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Staff left in cold after bosses axe bonuses

Freezing supermarket staff have had to forfeit their annual bonus after wearing jumpers and gloves in store.

Shop assistants in Tesco Express in Warren Road, Woodingdean, Brighton, have had to work in icy conditions for months because the store's main automatic door is jammed open.

Workers say the heating system has also jammed up because the cold temperature means it cuts out.

Now the employees have had their yearly bonus slashed from 15 per cent to three per cent after a mystery shopper marked the staff down, saying Tesco's standards had not been met.

Geoffrey Fairchild, whose 19-year-old daughter Lucie works at the store part time, said: "I am a regular customer there and the front door has been broken for eight months.

"The staff have to physically open it in the morning and it stays open all day and then they have to push it together at night.

"The staff are really good, they never complain, despite it being very cold.

"It's ok for the customers, they can get in and out quickly but the poor staff have to grin and bear it all day.

Members of staff wear several layers of clothing and gloves to try to keep warm and Mr Fairchild said his daughter had become so cold that she burst into tears.

He said he had phoned Tesco several times to tell them about the door but no one had been out to fix it.

Mr Fairchild said: "It was okay in the summer months but now it is just laughable it has gone on for so long.

"I would have thought a company like Tesco, with their financial situation, would be able to sort this problem out straight away.

"They are treating their staff terribly. I would have thought that if they couldn't get someone to fix the door straight away they would at least supply their staff with something warmer to wear.

"The mystery shopper may think the staff are not working to best of their ability but how can they when are working in appalling conditions.

"They have been short-staffed because staff who have had colds have not wanted to come into work.

"The bonus is a percentage of the staff's regular pay. It's not fair to take it away, especially over Christmas and when they have been working in those cold conditions.

"I am appalled at the way they have been treated."

A Tesco spokeswoman said: "The problem has been getting an engineer to come and fix the door. It is not ideal.

"Various circumstances have meant we have not been able to get hold of the right people. We are hoping it will be fixed within the next week or so.

"As for the staff bonus, that has no bearing on the way they are dressed, it is about customer service."

12:08pm Tuesday 1st January 2008

Print   Email this   Comment
Posted by: fred flow, hove on 12:32pm Tue 1 Jan 08
Typical hack journalism - putting key information in the last line, in the hope that most people won't bother read that far. Tesco say "As for the staff bonus, that has no baring on the way they are dressed" so if you are running a story to the contrary, where is your evidence? or is it just a case of not letting the facts get in the way of a good story? I guess that "doors stuck open at local tesco" isn't a good enough news article for you on it's own, you sadly have to dress it up in this sensationalist way
Posted by: david cameron-young, abingdon, on 12:35pm Tue 1 Jan 08
how unfair. it is not the staff's problem that the door won't work. if all the regular customers are happy , thats what counts. the mystery shopper was probably having a bad day. as for tesco's excuses about getting an engineer, what a load of tosh. no-one available for 8 months, sounds like they use del-boy enterprises of peckham
Posted by: Grumps, LANCING on 12:38pm Tue 1 Jan 08
I am confident that if the spokeswoman's office became open to the elements repairs would be carried out the same day or an alternative office found.

It's always people at the sharp end who actually do the work that provides the profits who suffer.
Posted by: No, Way on 12:40pm Tue 1 Jan 08
why not do a report on the Tesco Express on Western Road in Hove? It's sh1t. THey never have anything on the shelves, the staff are rude and badly trained, it's always a mess, the door never works, it's all over-priced... I bet they still got their bonus.

I used to work in a shop where the massive front doors never worked. They had to be pulled open and closed manually everyday. The staff wore scarfs. We bought them hot chocolate from the coffee shop upstairs. We never got bonuses because the company was too tight.
Posted by: fredflow, hove on 12:53pm Tue 1 Jan 08
david cameron-young wrote:
how unfair. it is not the staff's problem that the door won't work. if
all the regular customers are happy , thats what counts. the mystery
shopper was probably having a bad day. as for tesco's excuses about
getting an engineer, what a load of tosh. no-one available for 8
months, sounds like they use del-boy enterprises of peckham
the article says nothing about whether all the regular customers are happy or not - it just quotes one "regular customer" who also happens to be the father of one of the members of staff, so perhaps not the most objective of sources
Posted by: Flat Foot Soozie, Brunswick Square on 1:25pm Tue 1 Jan 08
What's so difficult about a door?

