Waitrose Reviews 307

I made an order last Saturday for 12 bottles. Yodel failed to deliver them despite declaring delivered. They were unable to provide a signature or photo, and as we live on a military base, we discovered they had not been on site that day, so in fact, they had simply lied.

Waitrose apologised and immediately dispatched another case by a different courier........supposedly.

Only six bottles were delivered, and on enquiring, I was told that I had been issued a refund for the other six as Yodel had lost six bottles (when they had lost 12).

The customer service rep felt that her saying sorry in a dispassionate tone was all was required after telling me this kind of error was unusual. Except there were four separate errors which I suggested indicated poor service rather than bad luck.

I highlighted that the customer service benchmark should be to fulfil the order rather than fail and apologise.

Sadly, Waitrose customer service is, in fact, no better - therefore, the prices are not worth the premium they apply. When did customer service in this country fall to such a low standard?

Order#:14317553

Sadly there is not an option to give no stars which effectively is what Waitrose deserve. After months and months of appalling service from Waitrose online delivery since they moved to GREENFORD and complaints EVERY week about either damaged items, poor shelf life items, ridiculous substitutions, missing products along with paying for bags that never turn up EVERY WEEK with the shop I can only say that it appears Waitrose is now the worst home delivery service in the UK. Not just this but I made my complaint last week and they still have not responded after 6 Days - totally unacceptable. For a long time loyal customer I am disgusted at the total lack of regard. Its not as if its cheap either! So Waitrose if you could do the decent thing and respond to my compliant on Sept 8th 11547637 it would be appreciated - looking forward to the responses to this post because actually its really very sad you have gone down the drain. Wrong CEO sadly, bad management decisions and hopeless staff ( apart from the drivers ). The lack of customer care will in the end mean your profits dive and you loose the loyalty of people like us.

It was my 30ths birthday and I ordered 12 bottles of champagne with named delivery for Tuesday. They sent me on Tuesday email that delivery will happen only on Wednesday which also didn't happen. And on Thursday (when I really needed these bottles) they told me that DHL misplaced it. Couldn't you do it earlier? Why don't you really track named delivery. Very disappointing experience, especially given it was my birthday

They are the only supermarket who have positive product reviews, but when I tried to submit a negative review I found out why. They have an aggressive moderation policy that prevent negative reviews being published.
The offending text from my review wasn't highlighted and the relevant part of the policy I'd violated wasn't reported. I have no idea what is wrong with my review.
All I got was an email from a 'noreply' address essential reading 'computer says no'
Super annoying

Zero stars actually.
Everything that one believed as to what Waitrose represents by way of quality customer service and quality products is no longer true!
Well, certainly that’s my experience and many many others too using their food home delivery online service.
Bank holidays etc have become a lottery as to whether I ever do receive my order.
This weekend just gone, 29th August in fact, the money was taken out and I patiently awaited my delivery. 15 minutes past the end time slot I became concerned. Going back to emails there was a very late notice that the delivery was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. Customer service stating No refund forthcoming for several days; so they’ve got my money and I’ve not got no food. Pathetic excuses and after much haggling £30 voucher as compensation. So how is someone to go out and buy the food to replace the missing order when Waitrose are hanging on to my money; for a delivery that never happened. They just don’t get it; and perhaps the reality is that they no longer care!

In less than 2 years Waitrose’s senior management has sacrificed its long term, loyal customer base (that was prepared to pay a bit more for quality and service) in favour of competing with main players like Sainsbury’s and Tesco. It’s ended up losing its original fans whilst not gaining any more sustainably. Look at its latest reputation in the Which? review, it is spot on with my experience.

The company’s downward spiral in customer and staff satisfaction sits wholly with the CEO et al.

Customers can no longer rely on getting consistent, quality products via Waitrose’s home delivery. As it happens, I’m disabled and have always really appreciated its lovely staff and great goods arriving to my door. But now this experience has pretty much all gone, it’s a lottery what arrives each week; much of the fresh produce delivered is on- or close-to use by dates. I understand the need to accept ‘intelligent substitutes’ (and don’t mind trying new things!) but I really mind ending up with overripe fruit and veg, dry bread and milk that doesn’t even last to the best before date.

Waitrose has told me time and again its pickers always choose the freshest. This is a complete lie - they clearly don’t! I have the weekly refunds to prove it. But I don’t want refunds, I want my shopping.

In the end, the delivery drivers have to sort doorstep rejections and navigate general customer dissatisfaction, presumably whilst not getting any sort of bonus these days.

A small extra point - saying it can’t deliver weekend newspapers till after 3pm because of stock issues is a nonsense. This decision will have been driven 100% by the bottom line. Don’t insult your customers by fobbing us of with a raft of patronising messages like this. Shame on you Waitrose!

