AIBU to think Marks and Spencer deserve to go under

[Carulli]

I'm so disappointed, I grew up shopping at M&S snd as young adult still bought most of my clothes there. However for at least 10 years they don't seem to have anything to offer me (I'm in my 40's) apart from food.

Their Sparks card is a bad joke, I've got over 57,000 points from regular food purchases but to obtain any benefits I'm expected to log in and pick deals I'm interested in. Who's got time to do that before they go and buy a sandwich? I know Boots ask you check offers too but they also generously accumulate money on your card with every purchase which you can use to buy products. Sparks offers nothing at all, they get all the valuable data but customers get nothing of any use.
I foolishly bought school uniform for my 3 kids because it was a 20% off deal. Instead of delivering it in one or two large boxes they posted it to me with most of the items in individual bags which took up loads of space, I received 16 parcels in total! Having tried on the uniform and finding it far too large for my normal size kids I decided to return it and was amazed to find that in order to return it to the local Collect store I was expected to tear off a printed piece of paper and attach it on to each individual parcel! All the other retailers that I shop online with have sticky labels which are so easy to attach.
I rang customer services and asked if they could collect the parcels so that I don't have to use sticky tape to attach 16 labels on and they refused and were particularly unhelpful.
There was still a part of me that felt some loyalty to them and I wanted to call head office to let them know how frustrating it is to shop with them now. Well I found it impossible to contact them, there was a number online which kept me on hold for 8 mins before I gave up.
Any loyalty or wishes for them to get their act together so that I could shop with them again evaporated. I feel so sorry for their shop floor staff who will continue to lose their jobs as stores close through no fault of their own. Incompetent management teams for at least the last decade continue to treat their customer like idiots. The only way to have any contact with M&S is though the call centre and those staff appear to have no way of escalating customer concerns, certainly I was given very short shrift. If the Senior managers really want to turn the business around they need to stop tinkering and actually connect with real customers and lots of them. They need to know why so few people are buying their products now and actually ask them why themselves, maybe call 10 customers each once per week picked at random from their Sparks database.
I'm not sure why I'm offering them suggestions, I just don't care any more which makes me sad.

I would never wish a business to go under. But I do think M&S has completely lost its way. The things it did well - basic clothing items in lots of different sizes with good availability; food - have gone out the window.

We all know the clothing is a joke now. I haven't bought a single item in years. Even basics I used to rely on M&S for, like underwear, has lost its appeal. Primark quality for M&S prices. No thanks.

The quality of the food is nowhere near as good as it once as and they focus too much on ridiculous faddy offerings - 'prosecco crisps' and novelty puddings etc. Their wine is also dreadful compared to the likes of Aldi and even Sainsburys.

But of all the things they get so, so wrong its their online offering. Clunky website, poor service, slow delivery. They have to sort this out to survive. Hope they do!

Re: clothing. WHO is their target market? They have no idea themselves. Its not me (40), my mum (70) or my kids (kids clothing is dreadful and over priced). Its certainly not cool young things...

Here.

Hate m&s. Customer service getting worse each year. Called their customer service the other day and before getting through to the assistant chose to take part in their customer service satisfaction survey. The lady on the phone afterwards was utterly unhelpful. I politely told her that and asked to be put through to the customer survey. She stayed on the line. I asked again. She disconnected me. Way to get an honest response to your survey-Just let the satisfied customers answer. Will go under soon enough!

I agree the children's clothing is over priced. Honestly, I'd rather go to Primark or H and M.

The clothing isn't really made with my body shape in mind (pear) I find that the waists are enormous and legs and arms very tiny! I can't be the only pear shaped woman in the UK. However I do like the bras (not the sizing service, that's bollocks) and it's the only place I know I can buy 100 percent cotton knickers. Food is awesome but really a treat because of price. I hope it doesn't go but I suspect all shops will one day

I find the arms huge, Sinister!

I do love M&S food and find it a treat. I do think M&S an institution.
However, the poster who said this was her latest Sparks offer (below) is a reason I never use my bloody Sparks card. Are they having a laugh? It does show a bit of contempt for customers:

20% of custard if you buy a pudding
10% off dessert sauce
Save £1 when buying £5 of cheese
20% off fresh dips

I mean have a proper customer card, or don't bother.

p.s. Although I don't fancy most of their clothes, there are a few really funky and imaginative ones sometimes , I am sometimes quite surprised. Sometimes they are good value, sometimes pricey.

I love the shoes, boots, underwear and jeans and cashmere.
And socks.
They just need to cut back on the polyester.
They misjudge every season on too much tat.

I bought some bedroom furniture from Marks last year, it was so annoying as quality control seems to be poor. One bedside cabinet was painted properly so I called them and they replace it no quibble. The replacement was also marked when I called them they said I had a choice they would give me a discount on the replacement or they would have to send someone out to assess the quality. The attitude that came across was that I was inconveniencing them and that I should put up and shut up. There seemed to be no acknowledgment they had inconvenienced me twice and there was no apology at all. I wouldn’t buy furniture off them again because of that

The app is the way to go with sparks. Just choose your offers on there. It's quick and easy and saves money - what's not to like?

