John Lewis & Partners — Local services in Chelmsford

The staff need training in customer service. My nanny and her friend who are both disabled went to the cafe inside this John Lewis on Friday. They were greeted by someone at the door who was taking Covid information. A waitress then "took" them to their table. I say "took" because she just drifted over to the table and left my nan and friend there. There were chairs in the way which my nan had to try and move whilst on a scooter. My nans friend was using a walker so she found it hard to monouvre and take a seat. The waitress didn't say a word either or even try and help them to sit down. Food was ordered and they had the cheese and ham toasties which came in a sourdough bread. It came out hot and tasted nice hot but it cooled down fast. Once it had cooled the outside became hard and it was unedible at that point as they couldn't even cut it with a knife or bite it! They ended up eating the middle of it. The lady who took no care when showing them to the table was at the till. When paying, my nan brought it up in a nice manner just suggesting that the bread shouldn't be hard like that. She was met with an uncaring and uneducated response. The lady said "she thinks that's how it should be ". Usually if a customer is not pleased with food or a beverage, the restaurant would respond with " oh im very sorry, I will make sure to change that for you.." or something. But no apology was made.

My nan and her friend were not pleased with the service from this one staff member. They said they usually do get nice service, but this lady did not show any good customer service and should not be in a position to serve customers with that attitude.

My nan did try calling the customer service when she got home. She was told that someone would ring her back. She left it all Saturday morning and then tried ringing them again on Sunday. Someone mentioned that it was awful and that they would get someone to call her by 2pm. Of course no one did. Getting angry my nan tried again and called the next day. She was told that she would be put through to the manager of the store and then the phone hung up. No one called her back or did anything.

It is absolutely disgusting that no one has given an apology or even phoned her back for 2 minutes !! With everything going on at the moment I can appreciate you are busy. Everyone is trying to keep their job and keep everyone happy. A lot of people are staying home and shops are loosing money. But the people that do travel out especially to see you or visit a certain shop deserve the most praise as they are supporting your business.

My nan and her friend took the time to go out, park the car in a disabled space and get to your cafe slowly.. to then not be helped to the table properly and deal with unpleasant staff would be enough to put you off visiting in future.

Everyone should have common sense to help people when they are in your environment. Treat people how you would want...

I decided to purchase a microwave from John Lewis instead of currys as I had heard many good things. Unfortunately I experienced none of these. Upon arrival I was directed to the top floor. Here I saw they had a food hall. I wanted a Jacket potato with tuna but without mayonnaise. This is not possible as everything is pre prepared. No big deal but on going through to the seating area there were no spaces. After waiting for a minute or two a couple left and I took their place. They had left dirty dishes but I moved these to one side of the table. I assumed one of the guys clearing tables would clear thee soon. Nope. They looked, passed me by. Cleared tables for other guests around me but not mine. Was it because I was male and they wanted to ensure ladies were looked after and insignificant tasks were prioritised. A very poor show. But again this was no big deal. I then proceeded to the electrical area. I asked a member of staff and explained I had called and reserved the item over the phone. She explained that I was on the wrong floor (even though this was where I had been directed at the door) and then proceeded to explain that she wasn't confident that my order wouldn't have been processed correctly as when the person on the other end of the phone has a Scottish accent they normally reserve a showroom model. I was now in a hurry and cut her short to make my way two floors down. again upon arrival there was no assistance available so I went to the tills and waited, and waited and waited. Finally after getting to the tills the process was more than drawn out especially when I purchased the extra cover.

All in all a shambles. Everyone smiles sweetly but there is no substance behind the smile. From the Lady who sent me two floors up, the food hall lady who couldn't do Tuna without Mayonnaise, the man clearing the tables, the lady with no confidence in her own support staff to the check out . The only person who actually done the task with efficiency was the lady who actually got my purchase from the store room.

Not a...

My recent visit to John Lewis Chelmsford exceeded all expectations, thanks largely to the exceptional customer service I received from Colin. His professional yet warm approach, combined with an infectious smile and genuinely positive attitude, transformed what could have been routine shopping into something truly memorable. Colin clearly possesses the gravitas and extensive knowledge you’d expect (I’m guessing he is part of the leadership team), but more importantly, he demonstrates an intuitive understanding of customer needs that sets him apart.

The Chelmsford store itself is impressively spacious, offering a shopping environment that feels comfortable rather than cramped. What particularly struck me was the excellent men’s wear section, strategically positioned on the ground floor where it rightfully belongs. This thoughtful layout stands in stark contrast to most retailers who relegate menswear to a few sparse items tucked away on upper floors or hidden at the back of stores.

In an era where online shopping dominates, experiences like this remind us why physical retail still matters. The high street survives on the quality of human interaction and the expertise that dedicated staff members like Colin provide. He doesn’t just assist with purchases; he creates connections that make John Lewis Chelmsford a destination worth visiting.

This visit reinforced my belief that exceptional customer service, combined with intelligent store design and properly trained staff, can make traditional retail not just relevant but genuinely enjoyable. Colin exemplifies everything that makes the John Lewis...