Bakery- If you want a particular loaf sliced, please let a member of staff know and we will do it in minutes.
Celebration cakes- A celebration cake catalogue is available at the Customer Service Desk. So you can pick your order for that special occasion.
Bulk ordering- You can place orders in advance for large purchases for those great party or wedding occasions.
Delicatessen- Just ask to try before you buy and an assistant will be happy to let you taste a free sample before you decide to buy.
Over 200 of Tesco’s stores have price check points, so if you have any doubts over a price, you are able to check it before you buy.
If you are trying to choose a wine to compliment a meal and need advice, all you need do is ask a member of staff. Your wine will be packed in free wine carriers to make your journey home easier.
There is also 5% off every purchase of 6 bottles of wines, sparkling wine, vermouth, sherry or port.
Glass hire- Need more glasses for that special occasion? We offer a wide range of glasses for hire. Please book early to avoid disappointment.
Sale or return- If you order your wines from us, and don't use it all, you can return it unopened to the store.
Tesco has dispensing pharmacies throughout the country. Tesco provide pregnancy testing, advice on healthcare and NHS dispenses within each dispensing stores.
Need to pay your bills or post a card, we have post boxes situated at most of our stores. If you require stamps, you can purchase these at any customer service desk.
Tesco has dispensing pharmacies throughout the country.
Post boxes
Need to pay your bills or post a card, Tesco have post boxes situated at most of our stores. If you require stamps, you can purchase these at the customer service desk.
Free phone
If you need to call a taxi look out for the free phones provided in some stores. Or you may just Ask in store for help.
Tesco customer assistants try to make your shopping trip as easy as possible. All customers need do is ask for assistance or even call ahead and to let the store know that you are on you're way.
For the special needs
Wheelchairs
Tesco have electric wheelchairs in over 120 stores and all stores are equipped with standard wheelchairs, to help you if you have difficulty getting around the store.
Special trolleys
Tesco have a selection of trolleys to cater for various needs. They constantly develop new designs that adhere to wheelchairs and the stores also have shallow trolleys to prevent excessive bending down. If you have any trouble finding an appropriate trolley, all you need do is ask a member of staff. Tesco are constantly trialing new and innovative trolley designs for special needs shoppers. So you may see some other variations within your local store.
Disabled toilets
Most Tesco stores provide specially adapted toilets, all of which are fitted with alarms, so should you have any difficulty you can call for assistance.
Home shopping
Tesco now have a home shopping service available and you can check online to make sure they can deliver to your area. This makes life easy for both the customer and the store especially for those who have a disability.
Disabled parking
All car parks have spaces, specially designated for disabled customers. To make customers shopping trip as easy as possible. Tesco state that they are constantly looking at ways to reduce the abuse of these spaces by those not displaying a valid badge, and are currently introducing new signage to make these spaces more prominent.
So Tesco have many different service of which they try there best to provide for each type of customer and as a business they only wish to be successful and they only way to do so is to keep your customers happy.
Ways in which staff deal with customers
Tesco have highly trained and polite staff, who are determined to always put the customer first. Staff in Tesco deal with customers in many different ways and the first and most formal method is directly face to face trying to deal with whatever problem that has risen to telephone, written and even modern technologies such as e-mail. All customer are given a smile, friendly greeting and a positive helpful approach. Good communication with customers is vital and this why Tesco ensure that all staff are highly trained to effectively help customers in the most easiest and helpful way.
Tesco have a designated team responsible for each customer, Tesco try their very best to help and learn from you so you have the best possible shopping experience whilst at Tesco.
Types of communication & importance
There are many different types of communication of, which are all equally important when dealing with customers.
The first and most appropriate is way of communication is via face to face. This is the most common method of communication used by members of staff towards customers.
This method of communication comes under is the oral way of communication.
Face-to-face
Face-to-face communication is the best and most appropriate way for Tesco to get information. For using face-to-face is a lot easier to explain to the customer or worker if someone if you are in need of assistance and it is a lot quicker.
Advantages
Thing can be easily explained to the employer if you do not understand something. It can be a lot easier to talk to one person at a time, rather than a whole group and, It is also quicker talking face-to-face with an employer
Disadvantages
You could easily forget what you and talking about in the middle of a speech (embarrassment). Someone could overhear the conversation
Telephone
In Tesco’s the customer service desk have to answer all customer queries and calls, which they make.
