A Bit of a Shopping Fiasco

Monday morning, and I was feeling a bit pleased with myself, as I was looking forward to NOT having to do a big food shop.  I'd decided to order my groceries online over the weekend and collect them from the supermarket myself, so I didn't get all the plastic bags you inevitably get with an online grocery order if you forget to tick the no bags box.

Did I mention the fact I'd got £16 off my shop, using a voucher I'd received through the post, which was just too good to miss out on.  I should have known that it wouldn't be so easy.

I went to my usual class at the gym, met up with a couple of friends there that I hadn't seen in a few weeks and we stopped back to have a good catch up which was great.  I dropped my repeat prescription (thyroid tablets) in at the doctors on my way to pick up the shopping, as I was running desperately low and so when I got to the supermarket at 12.45, I was well within my 12-9pm collection slot and just expecting my order to be brought down to customer services and I'd be on my way.

The only thing was, they didn't seem to have any knowledge of my order and it certainly wasn't ready.  I waited a while, not really knowing what was going on, and then a member of staff came out and it transpired that the order was still being picked.  I must admit I was a little irritated and starting to think I'd have to come back which was very inconvenient.  Anyway, the lady dealing with my order assured me it would be ready within the next half an hour, so I was happy to wait.  Even happier when she offered me a £20 voucher for my inconvenience and happier still when the lady on the customer service desk topped this up with a complimentary bottle of Cava.

I spent the time idly reading blog posts on my phone and when I ran out of those, I did a bit of people watching and had a free cup of tea.

Forty five minutes later and my shopping was ready, albeit with a few substitutions, but by this time I didn't care, as I was just relieved to be able to get my shopping and go, once it had all been put through the till, that is.

The point of this story.  Well, I'd read a post on Caroline Hiron's blog a day or so before, about the demise of customer services in this country and had found myself wholeheartedly agreeing with her. She did point out there were still some exceptions, however, and I have to say that Waitrose, you are one of them, as although it was pretty inconvenient, you certainly made up for it in terms of your generosity and the staff members that dealt with my plight, were nothing but helpful and apologetic. It was reassuring to know that some companies do care about their customers when things go wrong and go out of their way to compensate them.