Waitrose stops newspapers on deliveries + Click & Collect pre-3pm - sneaky way to increase profits!

Doc_N

As of now, Waitrose is refusing to deliver newspapers on orders before 3pm - or to provide them on Click and Collect slots before 3pm.  See below.

Most of the newspapers on these orders are probably going to be free at the moment under the MyWaitrose scheme, so it's a very neat (but sneaky) way of increasing their profits by cutting out all those 'free' papers.

They've never once failed to deliver my paper, even on 0800 orders, so I suspect the excuse they're using is a pack of lies.  Even if they made it 10am there might be some truth in it, but 3pm is just designed to stop people getting their papers - who wants it that late in the day?

John Lewis used to have a reputation for decency, honesty and fair play.  All I ever see now from them is dishonesty and increasingly poor customer service - which is why they've had to close so many stores, and why it's slowly but surely going down the pan.

A great shame, and I say that as a customer since the 1970s, but when a company gives up on customer service it might as well give up altogether.  It's the only thing John Lewis and Waitrose have to justify the high prices, and without that it has little to offer.

Why am I unable to add a newspaper to my order if my delivery slot is before 3pm?

Our Partners pick products very early in the day for morning and early afternoon orders – usually before newspapers have arrived in store. This has often led to newspaper orders being unfulfilled. To ensure requests are met, we have decided to only offer newspapers for delivery after 3pm.

Why am I unable to add a newspaper to my order if my click and collect slot is before 3pm?

Our Partners pick products very early in the day for morning and early afternoon orders – usually before newspapers have arrived in store. This has often led to newspaper orders being unfulfilled. To ensure requests are met, we have decided to only offer newspapers for collection after 3pm.  If you collect an order in-store before 3pm and the newspaper you want is available, you can ask a Partner to add it to your order.

Farway

Too late for me now but I was not aware I could add a "free" newspaper to my order, my own fault, it never occurred to me despite picking one up pre covid days

Bacman

Online ordering isn't actually after 3pm (ie 3-4pm slot) you have to go for 4-5pm slot or later.

If you get the newspaper it isn't really an issue on the day, if you're flexible with when you get your delivery slots then having it late afternoon or early evening isn't really a problem, as you get your free paper then!

No reason Waitrose can't guarantee to deliver the paper on the day, you have to do your online order in advance anyway so they know the numbers needed...

GaleSF63

Farway said:

Too late for me now but I was not aware I could add a "free" newspaper to my order, my own fault, it never occurred to me despite picking one up pre covid days

Same here, but I'll do it in future when I have a suitable time slot!

pumpkin89

It's nothing to do with increasing profits, as they get paid for the offer by the newspaper publishers (whose advertising income depends on a certain level of circulation).

Obviously many shops will have the papers delivered in plenty of time to fulfil the orders, but others won't and I imagine Waitrose don't want to be seen to disadvantage shoppers in more remote areas, so have removed the offer across the board.

Doc_N

pumpkin89 said:

It's nothing to do with increasing profits, as they get paid for the offer by the newspaper publishers (whose advertising income depends on a certain level of circulation).

Obviously many shops will have the papers delivered in plenty of time to fulfil the orders, but others won't and I imagine Waitrose don't want to be seen to disadvantage shoppers in more remote areas, so have removed the offer across the board.

I’m sure Waitrose get a preferential rate for the volume of papers sold or given away, but there’ll still be a substantial cost.

And as for not disadvantaging a relatively small number of rural customers by removing the offer from the vast number of other customers, that would just be plain crazy! Rather like retailers refusing to deliver to the UK mainland in fairness to customers on the islands.

cannugec5

I live in Scotland and the only supermarket that delivers in my area is Tesco. We cannot order Newspapers with deliveries before 1pm. So, yes for Waitrose to make it 3 pm seems a little odd. 

Roger1

Doc_N said:

... And as for not disadvantaging a relatively small number of rural customers by removing the offer from the vast number of other customers, that would just be plain crazy! Rather like retailers refusing to deliver to the UK mainland in fairness to customers on the islands.

OK, except I imagine 'the vast number of other customers' pick up their newspapers when shopping instore.

Doc_N

Roger1 said:

Doc_N said:

... And as for not disadvantaging a relatively small number of rural customers by removing the offer from the vast number of other customers, that would just be plain crazy! Rather like retailers refusing to deliver to the UK mainland in fairness to customers on the islands.

OK, except I imagine 'the vast number of other customers' pick up their newspapers when shopping instore.

I was referring to the vast majority of home delivery customers who don’t live in the middle of nowhere. We live, for example, several miles away from Waitrose, yet newspapers have always been included, even at 8am.

This is a simple logistical problem, but Waitrose are using it as an excuse to stop the majority of home delivery and click and collect customers from having a free paper.

maman

                                                                                                                                                                                                                             I don't do Waitrose online shopping so not affected by this particular change. What I would say is that John Lewis, in general, is  chipping away at various aspects  of Customer Service. As excellent Customer Service was largely what made the company stand out from others then they're really shooting themselves in the foot IMO.

My own experience was trying to phone my local store during lockdown for some information. After the customary massive telephone menu I ended up with a WhatsApp  response 1.5 hours later from someone who was clueless about my query!  This apparently made it easier for me as I 'could get on with my day' while waiting for a response. Surely with all John Lewis stores closed they could have, at least, had a decent telephone presence. 

Doc_N

maman said:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                             I don't do Waitrose online shopping so not affected by this particular change. What I would say is that John Lewis, in general, is  chipping away at various aspects  of Customer Service. As excellent Customer Service was largely what made the company stand out from others then they're really shooting themselves in the foot IMO.

My own experience was trying to phone my local store during lockdown for some information. After the customary massive telephone menu I ended up with a WhatsApp  response 1.5 hours later from someone who was clueless about my query!  This apparently made it easier for me as I 'could get on with my day' while waiting for a response. Surely with all John Lewis stores closed they could have, at least, had a decent telephone presence. 

Very much agree with you.  Many years ago we bought virtually everything from John Lewis.  Now it's virtually nothing.  Customer service has gone right down the pan, they don't operate the Never Knowingly Undersold policy in the way that they advertise it, prices are high, and they're even difficult about warranty issues. Trustpilot reviews are absolutely awful.  A great shame, but the only thing that justified the high prices was customer service, and without that, why would you shop there?