John Lewis

I recently had a delivery from JL and the driver couldn't have been more helpful - carrying the parcel into the kitchen for me rather than just dump it by the front door. I always find their assistants helpful and knowledgeable. Have to agree about the catering - I regularly meet a friend for coffee and cake in their restaurant and the quality of the cake has definitely deteriorated!

Still love the service in store, although they no longer call one "Madam" but I agree about the cakes, only go for my free coffee and cake once a month, and if I had to pay for it, I wouldn't bother!
#stillmyspiritualhome

I thought that it was only me, but you're right. We used to be able to phone John Lewis, ( Heelas as was, and still is in our house) and speak to an actual salesperson, on the floor, who could tell you what you really wanted to know. Now you are put through to a call centre, and although helpful, it's not the same. We were told that you can ask to be transferred to the actual store.

I've had a few things sent to France, but the last parcel went missing. I rang several times, got nowhere. Then emailed and got a quick reply, and a refund sent .
Their international delivery service is erratic, even they don't which company has taken it on.
I still love their stores though - when I was over in the summer went to the Oxford st. branch and bought a few things.

No not really. I ordered a dress last Friday and it was delivered yesterday (Monday) it was the lady who seems to do all the courier stuff round here and she is always nice. We still get our coffee and cake monthly which is very nice - the scones are good and the carrot cake HUGE - Leicester branch but I like Cambridge too and cant wait to see the big HUGE Birmingham one.

Oh I agree about the Birmingham one
Our nearest, MK, is not a patch on Solihull, so Grand Central (?) is bound to be worth a visit.
Shall I do a Tripadvisor review of John Lewises I have visited and loved?

Does anyone else remember Jessops in Nottingham? A lovely store and a visit was an experience. They moved into a shopping centre and I visited when I was last there about 4 years ago and it just wasn't the same.To walk in through huge entrances straight from the open mall thronging with people didn't compare with going through the doors into a "shop" and all the departments run into each other. I'm just not moving with the times I suppose.

We had a lovely department store like that in Aberdeen called Esslemont and Mackintosh-sadly closed a number of years ago. You can still see the name on the tiled façade. Building lay empty for years but now has a Jamie's Italian on the ground floor-not quite the same.

Do any Edinburghers remember PT's (Patrick Thomson's) at the Bridges? I remember as a child being able to look down from the restaurant to the ground floor as they were all open. It was a proper restaurant with linen table covers and napkins, black clad waitresses and a string quartet!!

I can't wait to see the Birmingham one. It is on top of Grand Central (the refurbished New Street Station which I am also dying to see). The nearest John Lewis to me is Solihull which is a bus and train ride away or about 40 minutes in the car. I can nip on the bus and be in Brum City Centre in 15 minutes

Just thinking after I had read the posts about the free coffee and cake in John Lewis. My little vouchers are very erratic now. Last quarter, only had one freebie. DH also had one. I can't fathom out why, when I used to get a monthly voucher. I use their partnership card for everything, but admit that I don't shop in Waitrose, or remember to swipe the " My Waitrose" card whenever I do shop there. DH never spends in JL or Waitrose. Has anyone else noticed this?

They stop sending them if you don't use your JL card
#lookingagifthorseinthemouth

Alea, it is still my spiritual home too. The children always say that I buy everything in John Lewis. I have not noticed the service getting worse but we have stopped having breakfast in JL when we shop on Sundays and use Carluccio's instead.

We used to shop in Jessops ann and, in fact, the Nottingham JL is still called Jessops in our house! We use the Leicester one mostly now. The car park is convenient (if expensive) and there is a pedestrian bridge over St Margaret's way almost straight into the store so the rain isn't a deterrent either.

Alea, thanks, but I do use my JL partnership card, for everything
What am I doing wrong?

This subject has been on my mind recently, too. I work for a company that supplies JLP and have recently noticed that they are no longer so insistent on customer service. The customers have been ringing us directly and e-mailing us and I have been passing on their complaints to John Lewis to get them to set up an order on the complaints system so that I can do something about it and not hearing back from them (We have no way of processing orders directly from private individuals - that's John Lewis' job).

It's almost impossible to find a telephone number to get in touch with them.

One of the customers mentioned that she, too, had noticed a deterioration in the service of late.

This must be the beginning of the end, if even John Lewis are outsourcing their customer service and becoming more impersonal and less helpful.

My mother, however, is very satisfied with their service, and uses their website a lot. She recently ruined her ceramic hob, which was an unusual size, and JL were very good about delivering and fitting a replacement.

Oh - and John Lewis in Cambridge is also still Robert Sayles in my mind, and Heelas in Reading is Heelas.

And John Lewis in Sheffield is still Cole Brothers. They used to have a number of 'pay points' on each floor and roving assistants who could give advice if needed. Now they have one pay point and apparently, no-one to ask except in electrical goods and electronics. But I really like the 'click and collect' where you can order on-line and go and get it at the shop.

I love John Lewis but can never find an assistant anywhere. Not had a problem with the food (except I eat too much). Good place to go for a browse and lunch. I notice a lot of young Mums seem to meet there with their babies and older folk too for a chat. Our local store has a big dining area so nice place to meet people.

Auntieflo not your "Partnership" card, the other one, are you using that?

This has just reminded me that i have not been getting coffee and cake vouchers for some time now and i do use the card. Come to think of it they have stopped emailing me as well.

I (and DD) also still refer to the Reading JL as Heelas.

In Newcastle, near where I spent my early years, it was Bainbridges. When they first moved from Grainger St. to Eldon Square it was still Bainbridges, but now John Lewis. Still my favourite store when I go up there, but no family left there now

As a young mum I used to curse Jessops in Nottingham for keeping their lovely glass and china so close to toddler level, but we managed not to have any accidents. In Manchester, the much loved Kendal Milne, shrank its name to Kendal's and is now the very bland House of Frazer. It's still a remarkable landmark building on Deansgate and nothing to do with John Lewis.

anno do you remember the under the road walkway that linked the basement of the 2 Kendal buildings on either side of Deansgate? When we first moved here in 1967 I went into KM and took a pair of stockings to the counter and the very supercilious saleswoman said "just the one pair Madam? We usually sell them in dozens" I was mortified , I wouldn't be now!!

We have one bus weekly to the nearest town with a John Lewis. I'm afraid to go as there's only one bus back. I do love Waitrose, their levels of helpfulness, politeness and friendliness have never wavered. And they call me Madam and I get my Guardians and coffee free.