NickG, at 8:19am 13th Mar 2008, wrote:

Shop at Waitrose! The service is the best, I've even seen the store managers wheel shopping trolley's to old age pensioner's cars!!

Emma Brown , at 4:42pm 18th Mar 2008, wrote:

Thats awful! The asda near is is split down the middle half of their staff are really good, pleasant and helpful, but my god the other half are horrendous!

Carla Rankin, at 11:45am 20th Mar 2008, wrote:

I think Waitrose provide a good service because they are part of the John Lewis group. I've heard that they are a really good company to work for. They gave their staff 20% of their annual wage as profit this year to show their appreciation. Other companies don't do this and they pay rubbish wages hence the reason why the staff are rude and obnoxious.

eileen stuart, at 2:23pm 20th Mar 2008, wrote:

i used to work for john lewis, i also worked for years as a dept manager for safeways and have worked for a year for tesco. working for john lewis was horrible the customers are the worst cos they get away with it. the prices you pay at john lewis are much higher to make up for the rotten customers who complain all the time and are then given a discount. IF YOU WANT A BARGAIN, JUST MOAN ABOUT YOUR PURCHASE TO CUSTOMER SERVICE AT JOHN LEWIS AND THEY WILL TAKE AT LEAST 20% OFF. IF THE CUSTOMERS WERE LESS MOANY, THE POOR STAFF WHO HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THEM WOULD RECEIVE A LOT MORE OF A BONUS

Ezzer, at 3:43pm 21st Mar 2008, wrote:

Surely the customers that purchase from John Lewis are the same as those that shop at Tesco and Safeway for food! We're no less moany wherever we shop.

Helen Eady, at 6:53am 22nd Mar 2008, wrote:

No I don't agree. The people who shop at Waitrose, in the main, have more money to spend and, as a result, many feel that they deserve a better service because of this! If you feel that you are paying for 'the best' then you expect to get it and feel that you are within your rights to complain if you don't!

The staff at our local Asda appear to be a poor bunch, not even able to answer the simplest of questions.

Marina Wood, at 2:01pm 22nd Mar 2008, wrote:

Whichever shop you choose, in my opinion the behaviour of the staff is a reflection on the management of the store. More time should be spent on customer relations training.

gail, at 7:48pm 22nd Mar 2008, wrote:

now after shopping on thursday looking for a new leather sofa, going around all the shops i could think of not being pounced on was a great relief then i saw it my dream sofa after approaching the assistant who was happy to help with my request to be deflatted with a 14 week wait. so how ever i bought it and walked away thinking 14 weeks. to be given a call later that day daying that if i anted i ould have the one on the shop floor i jumped at the channce as i didnt have a sofa. a big thankyou to land of leather great customer service.

jason, at 6:38pm 26th Mar 2008, wrote:

I have asda and aldis in the same street.the managers dont help because of the composition all they do is u need help no okai

James Jenner, at 2:59pm 27th Mar 2008, wrote:

Customer service appears to be at an all time low.

Supermarket checkout staff usually the younger ones have to be forced to respond with a please and thankyou, I allways make a point of saying thankyou and tend to say it with more force aimed at the staff who ignore me.

I know customers can be a right pain in the **se but there is no excuse for ignorance, Perhaps children need to be taught the meaning of politeness and courtesy at a young age.

[unsubscribed], at 1:27pm 28th Mar 2008, wrote:

I completely agree with James. I have just moved house and have had the worst customer service ever from more than just one company. I was taught politeness and courtesy when I was growing up and it has stayed with me and always will. I am now teaching my child in the same way.

Beverley Skoyles, at 11:21am 31st Mar 2008, wrote:

Its not just the young people that are rude to the customers. I have worked in shops from a very young age and have always been poilte. Half the shops couldn't even open up if it wasn't for these young people who are working for a little extra money, an when i say little i mean it as at most places the wages for younger people are not very good. In my experince it is the customers that are rude 50% of the time, and it is irritaing when you are spoken down to or spoken rudley to by a customer, as some people arn't polite when they ask for help. Its a two way thing, you can't be rude to staf then expect them to be nice back

[unsubscribed], at 10:05am 1st Apr 2008, wrote:

So what about the customers who are polite to staff and get rudeness back? No, its not just young people who are rude but don't you think that if children are taught respect for others from a young age then they will carry it with them through to old age?

