Not a big issue, but was she being a rude cow or were we?

[EllaDee]

DH and I popped into Tesco last night to get some shopping. Obviously it was very busy (saturday night) and there was a queue for the self-service checkouts. As we were standing at the front of the queue there was a commotion and the supervisor, a woman, started shouting at her trainee 'He hasn't paid and he knows he hasn't paid!' She ran after this man and got him to come back. He was perfectly polite, obviously confused, and started showing his receipt. Eventually it turned out he had paid and apparently the trainee should have done something different.

So the customer walks off - no apology given - and the woman starts a long lecture to her trainee. Meanwhile DH and I had finished and needed her to press the age verification button as we'd bought some cider. We waited for a few minutes, queue still quite long, and eventually I said 'excuse me, could you just clear the alcohol for us?'. She ignored us completely and continued lecturing her trainee. So DH said 'excuse me, we're waiting here!' and the trainee leant over and pressed the button, while the woman turned to me and said 'I am very busy with a customer, will you just wait your turn!'.

Was DH rude, or am I right thinking this woman was a complete cow?! I felt so sorry for her trainee and for the bloke she accused of shoplifting.

[SuePurblybiltFromBitsofCorpses]

Complain. Send in the receipt and make it clear that it is the supervisor you're on about - in case the trainee's code shows on it.
Tesco even have a bit at the bottom of receipts saying 'how did we do?' asking for feedback. Be rude not to .

[HecateGoddessOfTheNight]

And you didn't say "Really - which customer would that be? The one that looks like your trainee in the Tesco uniform?"

And yes, she sounds like a right cow. I hope the person she accused of shoplifting complained. How humiliating for him.

[EllaDee]

I was wondering about doing that, Sue. I am obviously turning into Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells in my old age. I just really did not like her attitude.

The man she accused of shoplifting just seemed confused then upset. I doubt he complained. That's partly what got to me - he obviously did not have the slightest idea what the problem was (nor were we any the wiser and we heard her whole tirade to her trainee).

[prioneyes]

Complain!

[ZillionChocolate]

I agree you should complain. Otherwise she'll have free reign to continue to be rude to customers and staff.

[Tortington]

obviously a bit of power....silly woman

[ssd]

complain, but stress it wasnt the trainees fault

[EllaDee]

Ok, I will. And I will stress it wasn't the trainee's fault, don't worry.

I actually wondered if someone would say we were rude to interrupt her (she obviously thought so), but we didn't want to wait all day!

[KreepyInMind]

I would have ask for a manager and complained.

[Coralanne]

You probably did the trainee a favour by taking the supervisor's attention away from her for a few seconds.

I would be complaining. Besides you politely interrupted just to obtain some service.

[VivaLeBeaver]

She was rude.

In a customer service role you should deal with the customer first and sort out any staff issues later. If I'm in the middle of something at work but see there is a patient, visitor by the station I stop mid sentence and ask them if they're ok, sort them out and then go back to what I was doing.

Plus screeeching that some bloke hasn't paid so that people can hear, especially when it turns out he has is very bad.

[canyou]

I would complain, esp as she was rude and unprofessional to you and also extremely unprofessional in her reaction to the trainees perceived mistake, no way should anyone be lectured to on the shop floor. The poor trainee and that poor man.

[PinotScreechio]

oooOOOooo I'd so complain. I'd complain my arse off. I always do when someone is a dick like that. I saw a woman snatch a magazine off a little kid (a Dr Who mag fgs) and put it back on the shelf saying really snarkily "It's not a library". The kid just welled up. Well, I marched up, asked her name and strode off to the C/S desk to complain there and then. Rude cow.

I digress.

Complain :)

[EllaDee]

I like your style Pinot!

I should have complained then and there but she made me feel about six. It's a very studenty area and I got the impression she was used to drunk students, and felt she was doing us a huge favour to sell us the cider. DH thinks we should just have gone to another till and checked it through again without the alcohol so we could have paid and left, but it was too busy to mess around like tht really.

[Hullygully]

Surely it was the perfect time for a:

"Did you mean to sound as rude as you just did?"

[EllaDee]

Darn, it was, yes! I'm just not quick enough.

[HauntyMython]

It never ceases to amaze me that people working in shops (etc) think it's ok to be rude to their customers!

It's not about "the customer is always right" - but a little politeness costs nothing. Complain. You may get vouchers

[pigletmania]

YANBU the supervisor was very rude. Did you clock the name on her badge, they usually have a name badge. Go to customer services and ask who you can complain to.

[Fixture]

YANBU. Should be on CCTV...

[Thzumbazombiewitch]

OH yes, complain! The supervisor was being an utter cunt, by the sound of it and needs to be complained about. Poor trainee, poor bloke-accused-of-shoplifting! [hshock]
As for the lie she told you (customer, er no, trainee I believe!) well that's just beyond rude - as if you couldn't see for yourself that it was another employee! her intimation that you must be really fick or something is sooooo bad - as is ignoring you and all the rest of it but seriously!

The worst customer service I ever had was in COMET (name & shame [hwink]), where there were no floorwalking service personnel, so I went up to the desk. I stood there for about 5 minutes, while one steadfastly refused to look up from their laptop (oh yes they knew damn well I was there) and the other continued to conduct a personal call on their mobile (nothing serious, just gossip). I waited, cleared my throat, said excuse me - fuck all. I walked out and have never darkened their doorstep since.

[ilovesooty]

Complain. She deserves to be disciplined for

an unjust, public accusation

rudeness to you

bullying her staff