You push it open, go in or out, and it swings shut. And life goes on.
Posted by: Summer Field, Brighton on 1:31pm Tue 1 Jan 08
Sounds to me as though fredflow is really Tina Tesco!
In the Royal Courts of Justice, the rules are that the complainant or prosecution puts its case and the reply follows. The Argus, I note, often gets the defence or mitigation quite high up even if it hasn't done in this case.
You say it's unfair yet it's fair enough for the justice system. Perhaps you should declare your interest as Mr Fairchild has.
Personally I find it hard to believe something as basic as a broken door will not have an affect on staff attitudes especially when it's been as cold as recently.
I'm also not sure I believe the Tesco spokesman saying the way staff are dressed has no effect on their bonus otherwise why would they be expected to wear their uniforms. Wearing neat and clean clothes is part of the customer service package offered by Tesco.
Posted by: rob, brighton on 1:33pm Tue 1 Jan 08
fred flow wrote:
Typical hack journalism - putting key information in the last line, in the hope that most people won't bother read that far. Tesco say "As for the staff bonus, that has no baring on the way they are dressed" so if you are running a story to the contrary, where is your evidence? or is it just a case of not letting the facts get in the way of a good story? I guess that "doors stuck open at local tesco" isn't a good enough news article for you on it's own, you sadly have to dress it up in this sensationalist way
Your remarks are more like hack jourmalism than the argus's. At least they've spoken to both sides to get the facts and comments. And your remarks are more sensationalist than the argus's which makes me think you're the sensationalist with a secret job at tesco.
Posted by: haggis, brighton on 1:35pm Tue 1 Jan 08
Flat Foot Soozie wrote:
What's so difficult about a door? You push it open, go in or out, and it swings shut. And life goes on.
oh go away with your silly coments.if the staff dont like it they can go away.there is plenty of polish people too take there place,they are use to the cold..
Posted by: td, worthing on 1:50pm Tue 1 Jan 08
Bonuses are earned folks. Staff should deliver some customer service and they would have been paid.

I know quite a few folk in Tesco and they are only too keen to reward customer service. Clearly, staff here have not been delivering!

Sound like a bunch of can do folks don't they of they can't get hq to get a door fixed. Just another whinging bunch
Posted by: dc, sussex on 2:34pm Tue 1 Jan 08
this mystery shopper sounds like the kind of person who rings up the bbc and complains about a program. just the kind of person we can all do without! why do companies listen to them! oh, i forot, so they can find an xcuse to slash the bonuses!
shame on you tesco bosses, well done.
Posted by: John, Cyberspace on 2:37pm Tue 1 Jan 08
"but the poor staff have to grin and bare it all day."
Wrong! "bear".
"has no baring on the way they are dressed"
Also wrong! "bearing"
Posted by: Kickboxer, Worthing on 2:38pm Tue 1 Jan 08
According to the health & safty laws staff can refuse to work if the temperature drops below 17 degrees Celsius inside the building and the company is not allowd to stop wages, i don't find 17c that cold, so either it's below 17c so refuse to work or it's above 17c so you work and stop moaning, end of problem.
Posted by: The Wombat, Zog on 2:41pm Tue 1 Jan 08
I gave kickboxer a slap in tesco. Told him to shut up.
Posted by: fred flow, hove on 3:19pm Tue 1 Jan 08
Summer Field wrote:
Sounds to me as though fredflow is really Tina Tesco!
In the Royal Courts of Justice, the rules are that the complainant or
prosecution puts its case and the reply follows. The Argus, I note,
often gets the defence or mitigation quite high up even if it hasn\'t
done in this case.
You say it\'s unfair yet it\'s fair enough for the justice system.
Perhaps you should declare your interest as Mr Fairchild has.
Personally I find it hard to believe something as basic as a broken
door will not have an affect on staff attitudes especially when it\'s
been as cold as recently.
I\'m also not sure I believe the Tesco spokesman saying the way staff
are dressed has no effect on their bonus otherwise why would they be
expected to wear their uniforms. Wearing neat and clean clothes is part
of the customer service package offered by Tesco.
I have f-all to do with Tesco thanks. I just dislike journalism where stories are spun so much. Here's a different spin on the same story - employee upset at failing a customer service assessment and losing her christmas bonus gets dad to talk to the local rag and has revenge with some bad publicity about a broken door. Unfair? Maybe, but it fits the facts just as well.
Posted by: Rob, Shoreham on 4:26pm Tue 1 Jan 08
dc wrote:
this mystery shopper sounds like the kind of person who rings up the bbc and complains about a program. just the kind of person we can all do without! why do companies listen to them! oh, i forot, so they can find an xcuse to slash the bonuses! shame on you tesco bosses, well done.
Oh dear.

A mystery shopper is an individual hired by a company to pose as a customer and mark the staff and premises against set standards.

