Erik Ribsskog
<eribsskog@gmail.com>

---

Response from ASDA (Ref #000000037049601)

---

Erik Ribsskog

<eribsskog@gmail.com>

Wed, Feb 27, 2013 at 11:46 PM

To:
Bruno Wilson <Bruno.Wilson@asda.co.uk>

Hi,

She thought I looked for the check-out, she said, after she had pointed at the check-out, a number of times.

How can your staff act like this?

Is this the candid camera or something?

Erik Ribsskog

Hi Erik

Thanks for getting back to us.

Just to clarify, your comments and feedback have been noted and passed onto Carl Davies General Store Manager at Walton. Carl will be taking the necessary action to ensure a similar incident doesn’t occur again. I really appreciate your feedback, it’s always good to hear what our customers think about Asda.

I trust the action we’ve taken will go someway to restoring your faith in Asda.  If you need any further help, please call me or one of my colleagues on 0800 952 0101. Thanks again for writing to me and letting me help.

Kind regards

Bruno
Bruno Wilson
Asda Service Team
0800 952 0101

Take the Asda Price Guarantee 10% challenge – http://www.asdapriceguarantee.co.uk/

Please do not reply to this email. This is not a monitored inbox and you may not receive a reply. In order to receive a quick response, please contact us using this link, http://your.asda.com/contact-us. Could you please quote the reference number which is in the ‘subject field.’ This will help us to deal with your response quickly and efficiently.

—-Your Original Comments Were—-

From: Erik Ribsskog [mailto:eribsskog@gmail.com]
Sent: 18 February 2013 16:39
To: David McKenna
Subject: Update/Fwd: Response from ASDA (Ref #000000037015880)

Hi,

here are two photographs I took, outside Asda Walton, right after I had been refused to shop there, on Saturday 22/12, (by the big security-guard, in his 40’s or 50’s).

It doesn’t seem to be that many custommers there, to me.

(I’ve also attached a photo were I’ve put some more light and enhanced the colours, on the photo of the parking and enterance-area, of the shop, in a programme called Photo! Editor.

Since I don’t have a blitz, on my a bit old-fashioned digital camera).

Yet, your college Noel Wood, writes this, in his e-mail, from 11/2:

‘Due to how busy our stores were around Christmas, we had to stop letting customers in so we could get the customers instore through the tills before we closed. It was a decision not taken lightly as we want to keep all our customers happy.’.

I can’t see that this adds up.

The store didn’t look busy, (at all), to me.

Like I wrote in my previous e-mail.

And like I think the photograph I took that day, right after your security-guard refused me to shop there, shows.

So I don’t think you are that sincerere, to be true.

At least you can’t blame me, for wondering, if you are sincere, (at Asda custommer support).

Can you?

Best regards,

Erik Ribsskog

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Erik Ribsskog <eribsskog@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Feb 18, 2013 at 3:53 PM
Subject: Re: Response from ASDA (Ref #000000037015880)
To: David McKenna <David.Mckenna@asda.co.uk>

Hi,

well, to be honest, I shoped at Asda Bootle twice, last week.

(On Thursday and Friday, I think it must have been).

And on Thursday, one of the staff there, (near the self-service check-outs), did some dance-moves, it seemed.

So that was a bit odd, perhaps.

But the self-service check-outs are constructed a different way, at Asda Bootle.

There one have several groups of around four self-service machines.

Where as on Asda Walton there is only one large group, with like ten or fifteen self-service machines.

And they only have a small passage, for custommers to go throug, before scanning the goods.

It’s more open, at Asda Bootle.

There are more passages to go out, in the self-service-department.

So to obstruct the custommers, the staff would have had to be more than one.

Since there are at least two passages, in the self-service-department.

Perhaps the staff, in the self-service-department, should have a chair or something, (so that they didn’t have to stand all day).

I remember from working in the fresh-food-departement, on Saturdays, at OBS Triaden, (after starting there as a cashier), that I got tired feet.

When I had to stand all day, (from 9AM to 6PM), on the Saturdays.

On Friday, at Asda Bootle, I overheard that the self-service-staff were coached.

A woman in her 40’s or 50’s, coached Ashley, (a blond tenage-girl), and Laura, (a brunette teenage-girl).

(Or perhaps I mixed them up).

To switch passages.

So it ended with that the brunette tenage-girl, was standing and starring at me, (I have to say), from the neighbour-passage, while the blond switched, to ‘my’ passage.

