When our mystery shopper had a little trouble reaching a product in the bakery section of Sainsbury's Drumchapel store, the baker in his whites was quick to jump from his oven and to our shopper's aid without him even having to ask.
This is exactly the kind of heroic customer service that we look for when deciding which store should claim the Top Store Award.
The store scored full marks on all other points. It was clean, tidy and attractively presented and our shopper spent no time queuing at the checkout where his goods were also packed for him.
There was not a packing trolley in sight at Asda's Almondvale store, and clear merchandising meant that our shopper had no trouble finding all she needed.
Tesco Ashby de la Zouche and Morrisons in Yate scored slightly lower in the customer service stakes. Our Tesco shopper was passed to three separate members of staff and spent 10 minutes waiting before being told that the store did not stock McCain hash browns. She also had difficulty finding a number of products and was ignored by the checkout assistant who scanned her goods.
Packing trolleys were the big issue for our Morrisons shopper She also had a five-minute wait at the checkout and was not offered help packing her goods.
Waitrose and Somerfield both delivered positive experiences for our shoppers, although neither offered help with packing goods.Q&A with Elizabeth Lowe Manager of the Week
Tell us a bit about your time as a Sainsbury's store manager? I have been a store manager for just over five years now. However, I have only been at Sainsbury's Drumchapel store for five weeks, so all of this is a huge but wonderful shock!
What made you choose a career in the retail industry? I have always wanted a career in retail, and I would not want to do anything else. It's a fantastic industry to be in, no two days are ever the same, and it certainly never has a dull moment.
What do you enjoy the most about your job? The fact that I get to meet and work with such a vast and diverse mix of people every day.
How have your first few weeks been? Great, Great, Great! We have a fantastic team of colleagues, which numbers slightly more than 250. The store is great and so are our customers.
How do you plan to make your mark on the Drumchapel store?
I have big plans. The store is ten years old and needs a little bit of TLC, which is exactly what I am going to give it. I am determined to make the store a place that people really want to come to. The colleagues are fantastic, and with their support I am confident that we can achieve anything.
What do you consider to be your greatest challenge? Delivering consistent results for all of our customers day in and day out. Focusing on availability will be another top priority for me.
Can you tell us a little bit about your team? They are one of the best things about my job. All of our colleagues are extremely customer service-focused, and really prepared to go the extra mile for our customers, as is illustrated in The Grocer 33's store report this week (see left).
What does winning The Grocer 33's Top Store Award mean to you? Obviously I am absolutely ecstatic that the store has won this accolade. It's particularly fantastic news for all of our colleagues, as it is their efforts that have achieved this, not mine.Weekly winners since 17 June, 2006
Morrisons 0
Sainsbury 3
Waitrose 0
Asda 1
Tesco 0
Somerfield 0
This is exactly the kind of heroic customer service that we look for when deciding which store should claim the Top Store Award.
The store scored full marks on all other points. It was clean, tidy and attractively presented and our shopper spent no time queuing at the checkout where his goods were also packed for him.
There was not a packing trolley in sight at Asda's Almondvale store, and clear merchandising meant that our shopper had no trouble finding all she needed.
Tesco Ashby de la Zouche and Morrisons in Yate scored slightly lower in the customer service stakes. Our Tesco shopper was passed to three separate members of staff and spent 10 minutes waiting before being told that the store did not stock McCain hash browns. She also had difficulty finding a number of products and was ignored by the checkout assistant who scanned her goods.
Packing trolleys were the big issue for our Morrisons shopper She also had a five-minute wait at the checkout and was not offered help packing her goods.
Waitrose and Somerfield both delivered positive experiences for our shoppers, although neither offered help with packing goods.Q&A with Elizabeth Lowe Manager of the Week
Tell us a bit about your time as a Sainsbury's store manager? I have been a store manager for just over five years now. However, I have only been at Sainsbury's Drumchapel store for five weeks, so all of this is a huge but wonderful shock!
What made you choose a career in the retail industry? I have always wanted a career in retail, and I would not want to do anything else. It's a fantastic industry to be in, no two days are ever the same, and it certainly never has a dull moment.
What do you enjoy the most about your job? The fact that I get to meet and work with such a vast and diverse mix of people every day.
How have your first few weeks been? Great, Great, Great! We have a fantastic team of colleagues, which numbers slightly more than 250. The store is great and so are our customers.
How do you plan to make your mark on the Drumchapel store?
I have big plans. The store is ten years old and needs a little bit of TLC, which is exactly what I am going to give it. I am determined to make the store a place that people really want to come to. The colleagues are fantastic, and with their support I am confident that we can achieve anything.
What do you consider to be your greatest challenge? Delivering consistent results for all of our customers day in and day out. Focusing on availability will be another top priority for me.
Can you tell us a little bit about your team? They are one of the best things about my job. All of our colleagues are extremely customer service-focused, and really prepared to go the extra mile for our customers, as is illustrated in The Grocer 33's store report this week (see left).
What does winning The Grocer 33's Top Store Award mean to you? Obviously I am absolutely ecstatic that the store has won this accolade. It's particularly fantastic news for all of our colleagues, as it is their efforts that have achieved this, not mine.Weekly winners since 17 June, 2006
Morrisons 0
Sainsbury 3
Waitrose 0
Asda 1
Tesco 0
Somerfield 0
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