Debenhams and other failing businesses

The staff in the M&S I went to at the weekend were very good, friendly, helpful and the young man clearing the tables in the café was chatty and very thorough!

I think it is often finding a member of staff in some of the large stores that is the problem.

That's terrible Littleannie what is it with people that they can't manage an hour or two without eating or drinking. Whatever was their line manager thinking.

The last time I went into W H Smith, 2 of the assistants were standing at the tills serving customers while eating bacon baps and drinking coffee! Unbelievable.

That's fine Humptydumpty. I didn't think you were being rude.

Perhaps it depends on the department - as I mentioned, DD works in a food store, so there are always people about refilling shelves etc. Sorry didn't mean to be rude, you are a poster whose views and posts I admire and respect!

I don't often go to M&S but when I do, I have had difficulty in finding salespeople on the floor of the store.

Eloethan again I have to take issue; IMHO, M&S has plenty of people around the store ("adjusting this and that to avoid till duty" as Anja would have it).

About four years ago Debenhams spent millions of pounds refurbishing some of their big stores.

I go to the one in Oxford Street, which I thought didn't require re-vamping as it was very nice as it was. The "modernisation", in my opinion, looks cheap and nasty and has changed the whole character of the store. If that money had not been spent, there would have been more in the kitty to weather harder times.

I also agree that in most of these stores now there is virtually no-one to assist with queries.

Anja I have to strongly take issue with your comment M&S is another store with overlong queues. Plenty of staff in both but they were wandering round adjusting this and that to avoid till duty.

My daughter is working at an M&S food store at present, restocking shelves, doing price reductions etc, and works her butt off over an 8-hour shift during which she has one 30 min break. The decision as to staffing tills is taken by the store managers and staff working on the floor or tills are not given a choice.

It infuriates me when I have to queue in M&S Food when I am already paying so much more for the food than I would in other supermarkets. My local one always says 'oh we have had a high number of staff phone in sick today' whenever I complain about having to queue to pay - they literally trot out the same excuse every time!
I avoid shopping there as much as possible.
It also annoys me when the people on the tills have a nice little chat with each customer instead of helping them to pack their stuff and hurry them along so that those of us 3 or 4 back in the queue don't have to wait even longer than necessary!

House of Fraser now charge you £5 for delivery to their Stores for customer pick-up. You then get a £5 voucher to spend in Store. I tried to buy some tights to be told they were a franchise and couldn't accept it; ditto the coffee shop. finally put it towards some unwanted make-up! The assistant made the comment that she didn't understand why anyone shopped at HofF! I agree with her.

I too have been disappointed in department stores. My main gripe is finding someone to ask - and then to pay! Like many others I'm voting with my feet and prefer to shop on line.

I so agree with prestbury. I was in my local WH Smith a few weeks ago and it was so dim and dark, I have visual problems, I asked if the electricity bill had been paid.

I really don’t know how W.H. Smith manage to stay in business. I went in recently for some fountain pen refills and baulked at the price but would have bought them had it not been for the fact that I couldn’t find the washable ink ones. Sleepwalking staff were, as usual, no help at all. Later, in the stationery section of a large supermarket, I found exactly the same brand in a larger pack at a cheaper price.

I have to agree as I have had similar negative experiences in all of the shops mentioned so far. I am particularly disappointed with the decline of M&S which used to be my go to shop for work clothes and now sells nothing that I want to buy. I am especially annoyed with the staff in the cafe there. Plenty of them but they chat and faff about while long queues build up and when I am eventually served the free tables are piled with dirty dishes. Unfortunately, I have vouchers for free hot drinks through their Premium Club membership but I often don’t use them all. I keep the membership going because of the travel insurance which is a good deal.

I found myself in JL yesterday. I struck lucky and had excellent service. I find it unpredictable.
It was my first ever job when I was 15. I worked in the invoice department in Jonelle every Saturday.
I was a partner and felt important.
However I read about the new Tzarina they had employed to help JL transition into the post Amazon world and she sounded detached from my reality.
She wants to concentrate on the high end, perfume and designer shoes rather than quality classics and dare I say it - haberdashery. We had to petition to get our fabrics back in the Edinburgh store.
I suppose they know what they're doing as I'm not a big spender.

I agree with other posters who commented on 'shambolic' WH Smith and Debenhams. Sadly its not a recent development, I stopped going into Debenhams before I left UK in 2005. It used to be a pleasurable experience having a day shopping but not any more. I think PECS is right in saying that the service industry is undervalued.
In rural France there are no department stores unless you go into large cities. Shops other than supermarkets or DIY shops are in very short supply.

I haven't been able to find anything I like in M&S for quite some time - badly made clothes aimed at the young who wouldn't shop in M&S.

I like John Lewis - I was in our local branch a little while ago with a friend who was buying an electrical item, I wandered off and looked at the TVs, an assistant approached and offered help, I explained I was thinking of getting a new TV but not for a few months so was just looking. He still took the time to explain the merits of each set so when I am ready to buy I will be returning there.

With regard to clothing and the occasional visit to a large town for a treat, it is just not possible any more. In most of the main shops, such as M and S , Debenhams, and even J Lewis, the clothing is impractical, does not fit, not cut in a suitable manner, poor quality and made in some country where labour costs are very low. The result of this is that I have had to turn to home dress making, which would be enjoyable, if I did not have children and grandchildren to look after, meals to prepare, two houses to keep clean, and a fairly large garden to sort.
It is not surprising that these shops are not doing well when one sees what is contained therein. I walked around Debenhams just before Christmas last year, and it was pretty awful, for the reasons outlined above.
M and S started to go down hill about 20 years ago for all the usual reasons. Poor quality and made in "God knows where'.

Absolutely agree about WH Smiths prestbury. The high street branches are so grubby and messy that I just avoid going in there. If you do go in, they try to force you to use self-checkouts and buy unwanted chocolates which are mounded up around the one staffed checkout point. Great business model!

Deedaa all these companies have non harrassment policies. You following her and persisting in putting your point of view could gave been viewed rather negatively. As I said, there was nothing she could do about stock ordered centrally. Let the tills do the talking. If you want old fashioned customer service try shopping in smaller or privately owned shops. The chain stores are just that - chain stores.

House of Fraser (Sports Direct) has negotiated with intu and will not be closing down their stores in intu shopping malls (Lakeside (Essex), Nottingham and 2 other sites).
Which is good need for their employees and those shoppers who use these stores.

Jane10 she really should have been able to refuse the situation, rather than making it quite clear that my opinion was of no interest. We used to be taught this stuff. Should have said she was actually a manager so should have known better.

Deedaa I must say that following the assistant and persisting with informing her of your opinion sounds a bit aggressive. It's nice that the assistant was so convinced that the stock was lovely. There's nothing she can do to change it.
Just let the tills tell the management what the customers think of their clothing offering.

Oh goodness - it sounds typically M&S today - the customer is always wrong!

I took back a light showerproof which was anything but showerproof, unfortunately the receipt had been lost although I did have my credit card bill.
The showerproof cost £25 originally and they refunded me £2.50 - enough for a cup of coffee! They said they would contact me after testing the garment - zilch months later.

Contrast with White Stuff - I took in my bank statement when I found a fault with a top but had lost the receipt. They apologised and the assistant located the same top online and had it delivered to my home.