Horrible retail experience and question for those in retail

[Newyearkiss]

I took something back to a well-known high street store yesterday, and the young girl behind the counter had to call her manager over. There was a slight query on my return and her manager was totally hostile, to the point that I actually walked out of the shop shaking after (eventually) getting a refund. I don’t know if she was running on the adrenaline of the sales and was taking a ‘no-nonsense from customers’ approach (it was heaving in there and had a jumble sale in January type vibe), but I don’t think anyone has ever made me feel so awful. I was mortified as well in front of this young girl. The manager was just so abrasive and aggressive. I’m normally quite able to hold my own but she totally blindsided me.

I was actually thinking I might put in a complaint although I signed my name on the returns receipt. Does anyone know what happens to those bits of paper at the end of each day? I would prefer this woman not to be able to access my name and potentially trace me online.

I know you're entitled to feel how you feel @Newyearkiss but IMO your reaction is OTT.

From your OP, I imagined the manager was aggressive and shouty, and lurched at you - pointing her finger in your face, and humiliated you in front of everyone, for you to have been 'shaking.' I assumed she was aggressive and threatening, seeing were you are scared she will get your address.... if you report her.

If you do complain to head office, I don't see why the manager would know your address, but if she had a dig she could probably find it out.

What would you report though? Sounds like she did nothing wrong. Unless I am missing something.

So from your update she wasn’t actually rude.

I know it’s not AIBU, but YABU

What was the reason for the refund? I think if it’s faulty they have to refund the price you paid, but if returning it for any other reason, I’m pretty sure it’s normal that the refund is for the price it is currently on sale at (unless you paid less, and then it would be for the lesser amount). You don’t get the full price refunded if it’s now on sale.

But anyway it doesn’t really sound that it was that bad. I’m not sure it’s worth making a complaint over and if you did, I’m not sure that they’d do much.

I had the opposite problem as in the staff were extremely nice but it took 5 - yes 5! People to refund in Tesco the other week.

Id thought a fleece 7-8 weeks previously and been wearing it and then the zip broke in the wash.

So returned it and CS woman had to radio for permission and was told “no” as I don’t have a receipt.

i informed them not having a receipt doesn’t negate my consumer rights to have an item fit for purpose - eg washing after wearing.

then they called someone else who authorised the refund hit had to call someone else’s do it who had to calm another person to get permission to refund me what unpaid and not the sale price.

All really nice and helpful and I’m just glad the lack of system and competence means that lots of people are kept in a job 🤣

I will add the redundant gift card but I didn’t argue that as I didn’t have the receipt and get food form there anyway!

I've noticed that too. Seems worst in supermarkets recently, like customers are a nusciance (not my fault your self service tills are bloody useless).

Best place for staff is Fat Face, they always seem friendly and helpful

Leave it a few days and report it. Hopefully the paperwork is with hq by then.

She might be able to find you online but hopefully won't do anything - it's be a criminal offence if she did starting with GDPR and telecoms offenses.

why complain cause she didn’t crack a smile?

what did she do that was inappropriate, disrespectful or wrong ?

Agree with everything.
You knew about the purchase originally because you bought it. The manager was seeing it for the first time and she can’t go by your word only if everything else isn’t clear.
I worked in retail for a long time and the saying the customer is always right is the cause of entitlement and an attitude from the customer.
If the manager had an attitude that’s not right if you actually were polite back but it’s easier said than done after dealing with difficult customers this time of year. There are rules for returns and the staff are only doing what they’re trained to do. If you want to complain that’s fine if she deserves it.

I once had to call the manager over to the customer service people on Tesco for refusing to give me a refund for returning an item bought on 2nd February and being returned on 1st March. They said it was out of the 28 day return window. They insisted that February had 30 days in it.
They actually argued with the manager.

Manager also was aghast at the reason they were giving and in the end told them to do the refund
When the manager left I was told they would not refund me again for being outside the return window. I made a complaint that if they were only going to employ people who had friends and family working for them (Tesco had a multiple choice questionnaire designed to weed out outsiders who haven’t got people they know working for the company.) Then it was only to be expected that if someone in a family/friend group believed something and no one had ever corrected them then everyone in that group must believe it to be true

It sounds like she was absolutely fine, if a little frustrated that you'd presented her with an illegible receipt. And I've always been told that they'll refund at current retail price if any doubts about the refund, or exchange. I think other stuff you've got going on has clouded this interaction.

If you can't explain here what she did wrong, then I don't know how you will explain it in a letter.

I know in some shops they can scan the barcode tag on the items and it brings up the sale date M&S and Next do this. I’m surprised more shops haven’t invested in this as it stops people nicking stuff and then trying to get a refund as the barcode would scan as an unsold item and also if customers say they have lost the receipt the date of sale can be traced via the barcode tag to see if it’s within the refund period.

Just let it go. If it makes you feel better never spend your money in that store again. If she is this bad someone else will complain or leave a bad Google review - have you looked at those, it doesn't have to be you if it's going to cause you worry and anxiety.

From your update it does seem like the problem lay with the partially illegible printing on the faded receipt.

I had something similar with an M and S credit voucher. I'd returned some glasses nearly a year earlier and was issued the paper voucher. I hadn't got round to using it but knew the deadline was approaching. Decided to buy something but at the till they just couldn't read the numbers as it was so faded. More than one assistant tried to decipher it, all squinting at it. One of them took a picture on her phone to try and magnify the numbers! In the end they used their discretion and did allow me to use it but not before lecturing me on 'making sure I get a plastic card next time'.

But why issue a voucher on material that isn't fit for purpose? Surely it should last and be perfectly legible until the voucher expires? I didn't choose to have it on paper - that's what I was given. So yes I did feel a tiny bit gaslit as if it was somehow my fault for not using it instantly.

I had a similar faded receipt experience @lobeydosser

I now photograph receipts when they are fresh as a precaution.

So she couldn't read the receipt questioned it and this left you shaking? You are just embarrassed that the exchange didn't go as smoothly as expected. It really just sounds like she was doing her job.

Yes, were you planning an anonymous complaint, OP? Otherwise I'm not sure I understand what you are asking about what happens to the receipt with your signature on it...?

Generally, if they take a return without a receipt (which some places will do) then they only give you the sale price. You had a receipt and it's not your fault that their printer was dodgy so I do see your point.

When someone is rude it's often not about you at all. It's about a myriad of events that led up to that point. While you are in the right, I think you need to let this one go.

I remember after having to rescan someones shopping on the scan as you go as they hadn't scanned something they had missed multiple items by the end and they said they was going to put a complaint in not about me but about the process. The process that they signed up to and agreed to. I don't know if they ever wrote that complaint but it made me laugh thinking how they would write it. I was in your store today shoplifting and I was made to pay for all my shopping what a disgrace. I will never return to steal at your store again.

Do you suffer with anxiety often OP? I ask because, kindly, the situation you’ve described seems like a fairly normal retail interaction and not something that would leave most people “shaking”.

The concern that she would track you down after a really normal interaction also implies your anxiety is a bit out of control.

I would chalk this one up to my own anxieties (and I sympathise, I am medicated for mine!) rather than complain- I can’t see how she did anything wrong.

Not what the OP is asking. Reread!

The self service customer service woman at our local supermarket has quite an abrupt manner. Twice she has accused me of not paying when in fact I had and had the receipt to prove it. No apologies. Just a 'oh yes, sometimes it malfunctions'. She is not quite rude enough to complain about but it does make shopping there unpleasant. So I know how you feel.