My complaint:
I visited cournelscourt branch this afternoon sat 13.feb. I haven’t been there since Xmas as I am very anxious to go to big shops during the latest high numbers of Covid being transmitted.
I decided to go today as I had to do shopping for an elderly mother.
I though Back to first lockdown and felt Dunnes was so responsible then, strict on allowing only a certain amount of shoppers to enter, supervising with walkie talkies to the person on the exit door and only letting so many enter as shoppes left. I felt comfortable while there as I felt they had both their customers and staff safety to be considered.
Today I was SHOCKED, the amount of shoppers in the store was like Xmas, no one supervising who came in or left, there was a person in attendant at entry and exit doors but only to direct you to the right door to enterexit.
I felt so unsafe, there was no social distancing as it was impossible to do as there was people at every turn, trolleys everywhere. Staff were in discussion at the household area discussing work and again side by side, no social distancing.
I had to constantly keep turning away so at least my face wasn’t in close contact with other shoppers.
As I queue to checkout, I was one of the few stepping on the correct floor marking to keep my distance, no one respected I was in the queue and walked between myself and my neighbour, touching trolleys.
I feel Dunnes stores have a duty of care to the public and their staff to supervise numbers in their store, to have attendants directing people in the correct direction, pointing out to the many customers that have their face covering below their nose, if you wear it this way you might as well have no mask on.
Attendants should be directing customers to use antibacterial gel at the dispenser at the enterance.
This practice is in place in Tesco, my husband shops there and a traffic light system is in place, only enter when green, it registers how many enter and then red light appears which you can’t enter on, as customers leave it then changes to green, this way they are controlling the amount of customers are shopping in the store at a time.
When Penney’s and Shaws were opened they had an attendant directing you to use hand gel and only allowing so many in at a time.
I am so upset at what I witnessed today, I felt Dunnes Stores have become complacent.
This is so sad as so many people have died recently and so many in hospitals.
I feel for the industry that have been forced to close their doors such as hairdressers and clothes shops to mention a few, Dunnes are in the lucky position to to be an essential service, albeit jumpers, gym gear, etc that are being sold are not essential.
I feel outraged that I felt so unsafe in your store and felt you had let me, other shoppers and your own staff down and indeed put all our health in danger.
I WILL not be returning. I will be advising anyone I know of today’s situation I found myself in and suggest they do the same.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, do the right thing and go back to the way you dealt with COVID during 1sr lockdown.
Our life is in you hands.
Janette o Toole
Suggested solution:
Out in place the regulations you implemented during first lockdown, have attendants directing shoppers on a one way system, pointing the route out to shoppers. Attendants asking shoppers to stand in correct marking queuing to checkout and also while entering the shop.
Attendants pointing out wrongly worn masks,
Attendants requesting shoppers to wipe trolley down and hands with the antibacterial products supplied as they enter.
I feel customers would complement your diligence and feel safe while shopping because if it and the visual presence of attendants doing these jobs confident but politely would be reassuring to ALL if us in these scary times.