“Its supposed to be their biggest store in the country after moving less than half a mile to the other side of the tollgate stanway colchester development in around 2006, I’ve never been able to get used to it the shopping experience is like walking around an old cash and carry warehouse or an airship hanger. The service and customer experience in the place is the worst I’ve come across out of everyone I deal with, you can never get see to the manager i.e. the top person in the store, customers are generally fobbed off with an under departmental or section person if that. I shop in there for electrical items and the TU clothing the occasional box of 15 barn eggs and the odd occasion I have nectar points or a voucher.
"Some" of the staff appear to be in a world of their own there's little customer service ethos displayed if you ask them anything it’s akin to troubling them or getting in the way. There's no meet or greet and when there's serious customer service issues there's no formal address or respect when in title to the complainant (it’s very much like being pulled over by a saturday night traffic police officer, wanting to get back to their crew room takeaway). The company either can’t get the right staff into their network or they’re stuck with employees twiddling their thumbs waiting to see what comes around the corner in life?
Staff appear to think they’re in money for old jobs where their flame proof and can do or say what they want and the managers seem to kowtow to this? Late in the evenings when there's barely any security or senior management available and it’s no wonder staff are paranoid about pilfering and shop lifting, the problem here is that regular customers get caught up in their world of complications.
The simple math here is the store is badly run and the pricing of the food is falling very close to M&S and Waitrose which is disenfranchising for a lot of original Sainsbury customers, I’ve been shopping with them on and off for 38 years. I can’t wait for Aldi to move across the road from them which should stir up the cat among the pigeons. Sainsbury aren't trying hard enough if you look at "Tesco" and their new low price range "Stockwell" brand you can see their making an effort.
The negative attitude has rubbed off on "Argos" after this conglomerate took them over. Argos used to be good but omg+ couldn't you tell the mission statement management kicked in when they amalgamated with them in-store at Sainsbury two Christmases ago. They didn't do the initiative this year, I wonder why?
By the way the Argos store is on the same retail park literally a stone’s throw away. (If Sainsbury want to learn how to run a store take a leaf of out of the Highwood's Tesco store 7 miles away the general manager there is one of the best I’ve seen in 40 years).
It’s far removed from the dury lane London ideal of its founder and appears to have become some type of shopping dystopia where the customer seems to be valued with gritted teeth and taken for granted?
Do indulge me Mr Coupe? There’s an air and feel of a truman /stepford show within the shopping quality of the store that doesn’t appear to let up. Its got to be more than just plonking stuff on shelves and expecting customers to stump up that hard earned £1.
One local business owner in the area told me all businesses are struggling and chasing the same £1,
Sainsbury’s attitude appears to be a like it or lump it "bread baked with bitter pill feeds half man's hunger" attitude.
You will fall on your own shopping A Board if you carry on like this!
Without prejudice, may contain spoilers, comments, opinions or personal perception on a paying customer of about £3,000 a year for the last 38 years.”
“Plastic, plastic everywhere. So much unnecessary single use plastic in Sainsbury's it is truly appalling. They have a notice on their single use plastic bags for loose fruit and veg that says think of the environment and only take as many as you need!! What a joke why are they not being responsible and supplying paper bags for loose fruit and veg and croissants etc? Instead of passing the responsibility on to the customer Sainsburys need to sort out their environmental policy towards plastic before it's too late. Our planet is suffocating under the weight of this irresponsible Supermarket. Sainsburys needs to make the changes to save the planet not continuously pass the buck and blame the consumer. And the super thick plastic bags that they supply to carry your shopping what insanity is this?? Co-op at least has got compostable carrier bags now. So why hasn't Sainsbury's? Dreadful Supermarket. If you care about the environment shop locally at places that don't over dose on single use plastic.”
“I had a problem with a £9 money off voucher sent to me at my address, but which turned out to be for some other poor soul's card - I am baffled by how this arose and I did not notice (I don't usually cross check the number with my nectar card). I went to Sainsbury's to use this voucher but it would not accept at the till so I was told to call Nectar. They told me it was a Sainsbury's voucher so not their problem and only Sainsbury's could deal with it. Sainsbury's said it was a Nectar issue and only Nectar could deal with it. Over 1 hour 30 min I was passed to and fro at least 5 times and was finally offered a 'Goodwill' Voucher for £5. The voucher I tried to use was indeed not mine, but the problem arose from a crossed wire in their systems. Not at any point did anyone apologise, or offer a way to find or sort out the problem, simply said not your voucher, the other party is responsible. I think this is appalling customer service and has completely put me off shopping at Sainsbury's.”
“Had a delivery on Friday to find some of my order missing and short dates like next day.
Also I was missing my fuel voucher, when I phoned and spoke to Dan he informed me he had over 19 customers missing a fuel voucher.
I’m glad that Sainsbury’s are not merging with Asda as if anything to go by this delivery it would be tremble. I’m sorry to Sainsbury’s that will not be renewing my delivery pass. I’m going to shop at Morrison’s from now on.”
“Went to the cafe in sainsburys Oldham. It is Filthy. Food on chairs and tables. One employee pushing in chairs but didn't wipe any tables down. It is disgusting. I had to ask for a cloth myself to wipe down a table. They gave me a dripping stack of cloths. I had to wash the cutlery before we used it. Health dept would love to visit this place.”
