(FB) Supermarket customer service says my job to speak to manager ?

[SerendipityJane]

For 5 weeks running I've been unable to buy a favourite treat from my local (massive !) Sainsburys patisserie. It's not sold out, just "never in".

Usually I'm pretty mellow but after the 5th time straight I thought I'd have a Facebook chat with the Sainsburys team, and at the end of the exchange :

Hi there, thanks for your patience whilst this has been looked into. I'm sorry to have to say that the brownie is still an active item that is sold in our stores so this issue would have to be taken up with the bakery manager directly in store as to why this is no longer available to you. Apologies again that we have to pass this back to you.

AIBU in thinking that complaints to customer services shouldn't be batted back to the customer to resolve in this way ? I know we've already started doing some of their jobs by self-scanning, but is self-customer service the Next Big Thing ?

It would rankle less if I ate more than one cake a week, but I don't. This is genuinely my "cake of the week". Or would be if they had it.

Be curious to hear some views before next weeks Saturday shop.

Daily Mail are quite free to contact me for more details .

Oh so it doesn't matter how long the answer takes. But the bakery manager could tell you straight away?
Seems pretty straightforward to me.

Not necessarily straight away, could be some time before OP has the chance to go back to the store, enough time to find the manager, manager is available etc. Whereas C services have a direct line of communication. Plus this way the complaint is actually recorded and could forma bigger picture of demand for the item.

I stand by my previous storm in a teacup picture.

If the OP wanted an answer that badly they would go back to the store/ring the store speak to the bakery manager, get the answer and get on with their life.
At the same time they could ask the store to register their complaint that they have been unable to buy something 5 weeks in a row.

Jeez @sparklingbrook is it not clear that OP was making a point that goes beyond her specific cake question?

The message that CS sent said

I'm sorry to have to say that the brownie is still an active item that is sold in our stores so this issue would have to be taken up with the bakery manager directly in store as to why this is no longer available to you.Apologies again that we have to pass this back to you.

The issue here is CS faux apologising about “having” to pass this back. Not suggesting that OP might be able to get a quicker answer by asking in store, not explaining why they can’t call up their own colleagues, just saying “computer says no, we’re not joined up so it’s back to you, we wash our hands if it”.

That is the issue, not the fact that she can’t find out if they will ever restock her cake!

Hilarious all the people saying this isn’t a customer service issue. What is it then?

It's an issue for the customer service in that one branch.

I find nowadays that all customer service is just window dressing. They are not interested and never have any power to do anything.
I’m not just talking about Sainsbury’s but banks travel companies clothing store etc

OP, have you replied to them to ask why they can’t “take it up with the bakery manager in store”?

The social media team will literally just email the store saying 'a customer is complaining they cant get this brownie'.

Assuming the store manager has lots of free time for admin (they dont) or perhaps and admin person in store (lots of them dont) it would still take days to get an answer. Because they are doing other things, like dealing with customers in store.

The store is unlikely to change anything because of one customer. The store manager will then go back with answer, as I said possibly days later, which the social media team will then forward to the OP.

Or the OP can go ask the store or bakery manager. Getting an answer straight away.

treacletoots I currently work on the Social Media Team of a very large company (not retail) while I agree the team could have taken the time to liaise with the store, bakery etc, sometimes we do have to direct the customer there as a sort of self serve option. The reason for this, is that Social Media seems to be the main customer service route at the moment and more customers are visiting these channels rather than taking this up with the store if their issue is about that. It creates so much traffic and delayed response times, when the customer can visit the store (if it does relate to that of course!) I think also, alot of people assume SM have alot more power than generic customer service, we do not. Sometimes, store, calling are the better options in some instances.

All this over a cake?

That must be a spy from Netmums No true MNetter would have written that.

If the store knows people do want them early they will bake them. This is why people should speak directly to the stores.

That would be to confuse the word "Sainsburys" with the word "real". Anyone who thinks the loose patisserie items on the counter are actually made in store is probably the sort of person who still believes in the tooth fairy. These items are delivered in frozen, and thawed and displayed as needed. In theory.

I appreciate the Bake-Off backers here, but for various reasons I really am not going to invest that much time and effort into trying to approximate something I do really like. To be honest I'd rather go without. When you get as old (and ugly) as me, you become wedded to routine, and the Saturday shop, with a return home, put shopping away, prep for dinner and then a nice sweet treat with enormous Americano is a little ritual. Consider it my equivalent of going to church .

