Topic ID 2294
There are 16 check-out tills in Hertford Tesco, plus do-it-yourself scanners and basket check-outs.
Yesterday (Friday) at 4.45pm - a very busy time of day - Mr Fishhusband and I were trying to find a till that didn't have a 4-day long queue. Out of the 16 tills, 10 were shut!
Mr Fishhusband decided to ask customer services why this was the case on a busy Friday evening. He was informed by the assistant on Customer Services, that had he been in the store last Friday, all the tills were open (?) and that the reason 10 were shut was because of 'budgets.' He did ask exactly what the meaning of 'budgets' was and received a glazed look in reply!
Meanwhile, our very pleasant cashier asked us if we would like any help with our packing! Apparently the budgets don't exclude staff being available to pack your goods, just to pay for them.
Also, it would seem, the budgets aren't affected by the 24 hrs lighting display in the car park! Budgets my a*se. I get the distinct feeling that Tesco don't really care any more now that they have cornered the market.
As for us, we readily admit it's our combined laziness that keeps us going there for our shopping and we're really beginning to resent ourselves for doing so. I think we shall be looking further afield for our groceries.........
[:(!]
Reply ID 31757
Did they offer to take the bags to your car though? I get that offer of service regurlarly when I ask.
Reply ID 31758
All of which is why I why I want Sainsburys here asap!!
Reply ID 31766
If you leave you car at home, will they still take the bags to your car?
Reply ID 31769
quote:How can it be an offer, if you ask?
Originally posted by James007
Did they offer to take the bags to your car though? I get that offer of service regurlarly when I ask.
Reply ID 31770
quote:I just ask them if they offer a service to take my bags to the car. They then say "Of course. Would you like us to take them for you?". Quite simple really. Just like on Saturday, at the Old Barge, I asked whether I could buy a pint of ale. They offered to bring it to the table. I accepted and paid. Great service and so, so simple to boot.
Originally posted by Roosterquote:How can it be an offer, if you ask?
Originally posted by James007
Did they offer to take the bags to your car though? I get that offer of service regurlarly when I ask.
Reply ID 31804
Tesco in Hertford is actually normally pretty good, I find the staff in there helpful and most of the time they do most of the things I want, obviously your not going to get every product in the world in there as its not that big a Tesco store. Fish Wife: I am a tesco employee myself, sorry to hear that you havent had a good experience in there but I think its a bit off that you say Tesco dont care now that they have cornered the market. Thats very untrue. After all, I spend about 90% of my time in my job caring to make things better for customers as do the other 900 or so people where I work :) I dont want to go into too much detail about it but I work at the head office....I'll find out who you can speak to regarding the issues at Hertford which you had. Cheers
Reply ID 31809
I am afraid I have noticed over the past three months that there were a lot of tills closed and the queues at the self-service scanners etc were too long to wait. If Tesco really don't want our custom then they are going the right way about it. I also find regularly that despite the 24 hr opening, there are times the basic food items we need ie: bread,milk, potatoes bananas are not in stock! We have a choice and if they don't want my money I will put it elsewhere....
Reply ID 31837
Simcut I'm afraid I have to agree with Drama Queen on this one! The queues at the self-scans are ridiculously long whilst the 'ordinary' tills are closed. We have also noticed more and more fruit & veg is prepacked and have to resort to opening packages in order to buy the amount we want, rather than what is being foisted on us. It is also worth noting that the 'pick your own' bins are often empty. Is this deliberate? I have vociferously supported Tesco since before it opened in 1988, when all around were bewailing its arrival as the work of the devil! I believed then that the town needed a viable alternative to Gateway/Waitrose, that offered choice and good prices. I defended the store against many who wanted it removed from the face of the earth (who incidentally now shop there), but I have to say of late it has become complacent and a tad lax. I look at it this way - like many people in Hertford, I spend an absolute fortune in the store and since 1988 apprx £100k. I expect good service, I expect cashiers to give me their undying attention - not to chat across the customers to the next cashier about getting bladdered the night before, or who's going out with whom. I expect to be able to buy the quantities of food that I want to buy, not what Tesco want to impose on me. Yes - I have complained about this. Yes I have complained about lack of choice etc., etc., ad infinitum. I expect to not have to queue for a good part of my Friday evening along with everyone else because there are only 6 tills open. I expect customer services to be able to answer my enquiries with a little more depth, other than to parrot 'budgets' back at me. In short - I want good service. I have no doubt that most of the staff do care about their performance, so perhaps the fault lies with the men/women who count the money......... Angry? Nah. Hacked off? Oh yes. Shop elsewhere? Already started that this evening. [:(!]
Reply ID 31840
Like so many large companies, the people at head office have simply lost contact with what really happens on the ground. And like a growing number, I too am starting to spend more of my money elsewhere.
