If you think the TCS catering is bad.....

[Charles Bannerman]

... you should try the "upgraded" cafe at the refurbished Tesco Inshes shop!

Now the old cafe was a bit of a pantomime but, if it was open and if the equipment was working, at least you could get a paper to read with your "food" although I have now done my shopping in Morrisons for the last couple of years because the old shop and cafe were so bad.

At brand new Inshes Tesco Extra I expected a lot better but my baptism of fire on the opening day was a lengthy queue, snail like service and a guy who seemed to expect me to accept the fragments of blackened greasy mess which he scraped on to my roll as "bacon". The sausage I took instead was hard enough to break a tooth on while the egg simply "bounced". No papers any more either.

A couple of days later it got worse (well maybe better because I didn't have to eat anything there) when I was greeted by a notice to say that the cafe was closed due to "technical problems". A Tescoperson told me that the till had broken down! (After 3 days.) And in the main shop they didn't have two of the four items of "convenience shopping" I was after (including a pint of semi skimmed milk).

As a result I am away back to Cobbs Cafe at HIS down the Longman where you get a freshly cooked breakfast, toast and coffee for £3.95 or a three rasher bacon roll and coffee for £1.95.... and free papers.

Unfortunately it's a bit too far away if I am in a hurry which is where Tesco used to be a lot handier... but it's a disaster.

The Tesco cafe is franchised out to some other company, but that's no excuse. Tesco are ultimately responsible for what goes on in their shop and this is really just another example of the complete disrespect they have for the people not just of Inverness.

So as you queue at the TCS servery and you're not happy... think of Tesco Inshes!

Edited October 6, 2010 by Charles Bannerman

[Snow]

I still haven't been in the new Tesco Inshes yet, even though I used to visit it twice a week before they closed for their big expansion programme. I've got used to Morrisons now...

(Thanks for the Cobbs Cafe at HIS tip. Sounds excellent.)

[Charles Bannerman]

I still haven't been in the new Tesco Inshes yet, even though I used to visit it twice a week before they closed for their big expansion programme. I've got used to Morrisons now...

(Thanks for the Cobbs Cafe at HIS tip. Sounds excellent.)

Snow... Cobbs is definitely worth a visit and it's not worth rushing back to the new Tesco shop! At Cobbs, the roll you get your 3 rashers on is HUGE and the bacon is lovely, fresh, hot and brought to your table. Breakfast consists of two rashers of bacon, two Lorne sausages, egg, black pudding, beans and toast - all freshly made. (This is making me salivate!) Wide range of papers to read as well.

I think a lot of people have got used to Morrisons now and certainly wouldn't be overwhelmed if they went back to Tescos.

The beginning of the end for the old Tesco cafe for me was when I used to arrive around 530-540 for a quick tea after ICT home games and found the cafe - due to be open until 6 - already closed. After that it went further and further downhill and the new one is just as big a pantomime.

[Snow]

At Cobbs, the roll you get your 3 rashers on is HUGE and the bacon is lovely, fresh, hot and brought to your table. Breakfast consists of two rashers of bacon, two Lorne sausages, egg, black pudding, beans and toast - all freshly made. (This is making me salivate!) Wide range of papers to read as well.

Oh lord, you're making me hungry... and it's almost midnight!

(It's years since I was in any of the supermarket cafes and, going on your recent experience, I don't think I'll be returning to them any time soon )

[CaleyD]

If I can't get a seat in Cobbs next time I go in then I'm blaming you for letting the cat out of the bag, Mr Bannerman.

I don't have a sweet tooth (my dietary failures lie elsewhere) but the baking in there is also to die for.

[CaleyJulz]

Cobbs is lovely went with Caleyd and Gringojnr for lunch was so nice couldnt finish my cheese and ham toastie and salad was so big the toastie was !! The cakes looked to die for but was to full to have one !

[SMEE]

I cant place this Cobbs at all....furry boots is it?

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

I cant place this Cobbs at all....furry boots is it?

Read post #2

[tm4tj]

It's inside HIS on Seafield road.

Go in the main door and keep to the left hand side or follow yer nose. I can also vouch for the breakfast in there, just superb and great value.

