somerfield wick

[misty woman]

Has anybody noticed how unfriendly the staff are?I was in there today and said hello to the girl on the till and she just compleatly ignored me.I shall think twice about going in there again.She was very lucky i was not a mystery shopper.She didnot even say please or thankyou.

[landmarker]

Blimey! this seems a recurring theme.
I wonder if any of these retail charmers ever visit this site!

[The Angel Of Death]

Cant agree with that for all the times that i have been in there i have always found the staff to be friendly and very talkative nice pleasent etc

Maybe they had an off day were all entiltled to one now and again aint we ????

[angela5]

I've been shopping in somerfield now after i got so fed up with the coop..i find most of the staff to be really cheerful, i enjoy going in there.

[98elite]

Has anybody noticed how unfriendly the staff are?I was in there today and said hello to the girl on the till and she just compleatly ignored me.I shall think twice about going in there again.She was very lucky i was not a mystery shopper.She didnot even say please or thankyou.


I Disagree, I use the Wick store weekly and they are always freindly, however on the subject of unfriendly staff head to Thurso Somerfield they really do fit the bill. In Wick if you cant find an item they will head through to the store and see if they can find it, try that in Thurso and you will be met with silence and a shrug of the shoulders.

[JAWS]

They put up with my abuse and I've not been thrown out yet. That's good enough for me! :evil

[AR]

And i suppose they will be the first people to apply for jobs in tesco or asda!

[Stargazer]

If every time a single shop assistant acted like this I boycotted the shop I would have go probably to Perth for a pint of milk by now. Everybody has an off day. There are plenty of helpful, friendly assistants in shops all round Caithness.

[RandomHero]

Maybe not everyone in somerfield are always cheerful but in what store are all the staff cheery? They put up with moaning customers all day and don't say 'that's there job' because it isn't. It's not their job to take groans from customers because the type of beans they eat arn't in. It's not a glamorous job but they do their best to put things out on the shelves as quickly as possible, while hearing huffs and puffs from customers. just because one person doesn't smile, don't base the whole store on it. believe it or not, im sure not all customers arn't polite, friendly and smiley. People say 'I can't wait until Tesco comes' - but are Tesco bringing up a super human staff? No, of course not. People complain to much and forget about what's truley important in life. Complain, complain, complain. I used to work in a supermarket a few years ago and I was always friendly and polite. It's hard to be polite to a sour faced customer. Just think about all that next time.

[rfr10]

I think that the staff in the Wick Somerfield are friendlier than the staff in any other supermarket I've been to in Caithness. When I was bagpacking for the Scouts, all the staff at the tills would talk to you and they all seemed friendly to me.

[Fran]

there was a forum on here recently with complaints about the staff in the wick co-op. I think the staff in both stores are friendly and always say hello, but i think the co-op staff are much much friendlier and extremely helpful.Nothing is too much for them, especially the one who is married to the coalman.

[connieb19]

there was a forum on here recently with complaints about the staff in the wick co-op. I think the staff in both stores are friendly and always say hello, but i think the co-op staff are much much friendlier and extremely helpful.Nothing is too much for them, especially the one who is married to the coalman.I have to agree with you fran about Carol who is married to the coalman and maggie in the coop. But apart from them two you never get so much as a smile in the coop!!:roll:

[willowbankbear]

Myself & Mrs Bear go to Somerfields all the time & 99times out of 100, The staff are helpful & friendly, especially at the check outs, so I will disagree with you on this one

[laguna2]

I Disagree, I use the Wick store weekly and they are always freindly, however on the subject of unfriendly staff head to Thurso Somerfield they really do fit the bill. In Wick if you cant find an item they will head through to the store and see if they can find it, try that in Thurso and you will be met with silence and a shrug of the shoulders.

Sorry, I can't agree there - I shop in Thurso and always find the staf friendly and helpful.

[obiron]

sorry laguna2 but every time ive been in the thurso one i come out thinking what a bunch o space cowboys. its like the checkout operaters think you are something odd like some piece of doggie dirt on the soles of your shoes.

[crashbandicoot1979]

Sorry, I can't agree there - I shop in Thurso and always find the staf friendly and helpful.

I agree - I always find the staff in the Thurso Somerfield friendly and helpful. The day staff in the co-op are pretty dour but the younger staff who come on around tea time are really nice - always polite and helpful.

[Venture]

I shop in both the Co-op in Wick and Somerfields. I find in both stores that the older more mature staff are very pleasant, friendly and helpful but the younger ones specially the Saturday lot leave a lot to be desired. I was in the other day in Somerfields and one young girl who served me the only words she uttered to me was the price of my shopping. Not even a thank-you. If it wasnt for the customers going in there they wouldnt have a job so I think the least they can do is give service with a smile.

