Offensive Customer Services at Tesco and 19 Months out of date food.

uktim29

andyrules wrote: »

I would have thought if EHO get several complaints, all with evidence then they will act.

They can check the store but if they can't find anything wrong when they get there then they can't do anything. As I already mentioned, EHO's will never have the time to check an entire Supermarket. So they could say it's all fine, but they [STRIKE]might[/STRIKE] probably will have missed something.

luridhue

I've no intention of pandering to you. Your inference of me being either stupid or lying is most definitely rude. If others wish to see the picture then when I finish school (well, finish work, but I work at a school, so that phrase almost still applies, hehe.) I am more than happy to fulfill any polite requests to upload it.

Whether it was intentional or not uktim29 I do consider your posts on this thread to be arrogant and rude. I apologise if that was not how you meant them. I can understand scepticism towards a newby but what reason would I have to lie about this matter?

uktim29

luridhue wrote: »

I apologise if that was not how you meant them. I can understand scepticism towards a newby but what reason would I have to lie about this matter?

I don't care if your new or have 20,000 posts. Like I said it's one of those things that almost has to be seen to be belived. That isn't meant to say your lieing, I'd just be interested to see a picture. Then in my mind I'd also be able to rule out a miss-print etc.

Lacrimosa

Okay, let's move right along, folks.

andyrules wrote: »

I would have thought if EHO get several complaints, all with evidence then they will act.

I agree. It's all too easy to say "boo hoo, it won't make any difference, so I won't bother", but if enough people bother then it CAN make a difference. Nothing is beyond improvement, and Tesco certainly have the money and the manpower to improve things if they so choose. What's certain is that they're not going to bother if we all, collectively, don't bother to point out when they're in the wrong.

My own gripe with Tesco was a little different. I was injured by a faulty trolley. It was frustrating, but I kept going with my complaint until someone took it seriously. Of course I'm not naive enough to imagine that they ever did anything about the trolleys, so I followed up my complaint by never shopping at Tesco EVER again. I'm not the only one, either. If enough of us stand up to poor consumer experiences - whatever they may be - and vote with our feet, then Tesco and their ilk WILL have to listen. A shop is nothing without its customers.

Good luck to luridhue, I say. And thanks for bothering.

markelock

why not just make your living looking round the store and finding/buying this out of date stock?

or at least get some extra money for it?

codger

OP: every retail enterprise, no matter how well managed, can occasionally have its good intentions frustrated by the presence on its staff of people whose "contribution" is of no benefit to either retailer nor customer.

So, too, with Internet forums: no matter how well managed, they can also have their good intentions occasionally frustrated by the presence of posters whose contributions are of no benefit.

As I understand it, you came here asking for some advice as to what to do next in relation to a specific case. You didn't come here asking for help to Change The World.

Some helpful posters have already provided sound advice re Environmental Health or Trading Standards; I have actual experience of a TS complaint (at County Council level) being transferred to EH (at District Council level) resulting in an unannounced EH visit and written warning.

Knowing the individuals at that particular EH department, I also know the retailer concerned took the matter very seriously.

As for any world-weary individual who thinks it's really too, too time-wasting to make a legitimate complaint about an issue of relevance to consumers, one has to wonder why any of their precious time is taken up with MSE anyway. Perhaps there is a website which, like this one, has a little logo on the bottom righthand side of the page, but which instead of reading 'Consumer Revenge' instead say: 'Consumer Apathy'.

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

luridhue wrote: »

Thought some of you might want to read this and if anyone knows who I should be addressing a reply to I would be grateful.

Well, my other half and I were on holiday in Cornwall and we went shopping at the Tesco near Redruth. Along with other things we bought a packet of Beef Jerky from the Reduced to Clear section, although it wasn't reduced. In the car, just before eating some, I noticed it was 19 MONTHS out of date. We went to the Customer Service desk and were offered a £5 voucher for the inconvenience. We ask to see someone more senior about it because of the seriousness of the situation (we weren't after money). We were told that all they could do was give us a £5 voucher and they would check the reduced to clear section that evening. We asked to take it further but were happy with the outcome as we were assured the section would be checked. (The only person available was a section manager.)

We went back a couple of days later to have a quick look at the section and within a couple of seconds found a packet of nuts 10 months out of date. We were disgusted that this wasn't checked and demanded to talk to a store manager, the assistant manager came out (badges hidden in his shirt pocket) and almost rolled up his sleeves looking for a fight. He was aggressive and rude.

We were then sent a letter a week later by customer services apologising for 'the inconvenience and oversight' and had 'included a £5 voucher to thank us for our custom'. They completely failed to see the reason we were disgusted. We were promised that it would be checked and it wasn't and quite clearly there is no real stock checks/takes had been performed for at least 19 months.

I have drafted a letter outlining our complaint but no idea who I should send it to... any ideas?

(thanks for reading such a long winded post :T)

Tbh whilst its not ideal, your typical tesco store will have thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of items in stock, whilst Im sure your perfect most of us are not and occasionally oversights like this will happen

For me they dealt with it pefectly well first time and your insistance of trying to speak to someone more senior - when the person available had the appropiate authority anyway - would have been seen as unncessary and time wasting

To return a few days later and moan about the same thing is just ridicolous

If you dont like eating food that isnt in its prime maybe you shouldnt be shopping in reduced eisles? Afterall if it was perfect it wouldnt be there

I dont think tesco where knowingly selling out of date food and think they dealt perfectly acceptable with the situation which you then blew out of proportion for no apparent reason hense infuriating the no doubt busy staff who had other customers to deal with

Sssssss

luridhue wrote: »

Very constructive Sssssss....

no problem always happy to help.

uktim29

Sssssss wrote: »

no problem always happy to help.

Every little helps!

Lacrimosa

Sorry to go off-topic for a moment.

This isn't directed at any one person, but as someone who stumbled into this forum just two days ago, may I make a polite request?

Please read the original post more carefully. Then read the whole thread more carefully. Then comment.

In many instances, this would not only do us all a favour, it would do yourself a favour. No one likes to look like an ill-informed twit.

Thank you!