[unsubscribed], at 10:06am 1st Apr 2008, wrote:

So what about the customers who are polite to staff and get rudeness back? No, its not just young people who are rude but don't you think that if children are taught respect for others from a young age then they will carry it with them through to old age?

Carey79, at 7:58pm 8th Apr 2008, wrote:

I have to say that over the past 10 years customer service has become terrible in most places, I'm frankly sick to death of people carrying on a conversation about the weekend/their dogs/what to have for dinner rather than looking me in the eye when serving me, it really gets me cross. I've actually said to people before now "it may help if you look at me whilst asking me to give you money"!!

And no, it really isn't just young people, although I think the work ethic is weaker than ever in most nowadays, probably something to do with the fact that it's very hard to live on minimum wage and job satisfaction can't be high in Asda/Woolworths now can it?!

Christina Crosbie, at 1:01pm 9th Apr 2008, wrote:

I think customer services at talktalk and morrisons will take a bit of beating.Morrisons at Hamilton Lanarkshire is a pleasure to shop in.No matter the size or shape of the staff or their gender they are always very clean and tidy looking and even at their busiest have always a nice smile and are very helpful.Restores my confidence in big companies

rob mackey, at 11:04am 11th Apr 2008, wrote:

customer service these days doesnt exist, i cant remember the last time i went into a shop and thought "that was nice customer service" mostly i walk out feeling pressured and uneasy. I hate when you walk in and within 5seconds you have someone asking if you are ok and need any help? as for call centres...

nicola gay, at 12:55pm 13th Apr 2008, wrote:

Customer service is disgusting these days. The staff in some shops are fresh out of school and they simply cant be bothered to help. I asked a girl in a shop the other day if they had a smaller size in a dress i liked, she looked at me with such disgust that i told her not to bother. I used to work in retail and was always happy to help the customers. It was part of my job after all.

donna keanan, at 4:02pm 13th Apr 2008, wrote:

Well i dont see the point in all this customer service as the stores we are talking about,all are very large businesses and dont give a pooh! about losing the odd customer due to their own demented staff,for instance tesco delivery,why do people order a delivery,not cos we are lazy,it is because we havent got time to shop in our working schedule,so when they arrive and you have not got what you have asked for all they say is well i will give you a refund,well actually i wanted the blooming item,then this service becomes inconvient and you land up going to the shop anyway.

Emma Leach, at 9:02am 14th Apr 2008, wrote:

At the end of the day, everyone has to work, whether they enjoy it or not. Even if your are in a sh** job then you should make the best out of it, afterall its not the customers fault you hate your job and if its that bad, change it. As for rude customers, I have had a good few of them but its professional to not bite back, that annoys them even more and prevents the company coming down on you.

Plus, could just give em a kicking after work.. wont complain then!

[unsubscribed], at 9:30am 14th Apr 2008, wrote:

Taking about Tesco home delivery, what made me laugh the other day was that my friend and her husband are "high flyers" but they like shopping at Tesco. They live in a penthouse apartment which is 3 floors up (no lift in this one as the building is very tall but very narrow). Believe me, it is hard enough to carry your own body weight up there never mind shopping. My friend answered the door to the delivery driver recently who asked her why she had ordered 3 crates of cans of coke and not bottles to the same volume. She told him that the cans were on offer and coke keeps longer in the cans than in bottles. He told her that it didn't help him as he had to carry them up the stairs!

Is that not why we use delivery drivers and not do it ourselves?? It's his job to carry stuff up the stairs!!

Joanna Pease, at 9:32pm 15th Apr 2008, wrote:

I was in a super market and heavily pregnant. I felt annoyed that a sales assistant was just stood next to me and never bothered to offer to help with my packing!

moira bullock, at 4:06pm 16th Apr 2008, wrote:

If you want excellent customer service then you should take the opportunity of visiting Lakeland. Although it isn't a supermarket, it is a family run business mail order and with shops all over the country. I have visited several shops in different parts of England and the service is all the same-exemplary.

As for the supermarkets-there are good and bad staff everywhere. You are just unlucky if it's your day to get the bad one!!!!

penny webster-brown, at 7:21pm 16th Apr 2008, wrote:

I generally find that shop assistants are great wherever I shop, as long as you take the time to say 'Hi' and smile at them. Apart from Boots and Superdrug, where they seem more interested in chatting to each other. I have had to suggest that they might like to concentrate on me, the customer, and finish their chat when I've gone at least a few times!

carol-ann, at 7:36pm 16th Apr 2008, wrote:

My opinion is no matter what shop you go into nowadays you will always fine a member of staff that is so unhelpfull.i would rather just do my shopping online to save any hasels.

