Comments on: Our Christmas Cracker

By: Sean Weisthall

Sean Weisthall — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:34:12 +0000

When I queried John Lewis they said they “put the customer first and were happy to converse in imperial” – with the correspondant actually claiming her preference for imperial.

By: Michael Gregory

Michael Gregory — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:57:28 +0000

Martin – I am a section manager for John Lewis, working in Furniture and Electrical. Glad to see you were shopping at John Lewis and hope that you received good service!

John Lewis has always tried to lead the way by labelling only in metric wherever possible. So all of our furniture is only ticketed in centimetres, as is bedding, curtains etc. We used to show measurement on electrical appliances in both metric and imperial but I think that the practice in this has now ceased and only cms are used.

That said, my sales team spend a good portion of the day answering customers about metric conversion as people just don’t seem to get it. I have recently boughtÂ twelve metric-only tape measures but they are not always popular with the customers or some of the older members of the team. I now make the point to every customer who asks that I officially only know metric, as imperial measurement were no longer taught when I started school in 1974. Its a fine balancing act as we always need to ensure that we are giving good service regardless how irritating the customers questions are!

Some of those in my team who are not that good with mental arithmetic really struggle with answering these questions, and yet they are they ones who are made to feel stupid by those customers who refuse to try understand the much simpler (and far more accurate) metric system.

I am about to start a mini-campaign at work to get rid of the linear foot, which is the universal reference in our company to size of shopfittings. This is despite the fact that my department space is allocated to me in sq metres, and that all of the fixtures themselves are metric sizes.

By: lee kelly

lee kelly — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:26:01 +0000

what a shame that to use metric you have to move overseas, no wonder the education system is a joke. I mean to learn something like metric then spend the rest of your life never using it, is to say the least a waste of time. Only when we have a government that is not run buy the press for the press then we ill join the rest of the human race. if people need to use 1st century measurements (roman) thats fine, but don’t hate those who prefer metric.
one final question? if it is illegal to use metric distances (e.g metres & kms)
what will the government do in 2012 ? won’t who ever is in power be breaking the law ! or are there plans to change this ? thank you if anyone can answer this? HAPPY NEW YEAR

By: Martin Vlietstra

Martin Vlietstra — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:47:50 +0000

Last Saturday my wife dragged me to the sales. We looked at a new mattress to match one that we already had and then found that we did not know its thickness. The John Lewis assistant, when measuring up a display mattress for us asked if we used centimetres or inches.

By: Davyth

Davyth — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 23:43:15 +0000

The sad thing is many young British people are confused by having two systems in place, most I have asked think there are 1000 yards in a mile for example! As for people in Australia not liking metric, what a load of old tosh, I moved to Australia last year (partly to get away from backward looking British people who love to wallow in the past and their own self importance) and I can tell you it is one of the most metric countries in the world. it is wonderful to be able to use my British education in the environment it was intended, ie a metric world.

By: lee kelly

lee kelly — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 16:59:50 +0000

Philh, I completely agree with you when I visit the doctors & give my weight in metric the doctor always looks as if i’ve just confessed to something terrible, I think the best thing to do ( not in a bullying way), when buying scales ask for metric only, or when you get a sat nav ask if has kilometres or metres, & when buying a car ask how many kms its done , my car has kilometres on the odometer only ( you can change it ) when I take it to the garage to be serviced I ask if they want me to change it back to miles & guess what nobody has said yes . amazing

By: philh

philh — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 12:20:11 +0000

In answer to Nick’s point about forcing metric. In my experience those who prefer imperial are just as guilty (if not more so) of forcing their views on those of us who prefer metric. If I talk about my weight and height in metric I am often pressured to give conversions. Even in hospital I have encountered imperial minded medical staff talking to me in stones and pounds (after having weighed me on metric scales) in spite of my gentle protest to the contrary. So don’t talk to us about bullying!

By: lee kelly

lee kelly — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 20:22:44 +0000

nick did you ask them, because at least it has not harmed them besides if it was really hated they would not of changed , besides there are 233 countries & territories in the world the only countries that have not changed over are: Myanmar (Burma), liberia, & the U.S.A, besides I prefer my weight in kilogrammes at least it’s half the weight, compered to pounds, for example if i said i weighed 220lbs that would be 100kgs, thats why I prefer metric, by the way im 1.78 metres & weigh 78kgs.
by the way it was by international agreement (which britain sighned during the sixties) on the S.I units, all commonwealth countries are completely metric now, this is why I support the UKMA where everyone has the right to an opinion even if it is against metrication

By: Ezra Steinberg

Ezra Steinberg — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 05:04:42 +0000

Though it would unfortunately come at the expense of the consumer, companies downsizing to rational metric sizes starting in April 2009 while keeping their prices the same would at least have the benefit of making sensible metric labeling more widespread.

I would also presume that such companies would want to drop any Imperial labeling to further disguise their subterfuge, which, while it is an unscrupulous maneuver that hurts the consumer, would expand the presence of metric-only labeling and help wean customers off of Imperial.

By: Nick

Nick — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:23:05 +0000

“siv foot six he stood on the ground, he weighed two hundred and thirty five pounds…”
Try singing that in metric..
Kill-om-eater, meeter…ugly, artificial words that have no place in the English language.
There was never any popular enthusiasm for metrication in Australia, New Zealand or Canada. Metrication was forced on their populations at the behest of big business.
Still, bullying and elitism seem to be OK if they are done to enforce your own preferences? Dearie me.