It’s also a quick and easy way to get through to the staff of Tesco or delivery people
Advantages
Answer customer queries and calls. It’s a quick way to get through to contact customers, employers, or delivery people and it is much easier to sort out matters regarding the business and complaints that the customers have made
Disadvantages
When talking on the phone, other employers/employees could over hear the conversation.
Telephone lines could cut off at anytime due to bad reception, or electric line is cut off, and it might take a long-time to get through to the person you are trying to contact
Written
You can write a letter to someone who you want feedback from, it will take time to get the information back. With written communications there is no direct feedback. You can not tell if the reader is taking an interest or reading it half a sleep etc.
Tesco use this method of communication when taking customer complaints or leaving messages for managers when a meeting or something very important is taking place.
Advantages
To communicate with the outside world, It’s also easy to understand in a letter form. A letter gets straight to the point in a letter and you have all the time in the world and can say as much as you want without have to stop for a breath when writing a letter.
Disadvantages
The disadvantages of using written communication is things such as, the letter could easily be lost within the post. It’s not direct to the employers and all of the information might not get through to the employers if they read it.
Measuring Customer Satisfaction
Sale Performance
A business can know what customers think about them by looking at the sales performance. Marks & Spencer has got the highest sales records for over five years. This means that customers are satisfied with the services and products provided which are relatively cheap compared to its competitors like Tesco, Sainsbury etc. Recording the number of customers, which turn up each day, identifies the number of sales, and also the amount of products bought, M&S also measures this by the number of club cards used.
At the end of every month Tesco review their current sales to see whether customer are satisfied with the service being provided.
Number Of Complaints/ Returned Goods
Another important factor a business apart from selling the products is the customer service. So a business, which takes customer service seriously, will be interested in the attitudes and the opinions by the customer. The number of complaints made by the customers determines the level satisfaction. The easiest way to monitor customer complaints is to see how many returned goods the business receives.
Tesco establish this by having a customer service desk within every store, which deals with all customer complaint and queries.
Returned goods are also a big part of customer service because if a customer does not feel happy with a product and they feel that they have not got their moneys worth then it is only normal that the customer will bring the item back.
To handle this problem Tesco have a 28 return policy where the item can be brought back and exchange for another or the customer can be given a full refund.
Loyalty and Reward cards
Tesco can receive information about their customers, and they will know which type of people they attract and don’t attract. After they will consecrate on the age group, which they do not attract.
Tesco’s brought out their loyalty cards for rewarding regular customers. From their loyalty schemes is the amount of data that Tesco collect about their regular customers and what their buying habits are. From this they have created highly developed databases which enable them to a target marketing particular customers. Let take for e.g. you’re a regular customer you will receive vouchers that will give you money off items that you buy frequently. Tesco’s database can tell if you suddenly stop buying, and a voucher could be sent to tempt that customer back.
Mystery Shoppers
Mystery shoppers, is another way to measure customer satisfaction. Mystery shopping is when a researcher will pose as a customer and go into a branch of retail out let in order to report on the level of service provided. In the case of Marks & Spencer, for example one of the marketing research can go to any M&S outlets as a customer and check out the customer service provided. This is a good way to examine the services provided by the business as it shows employers within the business, how their customers are treated. Some of the things that he might check is how the customers are being treated by the staff, knowledge of staff, staff selling skills, quality of facilities such as toilets and the appearance of the branch. If the researcher is satisfied with the service as a customer, then he will know what also their customers are happy with the service provided. In other words mystery shoppers may help to assess levels of customers service, the effectiveness of staff training and also the motivation.
This makes things extremely difficult for companies such as Tesco because being so big and busy with so many customers makes it hard to recognise mystery shoppers if they do decide to pop in to the store.
Questionnaires
A questionnaire is a systematic list of questions designed to obtain information from people about their attitudes. Market research is useful in discovering what both existing and potential customers think about the business and its range of products or services. Although the information is based upon opinion, the business place is a great emphasis on the reliability of this data and will often act directly on it.
Tesco use this method of customer satisfaction because it is quick, easy, can be issued to any as well as many customers and it gives customers the freedom of choice to the type of service they would like.
