Here's a letter I've sent to Tesco. I received a reply yesterday which I'll add later, but I thought I'd share it with the group. Enjoy!
Dear Sir/Madam,
First off may I offer my congratulations on the opening on your new huge store in Dudley! My wife and I couldn’t wait to visit it on the opening weekend and have since spent a long time in there. Sometimes on our own, sometimes as a couple.
The shop is fantastic with everything you could ever need under one roof… and more! (Not more roofs, I meant more of everything you could ever need but that point has been lost now so I shall move on)
"But why has this letter been sent to us?" I hear you ask? Well… Ask no longer as I’m about to tell you.
I shall tell you about a couple of instances where Tesco COULD DO BETTER in my opinion!
Upon arriving in your store I was greeted by the sign (fig.A) of which I took a picture and have printed out. Can you spot what’s wrong with it? Yes. That’s right. Surprise is spelt wrong! I have to laugh to myself really as I wondered just how many people have seen this sign. Not only customers, but the people who designed it, the people who proof read it and the people who hung it up! The sign isn’t dirty either so I imagine it’s been cleaned too so add cleaners to that list!
Seriously, if you do employ proof readers, you may want to check their CVs. Did you contact their referees before employing them? Can they spell? Do they check everything you produce?
I was excited when I entered the store but this sign did tarnish the whole experience for me. I spent the rest of the evening not shopping, but looking for more spelling mistakes in your signage. Luckily I didn’t spot any but I did have to give up after a few minutes as the wife complained that I was dawdling.
I don’t think I’ve ever typed dawdling before.
Another instance where Tesco COULD DO BETTER in my opinion is in the stock of your crisps. More specifically, Monster Munch. Even more specifically, the Flamin’ Hot flavour of Monster Munch.
This is my favourite flavour and I rarely eat the beef or pickled onion flavours yet Tesco don’t seem to stock them? Asda do and I would get them from there but I don’t like going in Asda. It’s too far away and my wife always drags me around looking at clothes on the upper level. At least in Tesco when she looks at clothes, I don’t have to go upstairs.
The final instance of Tesco BEING ABLE TO DO BETTER IN MY OPINION is in the stock of milk.
I popped in on a Sunday morning to get some milk for tea and possibly cereal later in the evening. I was shocked to see that you had run out of the 4 pint variety of plastic bottle of milk. I would like to say carton but I don’t want to conjure up images of cardboard. The container was definitely plastic, or it would have been if you had any left.
I consider milk an essential and yet you’d run out! Astounding for a store of that size I’m sure you’ll agree.
In the end I had to settle for a 2 pint plastic container of milk and had to make a special trip a couple of days later to buy more. I bet you’re thinking that this meant I spent more money in Tesco but I’m afraid I have usurped you there. I only bought the milk and nothing else.
My wife however spent £67.80 on the weekly shop.
Despite these annoyances I shall continue to visit Tesco as it is local and I am impressed by the size of the store. I shall however, continue to check for any other unwelcome "suprises".
Yours sincerely
TheVision
P.S. I’m typing this in Word and it has underlined surprise as being spelt wrong. Have you considered using word for your signage?
And here's the link to the picture.
(Mods, if you'd like to embed the picture then feel free. I'm on the mobile site at the moment and can't do it myself.)