I appreciate posters suggestions about speaking personally to someone in store ... all I can said is we all work from experience as to what works best. I certainly do. As I said upthread I got as far as establishing the item in question hadn't been seen in the wild for 5 weeks by asking in store. And trust me (since I was there) I knew at that point I would get nothing of any more use in store that day. Hence the FB message. I would also comment that Sainsburys make a point of inviting you to contact them via FB, Twitter etc etc. So I robustly refute any suggestion I did it to make a nuisance of myself (although I hope I did ).

Anyway, it'll be another 5 days before I can report back ... once again thanks to everyone who took time to reply - if nothing else, it shows that in these straitened times, we can still get worked up about cake ....

So Galaxy would you not then phrase it as “we can follow this up for you but it might take a long time, if you need a response more quickly we suggest you ask in-store, the manager’s name is Susan Smith and she is there until 6pm Monday to Friday”?

Not “our computer says you have to ask in store, soz”

OP, have you replied to them to ask why they can’t “take it up with the bakery manager in store”?

No, I'm too shy and introverted.

I tell lies too ...

The reason for this, is that Social Media seems to be the main customer service route at the moment

I know, it's weird isn't it. I mean most companies have only printed their FB and Twitter handles on every available whitespace inviting you to "like us on FB" ... what sort of idiot would confuse that with needing to speak to real people ?

It's a local store issue, so I'm sorry, but what do you expect 🤷‍♀️

When I've had issues with my local store, I've spoke to them directly to resolve it, much more effective & nothing to do with cutting back service, it's always been that way. Head office would be for major problems with a local store, such as when refurb of our local store led to the pavements blocked for weeks & arsey security guards not getting that crossing the road with my teen who was in a wheelchair at the time, wasn't as bloody easy as him saying it

Maybe if you promise to buy one every day they’d stock them. One brownie a week isn’t nearly enough - I really think you need more!

I think there might actually be some sort of stocking issue recently. I have a craving for their coffee choux buns and there's been quite a few times i've been in and they don't have any. The whole counter has a lot of items missing though that are usually there.

OP- I’m imagining you complaining to the bakery manager and them the deciding brownies are off the menu officially.
You can buy a brownie packet mix that needs to add water and an egg (I think) and you mix and put in the oven. Yes it’s more effort but it is easy. And as previously suggested you can freeze them.

To be honest. In store bakerys, across all the top chains are going to scaled back.

@JuniperNarni situations like you mention will happen more and more. Based on the fact that bakers get paid a little bit more in most of the chains and people (in general) not purchasing as much.

Maybe if you promise to buy one every day they’d stock them. One brownie a week isn’t nearly enough - I really think you need more!

The problem is they've been previously frozen, so re-freezing isn't an option. I did suggest in my original FB message that they move them from a counter item to a frozen item so they'd be available there. But apparently "that's not an option". That said, I'd happily buy a pack of 12 - or even 24 frozen if they did them. Two of those, and that's the year sorted. (Unless we had guests and I was moved to offer a square ....)

OP- I’m imagining you complaining to the bakery manager and them the deciding brownies are off the menu officially.

I'm well aware I can have that effect on people

But there's no official menu anyway. It's all a bit hit and miss. They might sell albatross ("fucking seabird flavour isn't it ?" ). So what's on - or off - it is a matter of hearsay. They must have a list somewhere, as I have heard people asking about allergies.

Drifting slightly away from Sainsburys, Costa did a divine salted caramel Brownie a few years back as a Christmas special. They stopped that pretty damn quick too.

I know it's ludicrously self indulgent to waste an AIBU thread on a weekly square of brownie, but when it's all you have to look forward too in the week, it's a Big Deal !

To be honest. In store bakerys, across all the top chains are going to scaled back.

Oh fuck I hope not. Even if there were any decent high street bakers around here (there aren't) high streets simply aren't accessible.

This might be the time to look into a real bread oven ...

Brownies are easy to make, just bake some yourself or find another store that makes nice brownies. This isn’t really a huge issue.

I’d hate to work for customer services, hate it.

That must be a spy from Netmums. Ouch-reported for personal attack.