Den P, at 9:09pm 16th Apr 2008, wrote:

Stores would do well to send most of their staff to charm school, they certainly don't employ them on their ability to help or help cheerfully. It is almost as though you are disturbing their day if you dare to ask a question. That I have found from the youngest assistant to managers. In all, shopping has turned into a horrible experience , add the loud music in many stores and I wonder if they can even hear you when you do ask for advise. Online is cheaper and convenient, add the cost of transport whether private of public and possible parking fees, No contest, home base with a coffee and calm atmosphere, Stores are killing themselves slowly and councils are killing the pockets of it's visitors. I do wonder what shopping will be like twenty years from now.

rapson89, at 6:16pm 18th Apr 2008, wrote:

OH MY GOD!!

Another moaner...

If that was me I would have just laughed it off and continued shopping!

My advise to you is do your shopping online!!

*LOL*

rapson89, at 6:25pm 18th Apr 2008, wrote:

O YEH AND STOP RUNNING DOWN YOUNG PEOPLE, OAP'S ARE WORSE AND ALWAYS RUDE TO ME WHEN I'M AT WORK!

BIG UP THE TEENAGE SALES ASISSTANT!

sam nicholls, at 11:03am 22nd Apr 2008, wrote:

I see it as a reflection on the place of work. Not just in Supermarkets, but if the place of work is a fun one, where the staff are happy, then it reflects in their demeanour with each other and the customers. Happy staff = happy customers. I think having a minimum wage that reflects the cost of living would be a big start!!!

holly andrews, at 1:49pm 22nd Apr 2008, wrote:

i have to say that i have worked in retail all my life and the company that i work for is very big on customer service and i like to think that my team always gives the best cutomer service. i dont think that customer service is dead i think that the bad stuff is just more memeroble and no one remembers the good stuff poeple will complain about anything these days even if it cant be helped by the staff my advice is cut us some slack becouse it makes every ones day a little easier when every one has mutual respect for each other.

David Wood, at 3:46pm 22nd Apr 2008, wrote:

Most companies work to generated a profit. If companies worked and concentrated on Customer Satisfaction the profit would come along on its own !!

Georgina, at 10:00pm 22nd Apr 2008, wrote:

I have been both a supervisor and a sales assistant. I agree with the comment already made that it is bad management. Not only that but lack of training and for the most part lack of motivation. We all need to work and retail lets face it is not the easiest job in the world with bad tempered customers one side ans sales orientated companies the other. I take my hat off to anyone who doesn't complain at some point.

Mark Andrew Platt, at 3:42pm 24th Apr 2008, wrote:

customer service is going down the pan because people are getting minimum wage and companys expect the world from them!!

kimberley, at 11:58am 25th Apr 2008, wrote:

morrisons is a good place to shop staff are always smiling and willing to help u the only downfall is the managers just seem to walk round doing absoluety nothing except giving orders wich is wrong coz there no better than the staff except they get a bigger wage packet

[unsubscribed], at 3:49pm 25th Apr 2008, wrote:

I suppose it depends on which Morrisons you shop in. The one across the road from me is the most depressing shop I have ever been in. Nothing is ever right and the staff come across as completely incompetent. As for managers, I don't know that I've seen one in the last 5 years, however, since I only shop there when I am absolutely desperate I suppose it is possible they may be there somewhere.

Kathryn Pegg, at 12:49am 26th Apr 2008, wrote:

It drives me mad when you go to a shop... any shop... and you need to ask a question, so.... you find an assistant and ask them.

It's the next bit I hate...

They look at you as if you are in their front room interrupting them watching their favourite tv programme. Then they are rude and unhelpful, and show absolutely no interest.

Was this the only job in the entire town / county / country that they were able to get????

I doubt it.

They chose to work there. If they don't like it leave and work somewhere else.

Best of all this happened to me last week at focus DIY. The chap on the paint section was really helpful, BUT... he had to refer me to the customer services desk..... Yes you guessed it it was at the ACTUAL CUSTOMER SERVICES DESK that I came across the rude assistant.