Customer Panel or Interviews
Customer panel is when a business sets up panels of consumers who agree to provide information about their interviews about the service of their buying habits. This can be home audit panel were a researcher will discuss consumer issues during a personal visit. Another type of panel is the diary panel where a consumer records purchases in a diary. Interviews are almost the same as the customer panels. This is when a consumer is asked questions about the business this can be telephoning, home or even postal interviewing. Both customer panels and interviews help to know the levels of customer satisfaction. Which is why Tesco uses this, so that they can keep track of their customer satisfaction
Protecting customers
Trade Descriptions Act 1968
This Act was created entirely on the prevention of the false or misleading description of goods. What this means is that basically a thing such as the selling of goods, which are wrongly described by the manufacturer. Implied descriptions, e.g. a picture on a box which gives a false impression, and other aspects of the goods, including quantity, size, composition, method of manufacture etc. the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 was designed to prevent these types of things from happening in the trade business.
Health and safety at work act 1974:
The health and safety at work act 1974 places responsibilities on employers to:
provide and insure that the workplace is both safe and healthy
Carry out safety procedures such as fire drills, and to display safety notices and indicate fire exits.
Provide machinery and equipment that is safe to operate and properly guarded
Provide trained safety staff
Have a written statement of health and safety policy, which is available to all employees.
HASAW also places responsibilities on employees to:
Follow health and safety procedures. Use machinery and equipment in a safe manner, including using any safety devices and guards. Always act in ways that will not endanger themselves or others and Not misuse any safety equipment provided or deface safety.
Rights and responsibilities
All employees have a right:
To be paid at an agreed rate
To be treated fairly
To be provided with a workplace that is healthy and safe
To be provided with equipment that is safe to use
To receive appropriate training
Not to be asked to do anything that is dangerous, unethical or illegal
Safety signs regulations 1980
In this act the business has to display specific safety signs to identify risks and hazards. There must be written instructions on the use of fire-fighting equipment. The act requires all signs to be specific designs and the correct colours. For example red for prohibited action, blue for mandatory action, yellow for warning and green for safe condition. It also states that all employees. In case an employee or customer is injured because of the business’ negligence, can get compensation.
Data protection Act 1998
This act gives the people the right to information, which could be held against them, and how it could be used. People have the right to prevent their data being processed for direct marketing purpose. They also have the right to take action to correct, block, erase or destroy inaccurate data. They can claim compensation if damage is suffered through contravention of the act. This act allows an organisation to give data out for crime detection and taxation purpose, research history and statistics, for the purpose of national security. If an organisation fails to comply or contravenes the act then the data protection commissioner has the power to issue an enforcement notice.
Consumer Protection Act 1987
This Act relates to price and safety. Under the act it is an offence to mislead consumers as to the price of goods, services, accommodation or facilities e.g. by missing out the VAT when quoting the price. It is an offence to mislead consumers over sale prices and claim exaggerated price reductions, and it is also an offence to supply goods, which are not reasonably safe.
Sale and supply of goods Act 1994
This act covers the requirements of the purchaser. It states that goods must conform to their description for example waterproof must mean the item does not leak. They should also fit for the purpose of which they are intended or made for, like a kitchen roll must be able to drain any liquid. In case the goods are not of satisfactory quality the courts can take it into consideration if a buyer makes a claim. This act covers both second hand and sale goods.
Recommendations
To improve Tesco’s performance I would introduce a number of changes within the business.
The first would be to improve the friendly and helpfulness of staff, which would make customers happy and encourage them to shop more being within a friendly environment.
I feel this is very essential as customers can be socialised with and when in need of help they can easily be assisted. So to do so I feel that Tesco can achieve this by hiring members of staff to stand around within then store who are completely dedicated to helping customers with any problems they encounter.
The second thing I would introduce to Tesco, in order to improve performance is more checkouts which spread around the whole store so no matter what way you choose to go a checkout will be waiting. Which will help shorten a decrease the amount of queuing shoppers will need to do.
The third recommendation of which I would give to Tesco is to improve the Car parking within the premises as I have found that people are easily confused and misled when trying to park in the car park. To avoid the problem I feel the store should have specialised signs dedicated to ensuring people, park within the right places. But better yet the store could have members of staff who’s job it is to ensure and direct people to available parking places.
