Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to call the manager and complain about this cashier?

136 replies

CanISawItOff · 30/07/2012 14:10

She has really pissed me off with her snarky manner and childish face pulling.

Checkout girl in the supermarket easily a clear 10+ years older than me (so around 40 odd) was throwing my shopping through at a rate of knots so i politely asked her to stop for a moment to let me catch up with the packing to which I got a short "yeah if I must, you'll get a subtotal on your receipt tho" I responded that's fine and the conversation carried on like this (which I could have risen to but was completely polite!)

"Yeah well my manager won't be we're timed at how long it takes us to process this lot"

Oh I didn't know that, is that why shopping can be sent through at a rapid rate of knots at times? (Big grin and a chuckle to imply that it's not her that it's aimed at)

"You what? I wasn't sending it through at a 'rapid rate of knots' (said in a very childish mimicing/mocking tone)" at which point she looked away and pulled a 'rolly eye' face at her colleague and a face my 7 year old would be proud of pulling behind my back when she's told off!

Cue me trying to explain my remark and giving up because she was getting snotty.

I go to pay, hand over my nectar card, and she drops it. "Pick it up. I can't get it from there i've done my back in" again said in a really snarky tone. The card was hardly out of reach, it would have taken a small stretch at best for her to get it but instead I had to walk round pick it up and hand it to her with her annoying smug grin like she'd got one over on me.

I know it's a really really minor thing in the grand scheme of life but I loathe bad customer service, I work dealing with clients and suppliers day in day out and realise you get some that are easier than others to deal with which is why I always try to be polite and say thank you for their help etc etc She really has got my back up and I think I hate that she's got under my skin this much more than anything. It's really not 'me' to complain about things like this.

AIBU to report her to her manager?

OP posts:
gordyslovesheep · 30/07/2012 14:12

YABU to refer to a 40 year old woman as a 'gril' simply because she works on a check out ...so maybe that came across to her?

choceyes · 30/07/2012 14:13

The card thing is bizzare and is very rude if it was done in that way. Therefore YANBU.

JennerOSity · 30/07/2012 14:15

I would seeth for hours but in the end would probably not bother to report it as so often you get such a limp response to your complaint it is almost worse than the original problem IYSWIM.

I have worked in customer facing roles and always strived for excellent service and customer feedback backed that up, so I find it really annoying when people don't give me the same courtesy, it isn't difficult to be nice!

Most supermarkets now train their check out staff to go at a manageable pace as not being able to pack fast enough is not fun, so I haven't come across this problem for years. Which SM was it?

I suspect she is in the wrong job as she clearly doesn't like people or have the skills for it... so if it is any consolation she probably goes home at night moaning and moaning about how crap it is and awful etc etc, she is probably stressed out by it and boring her friends/family stupid!

pinkhalf · 30/07/2012 14:15

She sounds horrible. But there's no point in reporting her. Just keep on, maintain the dignity.

ImperialBlether · 30/07/2012 14:15

I'd report her. Too many people are out of work and too many people are in the wrong job, imo.

PrincessOfSnails · 30/07/2012 14:16

In what world is a 40+ year old a 'girl'?

Did she REALLY order you to "pick it up"? That is how it comes across in your post but I can't imagine anyone would do that.

Would love to know which supermarket, I had no idea they were timed on processing speed... that seems mental tbh and I don't understand the point of it

WorraLiberty · 30/07/2012 14:16

It's all quite bizarre from them having to fire the shopping through so fast to calling a 40 odd year old woman a girl.

It's a silly rule but she had to follow it.

Can't really comment on the rudeness as you both might have been rude/had stroppy tones.

honeytea · 30/07/2012 14:19

Don't they allways ask if you want help packing and sainsburys? maybe you should have stopped her and said in actual fact you did need help packing.

Could you just not have waited to pay, so packed your bags whilst she sat there watching you pack?

lisaro · 30/07/2012 14:21

Why didn't you have the courtesy to hand her the card? TBH if that's how you are I'm guessing you were the rude one so no wonder you git a little bit back. Try working in your own manners.

Original poster
CanISawItOff · 30/07/2012 14:21

'Girl' is a generic word I use if I don't know a woman's age. Such as "the girl behind reception said..." or "the girl on the phone needs..." Sorry if it came accross as patronising.

I have mobility problems, a 'normal' checkout pace can at times be too rapid if I am not given a moment to catch up on it as its put through.

