No Supermarket Customer Service

A._Badger

Why do British supermarkets no longer have customer service departments?

Yesterday, when I read that Arla Foods (which supplies much of the UK's milk under various brands) has been using the experimental and controversial additive 'Bovaer' in the feed given to cows (and thus the milk and dairy products we buy) I tried contacting Aldi and Tesco to complain about this tampering with our food. Neither it seems any longer has a CS department. Instead they send you to an AI 'fake human' website, which cannot answer any more than a basic question,

This means that, unless you resort to social media,.there is no way of communicating with them. Sainsbury's, I believe, closed its CS department long ago, Morrisons followed and now Aldi and Tesco have joined them. It seems our supermarkets no longer want to know what their customers think or want. What a terrible state of affairs!

  

oldernonethewiser

What happens if you ring the number Aldi provide?  Is that all automated too?

jon81uk

A._Badger said:

Why do British supermarkets no longer have customer service departments?

Yesterday, when I read that Arla Foods (which supplies much of the UK's milk under various brands) has been using the experimental and controversial additive 'Bovaer' in the feed given to cows (and thus the milk and dairy products we buy) I tried contacting Aldi and Tesco to complain about this tampering with our food. Neither it seems any longer has a CS department. Instead they send you to an AI 'fake human' website, which cannot answer any more than a basic question,

This means that, unless you resort to social media,.there is no way of communicating with them. Sainsbury's, I believe, closed its CS department long ago, Morrisons followed and now Aldi and Tesco have joined them. It seems our supermarkets no longer want to know what their customers think or want. What a terrible state of affairs!

  

Tesco have a phone number clearly on their website.

A._Badger

oldernonethewiser said:

What happens if you ring the number Aldi provide?  Is that all automated too?

There is no number on Aldi's website and, in any case, trying to explain something like that (possibly to an operator in an overseas call centre) is far from ideal. 

Honourable mention to Waitrose, incidentally. They do actually have a CS centre.

LindsayT

I phoned Sainsbury CS a few weeks ago, it definitely wasn't an overseas call centre but I don't know what you expect the supermarkets to do about your query.

Surely, you would be better off contacting Arla Foods or even the farmers (if you can find who they are) who feed the additive to the cows.

Dustyevsky

Vote with your feet. Go somewhere the provenance of the milk is known.

p00hsticks

LindsayT said:

I phoned Sainsbury CS a few weeks ago, it definitely wasn't an overseas call centre but I don't know what you expect the supermarkets to do about your query.

Surely, you would be better off contacting Arla Foods or even the farmers (if you can find who they are) who feed the additive to the cows.

I second this. Your issue is with Arla, not with the supermarkets who choose to sell their products.  

sarah1972

Your issue is with Arla and not every supermarket who stocks it. 

Arla Foods UK

Arla House
4 Savannah Way
Leeds Valley Park
Leeds
LS10 1AB

Consumer care: 0113 382 7009

Reception: 0113 382 7000
Fax: 0113 382 7030

born_again

A._Badger said:

Why do British supermarkets no longer have customer service departments?

Yesterday, when I read that Arla Foods (which supplies much of the UK's milk under various brands) has been using the experimental and controversial additive 'Bovaer' in the feed given to cows (and thus the milk and dairy products we buy) I tried contacting Aldi and Tesco to complain about this tampering with our food. Neither it seems any longer has a CS department. Instead they send you to an AI 'fake human' website, which cannot answer any more than a basic question,

This means that, unless you resort to social media,.there is no way of communicating with them. Sainsbury's, I believe, closed its CS department long ago, Morrisons followed and now Aldi and Tesco have joined them. It seems our supermarkets no longer want to know what their customers think or want. What a terrible state of affairs!

  

The product was approved at the start of this year, & no doubt has already been used since then in milk products in Supermarkets.

A._Badger

sarah1972 said:

Your issue is with Arla and not every supermarket who stocks it. 

Arla Foods UK

Arla House
4 Savannah Way
Leeds Valley Park
Leeds
LS10 1AB

Consumer care: 0113 382 7009

Reception: 0113 382 7000
Fax: 0113 382 7030

If you had read the news story you would have found that the programme for using this additive is a partnership between supermarkets and Arla -= it is not Arla alone. Moreover this affects the supermarkets own brands and the are directly responsible for these .

sarah1972

A._Badger said:

sarah1972 said:

Your issue is with Arla and not every supermarket who stocks it. 

Arla Foods UK

Arla House
4 Savannah Way
Leeds Valley Park
Leeds
LS10 1AB

Consumer care: 0113 382 7009

Reception: 0113 382 7000
Fax: 0113 382 7030

If you had read the news story you would have found that the programme for using this additive is a partnership between supermarkets and Arla -= it is not Arla alone. Moreover this affects the supermarkets own brands and the are directly responsible for these .

I have read the news story thank you. 

It is between supermarkets “and” Arla so if you feel the need to complain then surely you would also be complaining to Arla ?

But to answer your question, I’ve never had a problem calling customer service at the supermarkets I use.