to be really nice for a change and BIG UP John Lewis plc

[Monkeybird]

I mean FGS they farkin well know how to treat a parent wishing to part with their hard earned cash.

Despite having to avoid the air kissing Ladies Who Lunch (surprisingly still able to manage 3 mwahs despite the botox and solid foundation) and the Merc drivers who believe yellow lines mean 'please park here blocking the way of all pedestrians' JL themselves are BRILLIANT. Can I say that again? Yes? OK, BRILLIANT.

You roll up, sweaty screamy baby in tow to find they not only have a dedicated baby room but... shock! horror! it has a dedicated BF space. With proper BF chairs! And free chilled water. And privacy.

And then they provide free nappies and wipes.

And a push button to open the door so you can get your pushchair out without breaking off your elbow tips. And, I noted, a parent and toddler loo with two toilets in, one big, one little AND room to get a pushchair in...

And then, when you nip off to the cafe to have a spot of lunch, a nice munchkin offers - OFFERS, FGS! - to carry your tray for you cos obv if you're on your own with a pushchair you do, actually, need help to buy their fine food.

And then, when you go to buy your curtain material, the nice lady who looks momentarily aghast at the idea you, YOU?!, might make your own curtains, rather tactfully puts a kind smile on in lightning speed and then proceeds to give you huge amounts of expert advice about fullness widths, blackout lining, whether or not interlining is necessary and exactly what sort of needle you will need, as well as adding up how much fabric you will need, ordering a large sample for you and saying 'I think you've made a lovely choice with that paint colour, dear. Very sophisticated combination'

Someone give me a reason why I should ever shop anywhere else?

I love JL too, In Cambridge new store they have great childrens shoe department downstairs away from the bustle, no queue choice of startright or clarkes shoes. Lovely staff even in the christmas madness..

A store that other retailers should try to emulate!

...and, when I realised I'd left my scarf there today, and rang them, they hadn't found it but said if they did they would post it to me!

Give them a medal. Or one of pointydog's certificates. Or a pen for being top of the class.

And the staff in the toy dept actually know about "ITNG" and phoned dh at work when they got Makka Pakka in. Unlike some other toy shops who looked at dh like he had two heads.

Whenever we need anything, I suggest going there. Last time I did it, DH said "there are other shops you know".

Don't be ridiculous!

My DD refused to go in any other Public loos except John Lewis - "The others are all smelly Mummy"!

I used to work for them, and they were really good to the staff as well. This was when they were still shut on Sunday/Monday, so we got a proper weekend, despite working in retail! I don't know what it's like there now with the shift rotas.

I became very interested in the pottery etc that we sold in the department, even going to visit the main potteries down south in my own time, so if you asked me about plates then I could tell you all about them.

But I don't shop there because most of the stuff is out of my price range....

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Cribbs Causeway are pretty good too. Ordered a mattress in their sale last year, it arrived, as the delivery men were heaving it upstairs,they noticed a really quite small black splodge on the underside corner. They phoned the store, who spoke to me and offered me a replacement, if I didn;t want to accept "damaged" goods, or a 25% discount if I kept the delivered mattress, plus £25 voucher. Guess which I took?? and the splodge came off quite easily.

If I were you I'd write and tell them you are impressed. Too many people take time to complain and don't pass on compliments.

Funny I was just reading this about JL. Good on them then!

I did actually say in person how impressed I was with their baby facilities at the customer service desk but yes, maybe I'll write also.

What is really staggering is how they manage to do it and how little care everyone else takes (eg about BF spaces or parent-friendliness) I am sick of slack-jawed poorly paid teenagers staring at me when I ask a question, or changing babies in stinky filthy toilets with nothing but a broken fold down plastic thing, the safety strap encrusted with someone else's mystery brown stuff. And of course the only place to feed in private is same, sat on the toilet seat or some crappy plastic chair which is right behind the door wedged open by a nappy bin.

Oh I could go on and on and on, but thing is to any retail staff (not JL) reading, tell your managers the longer it goes on, the more those who can will just vote with their feet. At JL...