Reply ID 31841
Can you tell me that these problems dont happen elsewhere? cause I think they do....no matter what supermarket company, your bound to find a store with similar issues you have mentioned to me, one of which was the Sainsburys in Potters Bar by the train station. I dont want to go into the ins and outs of it all as I dont know if its such a good idea that I do so on here.... but what I do know is that rather than shopping elsewhere you should either a) complain to the store manager of Hertford or b) write to the Tesco Dundee office or ring the main switchboard number at head office in Cheshunt and ask to speak to a contact in Dundee. As for lack of choice, please can you give some examples? unfortunately due to the size of the store, they have to be selective on what is stocked as there is obviously a limitation of space within a fixture for a particular area of product (berries, brassica, legumes, prepared veg, apples). If there are problems with stock control (shelves being empty at certain times of day) and other issues at the Hertford store then they need to be raised otherwise they wont be resolved. Anyway, I work my butt off to try and get the stock out to the store and give customers the quality of product that they want, and I know the rest of the team I work with aim to do the same. I know people in store work their butts off as well and its not too good to see all this negativity, though you should be able to shop there happily and obviously this is not the case! There are going to be "helping hands" in store over christmas so that should improve matters I think :) I, personally, dont have a problem with the Hertford store and a lot of my friends dont either... Who knows, maybe I can apply to be Store Manager at Hertford in a few years? I'd pack your shopping for you personally Fish Wife :-) By the way, I forgot to mention earlier, you shouldnt open pre-pack products and buy "what you want" as they wont go through the tills, and therefore:- a) causes delays at checkouts as the item(s) cannot be sold as single as they are entered into our system as a pre-packed product RSP. b) the "leftovers" of the pre-packed product get left on the shelf and are wasted and make the fixtures look terrible. If you guys could please give me some examples....if you go to any other Tesco store as well, because I dont want this to be an anti-Hertford store debate.... :-) I am sorry to hear that you are not having a pleasant experience at the Hertford store though. Hope that next time you decide to go there (if at all) that things are a lot better. Anyway, if you want to discuss further with me, let me know. Cheers
Reply ID 31842
Simcut, a great post and it's good to know you are involved. However, and this is not personal regarding you or the other people who work hard for them, Tesco got where they are by offering something that the smaller local stores and other supermarkets could not and they showed no mercy so I am more than happy to watch them squirm. I agree that the only way to resolve the stock problems from a customer perspective is to complain and I suggest the Store Manager is the best route. However the store manager will be well aware of the problems already. They tread the precarious line between the budgets and operating processes forced upon them by the corporate machine and have been complicit in creating the stock problems. Systems or supplier based issues are out of their control but an inability getting the stock onto the shelves after it has arrived at the back door is within their control. The Tesco corporate beast has shown complete disregard for anything that has stood in the way of it's advance let alone any consideration or sympathy for the local traders it anihilated en route. All too often we heard, and continue to hear, about the 'shopping experience' and what Tesco offers and delivers to customers. The mantra is that they deliver what the customers want and if that has a negative effect elsewhere then so be it. The customer has the choice. So, given that they have trounced upon virtues such as loyalty why should anybody care enough to try to engage with them to improve things? And the little people like us who pour our cash into the beast are far less likely to be able to influence them than we would a small local trader. At Tesco the real decision makers are far too withdrawn from the views of the customers. They are too focussed on their 'steering wheels' reporting corporate management information that even the general workforce couldn't care about. The 'Helping Hands' scheme you mention is worthy and I believe every large organisation should adopt something similar. For those unfamiliar with it, staff from the Head Office go to various stores to help out over the Christmas peak. Tesco also used to operate a scheme called TWIST (Tesco Week In STtore)whereby senior office based managers would spend a week in store each year to ensure they remained in touch with the reality of being a retailer and they may still do so. But the problems are here already and have been here for some time. Helping Hands can only help minimize the increased problems over the peak trading period in the next few weeks. Helping Hands will not help in March once the extra help has gone and everything has returned to normal and while the Twist scheme has kept office based managers aware of shop floor realities it has proven ineffective as a method of communicating key issues back to those who can implement change.
Reply ID 31843
Is Hertford Tesco now too small for the size of town we have become? The Mangrovian family have become disenchanted with shopping there during weekends because of having to queue to get into it.
Reply ID 31844
quote:It's no secret that the Hertford store is undersized for the catchment but unfortunately they can't expand. This is why it's one of their most profitable per sq/ft. The stuff goes out the front door as quickly as they can get it in the back, faster sometimes!
Originally posted by mangrovian
Is Hertford Tesco now too small for the size of town we have become? The Mangrovian family have become disenchanted with shopping there during weekends because of having to queue to get into it.
Reply ID 31845
quote:St. Ivel Gold Lightest! (not stocked) [:(!] I realise you were probably asking for more general examples...[:D]
Originally posted by simcut
As for lack of choice, please can you give some examples?
Reply ID 31849
quote:This can provide a huge amount of entertainment for customers. I know some of the senior staff that do their Twist week locally and they are very highly qualified, and very bright. The game is to try and spot which shelf stackers or check-out staff have (e.g.) a law degree as well as an MBA, and are behind a desk or in "blue sky" meetings for 50 weeks of the year. They are often crap at stacking shelves (get tired easily, get blisters), and will bolt like a frightened rabbit if you growl at them that you can't find the Turkey Twizzlers today. They will usually be wearing a Tesco tie over the Thomas Pink shirt, and well-cut trousers. The best thing of all, once you think you have identified them, is to make a minor complaint at a busy check-out - such as "the label on this jar of jam is slightly askew" - then they can really leap into action and show you what they are made of, whilst ignoring the sad plight of the 50 customers behind you. I can't wait. 'Tis definitely the open season!!!
Originally posted by Ewoowar
The 'Helping Hands' scheme you mention is worthy... and I believe every large organisation should adopt something similar. For those unfamiliar with it, staff from the Head Office go to various stores to help out over the Christmas peak. Tesco also used to operate a scheme called TWIST (Tesco Week In STtore)whereby senior office based managers would spend a week in store each year to ensure they remained in touch with the reality of being a retailer and they may still do so.
