the assistants make a point of getting her to sit down by the checkout while they load her shoppng onto the conveyor belt, put it through the checkout, pack it for her, and load it back into her trolley (which she then uses like a zimmer to get back to the car). If it's busy in the disabled car park bit, on a couple of occasions, one of the trolleymen has put out cones for her so she can park. Sometimes, if she's having a really bad day, they'll fetch her a chair and let her sit down half way round the shop while an assistant goes up the aisles to get her 300 tins of catfood or whatever it is.

But today, well this was truly unbelievable. She got there (having noticed the steering was "a bit squiffy and there was a funny noise") to realise that she had a flat tyre. Apparently, without hesitating, the supervisor put a call out for two male shelf stackers, who promptly came into the car park and changed her wheel for her!!!

I can't imagine anyone getting this level of service in Tesco!!

So, today's award for OUTSTANDING customer service goes to

WAITROSE, ST ALBANS. Thank you.

I intend to also write to the manager to thank him too.

[clvrlad]

make sure you write to the head office too

ive worked in this kind of environment and its surprising just how much a thank you from a customer is a bonus on your day

[MBH]

Excellent story Bunny It sounds like your Mum is well known there, but that service is outstanding.

In the spirit of the thread - Sunderland Empire Theater Box-Office.

I went to buy a ticket some time ago for a one-night show at the end of THIS month - I got in early as I wasn't sure how quick it would become a sell-out. Lovely lady behind the counter had a chat about this and other shows (after I said why I was booking so early), and then it came to paying.

With the notes I had in my wallet, and the coinage I had in my pocket I was JUST short of the ticket price. I got my card out, but she pointed out that there would be an extra charge for paying by plastic. I said that was no trouble, I'd pop out to the cashpoint (quite a walk away) and come back - although it had come up in conversation earlier that I was on my lunch break.

Instead - she put the ticket through on her own staff code, knowing that the discount she would get brought the price down to under the money I had available

What she DOESN'T know [and I hope nobody from management sees this and causes her trouble] is that I was buying the ticket and will be visiting the "Jake and Elwood" show in two weeks time as a mystery shopper for the council So far the report is looking good

[Bunnylump]

Wow - that's really nice of her, isn't it?

[giraffe]

I was a mystery shopper, when the kids were little. I never got to go to the theatre though. Had my hair done a couple of times, my eyes tested and did places like Currys, Dixons and PC world. Quite good fun, but the reports asked really detailed questions, and it was sometimes hard to remember the exact words used by the shop assistants.

Well done to Waitrose and the theatre.

[LAT]

That is brilliant of the staff at Waitrose, well done to them.
And kind of the theatre lady too.

[clvrlad]

that does sound like good service MBH
we had mystery shoppers when i worked at a supermarket
we could always tell they seemed intent on counting when at the check outs
and asked about offers and certain ranges of products that were on offer
not that itd change how wed act but the store manager made a song and dance about it

[LAT]

Just mentioned your Waitrose story and my husband suggested you also wrote to the local paper. That is truly exceptional service and it would be nice for them to get a bit of publicity out of it.

[giraffe]

that does sound like good service MBH
we had mystery shoppers when i worked at a supermarket
we could always tell they seemed intent on counting when at the check outs
and asked about offers and certain ranges of products that were on offer
not that itd change how wed act but the store manager made a song and dance about it

I had one just before one Christmas at HMV, where the staff had obviously been told to ask if people had a list of items they were looking for. I had to go in with a shopping list and stay for 10 minutes, with my list on show and if a member of staff asked about my list I had to take them to the manager and tell him they had won a prize. (Bizarre???) Our branch of HMV was tiny, so spending 10 minutes browsing was difficult. I got more and more obvious with my list, but despite being approached by several members of staff no one asked about my list. Shame because I would have enjoyed awarding the prize I must have looked a total nutcase, waving my list around and loitering.

[Bunnylump]

OK follow on from the Waitrose story. My sister in law wrote to the manager of Waitrose, to thank them for their exceptional service, and particularly mentioned the lads who changed her tyre. The manager rang her to thank her for her letter, and told her that the staff had been celebrated in a staff meeting and had been presented with gifts from the management.