Waitrose - like many others I’m sure, I’d love to sit on a customer panel with your CEO to explore positively how you can sort this. This problem won’t go away if you don’t address this deep rooted but avoidable shift in your policy

UPDATE 5 days after posting this: I’ve just had a helpful and very courteous call from Waitrose HQ to discuss this. They have listened and seem to want to address these concerns - fingers crossed!

WARNING. DO NOT ORDER A WINE DELIVERY WITH WAITROSE CELLAR.
My order was dropped, a bottle smashed, delivery of the remaining order promised almost a week later than the paid-for delivery date and still NO DELIVERY.
I had THREE people trying to sort it out, all hopeless.
SO DISAPPOINTING.

Every time I order Waitrose groceries online, I have got issues with lots of products, rotten, damaged, then they demand pictures, bar code, this and that.. like, who the hell has got a time to be messing around with things like that? Not worth shopping with Waitrose, instead if a smooth service refunding, it’s a lot of work. Won’t order again. Ocado is million times better.

Waitrose baclava: disgusting. No honey, syrup instead. Awful pastry.
When the Waitrose board of directors are sitting in meetings wondering where it all went wrong, this is part of the problem. You don’t expect this of rubbish food from Waitrose.

I had a terrible experience in a Waitrose supermarket in Newbury. I couln't buy a couple of beers cause I was asked about my ID. I'm 33 years old and I don't look that young. 30 challenge now? At the self-checkout an assistant took a deeper look on my ID and in terms of being suspicious and who knows - being prejudiced towards my appearance and origins, he didn't want to accept it, at least he coudnt make up his mind himself, so he passed my ID to his manager that he did the same thing. Refused! ID not accepted. It seems that Waitrose don't either recognize or take into account some other proofs of sb's identity. It already happened to me twice, but for the first time one of night shift managers finally deigned to accept my ID after unnecessary conversation as he knew me from working for Waitrose through an agency. So, Idk they are too carefull, overreacted or they rather like to pick on people randomly for no reason, especialy if you are a foreigner. I discussed it with my acquaintances and I was told they experienced similar problems in Waitrose stores. I regret I didn't complain about it to HR let alone chase that manager who didn't accept my ID. A big mistake, even just for peace of mind. And I shouldn't have delayed with my review as well. I stopped shopping in Waitrose long time ago and I will never plan to do so. Such an unfriendly, xenophobic staff on general, euphemistically saying. In Thatcham was a little better while being served, though some staff behaviour still leaves a lot to be desired. I want to point out I don't have any problems in other stores such as Tesco, Sainsbury's or Poundland where my both ID and passport are widely accepted, but with Waitrose staff it's a horse of a different colour. Not to mention that I worked for Waitrose several times being treated like an idiot by night shift manager. I could make mistakes but the way how to speak to me, in a sarcastic, hypocritical way, was kinda insulting. Hope it will backfire on them. No idea what is wrong with them or I should say, with this racistic country. Shame, I liked Waitrose brand products a lot and I always pay attention to quality, so now I'm "Mark and Spencer focused".

Saturday the 14th of August I had my second BAD experience with their customer service at the Waitrose in Croydon.
This Waitrose until yesterday was my local EVERYDAY shop. But now my partner and I are never coming back.
I saw this lady mistreating and being rude to so many other people, she miss-treated me once before for the same reason, I got robbed and have no DVL or small ID, I don't walk around with my passport, so as this is my daily shop, I grabbed a wine to buy ( I am 31. years old!!!) and when buying tried to explain to her that got robbed and only had a picture of my passport on my phone, she was so overwhelmingly rude that I left the wine and went home have a panic attack.
Yesterday again, I was with my partner who is 37 years old and for sure doesn't look underaged, he got a few beers for him the same incredibly rude lady, done a massive scene and didn't allow us to buy IF I couldn't show physical proof of ID. We were holding hands and I have an engagement ring on my fingers. The scene was so embarrassing that I decided to go all the way back home and bring an ID.
Just googled and discovered that Waitrose did that even to grandmothers! SHAME ON YOU!!! The lady almost left in the air that my partner was probably with an underage girl!!!! This is ridiculous!!! JUST A TIP FOR YOUR WAITROSE, WHOEVER IS TRYING TO BUY ALCOHOL BEING UNDERAGE WILL WAIT OUTSIDE AND WILL NEVER COME WITH THE PERSON. YOUR POLICY IS RIDICULOUS AND YOUR STAFF IN THAT WAITROSE IS RUDE!!!! WE ARE NOT COMING BACK!!!!