“Waited an hour before delivery slot to inform me there'd been a problem with payment, spent half an hour on hold with them to learn that the delivery slot could not be met. Utter shamble of an organisation.
Shop anywhere else.”
“Had a voucher for £18 off when I spend £60 in shop or online. Ordered for £62 and then had today before delivery an email telling me the 10 refills Kenco rich coffee is out if stock and they changed it to Kenco Smooth. Sorry if I want rich I don’t want smooth. Would preferred to have the correct one delivered when back in stock. Refused whole order at delivery because when only giving the coffee back would dropped under £60 and the discount of £18 would be not honoured anymore. What a joke and I think they do that on purpose to avoid giving you that really generous 30% discount. Will never shop again at Sainsbury neither online or in shop. Be aware these vouchers might be a scam. Would give no star if would be possible.”
“Bought crayfish and mango salad. The red rice and long grain rice has to go. The salad does not need uncooked crunchy rice. The salad would work fine without.”
“Having shopped at Sainsburys for over 40 years and used the Winchmore Hill store since it opened I have to say it's not a patch on what it used to be. Prices continually creep up from week to week and the standards are definitely falling. As an example, offerings of thin watery cream and fresh fruit that bear no comparison to what can now be bought for much the same price or less from Waitrose or M&S.
That said, the staff are great, the store is still used as it's convenient with easy car parking but even that attraction is fading as due to the recent traffic lights fiasco it can now take ages to get out of the car park.”
“Bought JJames bacon absolutely disgusting worst bacon I have ever had. Full of white hinge tasteless.
Also believe this is a con trick just new packaging.Will never buy bacon from Sainsbury's again”
“Flawed Service!
Expect weekly problems with deliveries to your home and when you raise the matters with the so called customer service department prepare yourself to be treated with indifference and arrogance. It is widely known that Sainsbury's are experiencing problems with online shopping and little wonder why. We began shopping with the company in the early 70's........£500,000 later and we are switching.........Do they give a rotten banana! I think not.
Sad isn't it?”
“Awful customer service.. Would not expect but have learned this is normal from them.Keep making offers that are simply not available, when complain was given ' lip service '. Asked to be escalated to senior manager whom raised her voice and was rude in attitude and laughably lied to even try blame me for the matter! Escalated to head office and had to have a stand off with the CEO's PA...Has happened a few times over a year now, awful customer service and feel sorry for anyone working there as is apparent they are trained to fob you off, managers are disrespectful and obviously cant handle complaints! There's better service to be had elsewhere without the deceit and ignorance received.”
“I can’t believe in this day and age, that Sainsbury’s are not doing more to reduce plastics in their stores. Even the 5p & 10p bags are still plastic! Waitrose has now eradicated all their 10p plastic bags- perhaps Sainsbury’s should do the same.”
“You won't believe this!...we recently received a delivery and the delivery driver proceeded to 'POO' on our drive....whilst delivering our groceries. We actually have CCTV evidence. And to make it worse Sainsburys aren't even bothered...!!
Imagine the poor customers that received their delivery after us!!!”
“Following cancelling an order because sainsburys informed me that the payment did not go through, the delivery man turned up a few hours later with my order.
I told him that I had cancelled the order so he called the office who confirmed that the order had gone through now. I took the delivery and the receipt and noticed that an extra 18 pound had been charged. I questioned this and he told me to call customer service.
When I called customer service, they acknowledged the mistake or problem with the system and first tried to give me a voucher for another online order. I told them that I will not be using the service again and wanted a refund of the additional 18 pound I had been charged. I think they are going to refund me but it is not in my account yet.
The next day, I received an email to confirm that the order had been cancelled. Note this was after I had accepted and paid. There seems to be serious issues with the online delivery service. I am quite stunned that such a big company can have such fundamental things wrong with their system.
This kind of service is not acceptable these days. A big company like Sainsbury's should be able to get something this simple right. The Company needs to lift their game.”
“Sainsburys Ferndown repeatedly ignore the timed delivery slot. Delivered 10.20am instead of the booked and confirmed 12-1pm slot (not good when I worked late and needed the sleep!!). Not the first time this has happened either, the same happened last week. Also, I was not informed there had been substitutions and therefore didn't know to check I was happy with the substituted item which I'm not. Finally, yet again the store picker clearly doesn't know the difference between products and puts items such as a lime through as a lime but actually has delivered a lemon! Today, yet again, I didn't receive the item I ordered as the picker had chosen the wrong item. Sainsburys is my preferred store for groceries so I'm gutted that I cannot trust to shop with them for my online deliveries any longer as certainly my local store, Ferndown, Dorset consistently gets it wrong.”
“What went wrong? Used ATM which is displayed as Sainsburys Bank, requested cash, card came out, NO money, but amount taken from my account.
Went into store at Emmerson Green Bristol to report above, was told by customer service, and then the Manager, ATM nothing to do with them, called my bank, next day made 10 + calls to Sainsburys head office, Sainsburys bank, every person I spoke to denied the ATM did not belong to them even though they have Sainsburys bank signage.
Perseverance paid off, as eventually Sainsburys acknowledged ownership.
Have still not had my money returned to me.”