So this was perhaps a bit strange, given my complaints, about Asda Walton, and the ‘big’ self-service-woman there, (earlier last week).

It was a bit strange that I should be starred at like that, I think.

It seemed this was coached, a the self-service check-out manager-woman, (or something like that).

But I’m very pleased to hear, that things are going to improve, at Asda Walton.

I hope I don’t see the carriere-boxes on the floor there again.

(For people to pick carriers from.

While there are no carriers, in any of the 10-15 self-service check-outs).

Because then I thought it was a ‘communist-shop’, or something.

When I was a boy, (the summer I had my tent birthday), then my father and his brothers, brought their families with them, to Jugoslavia.

Behind the iron-curtain.

And I remember the food-shops there still.

They only had one type of crisps, and one had to buy salt and pepper, to put in the bag, and then shake the crisp-bag, my uncle Håkon said.

Then the crisps would be eatable, (he said).

(But not as good as Norwegian crisps, of course).

But I didn’t see boxes of carriers, on the floor, for custommers to grab carriers from, even behind iron-curtain, in communist Easter-Europe.

(Before the Wall fall etc., about a decade later).

So then I was a bit shocked, when I saw that, at Asda Walton, last week, I have to admit.

So they fix that at the same time.

And the first guy who answered me.

He wrote that Asda Walton was very full of custommers, before midnight, Saturday before Christmas.

(When I was refused by the security-guard to shop there, at around 11.45).

But as an earlier Store Manager, and hyper-market-employee.

I think this must have been a lie.

I think I would have seen it, if that was true.

Because i stayed outside Asda Walton, for a couple of minutes, discussing with the security-guard, etc.

And I can’t remember seeing a singe customer walking out of the shop, during the time, that I stod outside the shop.

(And the time I walked through the parking-area).

So I wonder at least very much, if that was a lie, that the shop was packed with custommers, right before midnight, the Saturday before Christmas.

At least this didn’t seem sincere to me, when I read that e-mail.

Noone at the Asda custommer-service writes ‘Sincerely’, before their name.
You just writes ‘Kind regards’.

So I wonder if you aren’t sincere there, and just fabricate a lot of excuses, without really knowing what really happened.

I’m not sure if I’m convinced that the situation isn’t like this.

But it’s very fine if they are going to improve at Asda Walton, and stop standing to close, to custommers, who want to pass through the ‘gate’, to the self-service-checkout-machines.

Thanks again for updating about this.

Best regards,

Erik Ribsskog

On Mon, Feb 18, 2013 at 2:52 PM, David McKenna <David.Mckenna@asda.co.uk> wrote:

Mr Ribsskog

Thank you for your reply to my colleague Katie’s email.

I’m sorry you feel that we’ve been purposefully making the wrong conclusions to your emails. I’d like to assure you that this certainly isn’t the case as we try to put ourselves in our customer’s shoes in order to always provide a sincere response and , hopefully, resolution.

Katie has made the General Store Manager at our Walton store aware of your concerns, and I’m sure that thanks to your feedback your experience won’t be repeated. I’m pleased to hear that there were no further problems at our Bootle store and I hope this goes some way to restoring your faith in our service to our customers.

If you need any further information or have any other comments or queries then please call me or one of my colleagues on 0800 952 0101. Thanks again for writing and letting me help.

Kind regards

David McKenna
Asda Service Team

Tel: 0800 952 0101

Take the Asda Price Guarantee 10% challenge – http://www.asdapriceguarantee.co.uk/

Please do not reply to this email. This is not a monitored inbox and you may not receive a reply. In order to receive a quick response, please contact us using this link, http://your.asda.com/contact-us. Could you please quote the reference number which is in the ‘subject field’. This will help us to deal with your response quickly and efficiently

—-Your Original Comments Were—-

From: Erik Ribsskog [mailto:eribsskog@gmail.com]
Sent: 14 February 2013 12:21
To: Katie Pyle
Subject: Re: Response from ASDA (Ref #000000036974146)

Hi,

this wasn’t about being watched.

I think I learned at school that people have an intimate-zone.

That woman stands in the way of people, and doesn’t ‘make herself small’, when people wants to walk past her.

That’s inpolite I think.

I shopped at Asda Bootle yesterday, and they didn’t stand in peoples way like that.

And also there were bags in all the self-service check-outs.

You should also follow the business-manners and call me Mr. Ribsskog, I think.

