A Hole in Tesco T-Shirt leads to a Big Day

Updated - Received a reply from Tesco on 7th April after my follow up. I've copied their reply and posted it in the comments below. Anyway, my recent visit to Tesco on 10th May 2009 showed that the issues are still outstanding, i.e. same missing price tags and salesperson telling us to take a similar priced item to the check-out counter. I have replied to Tesco's email on the same day (1o May). Let's see what they reply.

To date - 2nd April, it is now nearly 1 month and I have yet to receive a reply. Today, I have sent another f/back based on their online form.

My Feedback to Tesco thru their website. I have removed the individuals' name in this blog, which I had mentioned in the actual feedback form to Tesco. :

Dear Sir/ Madam,
I can either write this feedback in a rude and proud manner as how my wife and I were treated at one of your outlets, or be diplomatic and civilized. And I'm choosing to be the latter.
Today 9th March 2009, around 10.50pm, I went to Tesco Jelutong, Penang to complain about a T-Shirt my wife bought. We bought it on 27Feb2009, and agree that it is past 7 days as your personnel, a Mr Ixxxx Axxxxx (ID 7xxxx) explained to us rather impolitely. I explained to him clearly that yes, the return policy states 7 days, however I am not returning this product neither because we don't like it nor it does not fit. The issue is that a DEFECT product was sold to us by Tesco. It was not a 'clearance' item, nor an item indicated 'reject' anywhere on it. The fact was that there was a hole in the T-Shirt. On that day alone we bought up to 7 T-Shirts from Tesco. And how are we to assume that the T-Shirt would have defects and check each and every or can say we trusted Tesco. Mr Ixxxx further goes and tells us that at least Tesco practices a 7 day return policy where other Hypermarket practices around 4 days return policy only. I replied, "Sorry Mr Ixxxx, Giant also practices a 7 day return policy for non-perishable, and 2 days return for perishable good". It is surprising that your staff has got his facts mixed up. By the way I didn't come there to debate about Tesco and Giant with him.

I request to speak to the Supervisor, and after waiting around 10 minutes, a Madam Lxx comes over. We have the same discussion over, and I explain to her that I was sold a DEFECT product. And she adds that the T-Shirt does not have the tag in-tact. I clearly explain to her, that one the time and date of purchase, the Price Tag was ALREADY missing. After asking a salesperson there on 27Feb 2009, she says take along a similar T-Shirt from the same rack, pointing the T-Shirt to us, and telling us to tell the cashier to scan best on this REFERRAL T-Shirt which was of to be of similar price RM7.90. Madam Lxx goes and talk to her team for a while and comes back again to me and tells me, "But there is no price tag". Either Madam Lxx is a very forgetful person or thinks I'm lying and trying to exchange a non Tesco T-Shirt with Tesco. And it is the least to say that this sounded very rude to me. I again explain to her the same thing, not to forget politely. This time telling her, that if she doesn't believe us, then lets go to the clothes section and see how many T-Shirts can we find without a price tag. I tell there that I am very sure that in less then ten minutes I'll find her some.

Tesco T-Shirt with the hole. Not clear as we only had our camera phone with us

After wasting another approximately 20minutes of our time discussion internally with her team, she says we can go and take an exact T-Shirt to replace, and walks of rudely. Before I get a chance to tell her. Would anyone logically thing I would take a T-Shirt without a price tag IF there was a same exact T-Shirt which had the price tag? Excuse me.

Anyway we both walk to the clothes section and in LESS THEN TWO MINUTES we find SIX T-Shirts without a price tag. Well, now anyone still wondering WHY we bought a T-Shirt without a price tag. We show these T-Shirts to another salesperson nearby, as I mentioned, Madam Lxx had already 'disappeared. So the salesperson say ok, then please take another T-Shirt of similar price. I said, NO, The Tesco Supervisor on Duty, Madam Lxx, strictly told us to take an exact replacement. And now Madam Lxx re-appears. I show the the 6 T-Shirts without price, and tell her, so here's some proof that Tesco is selling stuff without price tags, so PLEASE do not ACCUSE us of not having the price tag once we have explained the reason why. And now we tell Madam Lxx, so how, since there's no exact matching replacement. And yes, we explain to her in simple logic, why would we in the first place take a T-Shirt without a price tag if there was an exact same one available with a price tag?

And at last Madam Lxx agrees to take any other, with no apology. Ms Rxxx (not sure of exact name) was very patient and professional, and a Thank You to her.

Actually we understand it is your policy regarding the 7 days policy and that your personnel are following the policy which they should and we appreciate it. However, the same process above could have been done politely and professionally, and avoided us from writing this feedback and blogging about our experience at 12.30 midnite.

In summary
The rudeness and proud-ness of both Mr Ixxx and Madam Lxx, has painted a very negative impression on us for Tesco, especially my wife who prefers to shop in Tesco. Believe it or not, we were in Giant the day before and she says, she'd rather go to Tesco to shop the next day, and use the RHB Tesco Card instead of the the Giant Citibank. Well after this lousy experience and a waste of our time waiting for the Tesco personnel to figure out what to do, we didn't have any time left to shop in Tesco. And nor do I think we'll be visiting Tesco anytime soon.

In fact we were planning to blog how Tesco price is cheaper compared to the other hypermarkets, eg selling Nescafe 3-in-1 significantly cheaper then Giant based on our latest comparison and many more.

In fact it is saddening for us to go thru such an un-delightful experience in Tesco, after having blogged positively about Tesco's Green Enviromental Friendly Policy at http://fyi-penang.blogspot.com/2008/03/tesco-bag-for-life-guranteed-for-life.html
and also a detailed and rather positive review of Tesco-RHB's newly launched Credit Card at http://fyi-penang.blogspot.com/2009/02/giant-citibank-compared-to-tesco-rhb.html
Also, if Tesco strictly wants to practice not price tag policy, please also strictly ensure
i. All your goods on sale are tagged.
ii. If a customer discovers an item no tagged, instead of asking the customer to take a similar item for the cashier to scan, your personnel should immediately attach the correct price tag to the item. We have also experienced before when asking for an items price which was not tagged, after 15minutes of searching high and low, the personnel comes back to us and say sorry, not sure what's the price.
iii. Please put up sign-boards informing customers NOT TO PURCHASE any Tesco items that are not tagged or be ready to be accused in case of return of goods, and for the cashier not to accept similar items to scan.

As a loyal and frequent customer of Tesco, who has come 'close' to Tesco, this feedback is not meant to be personal or towards any individual. Rather it is the frustration of how we were treated. In fact some time back, when in one of the McDonald branches in Penang we 'discovered' a dead bug in our fries, we just complained to McDonalds Malaysia, and later decided not to blog it because the branch called us an apologized to us and provided a corrective action.

ps- Don't forget to take your digital camera with you when you have a complain, it'll come in useful.