Reply ID 31851
Lets not forget that Tesco Hertford has had 4 store managers in 3 years, not good for building ties with the community and understanding their needs etc
Reply ID 31857
quote:Well, unfortunately its impossible to stock every single line in that range in a store the size of Hertford. This is one problem that all supermarkets face! :(
Originally posted by newcomerquote:St. Ivel Gold Lightest! (not stocked) [:(!] I realise you were probably asking for more general examples...[:D]
Originally posted by simcut
As for lack of choice, please can you give some examples?
Reply ID 31858
Anyways, thanks for not chewing my head off because I'm a tesco employee.... I am not of a senior level so I am not able to do TWIST or Helping Hands in store, though, if I was able to, I would. What I do know is that it is absolutely impossible to be able to have every line stocked in any store, let alone a store the size of Hertford's. This is one thing that is always going to occur no matter which supermarket. The same thing occurs at Sainsburys, Asda etc. Its impossible to please everyone, which is unfortunate! Some customers will want Anchor, another one wants Lurpak, and then another wants St Ivel....and so on and so forth. I think more of an understanding should be given in instances like that. What would be good is for customers to get a better understanding of how the whole system works. All I can suggest, to any unhappy customers, is to make a complaint at your local store, whether it be Hertford, or not. If you have no joy there ring the head office number and ask for a contact in Dundee which is where the Customer Complaints Team are based :) By the way, if you do speak to anyone dont mention my name please, I could have quite easily not posted anything at all on this thread...I dont want to be brought in to any of the issues, Im just here to give you some insight ;)
Reply ID 31866
Simcut you are right, you are not going to be able to please everyone and this is not a go at you personally but there are some real fundamental problems at the Hertford store. I have never been able to do a weekly shop as the majority of the fresh produce has a sell by date of a couple of days max. I've often turned through the salads and the veg only to find it will be out of date the following day. I have also found that the sell by dates are a very good indicator as to when the produce will be perishable. In other stores there is generally a few days grace, but not with Tesco gear. This means I have to buy less and go more frequently which takes up more time. If all the products fly off the shelves, why is there such a tight turn around time with the goods? Don't get me started on the "fresh" bread ( although I love the chocolate croissants ). Who buys all the fresh bread? by the time I get to the store in the evening the bread is mostly stale, why can't you bake small batches throughout the day and give us at work a chance? Can anyone explain how you can put tomorrows sell by date on bread baked today?? If its not sold on the day, get rid of it. I don't want it the day after, I've got to keep it a couple of days aswell !! Give me a chance Tesco! Regarding the checkouts, now that the electronic ones have gone in, there is the expectation that we should use them rather than being given a choice. This is because most of the staffed checkouts are now not manned. The couple that are have backlogs of shoppers with large full trolleys. You are therefore subjected to a long wait or to use the self service. I have a personal objection with these self service checkouts as I feel they are for the benefit of the company rather than the consumer. I am doing their job for them. Do I get a discount off my shopping for this?? Plus, I dont want to be responsible for putting people out of work. As you've guessed I'm not a great fan of tesco so for me its the opening hours and the location that means I continue to use it. However, I'm trying harder and harder to avoid it.
Reply ID 31868
I have been reading all the threads with interest. I note from Simcut that all items cannot be in all branches due to size, but basic food items that we need???? Bread, milk and fruit not pre-packed which I am certainly not going to pay for when the waste police start to charge me on my outgoing rubbish to the local tip! My mum has made several verbal and written complaints to Hertford Tesco, about not stocking potatoes, ie the ones we all use at the moment not the little "new" ones. She was told to come in when they were delivered and that they do what they can but there you go!!!! I get the feeling stock taking aint high on the list of things and really if the items are in stock good, if not, wait for two days! I go to lots of small and other sizes of stores in and around Hertford and Tesco has been going downhill in Hertford for a little while. Its a real shame, but I feel that at their busiest time, ie today at 12.45 was it really necessary to close two tills and do a sort of stock take of it whilst the queues were atrocious???? Could it not have waited till say 3pm when the lunchtime people have gone???? I leave you all to ponder on the merits of this....
Reply ID 31874
It amazes me how many people complain bitterly about Tesco but still continue to use it - there are plenty of alternatives if you hate it that much. You can get your 'taters (plus all your other seasonal veg) from Reg the Veg in Bengeo at a fraction of the price (and the only packaging you'll need to dispose of is whatever you take yourself to carry your stuff home in). There's also Pearce's farm shop on the A10 - a superb place with top quality produce (and not just veg, they do meat, fish and all sorts of other stuff).
Reply ID 31876
Agree with most of the comments here. I too have an issue with bread with a 'use by' of only a couple of days. I wish that they could get the basics right without necessarily stocking all the luxury goods - how many packs of Japanese miso soup paste do they sell for God's sake, yet they had a whole rack devoted to that kind of stuff. Yes Joby, unfortunately many complain yet we still continue to use it out of convenience. Reg the Veg or Pearces are often not open when I need to shop. Which reminds me of a few years ago at Reg's stall: Me: "Got any courgettes Reg" Reg: "Courgettes? I don't do those luxury goods boy!" Top bloke.
