To expect better customer service from Waitrose?

[32notout]

I had an online order from Waitrose delivered last Monday. It was the first time I'd used their service and I was trying it instead of Ocado/Sainsburys etc.

When the order arrived, I was actually in hospital with 8 week old DD who was suffering from meningitis (all fine now thankfully) and my mum, who was looking after 19 month old DS, took the delivery. Unfortunately, the driver dropped a bottle of cordial on the way into the kitchen, which smashed and sent shards of glass (and 500ml of sticky sugary cordial) all over the wooden floor.

According to mum, the driver did not apologise for this but instead insisted upon finding the barcode so that he could write the number down for his records (not sure why - they haven't bothered to refund me for this!)

At this time mum was trying to keep DS away from the mess and glass. She then cut her hand trying to clean the glass up.

When DD was discharged from hospital on Wednesday I emailed Waitrose about the breakage, also mentioning that they had sent some very short date items which I could not use. To be honest this was the least of our problems at that stage but I was annoyed that the driver had not apologised to my mum.

Today (7 days after my email) Waitrose replied with a standard cut & paste response about out of date items, and not offering any form of apology about the broken glass and mess.

AIBU to expect better customer service than this? I am really quite annoyed that it has taken them a full 7 days to send a standard response which doesn't even address the main point of my complaint.

YANBU

Call them

Glad family are OK

I might call them, but I fear I may get ranty. I am afraid I have just sent them quite a snotty message

You really should ring the number that is printed on the big receipt thing they hand out. Although their website has had problems recently and they have stuffed up on a few things, whenever I've called them they've been great.

It sounds like you've been very unlucky - our drivers are always fantastic - a couple of months ago we had a 4pint bottle of milk leak over things. The driver noticed (and tbh it really didn't matter as it was only over e.g. tins of tomatoes, so nothing that got damaged), and said to me that what had happened was definitely a case for £5 goodwill (as well as a refund on the milk) - so I would have thought broken glass and a cut finger would have merited some sort of apology! They also gave us a pretty expensive bottle of wine and some flowers for our 100th delivery, and our neighbour similar gifts for a new baby recently so my experience of their customer services is actually pretty good.

Otherwise try ringing the store you got it delivered from directly as they won't be too impressed either!

I'm very glad to hear your daughter is ok - had similar experience with my son once and it was horrible.

Cross posts - don't worry about sounding ranty - they have been well trained and as soon as you start saying anything they will just apologise profusely etc!! Took the wind out of my sails recently when I was in a bad mood and up for an argument and they were beyond reasonable!

They are normally excellent, when they delivered milk that only had 2 days to run, I called them and I told them I couldn't get through 4 litres in 2 days.

They sent a van out specifically to replace it. ( I hadn't taken delivery of the order, DD had, and had put it all away, so not discovered until later by me) they also refunded for it.

They have also refunded for items that I have just mentioned to customer service that were not up the usual standard, or a bit iffy and they have replaced and refunded without a receipt or the item! ( But they do know me well!)

We also had a delivery booked for an hour after we landed at LHR and we were late, the van called and said I"ll just keep going round the ring road until you are home as I am sure you will want fresh toast and milk when you get in!

I'm confused - you tried Waitrose rather than Ocado? Ocado IS waitrose :)

anyway - I have never had an issue with them - ring and compain - I find their CS really good.

Waitrose is not the same as Ocado - Ocado sell Waitrose stuff, as well as other brands. I thought that too until I tried to use an Ocado voucher at Waitrose online.

OP, defo call them. They are usually great. They once missed a chunk off my order - meats mainly, and when I called them, they delivered them for free (as in, I didn't pay for the meats) and gave us a decent bottle of wine as an apology. Also, they usually give you products that are close to their use by date for free, so you should pull them up on that. Glad to hear your baby is ok.

You're not unreasonable to expect good customer service but your post sounds snobby. For goodness sakes, you're buying from a supermarket online. Waitrose isn't for the 'posh', it's a supermarket. You are still entitled to good customer service from there as you would be from Asda and yes, you should pull them up on it.

Now... if you were to say that Fortnum and Masons had managed to stuff up your order, I'd be with you all the way. You'd be PAYING for the cachet of shopping there.

Buying from Waitrose is not like buying from another supermarket. They profit share so in general you get good customer service because it is in the staffs' interest to keep the customers happy!

I would ring and complain.

It's in all staffs' interests, in whatever supermarket, to keep the customers happy otherwise customers complain and they lose their jobs potentially.