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AIBU?

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Original poster

Was I unreasonable or was she?

33 replies

PassingStranger · 16/07/2024 20:47

I was in a shop.today and there was nobody behind the till. I heard the assistants mention it to each other.
I carried on with shopping and then went to the till.

Nobody was there. I waited and nobody came.
Eventually I went to find an assistant she was coming out of a back room.
I told her the till was unmanned and I could have just walked out with my purchase without paying. Till wasn't too far from the door.

She didn't like it that I told her this and got stroppy and told me it was up to me to come and look for an assistant.
She said they also had cctv so would know if anyone walked out.
She said they were busy as well doing other things.

Surely it's their look out , arent they ecpecting any customers then?

Surely you keep an eye out. Don't know if she was the boss didnt ask.
They obvs seemed to have a problem with the till as I heard them talking about it when I went in. This was before id even bought anything.
Should I just have stood there forever waiting?
What about their security. It's hard enough with shoplifters today, why make it easy for them?

OP posts:
MrsBrightsidde · 17/07/2024 01:23

I mean you can ask for someone to help you pay without making the comment about leaving without paying. It was a pointless and unnecessary comment.

SleepPrettyDarling · 17/07/2024 01:21

Flanjango · 16/07/2024 20:58

She was a bit unreasonable for being annoyed you pointed it out. But many shops expect staff to multi task to keep wage costs down and don't think about the ramifications for the shoppers or staff.

This is undoubtedly true but the priority should be to sell stuff.

Original poster
PassingStranger · 17/07/2024 01:16

No.

OP posts:
JackGrealishsCalves · 16/07/2024 22:04

Was it Boots? Ridiculously understaffed and some stores understocked these days

girlfriend44 · 16/07/2024 21:55

She could have handled it better. I expect there aren't enough staff but always good to have someone on the till, they must realise that people in the shop will eventually go to the till.
They must see when people walk in etc.

BloominHeather · 16/07/2024 21:04

Well I think she was being unreasonable because you are a customer and it's not your job to go looking for staff when you want to pay at the till. She should have been apologising to you for your wait.

At one point I worked in a shop and yes we had to multi task and shelf stack etc. But we had to do these tasks with one eye on the till so that as soon as a customer approached it we stopped what we were doing and went to serve them.

Customers should take priority.

Flanjango · 16/07/2024 20:58

She was a bit unreasonable for being annoyed you pointed it out. But many shops expect staff to multi task to keep wage costs down and don't think about the ramifications for the shoppers or staff.

TowerRavenSeven · 16/07/2024 20:52

I think she had an issue with you saying you could have walked out without paying, to be honest that would be something I’d think but not say. Of course you don’t wait forever, you find them like you did and say, ‘can I pay for this?’ and leave it at that. It’s frustrating on both sides though!