Reply ID 31878
:(
Reply ID 31889
Poor old Tesco! Tesco bashing seems to be some people’s hobby, rather than simply shopping elsewhere! Tesco in Hertford is suffering from one major problem. Demand. The population wishing to use it far outstrips the square footage of the store, and the capabilities for the loading bay and backroom facilities. Out of stocks are common simply because the store can’t get the stuff out on to the shop floor quick enough. Tesco can’t win. Tesco are accused of being too expensive. Prices go down, now they are ripping off farmers. Tesco are accused of adding lots of horrible chemicals to extend shelf life, they adjust, now people say the shelf life is too short and complain it doesn’t last the week. Tesco is ahead of its competitors simply because it finds the right balance between cost, service and quality to suit the majority of the public. You want the cheap cost? Go to Netto. You want the service? Go to Waitrose. You want the quality? Go to M&S. Would you shop at Netto and expect to find pan fried organic potatoes? Would you go to M & S and expect to find a value weetabix at 64p for 48? Of course not. Tesco is a balance of the 3, and does a pretty good job of it, as it volume of customers prove. The problem is, a lot of people want a Rolls Royce, when they are only willing to pay for a Mondeo. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen and some people don’t seem to understand why.
Reply ID 31891
I do have to say your pretty much spot on Dude.... its virtually impossible to satisfy everyone's needs. You cant expect a supermarket to stock every product in existance. If only that were possible!
Reply ID 31892
Well said Dude. There are enough alternatives to Tescos in Hertford for the people that do not like it. Failing that drive to Morrisons or Sainsburys.
Reply ID 31895
All but given up with Tesco. Last night was the icing on the cake at one of the new self service tills. It was convinced that my cucumber had a security tag and wouldn't allow me to proceed. The chap opposite had problems with his payment. It took me longer to pay for the items then it took to walk round the store and pick them up.
Reply ID 31899
quote:You want herbs going black and soggy in the packet? Go to Tesco [xx(]
Originally posted by Dude
You want the cheap cost? Go to Netto. You want the service? Go to Waitrose. You want the quality? Go to M&S.
Reply ID 31900
Hello Simcut, Well so many comments from so many people...... Firstly, I have no doubt at all that you do your damndest to do a good job, but this gripe isn't about an individual, it is about the lax sloppiness that is now Hertford Tesco. As has been previously mentioned in a couple of posts, sell-by dates are ridiculous and I cite in particular packets of Rocket that despite a 3 day sell by date, are off the next morning and have to be thrown away, grapes that are rotting on stalks, bananas that rot before they are fully ripened. With regard to opening pre-packaged goods to buy only one or two e.g. leeks..... it has never proved a problem at the till as they are weighed as loose leeks. I have even been impressed that the cashier knows they are leeks! And as for organic - I don't want to pay a fortune for organic fruit and veg. I recently had to return £12 worth of chicken pieces that were as high as a kite when I opened them. I can no longer buy packets of 6 thick sliced smoked bacon rashers. The other alternatives would appear to have been sliced with a razor blade and are not worth the electricity used to cook them. Tesco Finest Pepperoni and Peppers Pizza has been replaced by one that has all the appeal of tomato sauce and creamed soap. I fully appreciate that Hertford is not a large store and cannot carry everything for everyone, but I do resent having to bulk buy fruit and veg that I know will be off by the day after I get it home. I am sure it is not the fault of the shop-floor workers or even you, but for a company who's profits this morning were quoted as being up 5.5% and is also regularly increasing prices, I think it is a very sorry state of affairs that the very people who boost the profits and thereby pay the wages cannot get served as 2/3 of the tills are shut in Hertford. With regard to complaining - I wrote to the branch in August and I am yet to receive a reply! It doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. Yes - I am sure similar problems might be encountered at other supermarkets, but in the meantime I am fed up with swelling the profits of the local store and receiving poor service in return. Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose, Morrisons, Netto, Aldi, Lidl, Spar, The Corner Shop...what matters is good service to keep the customer coming back. Thank you for the offer to pack my bags, fortunately it's a service I have never used. NO-ONE packs a shopping bag quicker or better than me! [;)]
Reply ID 31903
Well, I actually work within the Produce area in Head Office! and a number of your gripes (nearly typed grapes then) are with Veg, Salad or Fruit which is interesting :) what I can tell you is that every single product that goes into a depot (I believe Hertford is serviced by Harlow) is Quality Assurance checked, and believe you me, if there are issues with the product, it is rejected and therefore prevented from going to store. A "QA" report is then sent to the supplier and the team in Head Office who deal with the said product. There is a team of over 18 Technical Managers across Fruit, Veg & Salad who spend all of their working days ensuring Suppliers provide the quality that customers should expect. I know as I've been on visits with them and I work with these people and they do a very good job. Now, I dont want to be pointing the finger at other people within the business but my guess would be that, either: a) the temperature of the products delivered to the store from the depot is not what it should be on the lorry, therefore worsening the quality of the product b) the product has been sat in the depot for an extended amount of time (more than it should) and has been placed in the incorrect area (there are areas for +3 and +10 for store within the depot) c) the products have been delivered to the store but have been sat at the backdoor for far too long and have not been chilled when they should. As I said before, I dont want to point the finger at Depots & Stores but I suspect this is what is occuring which causes poor quality product being bought by customers. Every product area of the business is checked by a Quality Assurance team within the depot to make sure the Suppliers have sent in product which is within its suitable specifications, this isnt just for Fruit, Veg & Salad! Fish Wife - again, you are making particular references to products which you want to have in store, again this boils down to the impossibility of pleasing everyone and having every product within the store, so unfortunately, if you do want those particular products you might have to try Brookfield, which is a bigger store! The company are not, regularly increasing prices. Part of my day job is to input Retail Prices into the system for the Buyers and there is a LOT of work put towards being the best both quality and price wise. There is a LOT of emphasis on matching other retailers and also giving customers excellent value, the latter being more important. You will get the same increase of prices at Sainsburys, Asda etc, believe you me. A lot of this just seems to be purely aimed at Tesco, but other supermarkets are EXACTLY the same, and have the same problems. It seems that because Tesco are number one, they take the brunt of complaints. Fish Wife: As previously advised, I would send a letter or ask to speak to someone in Tesco Dundee if you wish to make a complaint regarding your local store. Sadly, I dont want to get myself in to trouble so I cant really discuss this anymore....I also need to get some dinner as I havent had any yet! ;) Hope I have been of some use anyway! Cheers
Reply ID 31904
quote:Oi! I deal directly with Herbs....and it has been a LONG time since I've heard of customer complaints regarding Herbs. I work with the Technical Manager for them and the quality of Herbs has massively improved. There used to be regular rejections due to poor quality but Herbs are a lot better of late. How long ago are you talking about Leo?