[Snow]

I was in Cobbs at HIS today. At 1pm it was jammed to the rafters! Lots of families/kids and we had to wait on a table. Had a venison burger with stilton and cranberry sauce. Nice. Everyone else appeared to be partaking of the All-day breakfast or breakfast-rolls, so I'll probably follow suit next time.

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

I had a lovely lunch at tesco Inshes yesterday , very reasonably priced as well .

[caleyboy]

I had a lovely lunch at tesco Inshes yesterday , very reasonably priced as well .

I think you will be in the minority this time DC. I don't see any improvement in what they have done and the Cafe is still BOGGING!

[Snow]

I had a lovely lunch at tesco Inshes yesterday , very reasonably priced as well .

Your dogged contrariness don't half make me giggle

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

[quote name='DALNEIGHCALEY' timestamp='1286810931' post=

I paid less than ?5 for a nice plate of macaroni cheese , chips and peas and didn't have to queue for it . Not being contrary in the slightest but I found it better than it was previously ( which I admit wouldn't have been hard )

[Snow]

Not being contrary in the slightest...

It's your default mode! And I meant it made me giggle in general, not just on this thread.

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

Not being contrary in the slightest...

It's your default mode! And I meant it made me giggle in general, not just on this thread.

No it's not

[Charles Bannerman]

and didn't have to queue for it.

I think I get the picture. Now the place has been open for three weeks, people have clearly cottoned on to how bad it is and are voting with their feet.

Edited October 13, 2010 by Charles Bannerman

[caleyboy]

and didn't have to queue for it.

I think I get the picture. Now the place has been open for three weeks, people have clearly cottoned on to how bad it is and are voting with their feet.

My email to TESCO:

"Having been a loyal customer of your Inshes Inverness Store for many years I must express my dissapointment with your new store. I'm sure you will have seen an increase in turnover but the shopping experience is no longer enjoyable. Even the staff have lost the smile they used to have. I would also recommend that you review whoever holds the franchise for the Cafe as the service is absolutely terrible and the quality extremely poor and cannot be doing the Tesco reputaion any good at all".

And their reply:

Firstly, please allow me to apologise for the delay in getting back to you. We do endeavour to get back to all enquiries as quickly as possible, and I?m very sorry that we?ve let you down in that respect.

I'm very sorry to learn of your disappointment with our Inshes Inverness store. I appreciate how this no longer makes your shopping trip enjoyable.

Further to this, I would like to offer you my sincere apologies for any annoyance caused by the refurbishment that our Inshes inverness store has had recently.

In addition to this, I'd also like to offer you my apologies for any frustrations caused upon your recent visit to our Cafe. Our Caf? staff try hard to make certain that the food we sell is of the best quality. So it's really disappointing to hear that we let you down on this occasion.

Therefore, I would like to reassure you that I've passed the details of your concerns onto our Store Manager and Cafe Manager to ensure that this is looked into at Store level. This will enable our Managers to ensure that this doesn't happen again.

Although there is little I can say to alleviate the disappointment caused, I do hope you will accept my sincerest apologies.

Thank you for taking your time to contact me.

Kind Regards

Lexy St Clair

Customer Service Manager

Tesco Customer Service

Ha Ha Ha!

[Charles Bannerman]

My email to TESCO:

"Having been a loyal customer of your Inshes Inverness Store for many years I must express my dissapointment with your new store. I'm sure you will have seen an increase in turnover but the shopping experience is no longer enjoyable. Even the staff have lost the smile they used to have. I would also recommend that you review whoever holds the franchise for the Cafe as the service is absolutely terrible and the quality extremely poor and cannot be doing the Tesco reputaion any good at all".

And their reply:

Firstly, please allow me to apologise for the delay in getting back to you. We do endeavour to get back to all enquiries as quickly as possible, and I’m very sorry that we’ve let you down in that respect.

I'm very sorry to learn of your disappointment with our Inshes Inverness store. I appreciate how this no longer makes your shopping trip enjoyable.

Further to this, I would like to offer you my sincere apologies for any annoyance caused by the refurbishment that our Inshes inverness store has had recently.

In addition to this, I'd also like to offer you my apologies for any frustrations caused upon your recent visit to our Cafe. Our Café staff try hard to make certain that the food we sell is of the best quality. So it's really disappointing to hear that we let you down on this occasion.

