AIBU - experience in a tesco store

Long day, wrong thread 😔

This makes no sense. There were many options he could’ve opted for that would’ve been more customer friendly. If he didn’t know the answer he could’ve asked the colleague he was talking to. He didn’t have to stare at customer.

He could have done that, but given that there was someone else there that came over to help, it doesn't sound like he needed to.

And today it is being reported that Tesco staff may start wearing body cameras. It's absolutely shocking that as a society we have come to this. Worlds away from when I worked in Tescos in the 80s when I was at school. Yet reading posts like this I can see why. I feel sorry for anyone working in retail these days.

Not sure how you aggressively stare? Really? Have you been around people much?

I have the app and work on self service
I get questioned all the time and have no idea about shop floor and stock.
I don't get signal to use the bloody app in the store and there isn't any WiFi. I also can't leave the area.
His response could of been to signpost to someone who could help though

I would have have gone to the customer service desk to ask about stocked items rather than ask a staff member on the shop floor tbh.

I also would have said ‘excuse me’ before starting a conversation when approaching someone already in conversation. Very rude not to, retail staff or not.

Manners work both ways.

Hope you attached a sketch of the man in your complaint with heavy detailing of the ‘aggressive’ stare OP? There may be several staff members fitting the description. Imagine them all being called in for a disciplinary having no clue what management are on about!

Did he not have a name badge on?

There's actually not very much someone stationed at self-checkouts can do to assist - they aren't allowed to leave the section. Unless they happen to have the company app on their phone (not everyone does), they wouldn't be able to help. And even if they did have the app, it's not always accurate.

The woman that came to offer help might have been in the checkout support role - they have much more freedom to go and look for things.

When I first read the OP I assumed it was staff at a customer service desk, but reading the additional info I realise it was just people at the self checkout....so yes they work in a customer facing service role but not exactly highly trained.

It's really not normal or expected for anyone to ask those staff about items in stock. He would have no idea about whether an item was instock

So basically OP is complaining because a member of staff made eyecontact while contemplating a completely unexpected question about something that he doesn’t do....not sure how you stare aggressively to be honest.

I'm not in customer services but all the pp saying you were being unreasonable, what the hell did you mean etc....are being aholes.

If you said to me ' can I ask you about this product?'And then showed me a pic, I would look at it and then say 'yes how can I help you'. That is not an unexpected conversation to have in customer services, the female member of staff knew you weren't being served properly so stepped in.

I'm not saying it went further than that but you could let the store knoifyou have concerns.

Complain!!!

Well you said you reported it based on your 'gut feel'. Not that this thread had anything to do with it.
Anyway hopefully you have a better experience the next time you go to the shops

I'm not sure what you want from this thread OP. You already reported it before starting the thread and are clearly convinced that you're not being U despite what anybody else says, so what's the purpose of asking on here again?
Just to be clear I don't think you are U, or otherwise. Things like these are difficult to describe unless one was there.

You have reported, they have acknowledged, end of. What anybody on here thinks can't be of any use to you.

@Tessisme they could have been doing one of the dozens of roles retail staff do. Unfortunately they all have matching uniforms and no information on their name tags as to whether they are till staff, stockroom, shelf filler, clothes department, from the cash office upstairs, trolley collector......
But that's the way supermarkets do it.

This is one of those things that nobody can judge unless they were there OP. Maybe it really was. an aggressive stare. Maybe it was just you. We don't know.
Anyway it's a small thing and I wouldn't think too much about it or complain. Maybe your history of abuse makes you more sensitive to things like this, I don't know. But I'd just shrug it off.

As a former service worker (hospitality) I tend not to report 'rude' etc staff unless it's happened repeatedly or they've done something really bad/messed up. You never know when someone could be having a bad day and it's really hard to smile, be preppy for the entire shift although you want to go home, lie down and cry. Not saying that bad behaviour should be excused but.... give people a break.....

Just as well you said Tesco as if it had been Asda I would have been certain you were talking about my son.

He is employed on the "twilight" shift, to stack shelves. He is not neurotypical, doesn't like interacting with people at all. He does not "do" customer service. He is there to fill the shelves, but as he starts at 6pm and the store does not close until 10pm, during those hours there is nothing stopping a customer approaching and asking for help. DS would very much do that staring, rabbit caught in the headlights thing as interacting with people he doesn't know makes him really uncomfortable. He's not trying to be aggressive, or intimidating, or rude.

Anyway, a "cold stare" is entirely subjective on the part of the OP, isn't it?

I wonder @Needmorelego if they were the staff who wait at the self checkout area to help people when there's an 'unexpected item in the bagging area'😆

@iwishiwasonhol think that’s fair enough.

You can tell when staff are off the clock.

maybe the fact that i have my bag,my shopping bags ,my phone/list in my hand outdoor coat on but not zipped up, i will tell people where to find stuff but im not going to help someone with a tv when i have already said im not actually working but go to customer service and someone will help

What’s odd about that? Op was asking anout one of their products, and it’s easiet for everyone to see a picture of it rather than trying to explain.

Why is it odd?

I dontt know what you are complaining about , he was clearly confused as ti what you were asking him. From what you have said he was taking a moment to process an odd request