Originally posted by Leo Densianquote:You want herbs going black and soggy in the packet? Go to Tesco [xx(]
Originally posted by Dude
You want the cheap cost? Go to Netto. You want the service? Go to Waitrose. You want the quality? Go to M&S.
Reply ID 31905
quote:These self service tills have not been in long, you could have easily asked a member of staff for help with it. I dont get how you can give up with Tesco just because of this issue. Obviously its a bit of a pain but all you hae to do is ask a member of staff to sort that out for you. Technology always bites people on the backside (Hard Drives crashing etc). I've used the self service checkouts at the store a hell of a lot and have never had any problems with it. Apologies if my reply doesnt come across properly but it suprises me that this issue has resulted in you not wanting to use Tesco anymore??
Originally posted by Hato
All but given up with Tesco. Last night was the icing on the cake at one of the new self service tills. It was convinced that my cucumber had a security tag and wouldn't allow me to proceed. The chap opposite had problems with his payment. It took me longer to pay for the items then it took to walk round the store and pick them up.
Reply ID 31906
quote:Within the last month - packs of mint at Hertford were mingin' (and a few days within the sell by date too). I got a lad to find some more out the back. Sorry, but when he came back with fresh packs there was no sign that he was going to empty the shelf of the skanky ones.
Originally posted by simcutquote:Oi! I deal directly with Herbs....and it has been a LONG time since I've heard of customer complaints regarding Herbs. I work with the Technical Manager for them and the quality of Herbs has massively improved. There used to be regular rejections due to poor quality but Herbs are a lot better of late. How long ago are you talking about Leo?
Originally posted by Leo Densianquote:You want herbs going black and soggy in the packet? Go to Tesco [xx(]
Originally posted by Dude
You want the cheap cost? Go to Netto. You want the service? Go to Waitrose. You want the quality? Go to M&S.
Reply ID 31910
quote:Perhaps that is the problem. It has been a LONG time since you have heard of a problem yet Hertford.net posters are registering there distain. Perhaps the corporate layers distance you from the real feelings of the consumer. You trust in the channels of management and CRM data but when it comes to the crunch straight consumer feedback is what you really need to hear.
Originally posted by simcutquote:Oi! I deal directly with Herbs....and it has been a LONG time since I've heard of customer complaints regarding Herbs. I work with the Technical Manager for them and the quality of Herbs has massively improved. There used to be regular rejections due to poor quality but Herbs are a lot better of late. How long ago are you talking about Leo?
Originally posted by Leo Densianquote:You want herbs going black and soggy in the packet? Go to Tesco [xx(]
Originally posted by Dude
You want the cheap cost? Go to Netto. You want the service? Go to Waitrose. You want the quality? Go to M&S.
Reply ID 31912
Tescos was the only place in Hertford that had not run out of Ice in the hot summer we just had. There was none in the freezers, but I used my initiative and asked someone to look out the back. What else would I have put in my Magners with out Tesco! Oh by the way there was no seed and nut muffins this morning at 7.30 Shock horror!and I couldnt find any tins of callaloo!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply ID 31920
How come that everytime I go try and purchase a packet of fresh corriander from Tesco, the shelf is always empty? .. has anyone else had this problem? . this has been happening for the past few years!
Reply ID 31925
I'm not Tesco bashing but their supply of herbs namely - corriander, mint, rosemary and basil can tend to be very random. Waitrose does tend to have them in stock more often.
Reply ID 31936
quote:I suspect that the Herbs are not being stored correctly at the backdoor, I will send Hertford store a note and ask them to ensure they keep the Herbs at the correct temperature! And as for the poor quality product still being on the shelf, normally every store goes around the shelves and removes poor quality product from the shelves and claim for waste support and also send notes to head office or the depot notifying us of the quality problems. So I believe that had not been done when you had gone to buy the Herbs
Originally posted by Leo Densian
Within the last month - packs of mint at Hertford were mingin' (and a few days within the sell by date too). I got a lad to find some more out the back. Sorry, but when he came back with fresh packs there was no sign that he was going to empty the shelf of the skanky ones.