[wicker]

Am i the only person who doesn't care wether someone smiles or says hi to me when i goto a counter to get served, i go in the shop, get what i want and leave doesn't put me up nor down how the staff are.

[tillygirl]

When I've been up in Wick or Thurso, most of the time I've found the staff pleasant enough in both stores but bear in mind us girls do have at least one or two days a month when we're not at our best...Still it costs nothing to smile...

[misty woman]

When I've been up in Wick or Thurso, most of the time I've found the staff pleasant enough in both stores but bear in mind us girls do have at least one or two days a month when we're not at our best...Still it costs nothing to smile... Compleatly agree with this one,it certainly doesnot cost anything to smile and be polite to customers instead of compleatly ignoring customers,if it wasnot for us customers they would not have a job.[evil]

[squidge]

It might be worth remembering that what we give we are likely to get back. smiles from customers and a nice cheerful greeting or a bit of chit chat will mean the assistant is more likely to smile back.

[nicnak]

Well I have to agree with squidge I have only ever had a problem with one member of staff at somerfield and that was when it was safeways it wasnt just his demeanor it was his personal appearance and body odours that I found offensive luckily I havent seen him for a while but have to say that I have found all the other staff more than friendly and helpful except on the very rare occaision and like squidge says that was probably more down to my own mood that day than anything else, and at the end of the day no one forces us to go into shops that we dont like do they!

Before anyone starts shouting I am sorry if this offends anyone it is merely a personal observation!

[scorrie]

They put up with moaning customers all day and don't say 'that's there job' because it isn't. It's not their job to take groans from customers

It most certainly IS their job to put up with moaning customers. That is what they are getting paid for. All employees are responsible for the reputation of the company.

I went through a BT training course and was told (and agreed with) that the customer cannot be expected to care whether or not you are having an off day. They are there to be served at the high standard they have a right to expect.

I have had plenty of customers giving me a hard time when I was feeling under par over the years. I simply forced a smile onto the face and served them as if I had been born to do nothing else. Of course, they were not to know that the middle digit was extended as a sayonara after exiting the premises.

Difficult customers are a fact of life and have to be dealt with. If anything the culture of complaint is not very prevalent here, with most shoppers probably more likely to gripe to friends and neighbours about bad service, rather than tackle the staff about it.

[phoenix]

I worked in the retail business for a good few years. We were taught always to be polite and pleasant to all customers at all times. Some of the customers mind you would try the patience of a saint at times! They were miserable people by nature, they are usually the ones that complain and moan about everything....no matter what you do they are never happy! They expect the world and his wife to bow at their feet...........theyd be well advised to take a good long look in the mirror first to see what their problem is before pointing the finger at shop assistants.[evil] I very seldom find unfriendly staff, if I do I dont let it bother me, I leave the problem with them. There are some assistants who are maybe having an off day, you can usually tell, then its up to the customer maybe to give them a friendly smile .......they are human beings after all. Its not one way traffic all the time, we are not robots!:confused

[RandomHero]

It most certainly IS their job to put up with moaning customers. That is what they are getting paid for. All employees are responsible for the reputation of the company.

I went through a BT training course and was told (and agreed with) that the customer cannot be expected to care whether or not you are having an off day. They are there to be served at the high standard they have a right to expect.

I have had plenty of customers giving me a hard time when I was feeling under par over the years. I simply forced a smile onto the face and served them as if I had been born to do nothing else. Of course, they were not to know that the middle digit was extended as a sayonara after exiting the premises.

Difficult customers are a fact of life and have to be dealt with. If anything the culture of complaint is not very prevalent here, with most shoppers probably more likely to gripe to friends and neighbours about bad service, rather than tackle the staff about it.


They don't get paid to be cheery. They get paid to rotate stock. I used to work at BT and people forget that they are speaking to a real person on the phone. Employee's shouldn't have to run round after customers, they are not slaves. I think customers should accept that sometimes people have off days, maybe it's not by the book, but it's about being a human being. Have some understanding. If you ask an employee where a prodcut is and they take you to it, then they've fulfilled their task. A smile is just a bonus. Get your shopping and get out. You're not royalty.

[rfr10]

there was a forum on here recently with complaints about the staff in the wick co-op. I think the staff in both stores are friendly and always say hello, but i think the co-op staff are much much friendlier and extremely helpful.Nothing is too much for them, especially the one who is married to the coalman.

I would say the exact opposite. I don't think the staff in the coop are friendly at all except one or two maybe. I have done bagpacking in both Somerfield and the coop and I have to say that I much prefered working in Somerfield as the staff in the coop never speak to you or when they do try to speak, the never look happy to talk to you.

[jay]

I shop in Sommerfield THurso virtually every day and have no problem with the staff at all, some of them are very young and quite shy and do not always feel confident enough to make conversation with strangers, also quite often they are just too busy and have to get on with it to stop queues building up - on the whole most of the staff are pleasant, helpful and polite, if I do ask for something then someone always goes to check on it although you really know that if its not on the shelf they don't have it - they do not keep stock where customers can't buy it!

