Waitrose "it's on us"

[GreenTeaTuesdays]

Just curious about the Waitrose "it's on us" initiative.. a few times I've been in (always with my daughter so I think she's the lucky charm!) the cashier has given us something for free.. we've had flowers, a gingerbread man and some chocolates.

It's a little thing but it does really put a smile on my face

Does anyone on here work at Waitrose? How do you pick and is there a monetary limit on how much you can give away?

Has anyone else had some nice freebies?

We do our main shopping at Waitrose, but have never had anything. In fact I didn’t know about it till now, nor do I know what the My Waitrose card does for me!

I got told by the cashier to pick out any bunch of flowers for myself as I'd done the customer in front of me a favour by offering for them use the app on my phone as theirs wouldn't scan. I think it saved them a tenner off the bottles of wine they were buying. Was just before Christmas.

Daughter used to work there. She always used to give flowers if people were polite and patient if they got flagged for a self service bag check.

Good luck, I was in one earlier this week, struggling, explained to the cashier I’d had an operation the previous day, the only response was “oh it’s unusual to have an operation at the weekend, isn’t it?”

They gave my four year old a Lindt bunny because she was having a tantrum about wanting it and I had said no. I was a tiny bit pissed off that the shop worker had reinforced that if she cries she gets what she wants, but needless to say DD was utterly delighted!

I did appreciate the kind gesture.

Just before Christmas I went into our town Centre little Sainsbury's and wished them all a Merry Christmas as I was being served.
The lovely assistant who I always chat to said, hang on and gave me a lovely card thanking me for being a pleasure to serve and also a Lindt Raindeer, saying I was a very nice customer.

I was so pleased ☺️
I came across the card yesterday and was reminded and grateful.

These gestures are worthwhile if they make us smile.

DH went to get me some flowers the other day. Told the cashier it was an apology for being a grumpy arse (he had been!). She gave him a box of chocolates “on us” to go with them and told him to apologise profusely to me!

It happened to me, I walked in in tears after some horrific news and was given s bunch of flowers

I had flowers while heavily pregnant in a heat wave! Think they felt sorry for me 🤣😂 It was lovely though.

I’ve never ever had this at Waitrose & I’ve felt very faint at times with the price increases & still nothing.

Tomorrow when I go, I’ll be sure to find someone to offload my worries onto & hope I get a treat!

There’s the most lovely old man that goes in every Friday, 96 he is & his back is hunched over & he can hardly walk & he’s so sweet - I hope they give him something.

I go to Waitrose every week, and have never come across this. I didn't know it was a thing. And I'm a perfectly pleasant and friendly person! Clearly I need to drag my toddler DGD with me.

I did once get a free Pret coffee. I was trying to grab a drink before I got my train and was cutting it fine. The coffee took longer than usual and I could feel muself getting agitated. I might even have been a tad grumpy. So when the barista told me it was on the house, I felt really bad! It still made my day though, so good on him for choosing an older woman who was frazzled and a bit grumpy, rather than someone pretty and jolly!

I had this a couple of Christmas's ago, I didn't know it was a "thing"! I was picking up an order, people were being impatient and huffy. I had to wait quite a while for them to find mine, probably half an hour, and I told them not to worry as I was in no rush. When they bought my parcel up they bought a bunch of flowers and thanked me for being so patient. I was so touched, but also felt sorry for them that they had to give me a reward for being nice when they were so busy!

I've (well my daughter actually) has received a small stuffed toy and both my children have been given chocolate bars. I've been given an item free of charge because it wasn't scanning properly.

I also saw a woman - think she must have been a child minder or looking after her own children plus a couple others. There were about 6 under 5yrs in tow - all impeccably well behaved! I almost stopped her myself to say how impressed I was!! The manager came and gave her a lovely big bouquet of flowers.

Nope never got a thing and I go weekly ! I heard a lady and her kids being made a fuss over last week. Maybe I'll take my dd next time !!

👏👏👏

Maybe he should give to someone else for a change then.

So in essence the people that go in with cute kids or rabbit onto the cashier about their life story seem to get the freebies whilst the ones who quietly go about their business hiding their troubles get sod all !!!

I got flowers during lockdown as someone who worked there knew I was volunteering with helping to deliver food to families on FSM. My parents also got a bouquet of flowers when they happened to mention to their favourite cashier that it was their 60th wedding anniversary

For all those saying it’s unfair about only people with cute kids getting something, have you not noticed that the items being given are for the kid, not the adult? I mean if you feel hard done by not being given a gingerbread man or a Peppa Pig magazine then crack on, but wrestling a Lindt bunny out of your neighbour’s toddler’s hands once you’re in the car park is not a becoming look!

Ah, the free Pret coffee. Those were the days. I worked in the city and would pop into a Pret on the way to work fairly often, I literally went about 6 months without having to pay for a hot drink, it was great

I went in the day after my mum died and the lady asked how my day was so I told her, I couldn’t not say and pretend I was ok, and she asked a colleague to bring me some flowers. I was touched beyond measure.

Used to get a free smoked salmon and egg baguette nearly every day at Pret in Liverpool St. I was a together, hot young thing then and smiled a lot as had no worries, now I'd probably get my coffee thrown at me if I tried to get anything for free. Definitely a case of middle aged invisibility cloak having descended.

The M&S one is irritating. Has anyone got a substantial shop free? I mainly shop in M&S because I'm awful at cooking and v lazy and only basket I've got free was 2 cut price ready made sandwiches and a bottle of water 🙄

I've never had this and I shop in Waitrose a lot. A few weeks ago the cashier gave me some pretty dead flowers. I felt like I had to take them because she was very sweet. When I got home my kids asked me why I'd bought dead flowers. I did try to revive them but that was essentially 24 hours with very dead flowers in a vase and my 16yo calling me sad. "Mum if things are that bad I'll go and buy you flowers."

Or who aren't cute or well put together or who look miserable or exhausted or messy. Those people could well need it even more. Things like well behaved children, that counts out a lot of DC with SEN, mine certainly wouldn't pass judgement. I'm the sick exhausted messy mum with the loud children. I'd actually rather fly under the radar, but giving it could make the day for others who are struggling.
Random not based on individual judgements of who's worthy would be better.

It all sounds very generous, but if you did a weeks shop in Aldi for example, you would have saved enough money to but yourself or dc a treat of your choice.