I work at Waitrose AMA

[Pratners]

What do you want to know about Waitrose?

In the last couple of years, Waitrose has closed its main stores in both Nottingham (Wollaton) and Leicester (Oadby). Are there any plans to open more stores here, or have you given up on the East Midlands?

Are you still allowed to take broken cakes out back and eat them if you work on bakery?

which of the essentials range are really good my DD says the S&V crisps are better than Walkers, Golden wonder etc

I'm afraid that one's beyond my pay grade. It's a shame though, I hate to hear about stores closing because it could be mine next!

Why didn't they care that their delivery driver was menacing towards Kellie-Jay Keen and her daughter?

Why are some of the staff unbearably rude? Particularly, but not exclusively, the very young ones?

Why do M&S get so upset about you? If I go into an M&S with a Waitrose bag, staff make comments!

Technically no, but it's been known to happen! In our branch they tend to get put in the Partner dining room for us to share on our breaks.

Are you a 'placement' operative - not a Waitrose partner at all but someone in an office whose job it is to stir up interest in whatever company?

I was in a branch of Waitrose today and the coffee machine was back looking clean and shiny. Not turned on yet but hopefully it'll be back soon.

Exactly! Like cheese samples!

Baked beans, all the other tinned beans & chickpeas, mature cheddar, cheese & onion crisps, feta, pasta/spaghetti, balsamic vinegar... these are all good imo.

DH says the malted wheats are better than shreddies!

In my Waitrose the Portuguese tarts are not behind a counter, they are open to the elements and people's breath and fingers, can you have a word please ?

why are the general items more pricier, is it actual eg ingredients ect, or is it just inflated prices to match the name so to speak ?

Why didn't they care that their delivery driver was menacing towards Kellie-Jay Keen and her daughter?

Why are some of the staff unbearably rude? Particularly, but not exclusively, the very young ones?

Why do M&S get so upset about you? If I go into an M&S with a Waitrose bag, staff make comments!

I didn't agree with the way KJK was treated at all. Not my store but I know which one it was. The younger members of staff at my branch are great but maybe the ones you've encountered just haven't learnt how to behave yet, they're still growing I guess.
No idea about M&S, I don't shop there.

Oops, didn't mean to leave the copy and pasted questions in my last post!

I never try any of the samples in any supermarket because I fear there may have been touchage by others.

Nope, never even heard of that! But then I would say that wouldn't I 😂
I truly just work in a branch.

< gone for tea break >

What was the recruitment process like

Do you get a big discount off your grocery shop

Do you have any extras in your shop?
Do you do your food shopping at Waitrose?

I worked for Waitrose years ago and can absolutely confirm we did do this

My branch and others I've been in have doors on the patisserie counter, might be worth asking why your branch doesn't

@Hawkins001
why are the general items more pricier, is it actual eg ingredients ect, or is it just inflated prices to match the name so to speak ?

Items are pricier due to a combo of Brexit, Covid, and the cost of living crisis. Our food is made to a better standard too e.g the Essential Waitrose range is benchmarked against Tesco Finest. We're actually absorbing a lot of the price rises at the moment.

If it helps, we have really strict routines to follow. We must use tongs, gloves, separate tasting cups for the samples to sit in, paperwork to ensure temperatures are maintained and that there's no cross contamination etc. But I'm not sure what other supermarkets do!

I've posted this as a question before but it still mystifies me so ..

When I did a scan and shop thingy and got random checked, the lady came to check, two things that I had scanned flashed up on her machine, then she had to check I had them in my basket .
Cannot understand this at all , what are you learning from this? My scanner said I had scanned them, surely if they weren't in my basket I would be reverse shop lifting ?