the only thing i'll miss about woody's is the bread and the hours. otherwise as much as i hate to admit it sainsbury's will help gentrify stroud green road and provide a nice consistent experience (fingers crossed tesco isn't best practice). at woodys the wine is outrageously priced, the staff is completley clueless, and basic 'taking care of business' isn't done. For example, last few times i checked the ice cream freezer has been so frosted everything inside is completely frostbit and has an inch of frosticles around it. uck. However, on a sunday evening I'm always grateful for woodys, so another supermarket shutting down at 5pm won't do me much good.
I will be sorry to see Woody's go - for the Gozleme, the fresh veg and the hours (not for the overpriced wine and the surly staff). Unless Sainsburies buys up more space then it will be pointless having it there! I used to live in Dalston where 24 hour shopping is everywhere, as well as no end of excellent Turkish food and I was so pleased when I came to SG that there was still something like this. Is there any other 24 hour shop nearabouts?
Oh, had no idea Feargal was so close. Reminds me of how I let him down badly once.
In my first job in London in the late 80’s one of my tasks was the responsibility for letting out a large skanky hall on the Lisson Green Estate. Feargal would occasionally use it for his radio ham group on Saturdays.
The place was constantly broken into and vandalised. One Friday Feargal came in to get the key for the hall, and I had to say he couldn’t use it because the doors were broken after a burglary and we’d had to board it up etc. I had no telephone number to let him know earlier. I never forget the crestfallen look on his face, nearly in tears. He said, ‘yes but I’ve got radio hams coming from all over the country and from Europe’.
A few minutes later, I think, prompted by his despair, I thought of an imaginative solution to the problem, and ran out onto the street looking for him, but he’d gone.
Well if that's true then Sainsbury's much like Tesco's must believe in the unlimited market of individual shoppers who rush in for a basket of bits n' bobs, ready meals, chocolate, sushi, alcohol and houmous - something to grab between work and a vat of booze with chums - For years now SGR Tesco's has reduced the number and size of trolley''s available to those who need to shop for more than one person and a cat, gerbil, goldfish or whatever - @ tosscat i.e those who often choose to park nearby because they pay for a parking permit and carrying a weeks shopping for 4 by hand is grim -
So well done that's a real victory for the 'interesting,desperate funsters' get rid of an independent store with stuff you've never eaten and welcome the chain outlet with open arms! Something to think about when you've moved on to another investment in a nicer bit of town or returned to the shires.
Just to return to the subject of Woodys, chaps.....
Spoke to the charming gentleman behind the till this morning. The deal with Sainsbury is not definite ..... not at all ...... it might be happening but then it might not. And it sounded like it might not. They'll know in a couple of weeks. But it also sounded like they might close and move elsewhere (Muswell Hill was mentioned) all the same.
I presume the lease has come up for renewal.
Just popped in to grab a few of the hot cheese bread things before they disappear to be replaced by vaccum packed snack croissants. But you never know.
This is the response I got from Tescos
Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in answering your email.
Also, I'm really very sorry that you were held up at the checkout in our Stroud Green Metro store. I understand how inconvenient and infuriating this can be. I am really very sorry about this.
We try not to have more than one customer waiting in front at any time. We draw on our experience and expertise to make sure that there's enough staff on duty to man the tills. And most of our staff members are multi-skilled so that we can be flexible if we need to open more tills than we expected.
Despite all this, there are times when we can't achieve the 'one-in-front' standard. For instance, when all the tills are open already, or when we have to cope with an unexpected staff shortage. Even then we do our very best to serve our customers as quickly as we can.
I've told the Store Manager John Popely about your complaint and I can assure you that we'll work even harder to stop this from happening again.
Thank you for taking the time to let us know.
Next time I have a big queue to satnd in it will be an instant complaint
Comments
I tried to draw a picture of him but the face was all wrong.
In my first job in London in the late 80’s one of my tasks was the responsibility for letting out a large skanky hall on the Lisson Green Estate. Feargal would occasionally use it for his radio ham group on Saturdays.
The place was constantly broken into and vandalised. One Friday Feargal came in to get the key for the hall, and I had to say he couldn’t use it because the doors were broken after a burglary and we’d had to board it up etc. I had no telephone number to let him know earlier. I never forget the crestfallen look on his face, nearly in tears. He said, ‘yes but I’ve got radio hams coming from all over the country and from Europe’.
A few minutes later, I think, prompted by his despair, I thought of an imaginative solution to the problem, and ran out onto the street looking for him, but he’d gone.
He never asked to use the hall again.
So well done that's a real victory for the 'interesting,desperate funsters' get rid of an independent store with stuff you've never eaten and welcome the chain outlet with open arms! Something to think about when you've moved on to another investment in a nicer bit of town or returned to the shires.
I find it hard to mourn the passing of a shop that once sold me a salad with a fully grown slug in it.
But, well done. That's the most passive aggressive post in ages.
Spoke to the charming gentleman behind the till this morning. The deal with Sainsbury is not definite ..... not at all ...... it might be happening but then it might not. And it sounded like it might not. They'll know in a couple of weeks. But it also sounded like they might close and move elsewhere (Muswell Hill was mentioned) all the same.
I presume the lease has come up for renewal.
Just popped in to grab a few of the hot cheese bread things before they disappear to be replaced by vaccum packed snack croissants. But you never know.