[LAT]

That's great! What a good shop that particular Waitrose must be.

[clvrlad]

you dont know if they need anymore staff do you

[Bunnylump]

Today, a big thank you to the lovely, cheerful lady in Marks and Spencer who chose to let me have one of the vouchers she had been given to distribute to family and friends, allowing me to get 25% off my shopping. I was spending my M and S voucher from my Daughter, and ended up getting an extra present. How good is that??

[giraffe]

They go from one extreme to the other at our M and S. The grumpy jobsworth who can't give a refund because their system doesn't like it and she doesn't know how it works, and her colleague who rushes over and says just give the customer a refund, we'll work out the computer later, the customer doesn't want to be delayed.

[Bunnylump]

In praise of Hedges Farm Shop, St Albans...

I got fed up with buying substandard, grotty, expensive meat from supermarkets, so decided to pay this place a visit. Actually, I couldn't believe it, not only is the meat AMAZING (chicken breast fillets at least twice the size of Tesco's and with no attached bits of sinew and grot, beautiful looking pieces of braising steak, and the nicest sausages I've ever tasted) BUT I've just done a price comparison with Tesco. EVERYTHING was either comparable or MUCH cheaper. The butcher was really helpful, and bagged everything up into small portions for me to freeze, and was happy to have a little chat too.

Definitely to be recommended...and somehow I doubt if they'd try to slip in some horse meat...

Think I need to find another farm shop for my veggies now. Anyone know of any good ones around here?

[Vladikavkaz]

looks like St Albans is the place to go.

I was there at the weekend orienteering, and had lunch at Loch Fyne.
Our awiter was top notch, and spent loads of time talking to my son about the different types of fish in the restaurant, and wangled a piece of grilled Hake instead of the usual salmon for his meal (which was rather nice I have to say)

The maitre d' was a different story altogether though, which shall be reserved for a different thread...

[gill216]

Think I need to find another farm shop for my veggies now. Anyone know of any good ones around here?

Having seen your garden, grow your own. i'd give anything for a space like that but I have the time. Shame we don't live a bit closer.

[Bunnylump]

Garden...oh, yeah, that massive thing with weeds in it?? I USED to grow my own veg - when I was all keen. I had blackberries, raspberries, potatoes, green beans, strawberries, carrots, cooking apples, beetroot etc. I even used to make all my own home made jams, pickles, and even, on one occasion, beetroot wine (which is loverly.) Now I have about 120 feet of weeds.

And Vlad, if you'd stayed a bit later, you could have met me, complete with false moustache and willy straws on Saturday!! (There's a terrifying thought for you!!

[giraffe]

I am nominating the Carphone Warehouse and in particular a young lady called Ghazala for the most helpful phone merchant of the day award. They keep phones in stock and are prepared to sell them to you! Not only this, they are patient and helpful when they explain the in and outs of Giga wotsits and Mega doodahs. They are prepared to look things up and aren't sarcastic when you ask a question. They even volunteer to write things down so that you can go away and think about it.


(See other rant about the people that are aptly called EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE)

[LAT]

My nomination goes to Photobox.

A couple of weeks ago I ordered some prints from them. They duly arrived a couple of days later, I glanced at them and they all looked fine. Then last week I sorted them out and noticed they looked different from some others I had waiting to go into an album. I realised that somehow I had inadvertently ordered 6"x 4.5" instead of 6 x 4. I filled in one of their customer questionnaires and said I was very happy with the quality and the speed of delivery etc but added a comment at the end that I was disappointed they were 6 x 4.5 as they now wouldn't fit in the album I had bought for them. The following day they wrote to me saying they were sorry I hadn't been completely happy and had credited my account with the cost of the order. (Plus postal charges too). So I've just been able to re-order my pics and will be able to slot them into the album without trimming.

I'm really impressed as this was just a feedback questionnaire I had filled in and not a letter to their customer services. They obviously read all the feedback and react appropriately. I reckon that is great customer services so am now spreading the word.