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Strange Famous · 05-02-2009, 10:19 AM

Speaks for itself. I'm a bit of a prick sometimes, but meh...

Quote:

Micah Douglas
*** **************
Ipswich
IP2 ***

Letter of complaint - Ipswich Morrisons

2 May 2009

Dear Sir/Madam

I must first of all tell you that in 31 years of life I have only once before taken the trouble to write a letter of complaint to a store, that being when a salesman in Carphone Warehouse told me lies that were so ridiculous that I complained to the head office because I was simply offended that he believed me stupid enough to find them credible.

I must also say that there are many positive things I would say about the Ipswich Morrisons store. I am not the kind of person who finds shopping an especially pleasurable activity, and I do not feel any sense of loyalty to brands, but I shop at Morrisons nearly all of the time because the store in Ipswich gives me better service than any of the other superstores I could easily shop at (being ASDA, Tesco, Sainsburys, LIDL & Aldi).

The fresh food sold at Morrisons is very good quality: including sandwiches which are actually made in store rather than prepared in some factory, I happily pay 30 pence extra for my lunch every day to eat something that tastes homemade. The fish counter and butcher are both very good (although I wish that you would sell real sushi, I cannot complain as no other store does so either). The prices seem to me to be as cheap as anywhere else. The bakery in store produces good quality bread.

More than anything, I would say that the staff in Ipswich Morrisons really are superb in the standard of customer service which they provide. I can not only say that I cannot recall any occasion when a member of your staff has been rude to me, but also that consistently staff are friendly, helpful, and provide a standard of service that exceeds any reasonable expectation I might have. It really must be to the credit of your organisation, your management in store, and your people that customers such as myself are treated so well. I recall a couple of years ago I had a mix up with my bank and my debit card was marked for the cashier to confiscate. Obviously this is an embarrassing situation for anyone, but it was handled absolutely fantastically by your staff from my point of view. They did their job in confiscating and destroying my card as they had to, but also treated me very well. So in general I would say that the quality of service, helpfulness, friendliness, etc which I have experienced is really commendable, and qualitatively better to all of your competitors at least in my experience.

I think also it is worthy to note that Morrisons provide plastic bags of sufficient strength that they do not disintegrate when put to the task of actually carrying something (which other stores I have shopped in seem to find impossible)

So, having written many things which are positive, I feel now I must come to the matter which has led me to write the second letter of complaint in my life. Twice this week, while shopping in Ipswich Morrisons, I was accosted by different individuals attempting to persuade me to change my electrical supply from the company I use now to N Power. I am not a very political person, and I can assure you my objection to this is not based on any moral position against nuclear power. My objection is that, on both occasions the salesperson in question spoke to me rudely, and on the second occasion quite mockingly. The individual in question when I said simply “no” to his initial and leading “sales pitch” question called after me loudly and insultingly to ask if I enjoyed to pay more for my electric and that obviously I was very rich (I am not by the way).

Now, I do not expect or seek an apology from your company because an N Power sales rep spoke to me rudely. I understand that you are not responsible for him, and I am sure you have some kind of SLA in place with N Power or other people who you let hawk their goods in your store to say they must treat your customers politely. I do not ask you to investigate the matter or anything like this. I am a human being, and I understand that selling electrical supply contracts on commission is probably a very miserable and not especially well paid job. I accept that if I did it myself I may well end up snapping at people who say “no” and walk past me like I don’t exist when I am not getting paid a basic rate and rely on commission to put food on the table.

However, I write to you to say that I should not have to slink past door to door salesman, who are allowed to set up stall in your store, trying not to catch their eye so they start their hard sell on me. I write to you to ask that you take into account that at least one person feels this way, and in fact I believe that many people feel this way. I understand that you have a profit to make, and that taking money from people like N Power can help you be even keener on price – but is the payment you get from allowing them to pester, annoy, bully and harass customers in your store really material to the bottom line? And it is all very well for people like me who just walk past and get annoyed, but we (me writing this letter and you reading it) are both adults and we understand that utility companies like this do use the hard sell, and they do end up having success with people who are more vulnerable than others.

I ask you to consider not allowing these people into store to push their Cable Television contracts, their utility supply deals, their photography studio pictures of the children I do not have, and so on your premises: and I say to you that you would be even better for it if you did take this decision. On occasions local charities have also been stationed in the store asking for donations, and I find this acceptable. Also, I must say that these people behave with far more decency than the spivs and wide boys who try to flog their contracts on vulnerable people.

I do not know if companies ever take these kinds of letters seriously, and I do not expect you to change your policy because one person does not like it. But It annoyed me enough that I wrote this letter, and so I have done so. When I stand at the checkout I see many people awkwardly trying to get away from the N Power man. As I walked past him hearing his snide and insulting comments on Thursday, as on other days I try to time walking past the stall they set in step with someone who looks more gullible then me (an old lady perhaps?) so that at least he leaves me alone… I think – and I say it again – that I should be allowed to shop without having to put up with this nuisance.

Perhaps a few people find that they have never thought before about choosing the electricity supplier who suits the best and in fact it is N power and they are very grateful for you for introducing them. I cannot say, I have never met such people, and I do not believe in them, but I accept in this life of ours which is full of confusion I may be wrong about it.

I thank you for taking the time to read this letter, which is rather long. I hope that it will be passed to someone who has authority on such matters, and I hope at least you will consider my point of view

Yours truly,

Micah Douglas