Extremely poor customer service at tesco cafe

Chronotrigger

My wife recently took our two toddlers to the tesco cafe at 3.30pm on Friday just gone. She was met by a disgruntled employee who declined to initiate conversation and ask her what she wanted to order.

After my wife saying "hello" twice the employee huffed and said "we close at 4pm" my wife responded "it is 3.30pm" the employee responded "next time come before 3pm, because we don't get paid after 4pm". 

The whole scene just seems extremely unprofessional and unfriendly, what business is it of ours if you don't get paid overtime etc and how can anyone honestly request us to come before 3pm if you close at 4pm.

I've tried looking online to see if there is anywhere to complain but I can't seem to find the right channel any help please?

Alderbank

Chronotrigger said:

My wife recently took our two toddlers to the tesco cafe at 3.30pm on Friday just gone. She was met by a disgruntled employee who declined to initiate conversation and ask her what she wanted to order.

After my wife saying "hello" twice the employee huffed and said "we close at 4pm" my wife responded "it is 3.30pm" the employee responded "next time come before 3pm, because we don't get paid after 4pm". 

The whole scene just seems extremely unprofessional and unfriendly, what business is it of ours if you don't get paid overtime etc and how can anyone honestly request us to come before 3pm if you close at 4pm.

I've tried looking online to see if there is anywhere to complain but I can't seem to find the right channel any help please?

Try looking a tiny bit harder.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/praise-vent-warnings is the forum you want.

Just saying 'the tesco cafe' is not very helpful. Or do you mean users have the same experience at every Tesco cafe?

pramsay13

It would have been easier for your wife to complain to the manager of the store at the time and would probably still make sense to do that rather than a general complaint to Tesco head office. 

Aylesbury_Duck

Your wife should ask to speak to the manager next time she's in store.  It's as simple as that.

Ayr_Rage

If your wife wants to make a complaint and she purchased something that day, fill in the survey as detailed on the bottom of the store receipt.

@Chronotrigger as you weren't there you only have part of the story.

TELLIT01

The staff member shouldn't have said what they did, but to escalate it after the event is a massive over reaction, but fairly typical of attitudes these days.  So the staff member didn't want to 'initiate conversation', which can actually be translated as being professional and not wanting to waste time just before closing.

sheramber

Is it a Tesco cafe or is it a cafe run by someone else in a Tesco store?

All the one's I have used are run by an outside caterer.

jon81uk

sheramber said:

Is it a Tesco cafe or is it a cafe run by someone else in a Tesco store?

All the one's I have used are run by an outside caterer.

They are "Tesco Cafe" but run by one of the big outsourcing companies.

The OP should have asked to see a manager there and then if they weren't happy though.

Ayr_Rage

jon81uk said:

sheramber said:

Is it a Tesco cafe or is it a cafe run by someone else in a Tesco store?

All the one's I have used are run by an outside caterer.

They are "Tesco Cafe" but run by one of the big outsourcing companies.

The OP should have asked to see a manager there and then if they weren't happy though.

The OP wasn't there, they got the story second hand from their wife.

HampshireH

Whilst you may be unhappy, quite a few places will stop serving for a period of time before they close, especially closure of a kitchen. This isn't uncommon.

If she didn't like the way she was spoken to she could complain to store manager.

Sounds like the employee had had a rough day and wanted to get home on time. Perhaps they had their owns kids/grandkids to get to/pick up etc guess we will never know. 

You don't actually say what they went for - a drink or a meal. 

Politeness costs nothing but complaining 5 days later seems an overreaction 

prowla

My guess is the staff there have had minimal training, certainly non apparent in customer interaction!

It's not up to the staff to take out their anger on a customer and if it had happened to me, I certainly wouldn't go there again.

When the cafe closes because it's driven its customers away then I'm sure the redundant staff be up in arms about the unfairness of it all.

A few weeks ago I went with my son to a patisserie (that's the French word for cafe... :-) ) and we stood there for several minutes waiting and were simply ignored, not even acknowledged; I gave it a while and then we walked out. I've since passed it again but not even considered going in; they've lost my custom forever.