My concern about Waitrose in Stratford on Avon is their disregard for Corvid protection. There is no cleaning station for disinfecting trollies and no staff carrying out this task. There is one hand sanitiser at the entrance of the store.

I went to Customer Services and the member of staff was not wearing a mask. They had a large badge saying 'Exempt'. This is all very well, but I am not exempt from catching the disease.

I have in the past rung the store manager about my concerns, but to no avail. Seems rediculous when other supermarkets, including the budget stores take a much more positive approach.

BE WARNED THEY TAKE MONEY FOR SAME DAY DELIVERY AND IT IS EXPENSIVE BUT USELESS...

I would have given NO stars if I could because I should have known better and so another birthday gift sent by Waitrose Cellar through their "Partnership with Yodel" has meant that a birthday gift for which £8.95 was charged with two weeks' advance notice for a named day delivery did not happen and will not be achieved until two days later because Yodel do not deliver on a Sunday! When told delivery could be all day until 9 p.m. (which is not DAYTIME in my understanding) and when tracking online got the message "ESTIMATED DELIVERY DATE SATURDAY 7TH AUGUST!" I realised I was on to another disappointment. Waitrose knew it was a birthday gift, got lots of advance notice but seems did not get the gift to the Depot of Yodel until the Friday night!!!! what a shambles....avoid this lot if you do not want to feel frustrated and ripped off. Oh and NO attempt was made to leave with a neighbour (Porter at local flats) where parcels may be left safely and securely....but then they probably expect drivers to be "whirlwinds" at delivering as they probably do not get enough time to complete what the customer has been charged by Waitrose Cellar i.e. a good customer service for which they have paid but did not receive. Glib messages saying "sorry" do NOT solve the issues so the only thing to do is AVOID WAITROSE CELLAR AND THEIR COURIER PARTNER YODEL if you want to get that "happy gesture" totally ruined......I think the least Waitrose Cellar could do is refund the £8.95 as I expected a birthday gift to be delivered in the morning of the NAMED DAY, REPEAT DAY, delivery not to be told oh well we have until 9 p.m. to deliver....Early afternoon the system showed the gift was "at the Depot" but Waitrose Cellar could not tell me exactly where that Depot was? All very reassuring NOT!

Ordered 12 bottles of Brazin old vine Zinfandel Lodi at 7am on 3rd of August and received order at 11.30 am on wednesday 4th. Sved 25% off the price and great service. Very pleased.

Horrible experience, ordered online using a discount code, order was accepted, received a confirmation email, 2 days later received an email to say the discount code was ineligible and had been removed! This is the last time I will shop at Waitrose.

So poor. Placed order 2 days ago, today just before pick up, charged me 20 pounds more than on invoice. Customer service not responding. Had to escalate to my bank to cancel. Will not shop with Waitrose ever again. AVOID.

Finally lost my Rag with what used to be a friendly easy to order from Company. First ordered 12 Bottles of Pouilly Fusse . Never warned not enough stock, surprise they delivered ^ Bottles. Complained about this asking how, where are my other 6 Bottles. after two days their web-site tells me by email my complaint not acceptable!
Later told try ordering 6 Bottles again.
This time thier flaming web-site would not let me change my password, nor let me re-register. Alsway, after 1*8 times. Message see highlighted problem. Always corrected, something dofferent each time.
Well my advise to you, should you be reading this. Think twice before doing so. I wont
C. S Heaton

Excellent Waitrose Cellar Customer Service from Michael.

Order was placed and acknowledged on 23 June 2021. According to the acknowledgment email 'Standard delivery would be 'on or before Thursday 01/07/21’. Thought that this was a long time, but ...No delivery arrived and still not here today. No initial communication and no updates about delays. Complained and pretty useless excuses from customer services that it was a busy time and one bottle out of a much larger order (20 bottles) was not in stock, Why could they not deliver the other 19 bottles? After raising order query told that the out of stock item came into stock on 25th June, for despatch on 30th. Order could still have fully arrived on, or soon after 1 July. Latest communication being that wine might be delivered at the end of this week. 9th July? Dreadful customer service. Still not had any notification of despatch.

Bought a garden seat from Waitrose website and, after I bought it, I discovered that the seat is not actually from Waitrose but a completely different company and nothing to do with Waitrose, lt's called Waitrose garden but the actual company is called Crocus. When I wanted to return it they tried to get me to organise my own courier and when I said I wanted them to collect it they charged £25, which is 38%of the purchase price: to send an e mail to a courier company. That wasnt properly handled either as I needed to change the collection address and I had to phone their customer service 4 or 5 times until, the day before the collection was due, they eventually confirmed that the courier would collect the goods from the correct address. WHY on earth Waitrose/\john Lewis would behave like this is beyond me, the SEOs of BOTH companies should be sacked.