Reply ID 31937
quote:Well, how am I meant to know without someone telling me. I am actually pleased that posters here have told me that there is a problem. No need to take that tone with me mate! Bang out of order, this is not my fault .
Originally posted by Ewoowar
Perhaps that is the problem. It has been a LONG time since you have heard of a problem yet Hertford.net posters are registering there distain. Perhaps the corporate layers distance you from the real feelings of the consumer. You trust in the channels of management and CRM data but when it comes to the crunch straight consumer feedback is what you really need to hear.
Reply ID 31938
regarding lack of herbs on the shelf, thats because of poor stock management within the store. Next time the product is not on the shelf, ask a member of staff why they are not stocking them. I deal directly with Herbs and there are no shortages at all.
Reply ID 31946
One of the things Tesco did get right this year was the availability of BBQ charcoal right into October. However, I believe this was a fluke, due to a late delivery from overseas which they then had to clear at knock down prices (64p - ta very much! Thats next year's BBQ-ing taken care of). Will next year revert to type and the charcoal vanish come the end of August just as the Quality Street Christmas tins come out? We shall see...
Reply ID 31949
quote:One imagines a Christmas visitor to the Denison household might hear phrases like, "Take a seat. Just clear a gap in the charcoal bags."[:D] "Chesnuts roasting on an open barbeque.........." Sing along! "Any Quality Street? No, but do help yourself to another burnt sausage."
Originally posted by Leo Densian
One of the things Tesco did get right this year was the availability of BBQ charcoal right into October. However, I believe this was a fluke, due to a late delivery from overseas which they then had to clear at knock down prices (64p - ta very much! Thats next year's BBQ-ing taken care of). Will next year revert to type and the charcoal vanish come the end of August just as the Quality Street Christmas tins come out? We shall see...
Reply ID 31964
quote:Simcut, Let me put this to you again..... I fully understand that everyone cannot be pleased ALL the time, and that the Hertford Store can't carry the same amount/selection of goods that are perhaps available at Brookfield Farm. According to yesterday morning's financial report about Tesco on the BBC1, Tesco has increased it's profits by 5.5% in the past week and is slowly increasing prices (as are other supermarkets). Perhaps the BBC has it wrong? I have no vendetta against Tesco per se, but I do have a great deal of irritation with the Hertford store as it is where I spend the majority of my money on groceries, therefore I expect quality and service for the money that I spend. The issues around storage/delivery/standing times etc., are internal problems that the store needs to have sorted BEFORE displaying the goods for sale. As a customer I have to assume that the store has its act together and is doing things correctly. But ultimately - my gripe in its original context is about the fact that as Hertford is a small store which cannot expand,per square foot of area space it is the most profitable (?) branch in the country, therefore I expect to see the tills open so that I can spend even more of my money on the same evening that I entered the store! There can be no justification in having two thirds of the tills shut.
Originally posted by simcut
Well, I actually work within the Produce area in Head Office! and a number of your gripes (nearly typed grapes then) are with Veg, Salad or Fruit which is interesting :) what I can tell you is that every single product that goes into a depot (I believe Hertford is serviced by Harlow) is Quality Assurance checked, and believe you me, if there are issues with the product, it is rejected and therefore prevented from going to store. A "QA" report is then sent to the supplier and the team in Head Office who deal with the said product. There is a team of over 18 Technical Managers across Fruit, Veg & Salad who spend all of their working days ensuring Suppliers provide the quality that customers should expect. I know as I've been on visits with them and I work with these people and they do a very good job. Now, I dont want to be pointing the finger at other people within the business but my guess would be that, either: a) the temperature of the products delivered to the store from the depot is not what it should be on the lorry, therefore worsening the quality of the product b) the product has been sat in the depot for an extended amount of time (more than it should) and has been placed in the incorrect area (there are areas for +3 and +10 for store within the depot) c) the products have been delivered to the store but have been sat at the backdoor for far too long and have not been chilled when they should. As I said before, I dont want to point the finger at Depots & Stores but I suspect this is what is occuring which causes poor quality product being bought by customers. Every product area of the business is checked by a Quality Assurance team within the depot to make sure the Suppliers have sent in product which is within its suitable specifications, this isnt just for Fruit, Veg & Salad! Fish Wife - again, you are making particular references to products which you want to have in store, again this boils down to the impossibility of pleasing everyone and having every product within the store, so unfortunately, if you do want those particular products you might have to try Brookfield, which is a bigger store! The company are not, regularly increasing prices. Part of my day job is to input Retail Prices into the system for the Buyers and there is a LOT of work put towards being the best both quality and price wise. There is a LOT of emphasis on matching other retailers and also giving customers excellent value, the latter being more important. You will get the same increase of prices at Sainsburys, Asda etc, believe you me. A lot of this just seems to be purely aimed at Tesco, but other supermarkets are EXACTLY the same, and have the same problems. It seems that because Tesco are number one, they take the brunt of complaints. Fish Wife: As previously advised, I would send a letter or ask to speak to someone in Tesco Dundee if you wish to make a complaint regarding your local store. Sadly, I dont want to get myself in to trouble so I cant really discuss this anymore....I also need to get some dinner as I havent had any yet! ;) Hope I have been of some use anyway! Cheers
Reply ID 31966
quote:Not far short of the truth shunt apart from the burnt sausage. If Christmas Day dawns sunny and bright the turkeys going in the BBQ - I kid you not. [^]
Originally posted by shuntquote:One imagines a Christmas visitor to the Denison household might hear phrases like, "Take a seat. Just clear a gap in the charcoal bags."[:D] "Chesnuts roasting on an open barbeque.........." Sing along! "Any Quality Street? No, but do help yourself to another burnt sausage."