I have bagpacked many times in both somerfield stores and can honestly say that the staff have always been more than helpful

[scorrie]

They don't get paid to be cheery. They get paid to rotate stock. I used to work at BT and people forget that they are speaking to a real person on the phone. Employee's shouldn't have to run round after customers, they are not slaves. I think customers should accept that sometimes people have off days, maybe it's not by the book, but it's about being a human being. Have some understanding. If you ask an employee where a prodcut is and they take you to it, then they've fulfilled their task. A smile is just a bonus. Get your shopping and get out. You're not royalty.

I have to say that you are talking nonsense. Employees ARE effectively slaves, they are paid to perform duties. If they do not perform those duties then they will be sacked, that is a simple fact. Customers are the life-blood of the business. No customers equals no business, equals no job.

It sounds like you have got a rather large bag of McCains on each shoulder. I always found that the people who ended up with supposedly difficult customers at BT were those who had an attitude problem themselves in the first place and, in any case, everyone had the fallback of being able to cut the customer off if their behaviour got out of hand.

It is a very competitive marketplace these days, if you don't make the grade on service, the customer goes elsewhere. Any business following your customer service ethos would fold like a concertina within a very short time.

[wicker]

Can you all honestly say you sit in your job with a big happy smile on your face all the time.
Put yourself in their position would you be grinning all day everyday if you did their job, i seriously doubt you would. And dont say if they dont like the job they should leave, if your forgetting theres not exactly alot of jobs up here is there.
Go get your shopping, pay and go, dont be petty by letting it have an affect on you brush it aside, way too many over-reactions on this post.

[squidge]

Thats all well and good scorrie but it doesnt give customers carte blanche to be rude to staff. I have managed staff in a customer facing role and assessed VQs for customer service and I would never ever ever expect my staff to sit there and be abused by people. so customers fix a smile on your face and be nice and see what happens. Say please and thank you and pass the time of day with them ands ee what a difference it makes

[scorrie]

Thats all well and good scorrie but it doesnt give customers carte blanche to be rude to staff.

Pardon me but where did I state that it does?

Are you then endorsing Random Hero's attitude of here's yer stuff, now get out of my face?

You are being paid to do a job and every staff training scheme I have ever seen is based on polite and friendly service, with the goal of going that extra mile to be better than your competitors.

I too have managed staff and sometimes in very volatile scenarios. I had to send for the Police on several occasions and confront and bar certain customers.

There is a difference between being rude and simply expecting good service.

I maintain that Customer Service is paramount to any business wishing to succeed and if they are getting away with bad service then they are lucky the customers probably have no alternative outlet.

Ultimately, those paying the wages decide how they want it done and that had never been "Oi customers, drop the attitude" in my experience.

[scorrie]

Can you all honestly say you sit in your job with a big happy smile on your face all the time.
Put yourself in their position would you be grinning all day everyday if you did their job, i seriously doubt you would. And dont say if they dont like the job they should leave, if your forgetting theres not exactly alot of jobs up here is there.
Go get your shopping, pay and go, dont be petty by letting it have an affect on you brush it aside, way too many over-reactions on this post.

Try writing to any major retailer and see what they think of your standpoint on customer service. I am sure THEY will have a big smile on their face all day ;o)

[scotsboy]

I am with Scorrie on this one.

[DW]

They don't get paid to be cheery. They get paid to rotate stock. I used to work at BT and people forget that they are speaking to a real person on the phone. Employee's shouldn't have to run round after customers, they are not slaves. I think customers should accept that sometimes people have off days, maybe it's not by the book, but it's about being a human being. Have some understanding. If you ask an employee where a prodcut is and they take you to it, then they've fulfilled their task. A smile is just a bonus. Get your shopping and get out. You're not royalty.

Good idea; and what I like to do is, if there is a toddler behind you in the queue give them a little nip so they start howling.
And I especially like to kick the walking sticks away from old gimps.
Better yet, if there is a blind person, leave your trolley in front of them, that's great fun too. [smirk]

[Dons_Lad]

When I worked in the co-op in Wick until last June, I was always being complemented for the way I was friendly to customers. It doesn't hurt to smile, even if a customer is 'moaning', if you're friendly back to them, they'll recognise you trying to be as helpful as possible. What makes things better if the manager and assistant manager recognising how friendly you are, as basically, you are helping your supermarket get a sale/or not.

It is part of their job to deal with awkward customers, as let's face it, they're everywhere, not just supermarkets. I've found though that the Co-op has more up-beat staff than Somerfield's but the Somerfield lot are still nice, genuine and down to earth, which at the end of the day is what you want.