I thought it odd that she gets timed on processing the stuff through the till but that is exactly what she said.

Yes. Her tone when asking me to pick up my nectar card was such that I felt like she thought I was beneath her.

Nectar card should have given it away really but it was Sainsburys.

OP posts:
Original poster
CanISawItOff · 30/07/2012 14:22

I did hand her the card. She dropped it.

OP posts:
usualsuspect · 30/07/2012 14:23

Of course they have a scan rate, I wouldn't report her.

I hate these moaning about 'checkout girls' threads.

Dunno why I clicked it really.

WelshMaenad · 30/07/2012 14:23

YANBU. I would contact the store manager and relate your experience. Dh is a retail manager (not supermarket though) and would want to know about sn incident like that so he could put things right and ensure the customer would want to come back.

usualsuspect · 30/07/2012 14:24

Do you think she was lying about having a scan rate? I can assure you she was not.

PleaseTakeOffYourJimmyChoos · 30/07/2012 14:24

When/if ever a checkout 'girl' or 'boy'Grinputs my shopping through at a quick speed I just quickly pack it.It really isn't very hard.

Anyway she's obviously miserable and probably thought 'just who do you think you are' when you asked her to slow down-I'd say forget and put her out of your mind.

Original poster
CanISawItOff · 30/07/2012 14:24

She didn't offer to help me pack, even if she did i'd rather do it myself, i am one of those people that hates checkout assistants putting my raw meat in with fruit...

OP posts:
ILikeMagicMike · 30/07/2012 14:26

Yes I would report her. Anyone working in a customer facing environment should not be acting in that manner.

I always make a complaint if a shop assistant is rude or unhelpful. Sometimes I don't think they understand that it is their job to be nice to people.

I doubt very much that the supermarket would put the timing of the transaction above customer service.

Also, if you complain, you might get some nectar points Grin

PrincessOfSnails · 30/07/2012 14:26

Ah sorry I don't have a Nectar card or a local Sainsbury's so it didn't give it away!

Perhaps drop Sainsbury's a line asking them why they time the processing speed of their cashiers and explain it causes problems for you, see what they come back with. If it's a "er, actually, we don't" then make a point of going through her till again and calling her a liar.

I still can't quite believe they time them. So if there's no customers they're sat at their till for ages, then they get one customer and fling the stuff through devil-may-care? I used to work the checkouts in a slavedriver of a supermarket, we were never pulled up on speed but god forbid if you'd accepted an out-of-date coupon!!

usualsuspect · 30/07/2012 14:26

Maybe you should try online shopping , save yourself the angst of having to deal with the 'checkout girls'

porthcurnick · 30/07/2012 14:26

Aldi or Lidl? Anywhere else and you could have asked her to help you pack.

Sounds like you were quite rude yourself so you can't really blame her for responding in the same manner.

ratspeaker · 30/07/2012 14:27

I'd complain to the store manager
but about the rate at which the cashier is forced to put the shopping through though, point out it made you fell harrassed, was liable to squash items as you couldn't pack and clear out the way quick enough and obviously stressed the worker so much she was unable to understand why you might like your shopping put through slower.

Does the store in question not have a policy of offering to help pack, I get that at my clubcard supermarket?

JennerOSity · 30/07/2012 14:27

Lisaro OP did say she handed her the card - are you imagining she threw it at her?

The timed thing sounds like a lie to me. I am always being asked if I need help packing, and do I want my biscuits on top so they don't break etc etc - the direction cs has gone in sm's is a good one IMO and I can't imagine anyone getting employee of the year awards because they got 100 items through the till in less than 5 minutes - it just doesn't add up.

Sounds like she took a dislike to you for whatever reason and was being obstructive, no need for it even if your reasonable request was construed as arsey by her.

PrincessOfSnails · 30/07/2012 14:28

Blimey a scan rate! You learn something new every day. How times have changed. Etc etc.

usualsuspect · 30/07/2012 14:29

Why don't people believe that supermarkets expect their staff to put things through the till at a certain rate?

WelshMaenad · 30/07/2012 14:29

Yep, they will have a scan rate but they are supposed to be considerate of the customer also, slowing down if they are struggling. What if was a very elderly or disabled person - they couldn't just chuck shopping at them at high speed! They then make it up when serving super efficient mumsnetters to get a happy medium.

Swipe left for the next trending thread