We do not normally purchase plants via garden centres as we have a collection of rare, exotic and unusual plants acquired from specialist nurseries and on-line retailers, but yesterday (26th May 2020) my disabled wife and I (both wearing P.P.E.) waited patiently in the queue outside Brookfields Garden Centre (Covid-19 situation) as we needed to purchase some tomato and pepper plants for my wifes parents. Firstly, excellent service going into the store (provided with a trolley when entering and a pleasant smile from the staff member). We located our purchases in the store and made our way to the checkout. This is where the customer service from the elderly female checkout operative took an unprofessional and undesirable approach. We were beckoned forward and spoken to in a humiliating manner (like naughty school children), and raising her voice with contempt informed us to push the trolley around the back of the till area and 'stand over the line'. She processed the transaction, but the manner and tone / attitude was so unprofessional and demeaning to us that we have vowed never to set foot in the establishment ever again. Having both worked in a retail environment many years ago, I can surmise that the manner in which we were spoken to by this staff member would have resulted in a verbal warning. How times have changed!
It looks as though we will be returning to shop on-line and at Burncoose nurseries again now.
As a footnote, don't be fooled by the overall high standard of cosmetic display of the merchandise on offer as the plants can be expensive, and like so many commercial garden centres if you require any rare or unusual plants (Colletia paradoxa, Mutisia spinosa, Wollemi Pines etc.) look elsewhere. At least when purchasing from some of our established on-line specialist garden plant retailers you are not humiliated and demeaned in public!
My wife and I have come to the same conclusion that during the Covid-19 situation, many customer facing retail employees are treating customers in a manner that would be deemed inappropriate should we not be in this current situation.
If you looking for 'run of the mill' bedding plants and being humiliated during your checkout process then this place may well be for you, not for us I'm afraid.
