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I drafted this months ago but having just received an email from Tesco regarding their request to customers to keep using masks even after the government relaxes almost all COVID restrictions rules tomorrow (Which I think is a terrible idea...)
You would thing that in a pandemic situations the shops that are allowed to open would be taking every precaution possible to llok after the safety of the customers. I had an experience with Tesco that suggested they weren't as keen to look after the safety of their customers than others. I was doing a fairly large shopping trip, and found that at around 2230 when I was heading to the checkouts there were no staffed tills available - only the (fairly narrow) self-scan area with tills the scan areas on both sides of the scanning aisle. Ignoring the fact that with such a large amount of shopping it's hard to scan and bag it all in the small self-scan checkouts, it was also notable that people coming into the self-scan area (and it was quite full) had to go less than a metre from where the people using the checkouts were. So I make a comment on twitter - here's how the interaction went (Note: In the interactions below I've removed specific identifiable information from the DMs with *******):
SXA: Deeply unimpressed with @tesco tonight. Only self scan checkouts available and when your have £180 of shopping there isn't really space, and slower, and we have to touch screens ourselves. To would expect one real checkout to be open
SXA: And then of course there were the thrre "help is coming" overrides that were needed despite everything scanning OK ... And getting the assistant over at the end again to remove security tags. Needs manneded counters. Great as for online shopping @tesco! #socialDistanxeShopping
SXA: And to top it off we've just found one item of clothing with a security tag still attached so I'll need to go back and explain this tomorrow and ask for removal! (it didn't trigger alarm) ... Grr @tesco
Tesco didn't react to this so I specifically directed this question at them, and this time it did generate a response:
SXA: @Tesco So I can do a decent shop in a COVID safe socially-distanced manner, can you confirm at what time your (large) stores stop having manned checkouts?
Tesco: Hi Stewart, thanks for getting in touch. This may be different depending on the individual store. Can you please send me a DM with the store you're looking to visit? I'd be happy to try and give them a call for you. Thanks, R*******
Sounded fair ... I still don't know why companies insist on going to DMs but they all do ...
Tesco: Please click "Get Started" to connect with Tesco via DM.
SXA: Hi R******* it was the one on ******* Road in *******. As per earlier messages in the thread (from a couple of weeks a back) it wasn't a good experience trying to put a large shop through self scan
Tesco: Hi Stewart ◢ ◤ Addison , if you can please let us know what you're contacting us about, we'll put you through to a colleague who can help.
SXA: You asked me to message you!
Tesco: Thanks, we'll put you through to a colleague who can help.
Tesco: Hi Stewart, I have just spoken with a colleague in ******* Store there and they have advised that the manned tills close at midnight. :) Thanks - A*******
SXA: Hmmm as you can see from me tweets sent when I returned home I was doing my shopping before 2300 and there seemed no manned tills. I did mention it to the colleague who came over several times but they seemed ... disinterested ...
Tesco: `I am sorry this is the case Stewart, it may have been at the time they were short staffed however this is what the store has advised. I believe they also confirmed this with a manager. Thanks - A*******
As mentioned in the introduction you'd think that with the importance the government is constantly putting on social distancing, not breaking the rules, and ensuring we're all safe and "protect the NHS" that they would be clear as to why when things aren't happening as expected, so to say the responses given were disappoining is a bit of an understement. It's worth saying that at other supermarket's I've been to in the evening (not necessarily quite as late) there have either been tills open or the staff have been very accomodating - Sainsburys for example saw me with a large trolley of shopping and immediately opened another till for me. Another friend who went to another Tesco store with staffed tills which were available was seemingly asked to stay further away from the perspex screens where the checkout assistant was working (Thus moving them closer to the customer in the adjacent lane since they back onto each other) which again seems to be something that increases the risks to customers in the current situation.
It's disappointing that the leader in UK supermarket shopping is happy to treat it's customers this way, and its competitors (from my anecdotal experience) treat this situation a bit more seriously and are willing to help.
ON that basis I though "OK - maybe it was a one-off problem on that day so I assumed the information was in good faith so went back to the store the next evening:
SXA: Once again same store no one on manned checkouts tonight at 2230. Do not feel safe with that many people close and walking by and having to use your touch screens!
Tesco: Thanks for your selection Stewart ◢ ◤ Addison. If you're contacting us about a store, can you please let us know which store it is? Thanks, we'll then put you through to a colleague who can help.
SXA: *******
Tesco: Thanks, we'll put you through to a colleague who can help.
Tesco: I'm really sorry this is the case Stewart after the information I provided to you last time. I'm unsure why the store would have told me they were on until midnight if they are off before then. I have ensured to get this passed onto the management team to look into this and sort it out and make sure the times are right. Thanks - Aiden
At this point I felt I should continue with a follow up to the earlier DM conversation ...
Tesco: Please click "Get Started" to connect with Tesco via DM.
SXA: Hi, can you confirm to me if the staffed till times have been updated our of there is any other explanation why the previous information was incorrect at the store?
Tesco: Hi Stewart, thank you for your message. I cannot confirm if staff will be operating manned tills when you visit the store as this is information I do not have access to. My colleague has fed this back but if you do not feel safe using the self service tills, you can always ask my colleagues if they can open a till for you. I hope this helps. Regards - Liam
I think that answer tells you how seriously they take social distancing in their stores. I expressed disappointment at not having a manned till open and the staff member didn't sqeem to care. I witnessed someone else explicitly ask for a till to be opened and it did feel like a large inconvenience to have to find another member of staff for that ... They need to do better, and I hope someone from Tesco reads this and makes a decent effort to resolve it .... Jason Terry - you know where I am.
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