It’s like you are a bunch of hippies if you use the first-name I think.

And you are obviously making wrong conclutions purpously.

You should be sincere, towards your customers, I think.

You and your collegues feed people with more lies than the Soviet newspapers used to do during the cold war, I think.

Please escalate this as a complaint to your line-manager, and start treating your customers with respect.

Erik Ribsskog

On Thu, Feb 14, 2013 at 11:46 AM, Katie Pyle <Katie.Pyle@asda.co.uk> wrote:

Hi Erik

Thanks for letting me know about your experience at our Walton store.

I’m sorry my colleagues at the self service checkouts stood to close to you and the carrier bags were in a box on the floor. I can understand why this made you feel uncomfortable as you wouldn’t want to feel like your being watched when doing your shopping.

I’ve now contacted Carl Davies, the General Store Manager, at Walton. I’ve passed on all your feedback to Carl and asked him to address all the points you’ve raised. I’m confident through further coaching and training with my colleagues, the necessary improvements will be made.

My colleagues are expected to provide a warm and friendly service and to be available to assist at all times. Customers should find it easy to ask a colleague for help however colleagues need to be mindful of our customers needs whilst using our self service checkouts. Your experience is concerning to me, however customer feedback is vitally important to us, so I’m pleased you’ve got in touch.

Kind regards

Katie Pyle
Asda Service Team

Tel: 0800 952 0101

Take the Asda Price Guarantee 10% challenge – http://www.asdapriceguarantee.co.uk/

Please do not reply to this email. This is not a monitored inbox and you may not receive a reply. In order to receive a quick response, please contact us using this link, http://your.asda.com/contact-us Could you please quote the reference number which is in the ‘subject field.’. This will help us to deal with your response quickly and efficiently.

—-Your Original Comments Were—-

From: Erik Ribsskog [mailto:eribsskog@gmail.com]
Sent: 12 February 2013 00:29
To: Noel Wood
Subject: Update/Fwd: Response from ASDA (Ref #000000036930314)

Hi,

today in this shop, a big shop-woman obstructed the passage, to the self-service check-outs.

She was acompanied by a security-guard, (it seemed), and another staff.

It was a bit intimidating, I think.

I’ve been shopping at other Saintsbury’s, Tesco and Asda superstores, and the staff there don’t stand in the gate to the self-service check-outs.

I actually lived in London some months, in 2005, and started using the self-service check-outs at Sainsbury’s in Kensington.

(The one with a Starbucks inside).

So I think they do it wrong at Asda Walton.

They stand to close to people when they go to the check-out, I think.

I don’t go to the shop to have sex with a big shop-woman almost, but to buy food.

Maybe they stand that close to were people walk in Russia, but this is in the western world, isn’t it?

Also these ‘Russians’ hadn’t put up the carriers, today.

There were no carriers, at the self-service check-out.

Just a couple of boxes, with carriers, on the floor, for people to grap carriers from.

It’s a bit like you train your staff in Russia I think, when I go to the self-service check-out, in this shop.

Erik Ribsskog

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Erik Ribsskog <eribsskog@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Feb 11, 2013 at 3:30 PM
Subject: Re: Response from ASDA (Ref #000000036930314)
To: Noel Wood <Noel.Wood@asda.co.uk>

Hi,

this doesn’t make sense to me.

I’ve worked in retail, in Norway, from 1988 to 2004, that’s for sixteen years.

I’ve even worked in a big hyper-market, named OBS Triaden, in Lørenskog, in Norway.

Never once did we close early, due to that we had to get the customers out before closing-time.

Why this focus on getting the custommers out before closing-time?

At OBS Triaden we would just work untill all the custommers were out of the shop.

We put the custommers first.

You at Asda seem to put yourselves first then, I think, from your explanation.

Erik Ribsskog

On Mon, Feb 11, 2013 at 3:17 PM, Noel Wood <Noel.Wood@asda.co.uk> wrote:

Hi Erik

Thanks for letting me know about your experience at our Walton store.

I’m sorry the store security guard would not allow you in at 11.45pm when the store was closing at midnight. I can appreciate this is an inconvenience, given it was Christmas and shopping times are limited.

Due to how busy our stores were around Christmas, we had to stop letting customers in so we could get the customers instore through the tills before we closed. It was a decision not taken lightly as we want to keep all our customers happy.

We do advertise some of our stores as 24 hours as they are open from 7am on a Monday morning until midnight on a Saturday. Due to government legislation and holidays, we have to close the stores on Saturday at midnight and early on a Sunday due to trading law.

