Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel like crying in Tescos

143 replies

bluebeach · 10/02/2011 15:28

I am 8 and a half months pregnant and very hormonal so just having a moan really.

Have just popped to Tescos and as usual ended up with a basket full of shopping. Having lugged it round the shop I got to a free checkout isle and put my basket on it. A highly 'efficient' store manager approached me and asked me to take my basket to the basket isle at the other end of the shop as people with trollies wanted to use the isle I was on (looked around, no one behind me). Ok I thought, but then looked to the other end of the store where the basket isle had a queue. I said 'look can't I just go through here' I had a massive basket full and really didn't fancy hauling it to the other end of the shop and then queuing.

Looking at me like I was being very unreasonable she was then verified as a man came up behind me with a trolly with about 10 things in...much less than what I had. '
"see, other people need to use this isle'.
Actually feeling like crying I then had to carry my basket to the other till and wait about 10 minutes till I could pay. In the mean time, the trolly man whipped through and then isle again stood free. I would have put up more of a fight but I was so knackered after going round the shop and thought I would probably just cry in front of everyone if I tried to protest.

I know she will have had some kind of quota for keeping queues down, but it was just sh*t customer services.

Sorry rant over!! Tescos is bollocks anyway, I'm never shopping there again.

OP posts:
stoatie · 10/02/2011 17:10

What utter rubbish. I regularly have only a few items (Tesco is nearest shop to me so nip there when have run out of stuff)I always go to the shortest queue, as a customer I can choose which queue I go to (unless checkout closing) not some over enthusiastic checkout manager (my daughter used to work for Tesco and they treated her appallingly - she works for Homebase now - much nicer!) That said, was buying printer ink yesterday and they tried to direct me to self service (which I don't normally mind) however, opted to wait for the basket only checkout (only 1 in front) as I knew they were security tagged and the people supervising selfservice always seem to disappear at inopportune moments.

Complain, but don't bother with local level - as my daughter found out when she had serious harrassment - her complaint "mysteriously disappeared"

Lovecat · 10/02/2011 17:18

Someone tried to do that to me the other week in our local Tesco - if they'd done it to me when pg I'd probably have gone away and cried too.

As it was I just stared her down and said 'no thank you, I'm fine here' and started unloading my shopping. She was spitting feathers with astonishment that I had defied her - "but, but, but you have a basket!" and I calmly replied "yes, I do. And I'm paying for my shopping here."

She stomped off. The till lady was trying not to laugh...

TheChewyToffeeMum · 10/02/2011 17:28

This happenened to me in Tesco recently too. I had already started emtying my basket onto the belt at a free till and the lady pointedly told me "there is a basket aisle , you know". (I did know this. There was a customer at it already!)

The shop was quiet and I had a toddler who is much easier to control at the conveyer belt tills. I told her I preferred to use this till and she huffed loudly and went off to tell her colleague about it and point over at me.

I can only suppose they have been issued with some directive about keeping queues (looking) shorter and have decided to apply it at all times regardless of common-sense.

Had I been pregnant I would almost certainly have cried.

ZillionChocolate · 10/02/2011 17:40

I would have refused to move, just said "no thank you, I'm happy here", but I don't think it's worth a complaint.

Casserole · 10/02/2011 17:43

I can't believe this is really Tesco policy, but now that 2 people have said they've experienced it, it does make you wonder! What wankers they are.

OP, YWNBU to be upset. They, on the other hand, were being very unreasonable. I am also 8 months pregnant and now quite tempted to deliberately wander round with a full basket just to see if I incur their wrath! Perhaps we should organise a mass protest!

Definitely complain.

Adversecamber · 10/02/2011 17:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
bluebeach · 10/02/2011 17:54

Blimey, lots of lovely replies plus some that rightly told me to grow a pair! It was definitely one of those situations where you are almost as annoyed at yourself for not sticking to your guns as at the jobsworth in question. I'd like to blame being so blimmin pregnant for being such a wuss, I definitely would have done something quite babyish like thrown my grapes on the floor and stomped on them and then just looked like an idiot rather than made a reasoned complaint.

Thanks everyone.

I've written an email to complain so see what happens, DP is massively anti Tescos so I think he will just be pleased that I had a bad experience there so we can boycott it together.

