Upsetting the middle classes

[Ray Scully]

Would it be possible for a cruise company to receive similar criticism if the lowered its prices too much ?

Waitrose faces complaints from disgruntled middle-class shoppers who claim its free coffee offer is attracting the wrong kind of customer.

The supermarket, which has a famously upmarket reputation, offers shoppers a free cup of tea of coffee each day if they sign up for a 'myWaitrose' card.

The move has made Waitrose the second largest provider of coffee in the UK but has sparked complaints from some regular shoppers who say others are now coming just for the free drink.

One Facebook user, **********, wrote on Waitrose's Facebook page: "Please stop the free coffee at Barry Waitrose, it is putting me off shopping in the store people are coming with two cards two free coffee no shopping, with their Tesco bags."

[Stephen]

Snobs.

What's wrong with upping the 'Ambiance'

Do you think they'd mind me coming in with me wellies and bringing me sandwiches to go with the coffee

[Quizzical Bob]

I think the problem is that people are going into the shops just for the coffee and not actually buying anything thus depriving regulars of their fix. On P&O ships it's the other way round with people who paid for their coffee hogging seats that others would like to use for doing their crosswords, or knitting, or reading or something.

[Onelife]

Hi Ray,

If they've signed up for the card then they're entitled to the coffee. If however they signed up for the card and came in dressed like Onslow out of "Keeping up appearances" then l could fully understand why there would be some animosity. After all waitrose should be trying to keep up appearances.

I suppose it could be argued that cruise lines have lowerd thier prices (getaway) to a level that could see you sittig at a table "sipping coffee" with someone displaying the same manners as Onslow. Then it would simply be a case of which of the table companion complained first? If the truth be known there's a bit of waitrose in all of us

Regards

keith

[Ray Scully]

Keith

Only a bit

I resent that remark


Ray

[GillD46]

Regardless of the "class" of the customers, I just wish there was Waitrose near us!

[kaymar]

What really upsets me is all the middle class persons with their Waitrose bags one now has to avoid in Harrods. Bladdy riff-raff. No doubt they'll be demanding cheap caviar next.

[Dark Knight]

what really annoys me is all the 10 bob millionaires in Harrods, who only go there to get a carrier bag and spend the minimum possible
doesn't happen in F&M

bloody plebs

[Frank Manning]

We are Waitrose regulars. We see very little difference in prices between the them and our local Sainsburys. We always take the free newspaper which Waitrose offers with the use of the card, but not the coffee.

Waitrose aren't perfect by any means. Over the years we have had a few issues with dodgy fruit, and with foreign bodies in chicken breasts, sell by dates long gone etc. They always put it right, but they are not perfect by a long way.

Class is not a definable thing anyway. We know a fair few people with plums in their mouths and noses tacked to the clouds but with dreadful manners. Rampant snobbery does not equate to being classy.

[kaymar]

We are Waitrose regulars. We see very little difference in prices between the them and our local Sainsburys. We always take the free newspaper which Waitrose offers with the use of the card, but not the coffee.

Waitrose aren't perfect by any means. Over the years we have had a few issues with dodgy fruit, and with foreign bodies in chicken breasts, sell by dates long gone etc. They always put it right, but they are not perfect by a long way.

Class is not a definable thing anyway. We know a fair few people with plums in their mouths and noses tacked to the clouds but with dreadful manners. Rampant snobbery does not equate to being classy.

Lady-boys, Frank?

[Capt Black]

My mate who is retired goes to Waitrose pretty much daily for the free coffee, and bangs on about how he is keeping his living costs down. We keep reminding him that the cost of his petrol there and back is probably more than the cost of his coffee.

[Quizzical Bob]

You should remember that Waitrose is short for 'wait in rows'.

[ItsmeAnnC]

Our Waitrose doesn't have a coffee shop. Just as well as it's next door to Asda!

You wouldn't want the Tesco lot to be frequenting it anyway. A relative of mine, who is a prison officer, won't shop there because he "knows" too many customers - "All right Guv?"

[davecttr]

I am feeling deprived, there is no Waitrose near me, or even more depressing no Aldi. I love Aldi.

[Manoverboard]

We believe that Waitrose is far more expensive than Sainsbugs for the routine items but they do tend to have a better selection when it comes to buying something a bit out of the ordinary.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Would it be possible for a cruise company to receive similar criticism if the lowered its prices too much ?

Well, to go back to Ray's original question, P&O did lower its prices when it introduced Getaway Fares. Did anyone notice any adverse reaction? I'm sure all I saw was universal praise for the new pricing structure!

[barney]

Well, Merv or Trish (delete as appropriate)

P&O Getaway allowed us to have an unexpected 'extra' holiday last year at a price I could only have dreamed of.

All the other passengers were a bit weird though.

I was the only normal one on the entire ship (and I'm not 100% sure about me)

So, long may it continue, and if it means rubbing shoulders with the Tesco crowd, so be it.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Well, Merv or Trish (delete as appropriate)

P&O Getaway allowed us to have an unexpected 'extra' holiday last year at a price I could only have dreamed of.

All the other passengers were a bit weird though.

I was the only normal one on the entire ship (and I'm not 100% sure about me)

So, long may it continue, and if it means rubbing shoulders with the Tesco crowd, so be it.

It's not the Tesco crowd you need to worry about. It's the Kwik Save lot.

[Dark Knight]

for goodness sake, its a shop, granted like many of it's customers, I dare say, it has dellusions of granduer, but it is just a supermarket and not an esp good one