I copied a link to our store opening times for you to look at.

http://storelocator.asda.com/#!/

I trust this answers your questions. If I can be of any further help, please feel free to contact either me or one of my colleagues on 0800 952 0101.

Kind regards

Noel

Noel Wood
Asda Service Team
0800 952 0101

Take the Asda Price Guarantee 10% challenge –
http://www.asdapriceguarantee.co.uk/
Please do not reply to this email. This is not a monitored inbox and you may
not receive a reply. In order to receive a quick response, please contact us
using this link, http://your.asda.com/contact-us Could you please quote the
reference number which is in the ‘subject field.’. This will help us to deal with your response quickly and efficiently.

—-Your Original Comments Were—-

Your Asda email contact form submission

Submitted: 2013-02-10 14:33:24 +0000

From: Erik  Ribsskog

Email: eribsskog@gmail.com

Telephone: 1234

Subject: customer_service

Store Name: Asda Walton

Enquiry:
Hi,

right before Christmas, I went to Asda Walton.

You closed at midnight that day, and I was there at around a quarter to midnight.

Still a security-guard refused me to shop there, since it was only about fifteen minutes to the shops closing-time.

I’ve worked as a shop manager in Norway, (and was at an Asda information-meeting at Kensington jobcentre in August 2005).

When I closed the (Rimi)-shops in Norway, I waited untill closing-time, before I refused custommers to enter the store.

How do you at Asda practise this, I was wondering?

Also, why does it say ’24 hours’ on a sign, on the shop, when the shop isn’t open 24 hours, in the weekends and holidays, etc.

Best regards,

Erik Ribsskog

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please accept our apologies & destroy it immediately. *** Walmart Stores, Inc. Confidential *** ————————————————————————————————— Asda Stores Ltd, Registered in England No. 464777. Registered Office: Asda House, Southbank, Great Wilson Street, Leeds LS11 5AD. —————————————————————————————————

Ok,

so this is only on Saturdays when you close at midnight then, I guess.

Due to the trade-laws.

You should perhaps write that you are open untill 11.45 PM then.

Since I don’t know if everybody knows these trade-laws in their head.

In Norway we also have trade-laws.

But we are a bit more flexible, (as I remember it from working in Norway).

There’s a similar law in Norway, but we have a different culture regarding this, I guess.

In Norway we would have said that if one sold some goods after midnight, then it would be ok if it was just a few minutes.

Besides, I explained to the security-guard, that I was buying much, so I would be out of the shop, before midnight, anyway.

(I used to work in a big hyper-market, so I don’t need to walk around the shop for half an hour neceserelly, to buy some dinner, etc).

But thanks for your reply anyway.

Regards,

Erik Ribsskog

On Wed, Feb 13, 2013 at 9:54 AM, Rachel Nicholson <Rachel.Nicholson@asda.co.uk> wrote:

Hi Erik

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my colleagues email. I’m replying on Noel’s behalf.

I’m sorry you feel that we don’t put our customers first. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service and I have shared your feedback with Carl Davies, the General Store Manager, at our Walton store as this is vital in order for us to improve the service we offer.

As Noel explained we are unable to trade into the early hours of Sunday morning and therefore we have to ensure all customers are through the checkouts by midnight. Due to this legislation we will ask for our store colleagues to not allow any more customer sin to the store after a certain time to make sure that all customers are through the checkouts by midnight.

Our colleagues will stay later than this in the store but we are unable to serve any customers after this as legally we would then be breaking the law.

I trust I have been able to clarify as to why we can’t allow customers through the checkouts after midnight on a Saturday. If you need any further help, please call me or one of my colleagues on 0800 952 0101. Once again thanks for contacting me and allowing me to help.

Kind Regards

Rachel Nicholson
Asda Service Team

Tel: 0800 952 0101

Take the Asda Price Guarantee 10% challenge –
http://www.asdapriceguarantee.co.uk/

Please do not reply to this email. This is not a monitored inbox and you may not receive a reply. In order to receive a quick response, please contact us using this link, http://your.asda.com/contact-us
Could you please quote the reference number which is in the ‘subject field.’ This will help us to deal with your response quickly and efficiently.

—-Your Original Comments Were—-

From: Erik Ribsskog [mailto:eribsskog@gmail.com]
Sent: 11 February 2013 15:30
To: Noel Wood
Subject: Re: Response from ASDA (Ref #000000036930314)

Hi,

this doesn’t make sense to me.

