Maybe its our age, or a sign of the times, but increasingly we find we just wont put up with bad service. Whether its inefficient systems, rude behavior or simply low quality goods, we are not willing to let it go. Perhaps we are all a little more aware of what we are spending and take more time to make sure our purchases are wise, or maybe its because we are turning into grumpy old women!
Who knows and quite frankly who cares. What we do know, is when service is good and our purchases prove themselves to be good quality, we will return again and again.
John Lewis or Johnny Lulu (as one our friends affectionately call it) consistently delivers top quality products at competitive prices with excellent service. There is something reassuring about entering the world of 'the partners' as the staff at John Lewis are called. They are genuinely knowledgeable about the products they sell, as well as engaging, polite and often much older than the average shop assistant. One gets the impression that they love working for John Lewis and really believe in the brand.
Founded in 1864 as a drapers shop in Oxford Street, John Lewis bought Peter Jones in Sloane square in 1905 and it developed into a department store. His son John Spedan Lewis expanded the established the policy of sharing profits among the employees in 1920 and there are now around 67,000 partners working for John Lewis.
We love the idea that the employees are partners and feel that this well established, quailty brand could provide a sustainable business model for current struggling retailers.
Our loyalty to the John Lewis brand was sealed recently when after months of poor customer service and a faulty dishwasher from Indesit, we finally got our money back. 'Ok no more messing about' said Middleagedad, 'this time we go to John Lewis.' The new dishwasher was delivered on the correct day at exactly the right time, by a pleasant, smiling man wearing a white coat and a tie.
Call me old fashioned, but that's what I call service.
