John Lewis standards of customer service

Update John Lewis staff could receive smaller pay rises amid turnaround struggles.

John Lewis was once known for its excellent customer service and serving customers from the cradle to the grave, offering everything from baby shoes to appliances for the elderly. But over the last few years it has had a rough time.

Recently I ordered a new washing machine from John Lewis. It didn’t arrive. I received no notification, no explanation, nothing. The delivery tracking website said simply “delivered” yet it had not been delivered.

I wrote to John Lewis, so that I had the record should I need it later. See Why you should write not ‘phone to complain effectively With no clear explanation, they told me they could not deliver it for a further week. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, John Lewis was in breach of contract for not delivering the item on the agreed date. I was therefore legally entitled to redress for having to stay in another day. They offered £50 and I got this increased to £75, in the form of a gift card.

I could not access the gift card because of a change of email address, so requested that they sent it to another email account. What followed was a shambles. I gave the information they requested and then got a call which I refused to take. Numerous emails and phone calls (which I had said I would not accept) were ridiculous. Eventually someone saw the light and sent me the gift card to the new email address. One week later I received a call to ask me about my gift card! (Contact the John Lewis CEO.)

This was a shocking example of poor communication in the Customer Service Department. Were there no notes on file?! Are customer service staff not reading the notes? The overall impression was really poor, for such a simple query.

Consumers are certainly telling me that John Lewis no longer has the high standards of customer service for which it was once known. They tell me there are not enough staff on the shop floor, rude communication and that the company takes too long dealing with problems.

Many years ago a John Lewis insider told me that John Lewis brought in consultants to look at their customer service. Recommendations included reducing refunds and replacements down to the legally necessary minimums. John Lewis used to refund or replace items that were years old which is way over and above the legal minimum and obviously a few chancers took advantage. But it contributed to the outstanding service that consumers valued from John Lewis and was undoubtedly one of the reasons customers continued to shop there.

The famous tagline “never knowing undersold” once meant that John Lewis would beat the price of any other retailer. That promise was relegated to only “in store” and then eliminated altogether in August 2022, meaning that consumers can no longer get the best prices.

Dame Sharon White announced her resignation last October (2023) and will leave in February 2025. This will make her the shortest-reigning chair ever in the partnership. Her days were probably numbered when she narrowly survived a crunch vote in May 2023.

Dame White is the former Chief Executive of Ofcom, arriving at John Lewis with no retail experience whatsoever. General business knowledge and experience may have helped her through her three year strategy but her legacy is unremarkable

Limited successes have included reintroducing staff bonuses in 2022 and reducing the company’s debt pile. But her plans to diversify, such as building rental homes on its land, were widely criticised.

Whilst the Board looks for a successor the company needs to refocus its attention on listening to customers and improving customer service, in the hope of wooing shoppers back to its stores.

Help with complaining to John Lewis (or any retailer or service provider)

20 Tips for effective complaining

How to Complain: The Essential Consumer Guide to Getting Refunds, Redress and Results! for masses of advice, tips, guidance and template letters

101 Habits of an Effective Complainer provides you with more tips.

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