... to think that it's not 'Mothercare' but 'mother-to-be-care' and

[PigeonPie]

they don't give a flying fig about mothers who are?

I went this afternoon because that is where our nearest ELC now is and we had some vouchers to spend.

Firstly, it was really difficult to get round with the pushchair because of all the crap and boxes which were left lying around.

And secondly it was very difficult to take two under 4s to the loo with DS2 in a nappy but needing to use the loo. I had to change him on the floor of the women's loo because the baby changing place was in a different part of the store with no toilet in.

I think that all Mothercare staff should either have children and know how difficult it is to get round and change nappies etc or else at least take a pushchair or wheelchair round their store twice a month.

[grrr]

[GypsyMoth]

it was probably delivery day! Have you ever worked in a shop?!

[notnowbernard]

I hate Mothercare

Have done since I asked if a recently toilet-trained DD1 could use a toilet

The staff member refused and DD1 almost shat herself (the store had no public toilet facilities)

How can a baby shop have an area for baby change and 'nursing rooms' but not even a bloody potty for a toddler?!

[PigeonPie]

There was a potty in the women's loo, but none that I could see in the baby change area, but then I'd have the problem of disposing of it!

[whomovedmychocolate]

That is shocking notnowbernard. . I would have encouraged her to shit on a potty from the display rack!

But I find our Mothercare is always like that - so it can't just be delivery day (on the boxes) and the loos/feeding room is always filthy. We go to M&S instead and battle with their enormously heavy doors instead

[squilly]

Ours had toilet facilities and dd got her finger caught in the loo there when she was a toddler. I complained and said they should have put some kind of warning in place that toddlers could trap their fingers in the disabled loo mechanism, but they just sneered at me!

Complained to HO and got a standard response letter back. Complete waste of time. Mothercare have been off my radar ever since.

[AmazingBouncingFerret]

Its a horrible time of year for mothercare/ELC atm. We are in sale, mothercare have launched catalogue. and ELC have all new stock arriving for their new catalogue launch in August. Most shops will be very messy, especially if it is delivery day, we had our delivery today and no word of a lie most of it was new stock so it all had to stay down and you can bloody guarantee we end up being busy customer wise its always the same!
Im not sure about mothercare but I know its ELC's company policy to have a 1 metre gap around all "traffic areas" to allow for access.

[mummiesnet]

You're right there's always stuff all over the floor in there, impossible to get around.

[flowerybeanbag]

It's impossible to get round ours with even a small pushchair, nothing to do with delivery day, they just have everything so crammed in there's no room.

Plus (have ranted about this before) their 2-foot-square curtained off area in the corner of the shop doubles as not only the dressing room for trying on maternity clothes, but also the 'baby changing area' and the 'baby feeding area'.

[notnowbernard]

LOL at using a display potty!

I have had the same problem at Argos

B&Q were much more accommodating and let us use the staff toilet
(and that was a spotty teen, I was very impressed)

[maggievirgo]

I think you're right there. I remember loving mc when I lived near one years ago. I popped into one a while ago to look at the clothes and there was next to nothing for 7 year old and 4 year olds.

[cheesesarnie]

i think your all lucky to have one near you tbh.

[eclairea]

Really agree that customer service seems to be way down their list of priorities. I went there with a baby in sling to pick up a highchair. My car was just outside and while I could manage it was a struggle. The large box was handed over to me with no offer of help, or even a 'will you be ok with that?'

[jujumaman]

Mothercare are useless, the nearest one to us always has one dozy teenager on the till and a queue of 150 mums with babies screaming in buggies and toddlers shouting I want a wee. The mum at the head of the queue is always exchanging a pile of clothes that don't fit, which means the teenager has to go and get the supervisor who's on a break ... Meanwhile, the two other staff are chatting hidden somewhere behind the maternity bras only occasionally shoving a box in the pathway of a double buggy to liven up their day

And its profits keep going up .

[AmazingBouncingFerret]

Profits keep going up because the majority of stores and staff are probably quite nice.

I know I am...

[TotalChaos]

the layout is dire with buggies (and I imagine wheelchairs) in the ones where they shoehorned ELC into MothercareWorld. Never had problems with the staff, but was very that the baby change room in my nearest one was upstairs, and there was no lift!!!

[lovelylullaby]

Our MC is atrocious. I only go there when I can't find what I want elsewhere. When expecting DS1 and at full term I was left standing at the till for ages, with no member of staff in sight, and no chair or rest place for heavily expectant mums to sit. I had no choice but to stand and wait as I needed to buy last minute items.

Everything we've bought from there has broken - mattress ripped, cot frame snapped, beakers with lids which don't fit, and I even found rips in a change mat after one weeks use (and the shop assistant informed me it looked like i'd cut into it with scissors!). Half the time, even though it's a huge out of town shop they don't have items in stock.

[flowerybeanbag]

The women in our store do all seem very nice and helpful. But the store is far too small for all the stuff they try to stock, leaving no room for anyone to actually get round the store and no room for any appropriate facilities at all.

[NeverEndingPileOfLaundry]

Reality: I really miss the mothercare you used to work in, and I found it the best mothercare store for miles in terms or layout, stock and general store tidyness! I rarely visit the other mothercare stores and won't go in poundland on principle!!!

[Sidge]

Mothercare are shit. (IMO)

Overpriced, overhyped and under-resourced.

I went to Mothercare when I was hugely pregnant with DD1 (who is now nearly 11!) and was planning to spend a fair bit on stuff. I needed a wee and asked where the loo was to be told they didn't have one. I couldn't believe they didn't have a toilet in a store targeted for pregnant ladies, and women with young children. When I asked if they had a suggestions box the woman just shrugged and walked off.

I then took my custom to a small independent baby shop which couldn't have been more different - they couldn't do enough for me. And they let me use their loo!

[AprilMeadow]

We have 2 lovely Mothercare stores near to us that have the toilets and changing area combined. Staff are always helpful and the shop layout is user friendly and you can get a buggy round it.

I have noticed recently that a lot of MC stores are being re-vamped and this has made them much more buggy user friendly as well as having better facilities.

When i started toilet training dd i made sure that i carried round a porter potty just incase we got stuck in a shop without such facilities.

[Firawla]

ours has an upstairs and no lift!! lol how stupid, when most of the customers are mums with pushchairs
and it is small and difficult to get round cos so many pushchairs
but nevertheless i still go there because i like their things and we've not much other baby clothes places around here, or places with baby supplies