Tesco Against Teetotalers?
So my lovely husband offered to make me a meal for my birthday over his long weekend off, but rather than suffer the mess I ‘persuaded’ him that a supermarket dine in option might be worth a shot. Of course he agreed quickly realising that this would merely involve him switching on the oven and removing foil.
Tesco had a deal on that included a main course, a side, a desert and a bottle of wine for ?9, however I noticed that at the bottom of the chiller in the ‘dine in’ area beneath the food options were a six pack of glass bottles of coke and ‘fancy’ fresh juice – you know, the type that costs a small fortune. I assumed that these were the non-alcoholic options for the dine in deal, with them being in the right sort of price bracket and in the same cabinet as the meal options, but to be on the safe side (to stop myself from being ripped off!) I decided to double check at the checkout. You know where this is going right? The nice checkout assistant checked with one of the price checker people and sure enough they were not part of the dine in deal. I explained how misleading it was that these drink items were in the same cabinet and a few other customers around me nodded and mumbled in agreement. I also went on to argue the point that it was wrong for the dine in deal to only include wine, after all there are many people who don’t drink alcohol for various reasons and what about under 18′s are they exempt from dining in? To be fair the price checker did let me have the coke as part of the deal but I feel as though my very valid points fell on deaf ears.
I’m pretty sure that Marks & Spencer have non-alcoholic options as part of their deal, so come on Tesco you need to raise your game and start listening to what your customers are telling you!
Number 1 – Stop misleading loyal customers by putting drinks products in with deals where the drinks aren’t included. We aren’t stupid and we know that this is a marketing ploy to get us to spend more.
Number 2 – Don’t discriminate against those who don’t want to drink alcohol. You’re quick enough to haul up under agers and even some parents now if they try and purchase alcohol yet you aren’t offering non alcohol options as part of your dine in deal. Come on, a little bit of respect for those that put you where you are. We can shop elsewhere you know…
Number 3 – Listen to what your customers are saying to you instore, it’ll only allow you to sell more and make more money!
I championed you on twitter when one of your delivery drivers trekked through snow to get to me the day before christmas day you know. I also spend thousands at your stores every year. Admit you’ve got it wrong and get those cabinets sorted, better still get those drinks included in the deal!
Hear, hear!
They should definitely offer non-alcoholic options; it’s really disappointing to note that they don’t – what’s more I’m sure many people who are buying the dine in deal as part of a big weekly shop probably wouldn’t even notice that they hadn’t got the deal.
Very well said, Erica. Hope they send you a stack of Clubcard vouchers. I don’t drink much either so never buy their meals for that vary reason. They are missing out a chunk of the market by assuming everyone wants wine. Once worked for M&S. They would never have done that!
Drives me crazy too but M&S do the same, it’s alcohol only for the drink. I did notice this week that either Sainsburys or Tesco definitely have J20 included in their meal deal, but can’t remember which, although inclined to believe it’s Tesco.
When I asked the tesco employee he said it was only wine included, so don’t know whether they’ve puuled that offer recently
Shame, I like J20…
Rosie – That would be nice, although I’d be happy if they just changed the deal!
Thanks very much for this. I totally agree. It’s outrageous that there is no non-alchoholic options. I try to avoid Tesco for many reasons (the don’t stock free-range chicken, for example). So I’m going to check out the meal options at Waitrose and Sainsbury’s as well. Also, its probably better to ask to speak to the store manager about this. The ordinary employee has no reason to care!
You go girl. Knowing that you *cough* NEVER drink I can only imagine your horror.
… and Happy Birthday … sending you a trainee birthday *Look*
Thanks dude, my *cough* clean living means that I still feel 21
Well done, you go girl. We would rather the tea total option too
M&S only offer wine. To be fair someone’s taste or requirements will always be excluded, there’s not always a vegetarian dish, there’s never a nut-free one and I doubt there’s a gluten free option all that often either. You don’t get to pick beer instead so the offer doesn’t favour alcohol drinkers, it favours wine drinkers (and I know plenty of people who don’t like wine).
The main saving/attraction with these offers is the wine, we got a ?10 bottle of wine with a ?9 Tesco deal, not to be sniffed at. Would it have been as “good” a deal with a ?1 bottle of Coke? Eh no. If I was drinking Coke I wouldn’t go for the deal.
I think that Sainsburys is the only one that offers non-alcoholic drink with their meal deals, J2O, I seem to remember. Tesco deals are not that good. I love the M&S oness, I only wish they won’t always offers wine only. Hope you had a nice birthday by the way. All the best. A.
Not for you Mrs W, but I’d take the coke anyday
I am LAUGHING because all I can think about is you giving the cashier The Look and she thinking she so picked the wrong day to come to work . . .
M&S definitely *DO* offer non-alcoholic drinks for their meal deal (normally posh elderflower juice or twin pack apple presse type stuff) Not that I ever don’t go with the wine option myself *ahem*
They all seem to manage to give a vegetarian option for meal deals so why not an non-alcoholic option too? Poor show Tesco : (