Anyone else used it and found it to be the kind of place where you try not to touch anything in case you catch something? i realise making somewhere pleasant that's used for changing the sprog's dirty arse is difficult, but given that that room is meant for breastfeeding also.... it's great that they have one, and i would use it in an emergency (today was the first time i've used it, hence the thread), but it's be nice if a little redecoration, cleaning and restocking could happen.

still, thanks for trying, boots. look out for my letter to customer services when i get the chance.

zactly
places dont know customers arent happy till customers let em know

I can see where you are coming from but how did our parents cope, no baby changing, no breast feeding in public and no disposable nappies, scary thought!

:huh:

Yes i agree we walk to mothercare or tj hugues instead boots shoul be ashamed

Yes i agree we walk to mothercare or tj hugues instead boots shoul be ashamed

Yeah sure they should!?!?!. It's a value add service so to speak... Perhaps families with young children should pay some sort of nominal tax for these facilities if they are to be taken for granted.

it isn't a value add service, it's a 'lure' - it's to persuade people who are going to spend loads of money on their kids for the next ten years to spend it in their shop :confused:

I rather think Boots et al get plenty out of providing facilities for mothers and babies as it is, being as how selling things for babies is a large part of their business.

it isn't a value add service, it's a 'lure' - it's to persuade people who are going to spend loads of money on their kids for the next ten years to spend it in their shop :confused:

Thats what most value added services are!

I rather think Boots et al get plenty out of providing facilities for mothers and babies as it is, being as how selling things for babies is a large part of their business.

I accept that as a valid point but to actively complain about something thats does not essentially have to be provided - suggesting the store should be ashamed is whats taking the p****

Thats what most value added services are!
Yeah, so why do you think anybody should pay to be lured? :confused:

Yeah, so why do you think anybody should pay to be lured? :confused:

They should not, but if they moan about it not being like a five star hotel then they are implying that it should be something that is saleable!

I accept that as a valid point but to actively complain about something thats does not essentially have to be provided - suggesting the store should be ashamed is whats taking the p****

Have you been in there??? What is wrong with suggesting to a large multinational company that they invest £50 in a can of paint and some disinfectant?? If they're going to bother providing such a service - a carrot to shopping mothers - then it would probably be in their better interest to provide it at such a level that people will actually use it!

Besides, did i say i was writing to complain? No. But, as someone else has pointed out, unless someone says something then nothing will be done.

Have you been in there??? What is wrong with suggesting to a large multinational company that they invest £50 in a can of paint and some disinfectant?? If they're going to bother providing such a service - a carrot to shopping mothers - then it would probably be in their better interest to provide it at such a level that people will actually use it!

Besides, did i say i was writing to complain? No. But, as someone else has pointed out, unless someone says something then nothing will be done.

Look a bit closer. Did I say anything about WRITING in to complain, or indeed about your specific point? (Clue: who said 'ashamed'?)

The reason Boots provide baby changing and breast feeding facilities is because it is a part of their marketing strategy. They are not being altruistic or generous. They are using these facilities to promote themselves as a caring, classy, modern, charitable provider of baby related products. They are not really interested in the revenue generated by breastfeeding mothers, but the revenue generated by the positive impression people have of the store i.e. brand positioning.

Therefore Boots should be ashamed of the state of these facilities and they deserve letters of complaint because:

1) The initial and ongoing cost of providing these facilities is passed onto the consumer. We all still pay for them even if they are unusable.

2) more importantly, the Boots brand is fraudulently benefitting from the provision of these services when the squalid state of them exposes the lie that this is anything more than a cynical marketing ploy.

I've commented in the book they provide before so if anyone felt they wanted to - Boots do invite comments, whether they act on them is different.

They should not, but if they moan about it not being like a five star hotel then they are implying that it should be something that is saleable! Or perhaps Boots are just putting themselves in a potentially litigious situation - given how easy it is for very young babies to pick up infections?

*awaits stupid comment about keeping them indoors and it being nothing to do with Boots* :rolleyes:

Or perhaps Boots are just putting themselves in a potentially litigious situation - given how easy it is for very young babies to pick up infections?

*awaits stupid comment about keeping them indoors and it being nothing to do with Boots* :rolleyes:


I am the store manager for Boots Fargate. I take all of your comments on board and I will ensure that the room is rectified. The current condition isnt satisfactory. We currently have work in hand that I think you will find will make a significant difference to the environment.

Apologies for the current service I will put it right

Thank you, 1985, for your response. It's nice to know you have it in hand, and no doubt our parents will be reporting back to you on your improvements.

