Much to my husband’s distress I am a Waitrose fan. I cannot say food shopping is a favourite past time for me, but Waitrose is just not in the same league as the ubiquitous ‘big shop’.

In fact when I shop at Waitrose it is not a ‘big shop’ it generally turns into a huge one. For this reason I could not possibly visit Waitrose weekly. When I do however, it is an absolute pleasure to spend time there. The environment, the product, the people, the customer service is right up my street – and the street of all those who regularly vote it as their favourite supermarket or the best for service.

Everything about the store now, from its windows, the aisles, the staff is crisp, clean and fresh. The team takes our expectations and 99.9% of the time exceeds it.

My 3 year old loves it too. The staff are attentive generally but come into their own at the fish counter. My daughter loves to look at fish in every supermarket or market we go to; but only in Waitrose do staff enter into her world and entertain her. (The team behind ‘FiSH!’ would be delighted!) It is quite remarkable the difference in both her experience and her resulting behaviour whilst we spend up to 2 hours (seriously!) walking the aisles. Of course as all good retailers know, if the baby is happy, mummy is happy and more time and money is spent in the shop.

There is another bonus to shopping at Waitrose. The pleasure the customers experience is borne out in their temperament. People are generally in a pleasant mood, smile at each other, help each other find that elusive product and will even stop on occasion for a quick chat with complete strangers. Shop elsewhere and the experience has more in common with the London tube.

I was therefore delighted to see that Mary Portas covered it in her regular Telegraph column, voting it a well deserved 9 out 10 and that she too is a raving fan.

Waitrose knows its customer and works hard to exceed their expectations in all that they do. It really feels like the customer is at the centre of every part of the retail operation and at the heart of every Waitrose Partner.

As a nation we have come to expect poor service. But Waitrose proves when we get exceptional service in every sense, we are delighted, hooked and tell the world.

Customer Service

Customers turning to discounters – but what of their service?

The rising costs of petrol and food have led many of us to reassess our spending habits. Many now split their shopping between retailers to ensure they get the best possible value.

I spoke to a group who have changed their shopping habits over the last 3 years. These couples and families are now heading to discount food retailers to purchase basic product in bulk, such as tinned food, bottled water, drinks and household products. Whilst shopping they are often enticed by other products like large slabs of pizza “perfect for parties!”

So I went to check out a local discounter for myself.

The main reason for the switch to discounters is price. I found there are certainly some great prices to be had on basic product at discount stores. The best prices were those on promotional offer. Those at their usual price however are often in line with the big 4 and some items can be considerably more expensive. To get the best deals consumers need to know their prices and price per weight as packaging does vary. A single pack of Lurpak spread was the same price as Sainsbury’s; however Sainsbury’s had a BOGOF offer running on the same product. Bleach at this discounter was at 80 pence; however a branded promotion at Sainsbury’s offered 2 bottles for £1.20. Sainsbury’s basic range of bottled water also beat the discounter on price per bottle without having to buy a bulk of 6.

The discount environment is generally in keeping with the ethos and promotional product was stacked high. Some outlets have better standards than others, but most of the people I spoke to just don’t mind. “When I am buying tins and bottles I don’t require the same standards as I do when buying fresh meat” said one male shopper. It can also be difficult to navigate the store. I had to do several laps of my local outlet before I had located each product category. However the converts really don’t mind this, especially those just popping in for bottled water.

Sales floor staff are few and far between and few customers shopping here expected to see any. Price tickets and signage were a little confusing and certainly took some deciphering. I noticed that people shopped much more slowly than at a comparable Sainsbury’s or Tesco. They spent much longer looking at each product and its price.

The set up at the tills does disappoint those I spoke to. Some retailers have little space at the till to pack which can make the experience a little pressured and not accepting credit cards is inconvenient.

Having visited the discounter I went on to Sainsbury to compare prices. I spotted 4 different customers who had done the same. Talking to them they all had the same story. They buy their basic cupboard items at the discounter, fresh meat and produce from Sainsbury’s.

Personally, they are not for me. Having compared prices they can be matched or beaten by the larger supermarkets if you opt for basic ranges or make the most of the price promotions. In addition, the little things add up – the environment, the ease of paying and packing for example, not to mention the time and money saved by visiting just one retailer.

Those I spoke to, have converted to a new shopping style. These discounters have the opportunity to further maximise their business. Customers accept and acknowledge that service in these outlets will be basic. However by focusing on service in the wider sense, in terms of ticketing and the till point operation they may well find that they can increase their popularity further.