John Lewis, the high-end British department store chain, has put 200 jobs at risk with plans to close desks offering gift wrapping and foreign exchange services. The retailer, which operates 36 stores, has started a consultation on redundancies as it proposes to close bureau de change services in 30 stores and gift wrapping in 25 stores.
Consultation Underway
A final decision has not been taken on the closures, but if confirmed they will take place in autumn. The brand, known for its strong customer service on the high street, has faced criticism from staff over the plans.
"They are removing the area of the shop that John Lewis claims they stand for," a staff member told the Guardian. The employee added that shop floor workers who will take on additional tasks such as handling queries and offering gift wrapping at tills are "already overworked, overwhelmed with responsibilities and short staffed".
Customer Satisfaction Scores
A spokesperson for John Lewis said its independently measured customer satisfaction and loyalty scores had all improved year on year, as had its staff satisfaction levels. "You will see from today's UK Customer Service Institute scores – that John Lewis score moved from third to second overall – and we remain the top retailer in the UK."
This week, John Lewis came second behind the building society Nationwide in the UK Customer Satisfaction Index, published by the Institute of Customer Service.
Changing Customer Needs
If the plans to cut the services are confirmed, customers will be able to order currency online and arrange home delivery or pick up items in stores. "Our customers are increasingly buying the broad range of currencies we offer online, and enjoying the convenience of having this delivered directly to their home or collecting it at one of our shops," the spokesperson said.
"As we focus on modernising this proposition to meet our customers' changing needs, we're proposing to close our in-store foreign exchange bureaux as well as our gift wrapping service."
Support for Impacted Staff
The company will support impacted partners throughout the consultation process and support redeployment where possible, the spokesperson said. The customer service desk areas will be repurposed for other uses, and John Lewis said most queries were already handled by shop floor assistants, who would continue doing so if the proposed closures went ahead.
In March the John Lewis Partnership said it would continue to seek ways of operating more efficiently this year. Last year, the parent group cut 3,300 jobs, with about 1,500 coming from John Lewis department stores.
