Monday, 6th February 2006.

Park and (taken for a) ride

From: James Baldock
To: Tesco Customer Services
Sent: 06 February 2006 10:37 p.m.
Subject: Complaint re Abingdon store

Dear Sir / Madam -

I trust that I've addressed this to the right department; if not I'd be very grateful if you could please forward it on.

My wife and I visit your store (Tesco Extra, Abingdon) with our seven-month-old son on a weekly basis. This evening we arrived in Abingdon at approximately 5:20 pm, and promptly drove into the mother-and-baby / disabled section of the car park. As we pulled into a space, we observed a grey Astra parking in the parent-child space next to us. From the Astra emerged three men, perhaps in their mid-twenties. There was no sign of a child of any sort (and indeed the car certainly did not look as if it had been occupied by children recently).

By the time we had emerged from our own car, they had entered the store. I made a note of the car's details and registration number, and when we went in through the main doors I reported it to customer services. When speaking to the advisor I made it clear that I did not blame the store in any capacity. I also said that I recognised the fact that the car park was (at this time) relatively empty, and that there were plenty of spaces available - but that this could change very quickly, as indeed it did. I was informed that the incident would be reported to security.

My wife and I went shopping with our son as per usual. As we walked around we listened out for any P.A. announcements concerning the vehicle, but none came. (On a previous occasion we discovered a set of keys lying beside a vehicle, and when we reported this to customer services the announcement was made quickly and audibly, so I am certain that had there been anything broadcast we would have heard it.) When we exited the store almost an hour later, we observed the three men walking back to their car, laden down with shopping. It was quite apparent that absolutely nothing had been said to them. I should point out that by this time in the evening the store was busy, and the parent / child slots were all full. As we left, I could not help wondering how many of them were occupied by genuine parents, and how many by people who abuse the system.

What dismayed me about the incident was that despite our reporting it to customer services, promptly and in plenty of time for some sort of action to be taken, absolutely nothing appeared to have been done. It is of course quite possible that your security staff had been detained for an hour dealing with other, more important matters, but somehow I doubt it. As a parent I have become aware that appropriate parking spaces can be in short supply. Our son's daily timetable limits the hours in which we can do our shopping, and as such we try to find times when we know the car park will be less busy, in order to obtain a parent / child space. (You are aware, of course, that the proximity of these spaces to the store entrance is not the issue here: it is more a question of picking a space that enables you to get a car seat in and out without incident, which is not terribly easy when you are sandwiched next to a Range Rover.)

While we accept that at busy times the car park is liable to be full, it is irritating to say the least when we find the spaces that are reserved for us occupied by people who are not entitled to use them. I make a point of never (under any circumstances) parking in disabled spaces, even if the alternative is a half-mile walk. Further to this, if I am shopping without my son I will always park in a normal space. I would expect a similar level of courtesy from other car drivers vis a vis parent-child spaces. I appreciate that there are certain times of day when it may be less of an issue (such as shopping at one or two in the morning), but at a peak time in the early evening space can be at a premium. The fact that we managed to secure a space without incident is neither here nor there: had we arrived half an hour later we would have found no spaces available, because they had in all likelihood been taken by others like the occupants of the Astra.

I am aware that more stringent policing and monitoring of the car park is in all likelihood not possible given your current level of personnel, and I realise that you are unable to check that every car user is parking in an appropriate space as they arrive. However, you might wish to consider implementing some sort of membership card-related policy, such as the one that is used to great effect at your neighbouring Didcot store. Such a scheme would surely not be problematic to put in place, and would go a considerable way towards solving the problem. Until this evening we had not questioned the fact that the parent-child spaces were taken up by genuine parents accompanied by children, but the apparent apathy of your store has left me wondering not only how many other car users are parking in inappropriate spaces unchecked, but also just how much you really care about your customers.

I look forward to hearing from you.

With best regards,

James Baldock.