I don't run my own business, but if I did I would think quite carefully about who I put on the front line to deal with... lets face it customers who either need help or are already hacked off.

timothy marr, at 9:53pm 29th Apr 2008, wrote:

I Used To Work In Asda And Personally They Were Lazy... And Didnt Seem To Really Care About There Customers.. If I Was Stacking Shelfs And A Customer Asked Me A Question Ie.'Have You Got These Shoes In Size 7..' I Was Told To Say 'No Whatever Size Is Out There Thats All We Have Got' I Was Made To Say That Just So I Didnt Have To Go And Check UpStairs So I Could Continue To Stack Shelves.. It Is Utterly Digraceful...

penny webster-brown, at 3:31pm 30th Apr 2008, wrote:

I think the amount of money you're paid has no bearing on whether or not you're polite. Either you respect other people, or you don't, whatever the situation. If people are rude to you, that's generally no excuse for lowering your own standards. There are exceptions of course!!

Patricia Porter, at 3:53pm 30th Apr 2008, wrote:

I find that the best store for friendly and helpful assistants is our local (Felixstowe) Marks and Spencer. I`m very slightly disabled and nothing is ever too much trouble for either the assistants or the checkout girls. It`s always a cheering experience to shop there and I always leave in a happier frame of mind than when I went in!

Sheena Lynch, at 7:50pm 30th Apr 2008, wrote:

We shop sometimes at Asda in Aberdeen as I'm disabled I go around in one of the electric scooters. I found the staff very friendly and very helpful. If I couldn't find anything they found it no bother to take me right there and made sure there was enough of the item and if not they would go into the back store and try and find it for me.

I find the same at Tesco too.

You'll just have to come up to Scotland.

[unsubscribed], at 10:04am 1st May 2008, wrote:

Aberdeen might be good but don't bother coming to Edinburgh for supermarket shopping. I love this city and was born and brought up here but the supermarkets are the same as everywhere else.

sam , at 7:28pm 3rd May 2008, wrote:

i shop at asda most of the time a i find that they are very nice

Jack Walton, at 8:10pm 3rd May 2008, wrote:

OK..some customer service can be crappy...but some of them try too hard, and it just gets infuriating. However sometimes you do get the odd half-wit that just sits there chewing gum and basically blanks you until your asked to put your card in. Saying this though, i find most supermarkets etc to have good customer service.

Aaron Vertigan, at 11:34am 4th May 2008, wrote:

Like Jack Walton said "some customer service can be cappy" but i have been in places that pay high rates of pay and the customer service is really good.

ericka kemp, at 7:43am 5th May 2008, wrote:

I work for Waitrose and am a customer sevice manager. Yes I do agree that most of our customers are afluent and expect the best customer service because they choose to shop with the best. I feel proud to be part of that ethos that the customer is why we go to work in the first place. I feel proud to be part of a company who values their partners and I will be giving 110% customer service untill I retire with the John Lewis Partnership. Whats wrong with placing value to what you do and the company you work for? Some people just don't feel they need to contribute to anything. Yes we have our customers who need to complain but if they do we are missing an opportunity to exceed these customers expectations if we dont find out what is wrong. We all as customers dererve to be heard and although there may be a small minority that do not like John Lewis or Waitrose I feel we try to do the right thing by all that shope and supply us.

Regards

A Happy Partner Of 13 Years Service.

(Bring on more 20% bonus!!!)

Basher, at 8:58am 6th May 2008, wrote:

I was is my local Tesco when I saw an old woman struggling to get some tins down off the shelf. 3 employees walked past her. When I asked her if I could help, she said she'd been struggling for 10 minutes, when I brought this to the attention of customer services, I was tutted at and told that the staff were far too busy. the manager was no better saying he had to keep the shelves full or other customers would complain at that. Surely a few seconds to take 2 tins off a shelf as you're passing doesn't take too much effort.

Danica Barrett, at 9:47am 6th May 2008, wrote:

Customer service these days is terrible, at check outs the majority of the staff dont know simple mathematics and get it all wrong, but lack of customer service is also due to the lack of training on the employers behalf!!!

