Why price cuts are no substitute for service at Morrisons

ALTHOUGH Morrisons is cutting its prices (The Yorkshire Post, June 23), it still fails to realise what customers want. The issue is this: customer service.

When the new changes came in a couple of years ago, I went into my local store as I wanted a pink grapefruit. All I found on the shelf was one white one. It didn’t matter to me that the staff were all in colour co-ordinated uniforms or that there was a flash dry-ice display (which I find off-putting) at the entrance. I just wanted the shelves to be stocked.

Similarly, I buy Morrisons own-branded tuna in spring water. This appears to be a very popular item and looks to be one of the first of the range to go, but I have visited only to find none on the shelves for two days running. Is it beyond the wit of the management to be able to identify popular lines and keep a full stock on the shelves?

As a further example, my local store has only one member of staff serving on the deli bar. She (invariably) is always helpful, but I don’t want to wait in a long queue while one person serves meats, cheeses and other items.

In Booths supermarket, on a similar-sized, possibly smaller, deli counter there are staff for each of the sections and even while browsing, a staff member will ask if I want any help. That is service.

As for the price cuts, I used to buy Morrisons own ready meals at three for £5. They then went up in price and I stopped buying them. Now they are back to the three for £5, so I don’t really see that as a price cut.

Sir Ken Morrison knew his stores. He used to visit as a customer so he knew what we wanted. The current management need to listen to what he is saying and more to the point, act on it. Yorkshire people want Morrisons to succeed, but they need to sort out their priorities – and soon.

From: Dennis Whitaker, Baildon.

WHAT a pleasure it was shopping at Morrisons in Guiseley on Thursday morning. Plenty of room in the car park, uncluttered aisles, sufficient variety for a one stop shop and many prices moving in the right direction.

From: William Doyle, Rawdon.

ANOTHER Morrisons rip-off, this time deep-crust pizzas. I bought one the other day and there was very little to it. When I queried it in their Yeadon store, I was told that they had been told to cut back on the amount of veg and meat they put on their pizzas. Why isn’t this reflected in the labelling – and price?