Originally posted by Leo Densian
One of the things Tesco did get right this year was the availability of BBQ charcoal right into October. However, I believe this was a fluke, due to a late delivery from overseas which they then had to clear at knock down prices (64p - ta very much! Thats next year's BBQ-ing taken care of). Will next year revert to type and the charcoal vanish come the end of August just as the Quality Street Christmas tins come out? We shall see...
Reply ID 31970
quote:I regularly use the self service tills at both Hertford and Hatfield, (the joys of shift work), so I am more then comfortable with them. I've had enough of not being able to buy basic food items, and I would rather that the Hertford branch concentrated on doing this well rather then trying to stock lots of lines dare I say badly. I don't doubt that the unseen side of Tesco is a living nightmare trying to get the right amount of the right type of food to the right store at the right time on the right day. I've dealt with enough broken down and crashed supermarket artics to know that. Yet I have found that Morrisons in WGC has always had what I want when ever I've been. And I think that is due in part to not being open 24 hours.
Originally posted by simcutquote:These self service tills have not been in long, you could have easily asked a member of staff for help with it. I dont get how you can give up with Tesco just because of this issue. Obviously its a bit of a pain but all you hae to do is ask a member of staff to sort that out for you. Technology always bites people on the backside (Hard Drives crashing etc). I've used the self service checkouts at the store a hell of a lot and have never had any problems with it. Apologies if my reply doesnt come across properly but it suprises me that this issue has resulted in you not wanting to use Tesco anymore??
Originally posted by Hato
All but given up with Tesco. Last night was the icing on the cake at one of the new self service tills. It was convinced that my cucumber had a security tag and wouldn't allow me to proceed. The chap opposite had problems with his payment. It took me longer to pay for the items then it took to walk round the store and pick them up.
Reply ID 31974
For me, Cheshunt Tesco is an entirely irksome retail experience. It has nothing to do with the check-outs (because I shop-lift) but rather that the aisles don't match up. Half the time I don't know where I've been and unfailngly buy (steal) too much cat litter and cream crackers.
Reply ID 32011
quote:No, No HL, don't start with the cat litter or cream crackers, leave them till last when you'll only have enough room about your person to take the requisite amount. Easy! Alternative buy the Tesco Aisle Nav at £199.95. Wear it around your neck on the handy black or silver brace which keeps it at eye level. Once you've entered the items either using the miniaturised keypad (or transfer them from your PC using the supplied cable) you'll be directed to each item in the store. The deluxe version allows you to take a scenic route and is an incredible £219.99 Aisle Nav update discs for relocated produce are released once a month costing a bargain £39.99. Sainsbugs, Asda and Waitrose don't offer that!
Originally posted by Herbert Lemons
For me, Cheshunt Tesco is an entirely irksome retail experience. It has nothing to do with the check-outs (because I shop-lift) but rather that the aisles don't match up. Half the time I don't know where I've been and unfailngly buy (steal) too much cat litter and cream crackers.
Reply ID 32019
Still no pre-packed Corriander tonight ... and yes .. the last time I bought mint .. it was wet and went off in 24hrs .. so SIMCUT, get in the real world, drop down to the shop floor where all the paying customers collect and stop all this Tesco propaganda ... customers tell-it as it REALLY is.
Reply ID 32021
quote:Did you complain at customer services? Unless you do Tesco won't be aware that there is a problem,they will think they have got their stock levels right,as the next fresh food delivery comes in during the night.If more people complain that there is out-of-stocks,they will look into it
Originally posted by azzza
Still no pre-packed Corriander tonight ... and yes .. the last time I bought mint .. it was wet and went off in 24hrs .. so SIMCUT, get in the real world, drop down to the shop floor where all the paying customers collect and stop all this Tesco propaganda ... customers tell-it as it REALLY is.
Reply ID 32022
Why should I have to complain? ... surely it's the job of a store manager to make sure shelves are stocked properly? It's just plain laziness for a store to expect it's valued customers to do their blinkin job for them. ... infact today,..the corriander shelf was stocked with Tarragon, as if the punters wouldn't notice! ...
Reply ID 32024
thats probably the problem,when stock-controllers go round the store,they are looking for empty spaces or low levels.They can't check that everything is in the right place.If they are not aware that there is a problem,how can they rectify it?
Reply ID 32025
How about training the staff to tell the differnce between .. Corriander .. and Tarragon? .... I'm fed-up with the customer always doing people's jobs and being hard-done by ... what ever happened to treating the customer with respect?
Reply ID 32027
quote:They had it last night
Originally posted by azzza
Still no pre-packed Corriander tonight
quote:It probably went the same way as treating staff with respect
Originally posted by azzza
... what ever happened to treating the customer with respect?
Reply ID 32028
yep Steve..... how about treating me with respect azzza? Im a customer too you know....
Reply ID 32029
quote:How about shopping elsewhere?
Originally posted by azzza
How about training the staff to tell the differnce between .. Corriander .. and Tarragon? .... I'm fed-up with the customer always doing people's jobs and being hard-done by ... what ever happened to treating the customer with respect?
