Regulars will know that I have been having my differences with Waitrose and Marks & Spencer. Perhaps I am misguided but I thought you would want an update. Or may be not. Here's one anyway.
Let's start with the Waitrose car park clock which cannot tell the time. See Incorrect Car Park Tickets and my Bonce: "Dear Waitrose" post on 18 January 2017. Here's an extract from my latest exchange with long suffering Sam from the Waitrose customer service team.
From: STEPHEN GOLD
Sent: 21/01/2017 16:00
Subject: Re: Car Park clock at Richmond, Surrey store
Dear Sam
What do you think this is? A joke? Well, in a way it is but a sick joke. It is my Waitrose, Richmond, Surrey car park ticket issued today. Issued at 11.22 (am) as it says? No, of course not. It was issued six minutes earlier because this is not any ordinary ticket. It is a Waitrose ticket. It establishes that you are continuing to mislead customers to their potential detriment in the way I have repeatedly sought to explain to you and it suggests that Waitrose does not give a fig about this and/or cannot on the whole planet find an engineer who knows what they are doing and/or refuses to dip into their vast pockets and replace a system (or part of it) which is not fit for purpose.
I take it that your senior management has still not strained themselves to come back to you. Are senior management going to tell me what action they are taking by 4pm on Monday next 23 January 2017? Among other things, I would wish to be satisfied that pending any reasonably satisfactory action proposed you will cease making any charge for the use of the car park until the action has been implemented. If the matter is not resolved then I will refer it to trading standards.
John Lewis must be turning in his grave.
Kind regards
Stephen (Disgusted) Gold
From: STEPHEN GOLD
Sent: 25/01/2017 17:14
Subject: Re: Car Park clock at Richmond, Surrey store
Dear Sam
I have not heard from you further but found today that the barriers at the Richmond car park were raised thereby enabling customers to park free. Is this as a result of my representations or has another fault with the system emerged? Will the no-charge position continue until the clock/ticket no longer deceives?
Kind regards
Stephen Gold
On 26 Jan 2017, at 07:56, Waitrose Customer Service wrote:
Dear Stephen
I made Marc aware at the branch. He explained that he would be looking into it.
I will let you know as soon as he provides with an update.
Kind regards
Sam
Waitrose Customer Care
From: STEPHEN GOLD
Sent: 27/01/2017 15:12
Subject: Re: Car Park clock at Richmond, Surrey store
Dear Sam
The clock is eight minutes slow today and nobody is telling customers.
This is shameful and my conclusion is that Waitrose does not give a damn about this.
If there is any real reason why anybody at Waitrose thinks I should not involve trading standards, please let me know what it is by 4pm on Monday next 30 January 2017.
Kind regards
Stephen Gold
On 30 Jan 2017, at 09:28, Waitrose Customer Service wrote:
Dear Stephen,
Thank you for your email.
I have spoken to Marc again this morning.
He has explained that two partners are currently working on the small technical issue that there is with the machine. They hope to have it resolved soon.
Kind regards
Sam Mansfield
Waitrose Customer Care
From: STEPHEN GOLD
Sent: 30/01/2017 12:36
Subject: Re: Car Park clock at Richmond, Surrey store
Sam
But you are continuing to allow customers to deceive and you are not alerting them as you said you would. What do you, senior management and Marc have to say about that? Let's have a straight answer. No dodging. No shutting eyes to what is going on.
Regards
Stephen Gold
On 30 January 2017 at 13.20 Waitrose Customer Service wrote:
Thank you for your email Stephen.
I'm afraid that it is the branch's decision as to what they do and say to customers.
I have offered them my and your feedback but at the moment they are just focusing on fixing the problem.
Kind regards
Sam
Waitrose Customer Care
Next up, enter M & S. I don't like their greeting card price labels where pence are involved. See my post On the Cards: M & S Price Labels on 9 January 2017.
On 21/01/2017 16:16, STEPHEN GOLD wrote:
Dear Conor
I refer to your message below*. I would be interested to know the outcome of the internal investigation and review.
Kind regards
Stephen Gold
* see previous post
On 22 Jan 2017, at 13:53, M&S Service Team <no_reply@customersupport.marksandspencer.com> wrote:o
Hello Steven
I hope you're well. Thanks for getting back in touch.
I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to give you any information about the internal investigation because it's business sensitive information. However, I would like to assure you Conor has raised this our suppliers and marketing teamand they are reviewing this.
I hope you're well. Thanks for getting back in touch.
I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to give you any information about the internal investigation because it's business sensitive information. However, I would like to assure you Conor has raised this our suppliers and marketing teamand they are reviewing this.
Kind regards
Lucy
Retail Customer Services
Your M&S Customer Service
On 22 January STEPHEN GOLD wrote
Dear Lucy
I am not too bad, thank you but will be much better when M&S ceases misleading over card prices. No doubt, so will you as it will get rid of me!
The last thing I would do is seek to extract commercially sensitive information. However, I would not regard the relay of a decision as to whether or not you are going to put a stop to a practice which I regard to be prohibited by law as commercially sensitive. I will obviously find out for myself pretty soon by looking at your card displays!!!! I was simply interested to know whether you were going to do the right thing or whether the appropriate course would be for me to refer the matter to trading standards. Bear in mind that I first raised the issue with you nearly one year ago and, to be frank, it rather looks to me that you will not be doing anything to change your practice unless compelled to do so.
Kind regards
Stephen Gold
What do you think is likely to happen? Answers, please, on a postcard but check the price of it carefully before you purchase, perhaps with a magnifying glass.
