[News] Waitrose free coffee scandal

BrickTamland · Jan 31, 2019

After working there for over 3 years I can honestly say my faith in humanity took a hit! If someone was a 55/60 plus man, there was a 70% chance or higher that he was a over privileged **** with no basic manners or decency. Had one guy threaten a teenage girl (said he’d wait outside in the car park for her when her shift finished, it was late in the evening) because she didn’t reduce a chicken. Had a woman scream at me suggesting I’d ‘ruined her whole weekend’ because we were out of pomegranate seeds.

DavidinSouthampton · Jan 31, 2019

Steve in Japan said:
People working in Retail deserve a bloody medal

People are a pain in the arse and it's getting steadily worse. (first part copyright Jean-Paul Sartre I think)

It was indeed Jean-Paul Sartre who said "L'enfer, c'est les autres" - Hell is other people.

Return of the Rev · Jan 31, 2019

Europe need to put a ring of steel around this island till this is sorted out.

Knocky's Nose · Jan 31, 2019

Steve in Japan said:
People working in Retail deserve a bloody medal

Depends which retail...

In the AV business the people who obsess about cables, interconnects and ultra high-end audio systems are on the whole a bunch of dickheads. They actively look for issues. People buying your budget, basic stuff are lovely. Conversely, the high-end 'basic' kit (Loewe, B&O etc) customers are (mentally) normal people with money - and they are lovely.

Cars... I know a number of Audi salesmen who all say that 70% of their customers are w@nkers. I know a number of people who sell Nissan, Toyota and Kia who say 99.9% their customers are absolutely lovely.

So, different brands attract different people is what I'm saying. It does appear that Waitrose attracts snobs. Snobs have no real place in todays society any more, so they're a frustrated minority - hence the 'outrage' in their little safe-havens. Waitrose being one of them.

Greg Bobkin · Jan 31, 2019

I'm not clicking on the link for that rag. What's the general gist of the story?

Arthur · Jan 31, 2019

BrickTamland said:
After working there for over 3 years I can honestly say my faith in humanity took a hit! If someone was a 55/60 plus man, there was a 70% chance or higher that he was a over privileged **** with no basic manners or decency. Had one guy threaten a teenage girl (said he’d wait outside in the car park for her when her shift finished, it was late in the evening) because she didn’t reduce a chicken. Had a woman scream at me suggesting I’d ‘ruined her whole weekend’ because we were out of pomegranate seeds.

My Saturday job as a kid was at Waitrose on the fish counter. At the time the MP for Wealden was Geoffrey Johnson-Smith, his wife was a regular in the shop and wandered round like her shit didn't stink. She would often order stuff for collection from the fish counter. Every time she would ask at the counter loud enough for all other customers to hear for an order for Lady Johnson-Smmmyyyyyyyyyth. Every time we would go through the ritual of looking in the chillers and saying "Hmmmmm nothing for Johnson Smyyyyyyyth........oh hang on here you go Mrs Smith" every time she would correct us saying "it's Lady Johnson-Smmmyyyyyyyyyth" again loud enough for everyone to hear saying sorry Mrs Smith really used to get her end up.

I had a great laugh working there. I used to do Sundays when Sunday opening first started. We were on double time and had no customers. The fights we used to have with the deli counter were immense! We had fish and meat so ice, cod roe, mince, sausages and they had humus, scotch eggs, taramasalata.

The Spanish · Jan 31, 2019

BrickTamland said:
After working there for over 3 years I can honestly say my faith in humanity took a hit! If someone was a 55/60 plus man, there was a 70% chance or higher that he was a over privileged **** with no basic manners or decency. Had one guy threaten a teenage girl (said he’d wait outside in the car park for her when her shift finished, it was late in the evening) because she didn’t reduce a chicken. Had a woman scream at me suggesting I’d ‘ruined her whole weekend’ because we were out of pomegranate seeds.

Begs the question what was she going to do with pomegranate seeds that was going to be that good. Interesting

The Spanish · Jan 31, 2019

DavidinSouthampton said:
It was indeed Jean-Paul Sartre who said "L'enfer, c'est les autres" - Hell is other people.

He got that right

Nitram · Jan 31, 2019

Too much time on his hands, needs a real problem to get stuck into. Maybe he could be our Brexit negotiator.

AmexRuislip · Jan 31, 2019

BrickTamland said:
After working there for over 3 years I can honestly say my faith in humanity took a hit! If someone was a 55/60 plus man, there was a 70% chance or higher that he was a over privileged **** with no basic manners or decency. Had one guy threaten a teenage girl (said he’d wait outside in the car park for her when her shift finished, it was late in the evening) because she didn’t reduce a chicken. Had a woman scream at me suggesting I’d ‘ruined her whole weekend’ because we were out of pomegranate seeds.

I bet she was a doctor with her kids, who were probably called Paracetamol and Warfarin.

Badger · Jan 31, 2019

Official response from Waitrose:

DavidinSouthampton · Jan 31, 2019

Knocky's Nose said:
Depends which retail...

In the AV business the people who obsess about cables, interconnects and ultra high-end audio systems are on the whole a bunch of dickheads. They actively look for issues. People buying your budget, basic stuff are lovely. Conversely, the high-end 'basic' kit (Loewe, B&O etc) customers are (mentally) normal people with money - and they are lovely.

