Sainsbury's

a massive improvement , in the last 3 months , the carpark is sorted and the q's seam better .it seams a happier place

After 20 years I am stopping doing my weekly shopping at Sainsbury’s East Presot Road. This letter outlines why;
The main reason for this is an incident several Saturdays ago when I was forced to leave at least £80’s worth of shopping in a trolley because at 8.10am I was presented at the checkouts with ONE cashier working and four other people in the queue (all with full-trolleys – i.e a 20 minute wait)this is despite at least 6 around the customer services area talking to each other) The fact that the one cashier actual symphonised with me speaks volumes for what must be poor morale and low confidence in the management amongst the staff.
This store, once THE flagship supermarket in the city has now fallen so far behind nearby rivals Tesco that I actual consider it on a par with Aldi and Netto in terms of a shopping experience.
These are a few of the issues why this is:
• Pothole strewn parking lot (Ok this may be addressed now it is being re-vamped, but their have been pot-holes in the same areas for years, yes, years)

• Child parking bays that are frequently used by non-parents
(this was policed by a member of staff for a short period last year, but had long stopped)

• People are allowed to park all along the double yellow lines around the front of the store and also the area where delivery lorries go.

• Trolleys are frequently full of litter, and added to this, why do they require a coin still whereas Tesco’s do not?

• Two frequently broken and graffiti-strewn cash machines at the front of the store (and despite the poorly created and usually ripped signs that state they are ‘nothing to do with Sainsburys’ they have EVERYTHING to do with Sainsburys’ as they are effectively the first and last things people see when using the store.

• The security guard (whilst he could be solving the aforementioned parking abuse) is usually to be found hidden behind a desk with his head buried in his phone)

• Items on shelves are frequently out of stock, this included a spait last summer when disposable barbecues (a non-perishable item with a shelf life of probably 100’s of years) here out of stock for weeks on end. Astonishing when you consider the spin-off sales from such items.

• In-consistency in automatic doors being open – usually only one is open so shoppers have to manoeuvre around area other and queue up whilst another huge door remains locked.

• The self tilling machines are never all working, and also the packing area is only sufficient to hold one bags worth of shopping, therefore a person with a large basket or trolley’s worth of shopping would have to complete the process in multiple transactions. Again, the machines in Tescos have packing areas twice the size (the same software on them reveals they must be sources from the same manufacture) – strange how Tesco’s machines are never ‘crashed’ and not functioning.

• Of a morning the shelves are left in the same state as they in previous evening, i.e full of empty packing and random items on shelves (i.e untidy – undoing the basic principle that if people are presented with ‘full’ tidy shelves they will notice and buy more.

To top all of this is the phenomenal marketing folly that is the opening time sign which advertises the that opening hours are 8.00am whereas the store actual lets people in to shop at 7.30am – an incredible piece of miss-advertising , which much cost the store thousands in missed sales each week as people venture down the road to Tesco, where I will be this Saturday.
These comments are, by the way, off the top of my head, If I was to seriously study the miss-management at this store I ASSURE you I could write you a thesis on it.

Probably the best J Sainsbury out of all the Sainsburys stores I have visited over the years. I was a security manager for many years and I was responsible for the setting up and maintaining the security departments with the company.

The store at Knotty ash is very clean and tidy. Many of the staff have been there for a long time and are very dedicated to their jobs.

The customer service is excellent.

This particular store did suffer about seven years ago from very poor moral. This was due to some very bad decisions regarding recruitment of junior management.

Sadly the company still relies heavily on the recruitment of university graduates into management position. As these graduates have very little or no communication skills this can have, and has had in the past, a detrimental effect on the store.

Hopefully the moral is better at Sainsburys Knotty ash now.

Overall a very pleasent store and the range of goods is ok. It is a welcome change to shop there rather than the poorly staffed, shabby Tesco further along Prescot road.

Spacious store and easy to find your way around. Staff are very helpful too.
Cafe is very good but could do with a makeover.

A decent branch of Sainsbury’s which I’ve used on quite a few occasions over the years.

It’s quite large and (like all supermarkets) they seem to have this annoying habit of switching all the aisles round from time to time -- why do they do this?! But if you can navigate your way round there is a wide range of stuff available.

Like most Sainsbury’s, this is not the cheapest supermarket on the planet; but the quality of their produce is good, and in general in life you get what you pay for (or so it seems to me).

There’s plenty of parking, and the staff seem friendly and helpful (which is useful, considering how hard it can be to find things).

All in all this is not a bad supermarket at all.