Blimey! John Lewis , what happened?

[eggplant16]

I had to return an item today. I was one day over the 30 days, a telling off from the assistant who said " On this occasion I'll allow it".
The cafe! 6 people doing nothing, chatting, one poor woman collecting trays and washing up. I ordered 2 things, they were wrong. The tray was wet, the knife was dirty.
I have every sympathy for people on their feet all day btw.

Sellers will get disciplined if they continually flout returns policies, don’t do that to people on minimum wage, or anyone.

It's unfair to emotionally blackmail customers to accept poor service because senior management are horrible.

Yes it’s disgusting when I went recently there were 3 quite large (and smelly) dogs who were barky pulling on leads and clearly pissed off at being in a shop

@Nouvellenovel that’s shocking how they treat Christmas temps.

I worked as a summer temp in Oxford Street in 1993 and in Brent Cross the following year. Even for my 8 week stint, the staff training was excellent and there were high standards. Uniform (‘business dress’) was strict - I wasn’t even allowed to wear a pair of plain black shoes because they were suede instead of leather. Section managers were clearly visible on the shop floor with their bridge boards keeping an eye on staff. Woe betide if you were standing around or looking vacant if there were customers nearby - you got a bollocking! Some staff members had been there for years and were real experts in their product range.

Staff were looked after very well. We had 3 proper breaks during the working day - 45 min morning break, 45 min for lunch and 30 min afternoon break. Staff canteen was well run with lots of choice of fresh, reasonably priced food.

They have definitely lost their way. JL are trying to be hip and trendy like other retailers. It doesn’t work. Bring back old fashioned customer service.

Absolutely agree with all of your comments. I worked in retail for years.
Also, re Christmas temps having to stay late on Christmas Eve to get the sale ready, I've worked in retail since 1995 and this has always been completely normal. Who do you think gets the shop ready for Boxing Day sales?! Elves?!!

@OrangeCrushes it was actually a Phase Eight skirt and in the end I took it into my local branch who very kindly replaced it for me. I always try to buy direct from the retailer now because the service is generally better and then they get all the money!

I have a historical fondness for JL… so it gets me upset that it’s gone downhill. The problem at the moment in my local branch is inconsistency. Sometimes the customer service is great, reminiscent of the past. Sometimes it’s beyond terrible.
There does seem little point in having a 30 day returns policy if they don’t stick to it. If they’re good enough to bend the rules there isn’t anything wrong with a reminder to try and stick to them in the future.
My sadness in particular is the demise of the haberdashery dept and dressmaking fabrics. I’ve formally complained about how poorly stocked the department is and that no knowledgeable staff are around to help.
The toilets leave a lot to be desired and yes, it’s mainly down to the public’s bad habits. But I’ve not seen hide or hair of a cleaner whenever I’ve been there either.
The cafe is ok but a shadow of its former self.
And indeed…. Why on earth do dogs need to be in John Lewis?

I actually feel sad about the demise of JL. I have wonderful memories of going as a child. I used to like it when they all had different names. We used to say going to Coles Brothers or Trewins. There were wonderful haberdashery departments and my mum and I were recently reminiscing on the amazing leftovers soup they used to do. All very samey in the cafe now. I barely ever go tbh. It’s expensive, doesn’t have the personal service quality anymore. It once stood for quality but I think it has been lost. It is simply just another department store.

I think you’ve got no sense of proportionality. Whenever you like is quite different from a day over. People have busy lives.

It’s slightly overpriced for slightly underwhelming as far as I’m concerned.

Refusing to accept a return after the returns period isn’t poor customer service.

Similar memories @Drfosters All those rolls of dressmaking fabrics. When I worked there, we learn that fabrics were traditionally always on the ground floor because that’s how the business started.

I have fond memories of Trewins (Watford), Jones Brothers (Holloway) and John Barnes (Finchley Road).

No. It's the ONLY department store. All other physical estate national department stores have gone bust because the non food business model has changed so much in the last 25 years.

In all retailing, you have a choice where to shop. Most of the time you will get a good or OK experience. If you get a below expectation experience, please don't come on here saying how rubbish the whole brand is just because you they didn't reach your standards on this interaction.
Complain to the actual company so they can try to rectify it.
If you don't like dogs in John Lewis - tell them. The reason they are allowed in is because customers asked for it.
If you don't like the cafe menu - tell them.

Some people may have read this thread and decided they won't shop at John Lewis anymore. Some shops WILL close. People WILL lose their jobs. It's like death by a thousand cuts

Bring back old fashioned customer service

I think this is what I was trying to say.

There was no " scene".
you are ridiculous
I am not ridiculous, a bit sad maybe.

I don't think JL is going to close because of a thread on MN.

@Pipsquiggle yep. JL I work in has excellent customer service and perhaps customers don’t understand how demanding the work is.

For example, a group of us were on the shop floor discussing how best to move stock in preparation for a sale. Customer walked past saying: look at them just chatting and not working.

We always stop what we’re doing and help customers, we pride ourselves on it.

Please don’t read posts like this and assume all stores are bad, people can’t afford to lose their jobs.

I'm sorry but this is becoming a bit silly now. Of course I don't want people to lose their jobs. In my mind JL used to be a cut above, exclusive, expensive and the service matched that. I believe this working there had shares in the company.
Now its not.
Mea Culpa regarding returning an item.
The cafe had wet trays, the order was wrong, 5 staff were chatting while one poor lady was doing everything.

@eggplant16

I've said 'some' shops will close - they have already closed a few. More will follow. I don't think you understand the knife-edge finances of retailing - maybe go and have a look at a high street with all the boarded up shops.............

It's the little digs that do the brand damage, in turn, people decide whether to go in a shop or not. It's all the micro decisions that individuals (times hundreds of thousands) that make retailing viable or not.

Due to this thread of hundreds of comments, a few people may have decided not to shop at JL again because other people have also piled on. All to do with a 30day return policy that you concede had expired.

The problem with JL is that customers quite rightly expect excellent customer service from knowledgeable staff, the same as they've always had. But JL have slashed the amount of staff they have and the ones that are left have to cover areas they have no clue about. So its a hit and miss if you go in and get an experienced member of staff or someone who has had no training and is in a department they dont know.

Thats reality now in JL.

@eggplant16

So complain to them!!! That's how things will change.

Go woke, go broke. Made a tokenistic CEO appointment (no experience of retail) and they are reaping the consequences. By contrast, see weekend press re: M&S’s CEO and check out their share price.

I was in JL a couple of weeks ago to return something, customer service was fine. But I had a browse around women's wear and it was so drab and uninspiring.

Exactly this

Another one here who doesn't like having dogs in the John Lewis stores. Last time I was in, there was a loud barky one. Like REALLY loud and sudden. I hadn't seen it and was very startled (along with everyone else around me!)

WTF are dogs doing in there? There was a lot of stock on shelves at 'dog level' as well - some of it the kind of things I really don't want to buy if a dog's been snuffling round it.

@Benjina
Customers asked if they could take their dogs in - enough people asked, so JL allowed it.

If you don't like the dog policy - complain

It's our "inclusive" society. Dogs in restaurants too. It's too much.