Jason, at 3:57pm 7th May 2008, wrote:

I think people dont care about helping others now adays, people just seem to help themself

zoe, at 6:49am 10th May 2008, wrote:

i dont think that people really care anymore. When i go into shops and ask staff for help i treat them as a friend because i do respect others. I worked at New Look for a year and treated customers very well but they treat you terribe by being threatening, trying to complain, asking you to do things your company doesn't do. I do think there are some staff that generally shouldn't be in that field of work because of their attitude but i have had much worse encounters with aggresive and just plain rude customers!

Abbey, at 3:31pm 19th May 2008, wrote:

No matter how much moaning you do about it, it just won't change. Teenagers are stroppy, adults are miserable && OAPS are just annoying, its just stereostypes! Dont judge every teenager as the same, i work in a supermarket && when you smile && treat a customer with respect you dont get it back, instead you get some old man picking up cans you've stacked and putting them back on a different shelf after he stood watchin u do it, && when you clean you display window, they come && put there hands all over it, when they have watched you clean it. Customers can get really annoying too!!

kman35, at 9:29pm 9th Jun 2008, wrote:

We have a lovely beautifully clean new Asda store, with pleasant and helpful staff. The service is good, much better prices than Sainsburys. Petrol is also the cheapest within 30 mile radius. I certainly have no complaints about my local store. Keep up the good work Asda

jemma young, at 8:57pm 6th Jul 2008, wrote:

I hate it when some stores rush your shopping through then sit there with there hand out waiting for your money, so if they do that to me i take my time packing it away then take a while getting my money out etc......

Runninggoose, at 8:54am 7th Jul 2008, wrote:

one thing to remember is (and i dont work for no shop)they have served more than just one customer. so its quite likely that after a few moaners they are going to start letting go of there politeness. after all they are checkout workers not anger management specialists.

come on we all get a little fruastated after a more than a couple of bad experiences in a day. i expect they do too.

as for the comment that was made by CARY79

some shop assistants have special needs.

it may be they have Autism. in which case you would never know except maybe for their lack of eye contact or there honest conversation or comments which may seem like they are rude.

i have had some quite nasty shop assistants serve me but has anyone here never had an off day and soemones else may have taken your 5 mins of anger.

if you say no then your not human.

and sometimes i shop in waitrose but i dont have extra money and to be honest i find the service no better or worse than anywhere else.

the morrisons i used to live by in solihull castle bromwich a few months back now had fantastic staff. i have never found a shop since where the staff are as happy and helpful as that store.

service is the same in most places as it has always been we just have more contact with others now through different mediums such as the internet and because of this we think everything is getting worse as we hear about things we would otherwise have not.

if any one gets time off from that lovely chore of shopping please sing my autism petition at

petitions.pm.gov.uk/autism-schools/

you need to add the www at the beginning.

thanks

Runninggoose, at 9:26am 7th Jul 2008, wrote:

one thing to remember is (and i dont work for no shop)they have served more than just one customer. so its quite likely that after a few moaners they are going to start letting go of there politeness. after all they are checkout workers not anger management specialists.

come on we all get a little fruastated after a more than a couple of bad experiences in a day. i expect they do too.

as for the comment that was made by CARY79

some shop assistants have special needs.

it may be they have Autism. in which case you would never know except maybe for their lack of eye contact or there honest conversation or comments which may seem like they are rude.

i have had some quite nasty shop assistants serve me but has anyone here never had an off day and soemones else may have taken your 5 mins of anger.

if you say no then your not human.

and sometimes i shop in waitrose but i dont have extra money and to be honest i find the service no better or worse than anywhere else.

the morrisons i used to live by in solihull castle bromwich a few months back now had fantastic staff. i have never found a shop since where the staff are as happy and helpful as that store.

service is the same in most places as it has always been we just have more contact with others now through different mediums such as the internet and because of this we think everything is getting worse as we hear about things we would otherwise have not.

if any one gets time off from that lovely chore of shopping please sing my autism petition at

petitions.pm.gov.uk/autism-schools/

you need to add the www at the beginning.

thanks

Saz, at 3:28pm 17th Jul 2008, wrote:

Hi! Sorry about the monologue, but here goes....I shop at Asda and feel pretty let down. I shop online and as a result I feel like I am treated like a second class citizen with second rate customer service. My shopping is always VERY late (1-2 hours), my breakables are smashed to bits, the bill is usually wrong, I don't get a portion of my shopping or end up with someone else's. Asda used to be great, but now they don't seem to care whether I get a good service or not. These problems are not a one-off, it would be easier to tell you how many times they've got it right (a handful of times) to the many times they've got it wrong (soooo many times). But I don't want to do my shopping anywhere else as they have really great products. I have spoken to other online shoppers who are with Asda and I'm far from the only one. If I contact them to complain, I get an e-voucher (free delivery) and let me tell you, I have about 8 on my account. Are there any other Asda shoppers out there with similar problems?