It's a badly run company. They don't seem to know who their target market is at all. The shops are dull and the staff aren't great. I had a friend who worked there for about a year and the management were awful to staff although years ago it was considered a good company to work for.

I would not wish M+S to go under. I think they have lost their way on clothing at least, pandering a bit or maybe too much to the British cheap attitude to clothing.

A first step which would benefit all high street retailers would be for business rates to be reformed- they do not vary locally, so no reason why you could not base them on turnover.

The online arm of the business is shit, for sure. I can’t believe your order arrived in 16 parts

DH had a similar issue with their sale. Ordered some clothes. After a few days, received an email to say something was out of stock and he’d be refunded. Then a couple more days pass and another email arrives to say something else is out of stock. Then, over a week after ordering, the remaining items are despatched. That’s really inexcusable for a high street retailer as big as M&S.

I’d feel really sad if they went under, even though I’ve never really been able to afford to shop there regularly!

I think they are a bit lost and trying lots of things but not getting it right. The food has even lost their way a bit, I don’t know if it’s because other shops have upped their game or m and a have lost their way. I’m not sure. I used to go in for the odd treat dinner, but I struggle to find something now.

Thank you MoonsandJunes you're absolutely right, the Food Hall now accept returns for online clothes orders, apparently they have for about 3 months. That's progress at least.

Can't return some clothing in store, like high school uniform.

Haworthia Tue 17-Jul-18 18:21:05
The online arm of the business is shit, for sure. I can’t believe your order arrived in 16 parts

DH had a similar issue with their sale. Ordered some clothes. After a few days, received an email to say something was out of stock and he’d be refunded. Then a couple more days pass and another email arrives to say something else is out of stock. Then, over a week after ordering, the remaining items are despatched. That’s really inexcusable for a high street retailer as big as M&S.

I ordered some stuff at Christmas, online, loads was out of stock. My order was lost in delivery and it didn't look like the replacement would come in time. I went in store, and they had loads of the original stuff that I wanted.

I thought that was pretty poor - although I know store stock and online stock must be different. I bought it all and returned the online order though.

I wouldn't want them to go under but if they did the main reason would be they don't listen to us, their customers.
There's been dozens of threads like this on MN over the last few years and no doubt on other forums too. Every thread says the same things but M&S never listen, otherwise things would change.

Sparks - rubbish
Clothes- many are awful and mostly overpriced
Food - overpriced, overpackaged and trying to hard
Customer service - what customer service??

Had a survey on the Sparks card to complete yesterday for all the good it will do.

If they do go under (and I hope they don't), they can't say they weren't warned.

I love them but they are total shit now. They don't care and don't listen.

Their website advertised free delivery to NZ over $200 and local returns via Australia (reducing return postage massively). So I ordered loads safe in the knowledge I could return.

Stuff I received was worse than Primark quality. Horrible fabrics, colours nothing like the image, sizes bonkers.

Went to return half the order only to find they had stopped their Aussie returns! NZ post quoted me $120 to return to UK! So I've got a wardrobe full of their shitty clothes that don't fit.

They couldn't care less when I emailed to complain and that they were still advertising it on the website. They said the Australia returns were 'costing too much'. I told them they were costing me too much now their policy had changed, I couldn't shop with them again and they didn't even respond.

YANBU regarding the amount of packaging they use - a waste of time for everybody - warehouse staff, delivery, you.
BUT, they do seem to be changing with their clothes in some small way. I haven't shopped there for years but have recently found some good quality (wash well) basics. I do agree with other posters who say 'cut out the frills' etc. People love good basics that are cut well, cover up lumps and bumps and wash well. I don't mind the prices as I am more inclined to take extra care of clothes that cost a little extra.

The sparks card concept is lousy I agree And clothes very ‘mixed’. But I do buy a lot of underwear, some make up and a lot of food there!! I would miss it enormously, I find it a very ‘comforting’ store, where they need a real shakeup though is menswear And in my opinion less of the horrible colours , more plain stuff, well cut and in good fabric, they used to be fab at this

I don’t find the food overpriced either, it’s nice quality and lots of offers and basics stuff, I find you can easily spend as much at Sainsbury’s or Tesco’s and more at Waitrose forcwirse quality. Now Waitrose I think is overpriced (and I do use it) I am lucky though as have both on the doorstep as well as Aldi, Lidl, Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s etc , so I do bits of shopping in lots of them, but M and S is my go to of choice for food

It would have taken less time to attach the labels than to write your post. That is definitely a first world problem 😉

Whilst you may have a point about the reward card, of course they don't deserve to go under! Many, many people would lose their jobs!!

Everything that I used to buy in M&S clothing department, I now buy from Gap. Knickers, t-shirts, vest tops, plain cardigans and jumpers, blouses. Apart from bras - I buy posh bras now.