Debenhams and other failing businesses

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.

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.

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).

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.

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!

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

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 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 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.