Therefore, I would like to reassure you that I've passed the details of your concerns onto our Store Manager and Cafe Manager to ensure that this is looked into at Store level. This will enable our Managers to ensure that this doesn't happen again.

Although there is little I can say to alleviate the disappointment caused, I do hope you will accept my sincerest apologies.

Thank you for taking your time to contact me.

Kind Regards

Lexy St Clair

Customer Service Manager

Tesco Customer Service

Ha Ha Ha!

Now that's strange! Here is my email of complaint sent last month and the reply. The only difference would seem to be that I wasn't lucky enough to get my response from some **Content Removed on Request** which Off The Ball keep asking listeners to send them in! Otherwise both the responses sent to Caleyboy and to me seem to have come from the Tesco Book of Platitudinous Customerguff.

MY ORIGINAL COMPLAINT.

In your promotional literature in advance of the reopening of Tesco Inshes , Inverness you asked for feedback so here it is - but unfortunately it's not very positive .

A couple of years ago I switched my weekly shop from Tesco Inshes to Morrisons , principally because the Inshes cafe had become so dreadfully poor but also because of non availability of certain goods in the store itself .

When the new Tesco Inshes opened last week , I thought I would try again , but have unfortunately found that exactly the same problems still exist .

My introduction to the new cafe was a long and desperately slow moving queue for a bacon and egg roll - only to find the assistant scraping a disintegrating , blackened substance from a dish on to my roll . He seemed quite surprised that I refused to accept this and told me they would not have fresh bacon ready for some time . I opted for sausages instead which turned out to be rock hard and splintered between my teeth while the egg was cold and rubbery to say the least .

As a result it rather looks as if my other previous concerns about long term breakdown of cafe equipment and failure to adhere to advertised opening hours will become academic .

On one further visit to the shop it transpired that two of the four items I quickly needed were unavailable . These were as basic as a pint of semi skimmed milk and a small bottle of Tesco's own orange juice - so it looks as if Tesco Inshes will not be resuming its role for me as a local convenience store either . .

AND TESCO'S RESPONSE.

Dear Customer

Thank you for contacting us.

I'm very sorry that you didn't enjoy the food on your recent visit to our new Tesco Inshes store café.

Our café staff try very hard to make sure that the food we sell is of the very best quality. Considering this store has just recently re-opened, we would have liked to have made a very good, long lasting impression on all our customers. So, it's really disappointing to hear that we let you down on this occasion.

Further to this, I'd like to apologise for the long queue you had to endure whilst waiting to be served at our café. I can assure you that we try our best to ensure that customers are served as soon as we possibly can and I am sorry that you had to wait so long on this occasion.

I am concerned to learn that you have had the same issues in the past and that nothing has improved since the re-opening. I am very sorry to hear this.

I've told our Store Manager, Dan Kelly, about your complaint and I know that he will do his very best to make sure you don't have a similar problems in the future.

Thank you for taking the time to let us know about this. I do hope that, despite the problems you've faced, you'll continue to shop with us, giving us the chance to provide the excellent service you've come to expect and so rightly deserve to receive.

Kind Regards

Sarah Allen

Customer Service Manager

Tesco Customer Service

This is ME back again now... just to say that, having been given "spend £30 and save £10 with their promotional literature I have now got £91.56 worth of shopping for £61.56 across three visits and am hot footing it back to Morrisons unless and until Tesco's ongoing efforts to keep Asda out of Inverness eventually fail.

Edited July 31, 2011 by CaleyD

[Johnboy]

What a pathetic response from Tesco's Customer Service manager...

It's like some kind of a template letter, which does nothing to address Caleyboy's concerns.

[lukemackay]

The ness'cafe at cyc is what you call value for money top quality butcher meat. Rolls are a pound and everything you add on is 50p its closed this week but next week id advise it

Edited October 18, 2010 by lukemackay

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

I take it all back Charles , went into tesco Inshes today for lunch and have to say it was bloody awful !!! I must have been in at the right time the last time I visited as todays "offerings " weren't fit for farm animals and as for the "service " well least said the better . I wont be back .