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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to expect some kind of interaction with checkout staff

77 replies

Mammie81 · 02/09/2010 20:00

Dropped DP off at his parents house and on the way back thought Ah! I need some rice!

Weighed up two possible Tescos, one right by his mums which is a great Tesco in theory. Its an extra which means its got clothes, electronics, dvds, books, even a costa but is notorious for rude staff, dirty toilets and long queues (they even have the steaks security tagged... no lie). Or the one by our house which is very nice but very small.

I plumped for the big one because I thought, screw it, DP is out, Ive got all night so I can have a wander round the clothes section.

The woman that served me was just so rude. She practically threw my shopping down after scanning it (Im not so annoyed about that, its what you expect at this place) but the bit that really annoyed me (and I am pregnant so hormones abound) she was chatting to another server two tills away about how she was finishing in half an hour, and then just looked at me once my shopping had gone through. And did not say a word.

I asked her 'So is that £8.98 then?'
A mumble was what she answered with. She then just pointed at the card scanner for me to scan my card, which I did. Then gave me my receipt.
I said then 'You didnt ask me if I had a club card.'
She brusquely said 'Well DO you have one?'
No! I dont! But I want you to bloody well SAY something to me!!! I said, No, I dont but you didnt even ask me, did you?

'Well daaaaaaarling. I knew that if you had one you would give it to me'

Well that excuses your disgraceful manners then, does it?!

AIBU? Or should I have known better than to go in there in the first place? It always pisses me off, as they are all like this in there!

OP posts:
BellaEmbergsLovechild · 02/09/2010 20:04

If anyone is going to play MN bingo - can I be the first to bag "should have gone to Waitrose" please?

Tis Tesco - as long as they make money, they don't give a toss!

Tabliope · 02/09/2010 20:05

YANBU, it annoys me too. I say thank you at least once, I expect them to do so too. If she said "well darling" to me I'd have gone and complained to her manager in front of her.

scurryfunge · 02/09/2010 20:06

Wasn't Pitsea was it?

Original poster
Mammie81 · 02/09/2010 20:07

I thought about complaining to the manager but my mum did once at this place and he was really rude to her. Called her an old woman to another staff member while she could hear him. She complained to head office of course, but I dont think this quite warrants that.

Or does it....

OP posts:
MrsMoosickle · 02/09/2010 20:08

YANBU. It is for exactly the reasons outlined that I hate Tesco. General theme of staff apathy and lack of customer interaction IMO. In my local store, having endured a nonsensical conversation between two colleagues for at least 10 mins,the entirety of my unloading, packing and paying I complained to the GM.

Two weeks late a £20 quid voucher card arrives with a letter of apology.

Every litle helps......

Galena · 02/09/2010 20:08

Bella, can I bag 'Shop online next time - try Ocado'?!

amidaiwish · 02/09/2010 20:09

i often play a game where i don't speak if they don't speak. childish but quite fun. just stand there waiting for a hand gesture to the card scan and i stand there and shrug as if i don't know what they're on about.

sometimes it happens in M&S Shock but never waitrose Wink

sorrento56 · 02/09/2010 20:09

In my local Tesco they have posters every where saying call the manager if you have not had friendly service.

castille · 02/09/2010 20:10

This is normal behaviour in French hypermarkets. I barely get a grunt, let alone a smile, out of checkout staff here most of the time. As for help packing bags...hahahaha

PinkyBurgerhead · 02/09/2010 20:11

I think that no matter where you shop, you should expect to be treated with courtesy. I think random strangers on the street should treat each other courteously so surely staff that you are paying should crank it up a notch or two?

I would have complained, but then probably would have chickened out in case she got fired and she had hungry kids to feed Hmm

PinkyBurgerhead · 02/09/2010 20:12

(the Hmm was at my runaway logic/imagination Blush)

Original poster
Mammie81 · 02/09/2010 20:13

She seemed perfectly friendly to the other server? Maybe the local customers have worn her down, its a pretty scummy area...

Did I already mention the steaks are security tagged?! (Not the organic ones tho. Strange) Oh, I did mention that already Wink

OP posts:
Liv77 · 02/09/2010 20:26

Yes she was rude but has a crap job in an apparently crap shop. If you worked there 40odd hours a week you may be miserable/rude too. As you said she was 1/2hr from finsihing her shift. Perhaps she'd just had a really shit day and some women being arsey about her non existant club card just rubbed her up the wrong way.

Yes you could have complained but it doesn't sound like she'd give a shit, and they probably find it hard enough to keep staff anyway.

PinkyBurgerhead · 02/09/2010 20:27

Perhaps you could go to the manager and tell them how helpful and surprisingly pleasant she is. It will inevitably get back to her and her conscience would keep her awake at night until she changed her ways!

PinkyBurgerhead · 02/09/2010 20:27

How do you tag a steak, btw?

BeerTricksPotter · 02/09/2010 20:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Liv77 · 02/09/2010 20:29

Probably one of the sticker security tags like they use on CDs etc

Original poster
Mammie81 · 02/09/2010 20:35

They are in big boxes, like dvds and computer games. They have to be unlocked at the till.

BeerTricks, you are quite grumpy, do you work there too?

It wasnt an off day, everyone in that store is the same.

OP posts:
WhereYouLeftIt · 02/09/2010 20:47

The staff at my local Tesco are polite and chat to me!

curlymama · 02/09/2010 20:52

It would be nice for them to be civil, but tbh there are times when I would prefer them not to speak to me. If they are friendly, they always seem to ask how your day is going, and somehow they only do that on the really shit days.

Happened to me in Waitrose yesterday, had to reply with the usual chirpy small talk, when what I really wanted to say was 'No, my day is crap, I just found out that my friend is having his chemo stopped and will probably be lucky to live another couple of weeks, but my kids still need to be fed so I would rather not be asked completely inane questions while I shop when you couldn't give a toss about my day in the first place' But then that might seem a tad rude?

They can't win really!

Original poster
Mammie81 · 02/09/2010 20:58

I like when they talk to me. I quite enjoy the chat.

But Im not asking for that. Im asking for her to just tell me how much my shopping had come to and ask for the money with a please?

OP posts:
belledechocolatefluffybunny · 02/09/2010 20:58

It's twa*sco, order online next time.

Waitrose is lovely, lovely woman took my trolley so it was out of the way, offered to pack my bag, when I said I was OK she handed me every item, she even spoke to ds.

RJRabbit · 02/09/2010 21:00

Complain to head office, Mammie. The customer service is crap in this country because we allow it to be.
My local Tesco has lovely staff, but I wouldn't hesitate to complain if they were rude.

whatwhatinthewhatnow · 02/09/2010 21:01

I hate this too! Ive often just had people hold out their money for the cash too! Not just Tescos but all over!

Its rude when they are employed to do a customer facing job!

ilovehens · 02/09/2010 21:08

I don't know what you expect really. It's tesco isn't? Need I say more?

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