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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to have complained about the disabled worker in Tesco?

136 replies

twigtree · 04/05/2025 10:24

There's a long-standing staff member at my local Tesco Express who has difficulty walking and is usually on the till. While I appreciate he has mobility issues, his customer service has been consistently bad for years. He regularly sighs and seems annoyed by basic requests like a receipt or pointing out a wrong price. He also shouts if I don't hear him the first time.

I generally use the self-service to avoid him, but the other day I had an issue where the till kept erroring (someone else's bag was briefly on the scales). He was the one assisting, and despite my explaining the situation, he just stood there and shouted at me to remove the item, even after I had. I had to tell him firmly not to speak to me like that.

I've now complained to head office about this pattern of rude behaviour. AIBU?

OP posts:
LoveTKO · 04/05/2025 12:13

His disability is irrelevant. If he’s being a knob he needs disciplining.

AthWat · 04/05/2025 12:11

I wouldn't ever "report" any shop assistant for anything that wasn't actually illegal or dangerous. I'd just tell them to go fuck themselves if I thuoght they were being rude enough. Handle things like this yourself instead of getting their employer involved.

Sosigsandwich · 04/05/2025 12:07

Hwi · 04/05/2025 11:36

Without any due respect, I think your behaviour is awful on so many levels.

@twigtree It's really not, poster is talking shit. Being disabled doesn't give you a right to be rude.

Conkersinautumn · 04/05/2025 12:06

I've noticed that a lot of retail workers are worshipping one of the SM (fake) retail workers where the character is a dick to customers very funny. Something that started as fantasy venting has turned into egging others on. Rude (in retail and generally) and leaning into bullying, rudeness and mosning about work is normalised.

Sherararara · 04/05/2025 12:02

It’s entirely relavent that he is disabled because it will absolutely influence how any complaint is received and acted upon. Management will likely go above and beyond to avoid any perception of negative bias which unfortunately means there is an increased chance the complaint won’t be taken forward in the same way it would be for an able bodied person.
Of course the majority on here will seize the opportunity for a pile on to OP.
OP you are right to complain.

dawngreen · 04/05/2025 12:02

I have cashiers in supermarkets shouting because of the noise, and ppl cannot always hear each other. And I don't report them because I don't like being shouted at.

BendySpoon · 04/05/2025 11:57

I don’t think it’s relevant that he’s disabled. He’s just rude.

DoNotIron · 04/05/2025 11:48

I do believe that many people would hesitate to complain about someone with a visible disability. It’s partly empathy. You can see with your own eyes that the person struggles with certain aspects of their life and you put your own spin on how that might cause them to be generally irritable. But it’s also fear that any attempt to address the complaint will somehow end up focussing on the disability and not on the person’s poor behaviour. But really, the staff member should be held to account just like any other apparently non disabled person.

FamBae · 04/05/2025 11:45

His disability is an issue if Tesco management are tippy toeing around him because of it. You were right to complain and I hope Tesco take your complaint on board and address it.

twigtree · 04/05/2025 11:41

Hwi · 04/05/2025 11:36

Without any due respect, I think your behaviour is awful on so many levels.

OK, how?

OP posts:
Hwi · 04/05/2025 11:36

Without any due respect, I think your behaviour is awful on so many levels.

Ilikeadrink14 · 04/05/2025 11:02

UpJacksArseAndRoundTheCorner · 04/05/2025 10:46

Sunday morning clickbait.

It's like the News of the World never went away.

Do you think your comment is clever? Does it make you happy to be dismissive of another person’s post? You don’t sound very nice!

Ilikeadrink14 · 04/05/2025 10:57

My thoughts exactly! He is heading towards the sack if he carries on like this!

Walkinginthesandagain · 04/05/2025 10:56

I would never complain to head office about bad service received in a shop from an assistant, disabled or otherwise. Instead I prefer more direct approach. Saying "thank you so much" without making eye contact in a breezy tone just the right side of sarcastic is very satisfying. Then I giggle to myself as I leave the store.

Dangermoo · 04/05/2025 10:47

SoOxon · 04/05/2025 10:44

whilst Godwins Law rarely makes an appearance, here, there would possibly have been a better choice of words

Edited

😆 🤣

UpJacksArseAndRoundTheCorner · 04/05/2025 10:46

Sunday morning clickbait.

It's like the News of the World never went away.

SoOxon · 04/05/2025 10:44

Dangermoo · 04/05/2025 10:42

That still provides no excuse for his being abrupt. However, I would be saying it to him rather than complain even though I don't think you're being unreasonable. He would be told to wind his neck in if he spoke to me in an inappropriate manner. Little Hitlers need to be put back in their box.

whilst Godwins Law rarely makes an appearance, here, there would possibly have been a better choice of words

Dangermoo · 04/05/2025 10:42

twigtree · 04/05/2025 10:39

Yes this is how I intended it thank you.

That still provides no excuse for his being abrupt. However, I would be saying it to him rather than complain even though I don't think you're being unreasonable. He would be told to wind his neck in if he spoke to me in an inappropriate manner. Little Hitlers need to be put back in their box.

twigtree · 04/05/2025 10:39

SoOxon · 04/05/2025 10:35

I read this as the employee having a disability which causes him pain and discomfort and makes him irritable, or exacerbates his natural irritability, which he then unloads on to the customer/s, from sighing to shouting.

Yes this is how I intended it thank you.

OP posts:
SoOxon · 04/05/2025 10:38

whitewineandsun · 04/05/2025 10:35

But his mobility issues are irrelevant. He's rude. He shouldn't be given a pass because of an unrelated issue he has.

exactly - his disability could be his shield against censure - shopping is stressful enough nowadays without being shouted at

whitewineandsun · 04/05/2025 10:35

twigtree · 04/05/2025 10:33

I cut him some slack because of his disability. He lives locally and I have seen him struggling on many occasions.

But his mobility issues are irrelevant. He's rude. He shouldn't be given a pass because of an unrelated issue he has.

SoOxon · 04/05/2025 10:35

I read this as the employee having a disability which causes him pain and discomfort and makes him irritable, or exacerbates his natural irritability, which he then unloads on to the customer/s, from sighing to shouting.

DelphiniumDoreen · 04/05/2025 10:35

You were right to complain. His disability is irrelevant. He’s employed to do a job and mobility issues does not affect his ability to communicate. I guess you’ve mentioned his disability because you subconsciously feel guilty for complaining.

There is a lot of poor customer service at the moment. I am either taking my business elsewhere or making complaints. I shop at local independents far more now and pay more for a better experience but understand that lots of people can’t do that.

If people don’t highlight these things then nothing will change.

Syuni · 04/05/2025 10:34

OP has deliberately highlighted the disability, even though it has nothing to do with the actual issue, for clickbait/rage bait and to get more attention.

whitewineandsun · 04/05/2025 10:34

Dangermoo · 04/05/2025 10:31

I think the OP's reference to his disability is why she's questioning whether she was harsh and whether she should have felt sorry for him. It's patronising and not helpful.

Yes, this.

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