jamie lands, at 2:47pm 25th Jul 2008, wrote:

Asda. lol. my partner works their and is pregnant. they made her lift heavy boxes of goods and watched her(she has now left). Asda as a company are a discrace and as for the service. they are rude,abrubt and are useless. Although anyone looking for work who is homeless might want a job their. they might do a better job!!!

budd thomas, at 8:35pm 8th Sep 2008, wrote:

good service at asda!...not

Lucy Hughes, at 9:26pm 14th Sep 2008, wrote:

I personally work for Tesco at the Customer Service Centre in Cardiff, I have always treated every customer with respect 100% of the time, every time I need to call Tesco as a paying customer I am always treated well. One dealing with Asda Grocery Homeshopping and the lady on the phone didn't speak a word of English and just fobbed me off.

Roz, at 10:57am 2nd Oct 2008, wrote:

spat her chewing gum on the floor? eurgh, that's a bit grim!

ANNA, at 12:48pm 24th Oct 2008, wrote:

recently just had a delivery from asda recieved it by the time i stated.as i was putting away my order their was a lot of items out of date. so please make sure you check if having home delivery.

Angela Cater, at 4:40pm 27th Oct 2008, wrote:

I only ever go to my local Somerfield when absolutely necessary as the surly service really grates on my nerves. The most memorable incident was when I tried to buy some leeks and the teenage lad on checkout asked me what it was!

Shamrock, at 8:55am 30th Oct 2008, wrote:

My experience with Asda and Sainsbury's here in my local town is not bad at all! :)

ghostfinch, at 10:52pm 3rd Nov 2008, wrote:

I think that its just the whole general attitude of many of us brits these days I'm afraid (or anyone working in Britain that is!).

Gone are days when shop assistants used to be helpful without any prompting or training what so ever because it's the whole social attitude that's in decline. There is a complete lack of respect or sense of duty these days. I often feel as if I am interupting or been a nuisance, when standing at the counter whilst waiting to be served as on many occassions the assistants are to bust talking to the next one down the line about what they are doing tonight or about what betty said to billy about joey, for instance. You tend to stand there until they've finally finished talking and taking your sale and then if you are lucky they might even then look you in the eye and say thank you. I did say 'if you are lucky' note!

Service is terrible all over because of what our nation is becoming I'm afraid, No pride, No respect, No sense of duty, simple as that!!

James Mead, at 4:57pm 4th Nov 2008, wrote:

Th staff in Marks and Spencer's always seem friendly and greet you with a smile.

Katherine Tricker, at 1:41pm 19th Nov 2008, wrote:

Cannot believe the response from the manager. But I have to say whichever Asda I go to I always hate the service.

I used to work for Marks and Spencer's and I have to say they have brilliant customer service training.

pauline mcgaughey, at 6:10pm 3rd Feb 2009, wrote:

excuse me but i work for asda, and its the same in any shop you go to you get bad or good service.

im always good with my customers but this customer is right business load of shit. the customers come in and be cheeky. i can say i have never been cheeky but i sure if i werent in my green uniform they wouldnt dare speak to me the way they do. especially down here in poole were people think they are something when their not.

Linda Goddard, at 4:19pm 9th Feb 2009, wrote:

In my local Asda you get a much better attitude from the young, lower paid staff. The management are ignorant and unhelpful and set a really bad example to the people they should be training. I wrote to customer services and didn't even get an apology about a recent incident.

I agree about the assistants who carry on talking but what about customers who spend the whole time they are being served on their mobiles and don't even bother to speak to the assistant? I see this more and more and it is so rude.

Paul Wright, at 11:13pm 14th Feb 2009, wrote:

Has anyone noticed how Sainsbury's checkout staff in the South East appear to have been told to start conversations with customers (they ask you a random open question after 'do you want help with packing?')? I started getting this just before Christmas and its carried on since. Clearly most people must grunt back at the staff, because they all look alarmed when you respond and ask them a question back! I quite enjoy it though - the younger staff always have something funny or interesting to say and it doesn't slow anything up. Good idea - we should talk more to each other!

fushan, at 2:57am 22nd Mar 2009, wrote:

th dtjndjnd yjfjn

fushan, at 2:59am 22nd Mar 2009, wrote:

I allways make a point of saying thankyou and tend to say it with more force aimed at the staff who ignore me.