How each of your recommendations for improved customer service meets the needs of the business
All of my recommendations meet the needs of the business simply because of the fact that Tesco’s main aim is to expand and to do that they plan to open many more stores across the UK. By doing so will increase sales causing profit to rise and the main aim of every business is to make profit.
Now each recommendation that I have provided meets every Tesco’s needs exactly, because each recommendation keeps customers happy and every happy customer is a regular customer. In addition the reputation of the business can then be spread attracting even more customers and helping Tesco to make a lot of money over providing the perfect customer service.
Above all I think my recommendation of introducing more checkout points is one which proves very important in this case, and the reason for this is because people today are very much in a rush and like to do thinks quickly. So to avoid this problem if people know they can go to a store and be out within a number of minutes their lives will feel a lot easier and employers lives much happier.
How each of your recommendations meets the expectations of the different type of customers of the business.
Tesco need to know exactly what the customers needs are before they can introduce it. Tesco meets the customers needs in many ways such as providing all of the services of which they have to offer. For e.g. parents who have children that need changing whilst shopping in Tesco they can go to the baby changing room. Disabled people also feel comfortable when shopping in Tesco, because they have free car parking ramps etc to make their life a lot easier. Tesco make sure that they always have at least every product and if they promised delivery on a product, they try their best to make sure they deliver it as promised. So the company tries to cater for all types of customer.
Tesco’s motto is, ‘every little helps’ and to do so Tesco make little adjustments each month in order to improve their services and by doing so the company tries to keep all of its customers happy.
The recommendations of which I have made suit every type of customers need and this is because, in-order to discover what most customers want I carried out a survey and due to my recommendations it seems that every customer wants the same thing.
So the recommendations meet every customers expectations because as a shopper we all want the same things.
How each of your recommendation could be realistically implemented by the business.
If they have baby club, as Tesco have baby sitters any parent could come and leave their child to play at the club and come back when you have finished shopping. If you look above at the profile of typical customers you will find that most people around the age of 25-35 often shop this means that some of them have children, than which I think the baby club will be useful to them will their parents shops. Free Internet shopping and free deliveries that will help both the disabled and people who aren’t able to shop freely when they want. This will also help bring in more customers and improve the service that the customers get.
Staff training will help the staff know the appropriate way of how to treat customers.
Recruitment advertisements will bring in more employees to help fulfil the extra assigned jobs.
This would help improve the store name and keep customers happy. Tesco can do so by hiring new staff as well as training others, who job it will be to dedicate themselves to helping customers around the store with their problems.
To implement my recommendation of the car parking system the company will again have to invest a sum of money into a particular department, which is in this case is the staff department. As a result Tesco will have a team of dedicated car parking staff who’s job it is to ensure that parking for customers is both quick and easy.
How the success or failure of your recommendation could be monitored by the business
By making sure that Tesco follow and take action on the improvement that I have planned for them to do. The trained staffs will be doing what they are meant to do and basically the control stock, addition of tills and free parking, if they are all being put into action. Then Tesco can carry out actions such as questionnaires to find out what the customers think of the new improved services.
To make life even easier Tesco could introduce CCTV within the store and review how much these essential adaptations are actually used and gain a general idea of what the customers think about my recommendations.
Distinction
Justify your recommendations using your research into the customer service provided by the business
The recommendations of which I have proposed to Tesco are based on my research into customer service. This is what the customers seem to want and they feel as customers it will improve the service provided by Tesco.
With the use of surveys and questionnaires I found what customers want and how the services of the business can be improved.
Explain clearly how the recommendations will benefit both the business and its customers
All of my recommendations benefit both the customer and the business. This is simply because customers want great service while businesses want to make profit. To do so both the business and customer must work together each satisfying the others need.
In order for this operation to work, the business must provide the customers with the services of which they want. Now this is where my recommendations come into benefiting both the customer and the business. As the three recommendations of which I have made are reasonably cheap for Tesco to carry out, while the customer’s will be a lot happier with the services Tesco will provide.
Through the use of my questionnaire/customer survey I gained and detailed idea of what the customer would like to see in Tesco which help improve it’s service and the companies name. The most common and cheapest suggestions seemed to be the use of a helpful car parking, more tills around each store and the friendly and helpfulness of staff. So using this gathered information is how I came to producing my three chosen recommendations and how I thought they are all both useful to the company and the customer.
