Dear Mr Goodwin – tidy your Tesco
There’s a new manager at Fortune Green Tesco Express – a Mr Goodwin.
Mark Stonebanks, chair of the Friends of Fortune Green, bumped into him. In light of last week’s Twitter conversation between Robert Webb and a few other locals about the state of that particular branch, Mark took his e-mail address and then sent him this rather good letter with a set of accompanying photos, of which I’ve only included a handful:
Dear Mr Goodwin,
As promised I’m dropping you a quick email about the terrible impression that leaving cages and packaging outside the store has on the area. I am chair of the Friends of Fortune Green which has significantly improved the Green over the past five years and we seek to continue to improve the area. Before I comment on the cages and rubbish I thought I would share with you a link to a recent twitter discussion on the Fortune Green store (it was referenced in a local newsletter that goes out to over 1,000 local people and on a twitter feed with more than 8,000 followers).
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| Photo via @arobertwebb |
Locals are sick and tired of the poor look of this store. Both inside and out, e.g. the cages and rubbish. When the building was getting planning permission we were told in the original transport assessment for the development (in which the store is situated) written by Colin Buchanan and partners (August 2003) which clearly states in point 4.
At such a size of development, adequate facilities have been provided on-site for refuse collection and servicing of the proposed commercial units.
Do the photos below look like there is adequate on-site refuse collection? Leaving your rubbish outside the store for much of the day is not a solution, creates a terrible impression and blocks your valuable window space. Not only is it ugly it doesn’t even make sense for Tesco.
In a way the twitter discussion (i.e not enough stock) and the photos (too much delivery waste) are opposite problems, if you increase the stock you create more waste. But I’m sure you can find a solution. Can you impress on your managers that this is terrible brand imaging for Tesco (as the twitter discussion shows). The business is being run too ‘hot’ and Tesco externalise costs (leaving your rubbish outside) at the expense of the local area and residents. This is also a problem for the West End Lane store (I have more photos). No other retailer on West End Lane does this and it is unacceptable.
It seems to me that an option is that Tesco needs to increase the size of its storerooms, which might be at the cost of short term profit but will pay off in the long term. The Neighbourhood Development Forum, of which I am part, has been surveying local residents about what they like and dislike about West Hampstead. There are many likes (it is a nice area) but litter and rubbish was top of the dislikes – Tesco is a prime culprit (see below).
Yours sincerely,
Mark Stonebanks
Chair, Friends of Fortune Green
Treasurer, West Hampstead NDF
This is just a random selection of photos taken over the past few month.
Hi.
We’ve had a look over this article and we’ve brought everything you have said to the attention of our Store Manager.
The cages are waiting to be collected and returned to our distribution centre, but we are looking into how we can reduce this from happening in the future. The photo of the fridges was taken shortly after our fridges were broken, they had just been repaired, they’re now up and running and should have products inside!
Our store manager Jason has happily agreed to discuss further with you. Please feel free to stop in to discuss further with him.
Thanks!
Tesco Customer Care
The staff at both the fortune green and west end lane Tesco branches also need to have better hygiene
e.g., stop wiping their noses or mouths w bare hands before handling items at checkout or when stocking shelves.
This happens a majority of times I’m in the shop. It’s disgusting.
Reckon there’s probably a correlation between this lack of hygiene and the shopfronts looking like rubbish tips as highlighted in the article.
Little Waitrose can’t arrive soon enough!
There seems to be an ongoing problem with Tesco's fridges at Fortune Green – aka "The Ghetto Tesco" as my wife and I have taken to calling it.
I went in yesterday around 5pm and there were no cold meats etc and the fridge in question had a sign saying there was no stock due to a refrigeration problem. Maybe you need a better repair-person?
The hygiene is definitely something some of your staff (not all) needs to look at, I am talking about Fortune Green. Also the cages outside are not just a one off incident, as the responder suggests, it used to be happening constantly, not to mention the same lorries that bring the goods take the garbage out…
I live in Weech Hall, across the road from the Fortune Green Tescos and see the cages on a daily basis I too say the empty shelves with the sign referred to in the above post and actually thought of this Blog, as I am aware this is something that was previouysly bought up.
even my kids have noticed Tesco staff picking their noses and touching our foods at the counter. From slamming the food trays down on the floors when stacking shelves to the CONSTANT mess outside to watching Tesco staff spitting and smoking outside or in the Alfred Court Entrance to a fire hassard from waste being stored in trolleys against Joan court to upset Residents and visitors to the area, We can all be sure that every little does not help. We reside accross the street and residents in neghbouring roads comment on how appalling it must be to live with Tesco. Thats the point isnt it. We all have to live with this! Tescos staff dont, Tescos wallet doesnt.
I’ve heard that a documentary is being filmed on several of these smaller shops and the damage they do to residential areas.