Also really freaked out by whoever mentioned the creepy Tesco checkout guy with a penchant for pregnant ladies...what a wierdo! Its given me goose bumps, definitely avoid that checkout again!

OP posts:
ratspeaker · 10/02/2011 17:56

If they ask you to move as you have a basket just ask them to go get you a trolly.

Problem solved

coldtits · 10/02/2011 18:01

COmplain

kaid100 · 10/02/2011 18:07

I would have been tempted to ask him to help carry it, since you are obviously pregnant.

ledkr · 10/02/2011 18:14

omg am angry for you,what a fucking cheek,yes please write and complain she sounds like a bitter old boot,id have pretended to go into labour.

Shamechanger · 10/02/2011 18:18

Wow Bluebeach that's unbelievable. Poor you.

Deux · 10/02/2011 18:27

How ridiculous. I've never noticed a trolley only queue. I often have a basket and go to the conveyor and so far no one has me to go to the basket line.

I loathe the self serve tills and the last time it was suggested I used one I told the rather puzzled member of staff that I'd happily scan my own shopping if I got a discount for doing their job.

Next time, make sure you have a basket full of frozen food and just dump it on the floor and flounce off. It causes a real problem for them as they have to deal with it immediately to avoid thawing.

xstitch · 10/02/2011 18:28

I think you should complain. I am becoming less and less tolerant of poor customer service. I would have been tempted to tell them that they had stuff to sell and you wanted to buy but since they didn't want my money you can keep your stuff and walked out.

chasingrainbows · 10/02/2011 18:34

I thought at Tesco they had basket checkouts and everything else was a free for all.
How rude, insensitive and stupid into the bargain - flies in the face of logic.
Please complain op! What a crappy way to have been treated!

PinkElephant73 · 10/02/2011 18:35

OP Im glad you've complained. what a silly cow. I hope they do the decent thing and apologise/give you a voucher.

birdbandit · 10/02/2011 18:44

That is absolutely appalling!

I would definitely complain, what an utter jobs-worth.

RedHeels · 10/02/2011 18:45

Even in frigging Primarni, the checkout woman fished me out of the queue (at 8 months pregnant even though I didn't have a huge bump) and invited me to use their till for wheelchair users. So YANBU to feel like crying but you have to complain, complain, complain Smile.

It not easy to tell them to fuck off straight away when pregnant or with a small baby. You feel very vulnerable.

RedHeels · 10/02/2011 18:47

X-posted. Good job you complained, it's nice, isn't it... Grin

Carmel206 · 10/02/2011 18:48

I Hate Tesco - they are Nasty. My last visit in 2009 (before I banned all their produce from my home) resulted in me leaving the entire trolley behind me and walking out following one of the rudest exchanges I have ever experienced. I now travel a bit further to shop but oh the joy of never having to face a Tesco supermarket again. Complain - shop else where in the long run she will have done you a favour!!

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 10/02/2011 18:57

Well done for complaining, Bluebeach! What a ridiculous woman - who in their right mind would take a customer away from an empty checkout, and direct them to a big queue - let alone a customer who's 8 months pregnant!!

toeragsnotriches · 10/02/2011 19:08

Where's Mary Portas when you need her?

I like to think of her whipping off her 'secret shopper' disguise and leaping out to confront that bitch of an assistant.

Mermaidspam · 10/02/2011 19:30

Why didn't you just say no?

ImFab · 10/02/2011 19:44

I hate Tesco. There is a young girl on the self service tills meant to be helping and she is so rude Angry. The older lady who used to be on there was lovely.

MrsPennySworth · 10/02/2011 20:01

Name and Shame bluebeach!! Which tesco was it?

I had a similar thing happen about 10 days after I had my last c section. I was still in tons of pain and so depressed I was basically living in my pyjamas as none of my clothes fit me. So my dad drove me to primark while dh looked after kids and I dragged one of those bags they have in there round on the floor collecting clothes in it as I couldn't even lift it (ok I admit I probably shouldn't have been out yet!). I asked the lady if I could keep it behind the till after I paid so I could get my dad to come carry it and she said no, that it's against policy :( basically I cried (I was so hormonal it's embarrassing when I think now!) and she asked the manger and they let me keep the bags there! Well done primark! Shame on you tesco Angry