Not a bored busybody dc!
Posted by: J Sainsbury on 5:06pm Tue 1 Jan 08
Fred Tesco Apologist wrote: "Here's a different spin on the same story - employee upset at failing a customer service assessment and losing her christmas bonus gets dad to talk to the local rag and has revenge with some bad publicity about a broken door. Unfair? Maybe, but it fits the facts just as well."

Prefer the Argus version personally. At least it speaks up for individuals against overmighty corporations like Tesco, the council and the police.

If Tesco takes 8 months to fix something as visibly wrong at a door with such neglect towards its staff as that shows, what about the unseen things? Like hygiene? Fred Tesco Spokesman, your true colours and your pathetic spin are all to clear to see through.
Posted by: Kickboxer, worthing on 5:10pm Tue 1 Jan 08
Kickboxer wrote:
According to the health & safty laws staff can refuse to work if the temperature drops below 17 degrees Celsius inside the building and the company is not allowd to stop wages, i don't find 17c that cold, so either it's below 17c so refuse to work or it's above 17c so you work and stop moaning, end of problem.
There he is again, using my name and quoting inaccurate details. To be honest, a couple of things - use a new name, I'm sure you're bright enough to think of one by yourself, and secondly ensure the legal 'facts' you quote are correct, as these clearly are not.

It all just makes me look stupid pal.
Posted by: Kickboxer, Worthing on 5:17pm Tue 1 Jan 08
Kickboxer wrote:
Kickboxer wrote:
According to the health & safty laws staff can refuse to work if the temperature drops below 17 degrees Celsius inside the building and the company is not allowd to stop wages, i don't find 17c that cold, so either it's below 17c so refuse to work or it's above 17c so you work and stop moaning, end of problem.
There he is again, using my name and quoting inaccurate details. To be honest, a couple of things - use a new name, I'm sure you're bright enough to think of one by yourself, and secondly ensure the legal 'facts' you quote are correct, as these clearly are not.

It all just makes me look stupid pal.
You are obviously stupid to use someone else's name to try to wind them up, it does not work it just makes you look like a sad muppet, from the real "Kickboxer" Worthing
Posted by: Kickboxer, Worthing on 5:22pm Tue 1 Jan 08
The Wombat wrote:
I gave kickboxer a slap in tesco. Told him to shut up.
Dream on you fat git!.
Posted by: oldtimer, sussex on 5:43pm Tue 1 Jan 08
It's the same at Sainsbury's - try and get equipment, heating, toilets etc. fixed and it's a long, long wait, constant calls to "the company's" engineers, when if you called someone local he's probably turn up the next day. Nothing is serviced any more - you wait until it breaks down.
Posted by: kickboxer, worthing on 6:20pm Tue 1 Jan 08
my new years resolution,is too stop being a prat with my silly comments.so i will leave all you nice readers alone and go back to playing with my atari console
Posted by: bemused, brighton on 7:01pm Tue 1 Jan 08
i too have been servrd by the staff at tesco woodingdean on many an occasion.both in the summer and winter.i have been rudly served whatever the weather.true to say its by not all the staff but most.they talk among themselves whilst serving you close the shop at 930pm when it should be 10 always seems to be more people on the shop floor than willing to get behind the till and serve
Posted by: wayne, brighton on 7:19pm Tue 1 Jan 08
I agree "bemused" on everythng you say. Some of them don't even stop the chatter about how drunk they are going too or did get at the weekend or what they are doing with who to even acknowledge you and others are just downright rude and talk to you like they have just scraped you off their shoe!

Also on the times, they do shut up early, or have so many pallets of stock out that you can't even get to the bread or milk and they rarely open on time at the weekends either. To be honest 3% is 3% more than most of them deserve!

