I was standing in the toilets at Marks and Sparks, idly reading the sign above the hand drying machine, as you do. How clever of M & S to choose turbo hand dryers for their customers convenience. There is nothing more annoying than standing around rubbing your hands together underneath a wisp of air which has no more pressure than a fart. And then giving up and finish off by drying your hands on your clothes, or waft them about as you leave the room. Piles of grubby toilet paper surrounding the garbage bin usually means the hand dryers are rubbish and people have given up on them.
In the bottom corner of this sign is a small message. Wow, M & S have really gone to town with their re cycling and re using policy. So how did they make this sign, that's what I want to know. Which waste materials did they use? It looks very professional, not hand made like something being scrawled on a broken piece of plastic packaging, or part of a pallet.
What equipment would have been used to cut out a perfect sign, what did they use to print the message on with? It wasn't knocked up in someone's shed. And what is the actual point of it? Why did they bother with a sign at all? To give themselves a pat on the back? Maybe it says, look we built you a brand new store, we closed the old store in the town centre, bought this piece of land on the outskirts, and built a new store. The least we could do is use some of the rubbish we created, on this sign. Well bully for them. And they pay people good money to think up these ideas. Spin the customers a tale, and they will keep coming back. Errrr., maybe they won't.
Toodle pip. ilona
Gosh how abrasive and critical! Isn't it better to applaud any effort to help our planet rather than criticise it? You could look up the background of Marks and Spencers efforts, it's well documented from planning of their stores through to completion. I think good for M&S, making an effort for our planet, working within their directives but achieving plenty. Sometimes we can be too hasty to criticise without knowing the background and alternatives. Sometimes we can just be too hasty to criticise.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I clicked on publish, I just knew I was going to get a comment like this. It was a silly flippant, off the cuff post, just to fill a space, and you took it so so seriously.
DeleteHi Ilona, can't speak to things in the UK, but here in the U.S. companies can get huge tax incentives for doing things like this - and the notice wou!c serve as documentation of that. For big companies, it's all about not paying taxes.
ReplyDeletePerhaps they could have renovated the old shop for homeless people or an animal rescue instead of silly signs x
ReplyDeleteThe old shop is now Poundland, which also is a clothes shop combined.
DeleteDon't get me started on recycling. They stopped the carrier bags but the stores are still bursting with plastic everywhere.
ReplyDeleteBriony
x
sigh...Nony --- golly gee...if you thought the post was abrasive and critical I can only imagine what you will say about me....give us a read of your blog, Nony, and we'll see what opinions we can conjure up of it.
ReplyDeletewell, have read lots of articles on these blow dryer deals in washrooms, and the news is not good. They grow and spread bacteria (now who wants to be sucking that up?), plus the noise levels are so high as to harm hearing..
ReplyDeleteI'm with Nony on this one (whether or not the post was intended to be serious or not, it is a valid topic) I think I prefer a hot air dryer than piles of grubby, bacteria ridden toilet paper on the floor ! and I'm sure you would have to be exposed to high levels of noise for a long time for it to affect your hearing - not just a short blast.
DeleteNothing is perfect in this world, but give M&S just a little credit for trying.
Your comment that said No more pressure than a fart,made me laugh so much,lol.I could just imagine you standing there,lol.I do get fed up with these sort of places.making out that they are planet friendly.Have you seen the price of their Vegan food?.My Mam used to buy all our clothes n food from there when we were kids,well over 50 years ago!,I stopped buying clothes and food from there years ago when I saw the factory they used,for a lot of their food.I knew someone who worked there...Anyway,on a positive note,I have been given,yet another 2 big canvas today!xx
ReplyDeleteThank you Debi, you always see the funny side, which is what I intended. No point in taking life too seriously. Kitty Green aka Wean, is always ready to have a dig at me, Nony (whoever they are), provided that opportunity.
DeleteThis got me thinking .....
ReplyDeleteHaven't you noticed how easy it is for people to criticise anything and everything' in this world ?
Wouldn't it be easier to give a little thanks and appreciation instead ?
i.e. take the news for example (OK I know a lot of you don't watch it but I'm not asking for personal habits here, just making a point).
'The Government have pledged XXX£millions to help the NHS -
response ? ah but is it enough ?
'Local Councils are to get more cash to help repair roads/pot holes etc.,
response ? but will it solve the problem ?
'Police Forces across the country are being given extra powers to deal with knife crime'
response ? It will take more than that.
Do you get my drift ?
and these three examples make the matter of whether M&S have blow dryers or leave grubby paper lying around look a bit pathetic.
It seems it doesn't matter what is done, it's never enough.
How about: - Great, that will help - or 'that will make a difference' or 'that will be appreciated', or even a simple 'Thank you'.
Or is that too much to ask ?
Is the World now just populated by nay-sayers and moaners ??
If you look hard enough (or make special efforts to knock something/someone down) you will always, always find something wrong, nothing is perfect - be thankful instead that someone, some company/business etc. is making an effort and drop the negativity !
That's priceless coming from you, Wean. You've done more than your share of moaning in the past. Is Kitty the new reformed you.
DeleteMy view exactly. I think Marks and Spencer deserve a pat on the back for their customer service.
DeleteYes, Elke, excellent customer service. Their products aren't to everyone's taste (mean queen says their dresses are old fashioned and ugly!)but their customer service can't be bettered.
DeleteReel em in gal!
ReplyDeleteI can when I'm in the mood ;o)
DeleteI have read somewhere that hand dryers spread more bacteria in the washroom than paper towels so are not hygienic at all.
ReplyDeleteeh better that hand-dryer than the one I used in a cafe toilet just the other day: it was so powerful it just about blasted me into space!! love your observations!!
ReplyDeleteI just wish M&S still sold something I wanted to buy. They seem to have totally lost their way. A huge part of my wardrobe is Per Una, bought some time ago and trying to make it last. There used to be so much of their fashion output I loved I couldn't possibly have bought it all. But for a couple of years now I can't find one single item of clothing they sell that I like. They need to change their fashion buyers then maybe they won't need to shut so many shops. On a positive note, now I'm on a pension maybe it's just as well I don't see clothes I want to buy.
ReplyDeleteI agree Linda. I went in to spend a gift voucher, had a browse at the clothes. Some horrible old fashioned ugly dresses for £50. What! I wouldn't even buy them from a charity shop. Crikey, I'm 70 not 170.
DeleteWhen I've been to some loos I've been very concerned of the hygiene of the combined wash and dry units.I much prefer a tap which you can swill first and then carefully take a paper towel.I saw green in the corners of some-yuk x
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if anyone else has heard this but a report came out several months ago here in the US that those hand dryers send minute particles of not good stuff, like feces in the air.
ReplyDeleteSince I heard that I'm not so keen on them anymore.