Resigned to the fact that my favourite pair of little black skinny jeans will never fit ever again & having moaned about this ‘n’ number of times to my hubby, I was delighted when he suggested a trip to Selfridges to buy a new pair of jeans.
Having filled the kettle 5 times to give the tiddlers a morning bath and get our good selves ready (yes we still have no hot water), we finally set off for the tube. We decided it would be a good idea to treat ourselves to some oysters, not the shelly type known locally & enjoyed by everyone but us, but the travelling plastic type. I’m all for anything that makes my life easier & quickly flashing your oyster at the entrance to the underground makes sense to me.
After descending 3 levels we were pleased to see the tube was fairly quiet, we embarked & shuttled to Westminster where we had to disembark as that was the last station with disabled/pushchair access this side of London. I’m glad to see as a result of the olympics, that investment is being made in providing more lift access for tube stations in London ready for 2012.
Amongst the tourists, many french accents were heard, we hustled our way to Buckingham Palace which is now shining like a new penny ready for Will’s impending nuptials. Much of Green Park is fenced off which was a shame as the daffs are looking lovely.
We exited next to the Ritz, passed Berkeley Square & up to South Molton Street, our 2 passengers snoozing soundly then I heard tic tic tic then poosh, as our double buggy got a puncture. Stranded, no pump, no spare inner, no repair kit my hubby said "oh **** what will we do now? " “Head for John Lewis” I said. Wibbling & wobbling along Oxford Street we wound up in JL baby department where lots of parents to be were inspecting new pushchairs.
Wonkily pushing our buggy at the nearest free assistant I asked if they carried spares. They quickly showed me to their after service department and my hubby ran off to buy a pump & repair kit from the bike section. We were told we were welcome to sit in the seating area whilst he carried out the repairs in front of soon to be mums & dads. I was shown to an area with playmats to entertain the tiddlers (normally reserved for older toddler whilst mums/dads/grandparents create enormous baby list for latest baby). Out of the blue, we were then given free coffee/tea & cake tokens for the cafe.
At no time did we complain, make a fuss or raise our voices - we were given exceptional customer service straight off. I’m really pleased John Lewis will soon be delivering to France, hopefully this level of service will eventually rub off on our french stores…I’m waiting patiently. John Lewis resolved a stressful situation and we then went & happily looked round the store & bought some more bits & pieces which we would not have done if we had still been wound up about the buggy.
It’s simple, good customer service = happy customers = more sales = more profits allowing even better customer service (free coffees etc) = more sales = happier customers who share good news to others = more happy customers… John Lewis would be a company I would happily work for if I were in the job market.
So happy customers = happy staff who want to work there. Perhaps part of the problems we have in France is the fact the staff don’t want to be there…? M&S just re-entered Paris, will John Lewis be the next UK store to move onto the French high street. If the French retailers don’t buck their ideas up, I’ll be happy to see them.
Anyway - refreshed, reinflated & revitalised we set off to Selfridges for my jeans. Through the mobs of window shoppers we managed to find the ‘street fashion’ section - interesting name…made me think I’d be hanging around corners if I bought something from this area. Off to Denims, another reminder of France which made me smile. The selection was huge but my eye was drawn to a lit up area with the words ‘BodyScanner’ illuminated & almost winking at me. I walked over & a young lady (size 6) asked me if I’d like to be ‘bodyscanned’ - why the hell not? Show me all my wobbly bits & then get me a bl**dy good pair of jeans to hide them. So I stepped into this kiosk which made me think this is what airports will be like in the future !). I had to take off all my clothes & jewellary & put on a clean pair of white knickers (black doesn’t show up apparently - nothing new there then, hide your wibbly bits by wearing black ladies!). So in my old fashioned white pants I stepped onto the foot markers in the scanner - a screen in front of my showed a model looking figure spinning around like Kylie. Cool. I hit the button & stood as instructed with my fingers & arms outstretched slightly thinking wouldn’t it be great if they could spray you with a St Tropez at the same time?
Four scanners moved up and down in the corners of the room as the computer wizardry worked out how many inches my childbearing hips had gained since 2009. It finished and I stepped into Gok Wan’s - How to not look good naked mirrors & examined my good self. These weren’t the slightly tilted mirrors which make you look like a Size 8 whatever your size, these were the tell it like it is from all angles type mirrors. Oh MY Goodness…what happened to me? Help me, I really need a good pair of jeans to sort that lot out & when I go back to France next I’m getting my trainers - I really need to do some exercise & I promise no more Gu desserts.
So strangely satisfied at seeing my new post pregnancy figure in its full glory I was recommended about 8 pairs of jeans, I tried each pair on & dismissed 7, 1 pair were perfect - skinny, indigo, 7 for all mankind, sheer, fantastic and fabulous jeans. I deliberately didn’t look at the price tag of any of them and as I came out of the changing rooms & saw my hubby’s face I said “aren’t they just perfect?~” I still don’t know how much they were and I’m not going to ask - it was Mothers Day and every mother needs a treat, mine was a new pair of jeans which make me feel 30 again.
I want to wear them all the time, they are amazing, but I know I must take them off and wash them as they are already covered in baby sick. I should have bought 7 pairs…maybe that’s why they were called 7 for all mankind?
Suz
ww.UK4Me.co.uk
UK Stores Delivering Overseas
Perhaps a few of us should get together and open a shop and show the french what customer service is.
Great post, Suzanne. I agree with you 100% re customer service increasing business. Seems obvious to me.
Glad you got some fab jeans from Selfridges. That machine sounds a must!
yes & I understand they all received good bonuses even in ‘la crise’ once again showing profit sharing works if done properly.
all John Lewis employees are share holders in the business( thus The John Lewis Partnership) so it encourages them to give excellent customer service the same at Waitrose definitely an idea the French should adopt !!!
Fabulously interesting post. Will be using it as the base of my Eng lesson on Thursday as we are talking about customer service…