Christopher Sperl, at 6:54am 13th May 2009, wrote:

If you want to experience excellent service everywhere you go, be it a shop or restaurant, try Cape Town. They cannot do enough for you, because being a relatively poor Country, they WANT you to spend your money with them.....the level of service is consistently excellent, even if you were to go into somewhere like a KFC....I spent 3 years there and then came back to the UK... the difference in Standards here is not only shocking, it makes you embarrassed to be British!

lauren alecock, at 9:31am 17th Sep 2009, wrote:

I work in retail and it doesn't take any time or effort to be nice, dare i say polite.

I would never dream of being rude or dismissive to a customer, after all they are the reason the shop is open and i get paid.

Andrea M Harding, at 2:33am 18th Oct 2009, wrote:

I remember Co op in Louth faced the same dilema.With their staff eating chewing gum and with their mouths open and blowing bubbles as they chewed gum, also that chewing sound when you eat gum really put me off. And playing around at the tills, not concentrating. I used to ba a cashier myself and a supervisor once upon a time. The rules were, don't eat in front of the customers, don't eat stinky food like garlic, cos, that will chase people away, don't smoke on duty. Cos, that would give a that company a bad name.

Also to that lady who had that issue at Asda. South Africa is much worse and if it happens again. Then you have the right to complain.

Margaret Morris, at 12:36pm 18th Oct 2009, wrote:

Hi my local asda is great and the staff have been brilliant only yesterday i noticed that i had been over charged for something and went to the customer serices to see about it was a pack of soap powder which i had been over charged 30p with does not sound much but it was the principle any way i was given the soap powder plus the money i had been charged for it and also got a £2 gift card to make up for the inconvenience so i think it was good the 30p overcharge ended up costing asda £6.27 so i did ok

Alex Goldie, at 11:03pm 24th Oct 2009, wrote:

As i've learnt, a shop and it's staff are as good as it's management.

I work in a Co-Op and this past year we've had a new manager.

Well!!

Just to say, he ran the store into the ground, and now most of the staff have become lazy and bored.

I've had loads of complaints of local customers who i've been serving for years.

They say there are only a few select staff, who make their shopping bearable.

James William Leonnard, at 8:40am 12th Nov 2009, wrote:

Once again i agree, its not just product that you buy its the service. This is why they lose loyal custom.

Dan de Ste Croix, at 5:13pm 16th Dec 2009, wrote:

Asda have got by far the worst customer service I've ever seen, well in the 2 stores nearest us they do anyway. I gave up shopping in store because it would wind me up with how rude they we're.

About 99% of their staff don't have a clue what they're doing. We now getting our shopping delivered by Asda and out of about 10 delivery's we had to phone up 8 times! because they missed things off the order or they just didn't turn up at all.

An example is that we ordered 3 packs of size 5 pampers nappies and they gave us a size 3 a size 4 and a a size 5. anyway moan over lol

Liz Harrison, at 8:00pm 7th Feb 2010, wrote:

I can't fault the customer service I get at my local Morrison's. Even when the person you ask is fairly sure the item you want is out of stock they leg it to the stockroom to check, in case it's come in in the five minutes they've been out on the shop floor. Doesn't matter how daft the question they always give you a smile and chat like old friends, so I've never been afraid of asking anything. Our Asda, not normally one of my preferred places, isn't too bad either. All in all most of St. Helen's businesses are good to deal with, but for consistency I'd have to put Morries just that little bit higher than the rest. I never thought that in this day and age I would go out in a mood and come home smiling like I used to do many years ago when I was first married, but even a trip to the £1 shop can cheer me up round here.

Joanne Whitehouse-Logan, at 9:04am 5th Sep 2010, wrote:

Grumpy staff are a result of a poor work environment in my opinion. I managed a small petrol station with a shop, and we used to have a great time! We had customers constantly telling us that they paid more money for fuel from us rather than going to the supermarkets as they were guarenteed to have happy polite staff with us rather than staff who "don't even look at you". I definitely think a happy work environment=happy staff!

Also, older staff are worse to deal with than younger...