WHSmith

I find the staff very helpful in this branch of WHSmith (always willing to go to the stock-​room to search if an item is not displayed) although WHS would not get 5 stars from me as their goods are so hideously overpriced. In this branch I regularly buy stamps for my competitions which are at Post Office prices (some independent newsagents charge extra), lottery tickets and magazines. The staff are helpful although this branch is small and not the most aesthetically pleasing.

I generally really like this business, and feel that they have a very legitimate place in the English high street. This particular branch, however, is most definitely the worst managed outlet that I have visited.
I feel that the layout inside is very cluttered, dark and tough to navigate when you’re looking for that particular item.
For many weeks (perhaps months), one half of the metal shutter on the front of the store was jammed shut, and it appeared that no effort was made to rectify this. It did not bother me much, but I wonder who was responsible for repairing this and why it took so long?
I felt particularly letdown on my most recent visit here, when I bought a number of items, and was told by the shop assistant that I needed to pay for a bag. I inquired as to whether that was standard policy for WHSmith now and his reply was «The manager only orders the bags that you have to pay for now»!
I feel that this is a terrible customer service faux pas and makes me not want to visit this particular branch. Is this really WHSmith’s goal? To penny pinch and upset their customers who have to pay for carrier bags?