We got our very first JL yesterday (Belfast), I'm off to practise my air kissing. (is it really posh?)

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Sorry to rain on the John Lewis parade, but I shop at Waitrose, occasionally...usually to treat DH with a ready cooked meal of quality when he's had a rough week and I can't be a**sed to cook.

Valentines day was such a day and I chose carefully a meal that would appeal to his gastronomic requirements.

Unfortunately, the shallot garnish in the meal ended up taking up a 5th of the packet. It was HUGE....lik a hand grenade in our lovely beef in red wine sauce.

I complained on the 15th about the meal and the company responded saying they'd investigage it further.

3 weeks later and still no update...

I know stuff can go wrong with food production, but 3 weeks to get back on a food quality complaint?? It's not great!

oh yes, john lewis is the dogs cahooneys

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And am I having 'god' delusions again, or did JL start advertising on MN just after this thread? Weird.

I regularly go to John Lewis for basics and luxuries (where else can you get both?) despite the fact it is 160 mile round trip. School uniform, shoes, bedding, fabric, any nursery item - all unsurpassable.

Come on JLP Cardiff - at least I won't have to pay for the bridge then.

When I was pg and had to go to Reading for masses of things for the house - we'd just moved - I always saved JL for last: as soon as I turned up and they saw my mahoosive belly, they would bring me a chair and rush around fetching me all the stuff I needed from that department, then carry it for me to the next department, where another chair would magically appear, and so on. Lovely people. They've got this customer's loyalty.

JL on Oxford Street is wonderful for pregnant ladies as they have toilets on nearly every floor. As for the food hall - don't go if you are starving because there are too many tempting morsels to buy.

I love the Perfectly Ripe range of fruit and veg in Waitrose - no more 'ripe and ready to eat' avocadoes from Tesco/Sainsbury that always remain rock hard.

ooooooohhhhhhhhh I miss JL

when I was feeling awful when DD was tiny I used to wheel her round Kingston JL, fantasising about moving in - wondering if they'd notice if I just installed myself around the corner in the nursey department...

JL- Whoever was in the parent and child loo (there was only one of them, and a huge queue in the main loos) for quarter of an hour this w/e on Oxford Street - shame on you!!! 3 year old dd waiting patiently before we had to abort for the disabled. Do agree their bf and ff area is nice, but it's recent. Accd to my NCT teacher, JL were one of the stores that banned BF-ing; I think they staged a feed in or something like that.

I hate having to put your name on a list in the nursery section to wait for someone to call you to help you. God forbid asking a simple question, bypassing this list. "Computer says no." Bizarre. 19th century.

Can't bear the overpriced buffet style restaurants. So easily managed, a tray full of food for two, whilst carrying bags and pushing a pram.

Three out of four friends who had their wedding lists there ended up with loads of returns due to broken stuff, plus practically suing the place out of frustration over re delivery times.

Waitrose, on the other hand, is lovvely...

I had my wedding list there, twas fine...BUT

I recently complained about poor service and downright bad manners at the Bluewater branch.

In the curtain dept, DD (8) and I were looking for fabric (she was next to me) and a member of staff was very rude to my DD in a way that I'm sure she wouldn't have been to an adult. Staff member said in a horrid manner, "Can you move out of the way." DD did immediately. So I said in a loud voice, "I think what that rude lady meant to say was excuse me please."

Then once we had made our choices I waited at a desk for a staff member, a very young man asked if he could help so I requested samples. They don't do samples I would have to call a number and request them, I asked for number and he huffed around and wrote it on a scrap of paper.

I had taken about 3 steps away when a young woman came up and said, "what did she want?" So I turned round and said, "SHE wanted some samples!" She did at least have the decency to look embarassed.

I am an account holder and love the place (also Waitrose is my local supermarket) but feel it is going to the dogs somewhat.

That's not good marmaduke

Come up to Cheadle - we still get fabric samples, the staff are fab with my kids, and a guy in the bed dept even got into (onto) bed with me when trying out new mattresses to see what the bounce/roll together effect was like Can't imagine the usual Cheshire Set would've been impressed, but we had a right laugh.