Also with regards working temperatures, I believe that has been abolished now.
Posted by: dc, sussex on 9:27pm Tue 1 Jan 08
oh dear,
well we all know what rob from shoreham does for a bit of extra cash! lol
Posted by: No, Way on 9:42pm Tue 1 Jan 08
Posting in my name is not clever. I am the only No, Way and I am god.
Posted by: Haggis, Brighton on 9:34am Wed 2 Jan 08
No wrote:
Posting in my name is not clever. I am the only No, Way and I am god.
As yu know I work for the Argus, I'll have a word but really we just don't care.
Posted by: secret shopper, all over on 9:41pm Wed 2 Jan 08
The staff are able to see the MS report, to judge if the clothing had any baring on the result, and then leak this to the Argus. Just wait for all the MS's to come to this site and post comments, possibly including the person who did the visit. (not me).
Posted by: cannonfodder, woodingdean on 10:06am Thu 3 Jan 08
I shop at tesco woodingdean regularly. The staff in there generally don't acknowledge anyone who they haven't known for 20 years. This morniong at the checkout I said good morning to the checkout girl and not only did she ignore me but she also started a conversation with one of her cronies in an adjacent queue. They don't deserve any bonus. I can't imagine that fixing the doors would warm up the atmosphere. Let them freeze I say.
Posted by: jones, woodingdean on 10:49am Thu 3 Jan 08
I have read through most of your your comments on here and i have too say that i think none off you know how hard the girls in that store work and what long hours, the door are electric sliding door so it is not a case of the when a customer comes in all they have too do is push it closed. The doors are also very heavy and once the are pushed open it is very hard too pull the closed i have worked at this store for 5 years now and the shop runs i tight policy with stock on the shop floor, as unatended stock would cost us our bonus as well as dress code if we are not in the correct uniforn that could also cost us our bonus what members of the public and the higher bosses dont understand that how cold it is in there and that we need gloves other wise wouldnt be able too work at all because we would end up with frostbite, The doors have been broken for 8 months now and have been promisede on several occassions that they would be fixed but never actually happen. i dont think members of the public can take it out on the staff as we are still giving customer service while freezing in a shop with no heatin and doors stuck open allday, the people that say that we dont deserve our bonus i would love too see them come do our job and have a happy face on the all day without getting **** off that they are cold PUT YOURSELF IN OUR POSITION
Posted by: joe, birmingham on 3:14pm Thu 3 Jan 08
Yeah right, when it’s below 17C they just refuse to work, and Tesco meekly pays up? Ha ha, more likely they’ll sack anyone who tries it on. Anyway, customer service starts at the top. If management don’t give a stuff about staff welfare, morale suffers and customer service goes down the tubes. Cancel the bosses’ bonus.
Posted by: jones, woodingdean on 4:08pm Thu 3 Jan 08
joe wrote:
Yeah right, when it’s below 17C they just refuse to work, and Tesco meekly pays up? Ha ha, more likely they’ll sack anyone who tries it on. Anyway, customer service starts at the top. If management don’t give a stuff about staff welfare, morale suffers and customer service goes down the tubes. Cancel the bosses’ bonus.
Bosses bonus should be stoped cause they dont understand what the staff go through they would soon do something about it then ay
Posted by: Miss Terry Shopper, in front of my pc on 7:51pm Thu 3 Jan 08
I'm a mystery shopper and I regularly carry out assignments in Tesco Express stores, although not in this particular store. A mystery shopper is paid to report what they see during their shopping experience and the emphasis is on the service received in store.
Posted by: strawberryshortcake, here and there on 11:41pm Thu 3 Jan 08
I work in a dairy dept and some days i wear 4 layers, t-shirt, shirt, jumper, fleece, plus gloves, when you work with your hands in a fridge all day you need something over and above "company issue" shirt and jumper. on average the chillers are kept at 3'c but when it gets to -2 outside i tend to add an extra layer. still no excuse for bad customer service though.
Posted by: magnus kemp, woodingdean on 11:31am Tue 15 Jan 08
jones wrote:
I have read through most of your your comments on here and i have too say that i think none off you know how hard the girls in that store work and what long hours, the door are electric sliding door so it is not a case of the when a customer comes in all they have too do is push it closed. The doors are also very heavy and once the are pushed open it is very hard too pull the closed i have worked at this store for 5 years now and the shop runs i tight policy with stock on the shop floor, as unatended stock would cost us our bonus as well as dress code if we are not in the correct uniforn that could also cost us our bonus what members of the public and the higher bosses dont understand that how cold it is in there and that we need gloves other wise wouldnt be able too work at all because we would end up with frostbite, The doors have been broken for 8 months now and have been promisede on several occassions that they would be fixed but never actually happen. i dont think members of the public can take it out on the staff as we are still giving customer service while freezing in a shop with no heatin and doors stuck open allday, the people that say that we dont deserve our bonus i would love too see them come do our job and have a happy face on the all day without getting **** off that they are cold PUT YOURSELF IN OUR POSITION
If you read through the comments you will see that many of them refer to the customer srevice that is recieved at tesco Woodingdean. I don't think that many people seriously believe that you shouldn't have working doors but i seriously don't believe that it is impossible for you all to be pleasant to your customers. You lot rarely make eye contact with anyone but people you went to school with, you never say hello, thankyou or goodbye and you moan that you don't get a bonus? Why not try and be polite? I know that the stupid door has been broken for months but it didnt stop you from being rude in August did it? Still I suppose it was too hot for you then which caused you to be cross. Jesus, get a grip.
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