Cars... I know a number of Audi salesmen who all say that 70% of their customers are w@nkers. I know a number of people who sell Nissan, Toyota and Kia who say 99.9% their customers are absolutely lovely.

So, different brands attract different people is what I'm saying. It does appear that Waitrose attracts snobs. Snobs have no real place in todays society any more, so they're a frustrated minority - hence the 'outrage' in their little safe-havens. Waitrose being one of them.

Slightly unfair to Waitrose and their customers. Having worked in our local one for 4.5 years, the vast majority are very, very nice people...….. as they probably are in most shops!

Waitrose does though, deliberately, not choose to compete with the discounters. And I must admit that, since I retired from there and do not get partner discount any more, we don't shop there anywhere near as much. We have a recently opened ALDI which is very, very good. Their staff are for the most part from a different social class from those at Waitrose (that's not me being snobbish, it's obvious just from observation) but mostly very good.

A lot of the Waitrose Staff, particularly on weekends, are students - sixth-formers - some of whom are very good, some of whom are arrogant lazy to55ers. The staff training, though, should teach people how to deal with difficult customers well. It is similar to the Richer Sounds two Customer Service Rules:

1. The Customer is always right.
2. If the Customer is wrong, rule 1 applies.

BUT, as with the free coffee etc, some people do try it on.... and more. In the days when you could get one free cup per day with no purchase, our store identified one customer who had 7 different MyWaitrose cards with slight variations on his name. All 7 were cancelled.

Knocky's Nose · Jan 31, 2019

DavidinSouthampton said:
In the days when you could get one free cup per day with no purchase, our store identified one customer who had 7 different MyWaitrose cards with slight variations on his name. All 7 were cancelled.

SEVEN cups in a row?! Was this his permanent expression?

DavidinSouthampton · Jan 31, 2019

Knocky's Nose said:
SEVEN cups in a row?! Was this his permanent expression?

View attachment 104269

Possibly if in a row...….. but just 7 cups through the day, perhaps not even 7 cups every day

I don't think I could be bothered to keep tabs on which card(s) I had already used that day, because it would reject (still will) if you've already had a free cup. I could probably count the number of times I have taken a free cup on the fingers of one hand anyway..

Dick Knights Mumm · Jan 31, 2019

He'll be back for his free cup of coffee in the morning.

It's a free cup of coffee.

Dick Head · Jan 31, 2019

BrickTamland said:
After working there for over 3 years I can honestly say my faith in humanity took a hit! If someone was a 55/60 plus man, there was a 70% chance or higher that he was a over privileged **** with no basic manners or decency. Had one guy threaten a teenage girl (said he’d wait outside in the car park for her when her shift finished, it was late in the evening) because she didn’t reduce a chicken. Had a woman scream at me suggesting I’d ‘ruined her whole weekend’ because we were out of pomegranate seeds.

I would be pissed off as well, to be fair. How can you have your herby quinoa, vegan feta cheese substitute & pomegranate salad without pomegranate seeds? *rant, fume*

BrickTamland · Jan 31, 2019

Dick Head said:
I would be pissed off as well, to be fair. How can you have your herby quinoa, vegan feta cheese substitute & pomegranate salad without pomegranate seeds? *rant, fume*

It was nothing compared to the woman who broke down in tears as fennel wouldn’t be in stock for a couple of days. It’s like Vietnam flashbacks thinking back about it

Super Steve Earle · Jan 31, 2019

Knocky's Nose said:
Depends which retail...

In the AV business the people who obsess about cables, interconnects and ultra high-end audio systems are on the whole a bunch of dickheads. They actively look for issues. People buying your budget, basic stuff are lovely. Conversely, the high-end 'basic' kit (Loewe, B&O etc) customers are (mentally) normal people with money - and they are lovely.

Cars... I know a number of Audi salesmen who all say that 70% of their customers are w@nkers. I know a number of people who sell Nissan, Toyota and Kia who say 99.9% their customers are absolutely lovely.

So, different brands attract different people is what I'm saying. It does appear that Waitrose attracts snobs. Snobs have no real place in todays society any more, so they're a frustrated minority - hence the 'outrage' in their little safe-havens. Waitrose being one of them.

I only ever knew one Audi salesman - at the Dyke Road showroom. He was also a w@nker, perhaps a requirement for empathy with 70% of their customers

vegster · Jan 31, 2019

I have a Waitrose near where I work, I try to avoid it at all costs unless I need some special ingredients for something. Almost without exception the customers are elderly morons or middle aged women who's only interaction with other humans comes at a till in Waitrose, and, they make the most of it.

Its genuinely heartbreaking watching my life slip away while they watch each item scanned through. Eventually they are faced with the harsh reality of A, payment and B, putting their groceries away. This causes a moment of incredible inner conflict as they try to pack and find their Waitrose/bank card at the same time. This is never an easy process as usually they find some vague 5p off coupon that they are desperate to redeem within their panic while trying to get their free coffee sorted too.

Almost always, a Waitrose customer after a coffee is an embarrassment to society, my personal best was to be stuck behind a saddo who bought just a can of Waitrose Basics Vegetable Soup, 27p as I recall, in order to get his free coffee... and even then the dick paid with a debit card !

BN41Albion · Jan 31, 2019

Christ almighty.

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