1985 - i'd also like to thank you for your response. i'm sure there's plenty of parents who'd appreciate improvements to the room and will spend more in your store as a consequence! seriously though, i for one really will appreciate it.

all hail the sheffield forum as a means of improving our lives!

Blimey! SF communicates with the real world once again.
Thanks to 1985 for your obviously widely appreciated response and good on you for taking it on board!

I am the store manager for Boots Fargate. I take all of your comments on board and I will ensure that the room is rectified. The current condition isnt satisfactory. We currently have work in hand that I think you will find will make a significant difference to the environment.

Apologies for the current service I will put it right


We have now done the majority of the work in the mother and baby room in our store I hope it meets with your approval. Sorry about the condition it slipped in to, now we have done the work I will ensure it stays that way.

We plan to relay our baby department in January - I would be interested in any thoughts or comments you may have to try and improve it for parents?

We have now done the majority of the work in the mother and baby room in our store I hope it meets with your approval. Sorry about the condition it slipped in to, now we have done the work I will ensure it stays that way.

We plan to relay our baby department in January - I would be interested in any thoughts or comments you may have to try and improve it for parents?

thank you for doing the parent and child room, i actually went in there a couple of days ago and meant to comment on here about what an improvement it was - just a little thing, too, but the door was open, making it sooooo much easier to get in - pushchair in one hand and basket in hte other. thank you!

thoughts about your baby department - spread it out a bit more, please, so that you can get pushchairs past each otehr in the longer bits of aisle. also ask your staff that even if they're restocking shelves or something equally necessary that they move out of the way enough for women with pushchairs to get past. i would never ask someone to move if they haven't already, but get quite grumpy about having to reverse back up the aisle and down the next one to get around them. just because you're shopping with a baby doens't mean you have all the time in the world - i like to shop quickly and efficiently, with minimum contact with other people or anything that slows me down (oddly, i do not find shopping for nappies or teats enjoyable).

oh, i know - those bags you get at ikea that are big enough for nappies etc and can be slung over your shoulder? how about a few of those (not branded from ikea, ideally) so that one can have both hands free for pushchairs/toddlers? i think zebra has said elsewhere how difficult she finds it with twins - she can't hold a basket and push a pushchair.

Yep, spot on, I can't get around a shop especially well with the double pushchair if it's laid out too closely.
Also, the longer the aisle the easier it is to traverse, rather than going round corners every few yards. I always like baby stuff on the ground floor wherever possible because it is much easier all round but I realise that it might not be best marketing for Boots.
If you ever wanted someone to come in and whizz around with a double pram to demonstrate what it's like and you can have a go (the girls don't mind, it's all one big ride to them) then let me know. It's bound to help me and other mothers.
Oh yeah and pushing a double pram and holding a basket is like an Olympic sport, is there a design which clips to the side of a pushchair or the big bags would be good. I generally have to stack everything on the rainhood and hope it doesn't fall off before I get to the checkout. (Lost a jar of babyfood in the M'hell one doing that and had to guard the shattered glass until someone could come and clean it up.)
I am soooo impressed with this willingness to see what mothers think!

have you smelt the one in debenhams on the moor? nearly passed out. told the staff, but its not their problem - its the cleaning staff:gag:

boots- why cant it be on ground floor? hate squishing into that lift! and then you walk out and its so cramped! im sure boots would maek lots more £££ is baby section was spend out and it was a comfortable place ot shop with more selection in clothes dept and more sale/reduced items in the bargin bins:D and why have you stopped stocking HIPP organic Stage 3 vanilla, grrr had to go all the way to dreaded Mhall

We have now done the majority of the work in the mother and baby room in our store I hope it meets with your approval. Sorry about the condition it slipped in to, now we have done the work I will ensure it stays that way.

We plan to relay our baby department in January - I would be interested in any thoughts or comments you may have to try and improve it for parents?

Hi I committed some time ago to relay the baby department in our Boots store on Fargate, the relay is now virtually complete, we have test driven it with a double buggy and both mother and child were delighted.

I really hope you like the new layout, its been done with this forum in mind.

Thank you so much for this post, 1985. I'm very impressed that you remembered. I'm sure some of our members will be down shortly to check it out - I know I will be when I can (a couple of weeks). It's fantastic when someone not only listens but acts to make things better.

If any of you lot pop down, be sure to let us know what you think.:thumbsup:

I'm also very impressed and I shall be in next week to test drive it myself with our new Maclaren F1 (Well Twin Techno really but so obviously deisnged for Dads).
Well done 1985, it's such a relief knowling that someone really does listen to the voices of the people who use the shop. You'll get my business because of it!