I’ve worked in retail, in Norway, from 1988 to 2004, that’s for sixteen years.

I’ve even worked in a big hyper-market, named OBS Triaden, in Lørenskog, in Norway.

Never once did we close early, due to that we had to get the customers out before closing-time.

Why this focus on getting the custommers out before closing-time?

At OBS Triaden we would just work untill all the custommers were out of the shop.

We put the custommers first.

You at Asda seem to put yourselves first then, I think, from your explanation.

Erik Ribsskog

On Mon, Feb 11, 2013 at 3:17 PM, Noel Wood <Noel.Wood@asda.co.uk> wrote:

Hi Erik

Thanks for letting me know about your experience at our Walton store.

I’m sorry the store security guard would not allow you in at 11.45pm when the store was closing at midnight. I can appreciate this is an inconvenience, given it was Christmas and shopping times are limited.

Due to how busy our stores were around Christmas, we had to stop letting customers in so we could get the customers instore through the tills before we closed. It was a decision not taken lightly as we want to keep all our customers happy.

We do advertise some of our stores as 24 hours as they are open from 7am on a Monday morning until midnight on a Saturday. Due to government legislation and holidays, we have to close the stores on Saturday at midnight and early on a Sunday due to trading law.

I copied a link to our store opening times for you to look at.

http://storelocator.asda.com/#!/

I trust this answers your questions. If I can be of any further help, please feel free to contact either me or one of my colleagues on 0800 952 0101.

Kind regards

Noel

Noel Wood
Asda Service Team
0800 952 0101

Take the Asda Price Guarantee 10% challenge –
http://www.asdapriceguarantee.co.uk/
Please do not reply to this email. This is not a monitored inbox and you may
not receive a reply. In order to receive a quick response, please contact us
using this link, http://your.asda.com/contact-us Could you please quote the
reference number which is in the ‘subject field.’. This will help us to deal with your response quickly and efficiently.

—-Your Original Comments Were—-

Your Asda email contact form submission

Submitted: 2013-02-10 14:33:24 +0000

From: Erik  Ribsskog

Email: eribsskog@gmail.com

Telephone: 1234

Subject: customer_service

Store Name: Asda Walton

Enquiry:
Hi,

right before Christmas, I went to Asda Walton.

You closed at midnight that day, and I was there at around a quarter to midnight.

Still a security-guard refused me to shop there, since it was only about fifteen minutes to the shops closing-time.

I’ve worked as a shop manager in Norway, (and was at an Asda information-meeting at Kensington jobcentre in August 2005).

When I closed the (Rimi)-shops in Norway, I waited untill closing-time, before I refused custommers to enter the store.

How do you at Asda practise this, I was wondering?

Also, why does it say ’24 hours’ on a sign, on the shop, when the shop isn’t open 24 hours, in the weekends and holidays, etc.

Best regards,

Erik Ribsskog

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please accept our apologies & destroy it immediately. *** Walmart Stores, Inc. Confidential *** ————————————————————————————————— Asda Stores Ltd, Registered in England No. 464777. Registered Office: Asda House, Southbank, Great Wilson Street, Leeds LS11 5AD. —————————————————————————————————

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please accept our apologies & destroy it immediately. *** Walmart Stores, Inc. Confidential *** ————————————————————————————————— Asda Stores Ltd, Registered in England No. 464777. Registered Office: Asda House, Southbank, Great Wilson Street, Leeds LS11 5AD. —————————————————————————————————

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please accept our apologies & destroy it immediately. *** Walmart Stores, Inc. Confidential *** ————————————————————————————————— Asda Stores Ltd, Registered in England No. 464777. Registered Office: Asda House, Southbank, Great Wilson Street, Leeds LS11 5AD. —————————————————————————————————

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please accept our apologies & destroy it immediately. *** Walmart Stores, Inc. Confidential *** ————————————————————————————————— Asda Stores Ltd, Registered in England No. 464777. Registered Office: Asda House, Southbank, Great Wilson Street, Leeds LS11 5AD. —————————————————————————————————

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please accept our apologies & destroy it immediately. *** Walmart Stores, Inc. Confidential *** ————————————————————————————————— Asda Stores Ltd, Registered in England No. 464777. Registered Office: Asda House, Southbank, Great Wilson Street, Leeds LS11 5AD. —————————————————————————————————