Reply ID 32030
quote:So, will you now stop shopping there and go elsewhere? You want to moan, but not complain to the store itself. Where will you shop next week? The Waitrose in Hertford which stock mouldy battered veg, or the Morrisons in WGC that contains more E's than a Prodigy concert?
Originally posted by azzza
Why should I have to complain? ... surely it's the job of a store manager to make sure shelves are stocked properly? It's just plain laziness for a store to expect it's valued customers to do their blinkin job for them. ... infact today,..the corriander shelf was stocked with Tarragon, as if the punters wouldn't notice! ...
Reply ID 32035
quote:I think you underplay the effectiveness of 'moaning' here Dude. Azzza could have brought the misplaced herbs to the attention of an individual at the store, but I'm reasonably sure that it would amount to bugger all in the larger scheme of things. In trumpeting his dissatisfaction here, Azzza has bought himself an instant wider audience - including Tesco staff. The supermarket staff could always chose to ignore the under swell of disapproval being played out on the forum but the rest of us will at least know to expect herb & spice lotto in the aisles at Tesco.
Originally posted by Dudequote:So, will you now stop shopping there and go elsewhere? You want to moan, but not complain to the store itself. Where will you shop next week? The Waitrose in Hertford which stock mouldy battered veg, or the Morrisons in WGC that contains more E's than a Prodigy concert?
Originally posted by azzza
Why should I have to complain? ... surely it's the job of a store manager to make sure shelves are stocked properly? It's just plain laziness for a store to expect it's valued customers to do their blinkin job for them. ... infact today,..the corriander shelf was stocked with Tarragon, as if the punters wouldn't notice! ...
Reply ID 32043
I wouldnt know the difference between tarragon and a tamagochi however, I think that a little madness goes a long way when shopping in Tesco, not just Hertford but anywhere! Although the little Mads do so enjoy the "scan it yourself" thingy
Reply ID 32107
[/quote] Where will you shop next week? The Waitrose in Hertford which stock mouldy battered veg, or the Morrisons in WGC that contains more E's than a Prodigy concert? [/quote] Waitrose vegetables come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes and decay with a day or so, rather like....er....vegetables. Tesco's produce is, however, totally uniform in shape, size and colour and texture and should you forget to eat it, still will be three months hence. From this I conclude that Tesco must import from somewhere other than this planet.[:D]
Reply ID 32113
quote:Where will you shop next week? The Waitrose in Hertford which stock mouldy battered veg, or the Morrisons in WGC that contains more E's than a Prodigy concert? [/quote] Waitrose vegetables come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes and decay with a day or so, rather like....er....vegetables. Tesco's produce is, however, totally uniform in shape, size and colour and texture and should you forget to eat it, still will be three months hence. From this I conclude that Tesco must import from somewhere other than this planet.[:D] [/quote] Unless it's herbs or rocket! The amount of 'fresh produce' that is shrink wrapped onto plastic trays or into punnets is staggering. All that wrapping and waste! Has anyoone seen a shrink wrapped coconut yet? Give it time........ [:(] But I digress - what about the workers? On the tills? [;)]
Originally posted by shunt
Reply ID 32168
quote:Waitrose vegetables come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes and decay with a day or so, rather like....er....vegetables. Tesco's produce is, however, totally uniform in shape, size and colour and texture and should you forget to eat it, still will be three months hence. From this I conclude that Tesco must import from somewhere other than this planet.[:D] [/quote] Unless it's herbs or rocket! The amount of 'fresh produce' that is shrink wrapped onto plastic trays or into punnets is staggering. All that wrapping and waste! Has anyoone seen a shrink wrapped coconut yet? Give it time........ [:(] But I digress - what about the workers? On the tills? [;)] [/quote] Are they shrink wrapped too? Sorry I am being flippant. If they have to endure complaints they must feel very demoralised at the end of their working day. I wonder if there is a lesson for all of us in this, that were there more support for small shops and traders in our localities (and boycotting the larger retailers) we would get everything fresh and as we would wish it to be. Unfortunately large retailers come amongst us, often killing off smaller businesses and not always providing all we want despite the discounts and low prices we see offered. We flock to these large suppliers for the sake of convenience including easy parking and in doing so assist the slow demise of some of our local traders. That's what I have observed anyway.
Originally posted by Fish Wifequote:Where will you shop next week? The Waitrose in Hertford which stock mouldy battered veg, or the Morrisons in WGC that contains more E's than a Prodigy concert?
Originally posted by shunt
Reply ID 32238
Afternoon all! Got some info for you if you wish to complain about anything Tesco. Either send an email to [email protected] or phone 0800 50 5555 Please do not refer to this thread. Thanks
Reply ID 32246
[/quote] We flock to these large suppliers for the sake of convenience including easy parking and in doing so assist the slow demise of some of our local traders. That's what I have observed anyway. [/quote] Landy - Try the Westmill Road farm veg or the farmer's stall near Crouchfields. Free parking for a Station Wagon and much cheaper.
Reply ID 32414
quote:We flock to these large suppliers for the sake of convenience including easy parking and in doing so assist the slow demise of some of our local traders. That's what I have observed anyway. [/quote] Landy - Try the Westmill Road farm veg or the farmer's stall near Crouchfields. Free parking for a Station Wagon and much cheaper. [/quote] Do they sell nurofen and nappies there too? If not, I'll have to pop to Tesco on the way back! [;)]
Originally posted by James007