I think I am probably BU. Staff smoking outside Tesco's

[quornqueen]

I'm hormonal this week so the littlest thing has set me off. DP says Im being a teeny bit unreasonable but he may be saying that to save his face! This post has smoking and parent and baby spaces in it so I am prepared for you all to sigh deeply and eye roll at me!

Our tescos has a little smoking hut with chairs and a light, its right by the back entrance a little further down from the parent and baby spaces. I cant see whats wrong with it tbh, but the staff prefer to smoke right by the trolleys next to the parent and baby spaces. I don't always use these spaces because I just park where ever BUT I do always have to get a trolley so I have to walk through this impromptu and non authenticated smoking area. The floor is mangy with hundreds of old fag butts, it smells as we walk through because there are a regular group of about 8 of them and my toddler often wants to walk but I don't really want him getting near it all. They are all having a laugh and that's all nice etc but they swear sometimes too. Also, its hard to get trolleys past them.

I asked nicely at Customer Services if perhaps they could move down to the real Tesco staff smoking area... its only 25ft from the area they are in now (but its covered and has a fag butt bin) and the lady looked annoyed (she is one of them!!!) but said yes she would remind staff.

A week later and they remain. AIBU to write?

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

Well OP has already complained, I think now she has to suck it up ( especially if one of those pesky fag ends gets blown into her appalled mouth) or shop somewhere else.

Yeah, it's a little bit skanky and not really designed to impress, but I think the prissy pretence at valid concerns about swearing and toddler getting a fag end blustered into his mouth are a bit daft really.

[LapsedPacifist]

getting in the way of my trolley

[LadyBeagleEyes]

Salmotrutta, the floor/ground thing annoys me too, but I think it may be a Scottish thing, my ex (Yorkshire) used to call outsidey bits the floor too.
Possibly them English aren't as educated as us .
As for OP, if the staff stop doing it, I bet the general public will continue.
I often light up a fag outside Tesco, when I've finished my shop.

[AmbrosiaCreamedMice]

YANBU but thanks for keeping the old vipers here on this thread.

It's a good idea actually, we should post threads that we know will attract them, and then the rest of the boards will be spared!

[HoHoHoNoYouDont]

They're on minimum wage, doing a crappy job and have to put up with moany customers like you all day.Let them enjoy their fags.

I don't think it's right to demean someone's job either. If it's not something you would do then fair enough but many people in retail love their jobs and would like to feel their role is valued.

[LadyBeagleEyes]

Anyway it's a load of bollocks.
There's no way Tesco staff hang around in front of the store smoking and swearing, whatever you think of them, their staff policies are very strict.
As for Ambrosia, I'm not quite sure what you mean.
Enlighten me.

[quornqueen]

I always wanted to be prissy when I was smaller because Doris Day and Hayley Mills always struck me as prissy.

I think I'll see if the cleanliness of the path/trolley area improves and then complain if its still a dump.

[quornqueen]

The staff at this Tescos do, LadyBeagleEyes.

[Needavacation]

I don't think staff should be blocking customers trolleys in the pursuit of their smoking habit either Lapsed. Especially when they should not be hanging around outside the store smoking when an area has been provided for them in very close proximity, where they will not get in customers way and where there are bins to prevent them stubbing out on the floor.

[MrsBertMacklin]

I can't reveal my source but I know that each store has a point list of how tidy the store is including the outside so the manager should know what the car park is like

Absolutely and they are probably sick to death of nagging staff to move to the designated area and having their regional property manager pick up on it during site inspections

Drop the manager a line, don't make any reference to staff being responsible, just make the complaint with reference to continual littering in this area. You might give them the ammunition needed for a memo reiterating why there is a designated smoking area.

[cafecito]

YABU

you shop in Tesco

[LadyBeagleEyes]

On the ground Needavacation.
Channels Salmonuttra .
I don't care what anybody does in their break, if what Quorn says is true, I still don't care.
Leave them to it, it's not doing anybody any harm in the scheme of things.

[Wallison]

But she has to see fag butts on the ground! On the otherwise pristine ground, no less. And we all know how common it is for a fag butt on the floor to be blow into the mouth of a toddler and give him FACE CANCER.

[Bogeyface]

The smoking wouldnt bother me too much, its annoying but not the end of the world. The swearing however would, and I am sure that the bosses at Tesco wouldnt be too happy.

But....spot checks and mystery customer shops are often done and I am sure that it wont be too long before the staff are mysteriously back in their shelter! I would complain actually, because I wouldnt want any staff of mine doing that. I work in a pub and smokers who work there go out the back door for a fag. We cant stop the customers smoking out front (even though there is a seating area with heaters etc out the back) but it doesnt look good and even less good if the staff are out there.

[CouthySaysEatChoccyEggs]

You have to put a pound in your trolleys at Tesco?! My Tesco doesn't make you pay. Does that mean I live in a naice area?!

[Bogeyface]

Lady the staff at our local Tesco smoke on and around the bench provided for people waiting for taxis. There is rarely a time when there arent staff members sitting there and an elderly person standing up, hanging onto their trolley, waiting for their taxi as they cant sit down.

It shouldnt happen but it does.

I gave up smoking three weeks ago, so I am not on the "all smokers are evil" bandwagon. I gave up out of choice and dont care if others do or dont smoke. But being in possession of a lit cigarette does not give anyone the right to be selfish.

[CouthySaysEatChoccyEggs]

The staff DO go outside for their fag breaks though. There's no shelter for them, they just stand next to the bike racks. I'm often found chatting to them whilst they are on their fag breaks.

[MidniteScribbler]

It's the littering that annoys me most about most smokers. The ones that think they have a right to just drop their cigarette butt on the floor (or out a car window). I don't care if you want to poison yourself with cigarette smoke, but put your trash in the bin where it belongs.

And I'm really sick of having to evacuate my home because of selfish fucking arseholes who drop their cigarette butts out the window and start fires. Sick of our volunteers putting themselves in harms way to put out the fires started by fucking arseholes and sick of my insurance premiums being through the roof because the insurance company know that every summer fucking arseholes will come out here to go camping and throw their crap out the car windows. Did I mention that I think they are fucking aresholes?

[Bogeyface]

Midnite I dont know if this is country wide, but locally if you are seen dropping a fag butt then you will get an on the spot fine. They are really hot on this, and since word got around you rarely see anyone dropping their fags. If it isnt country wide then it should be, as it does seem to work.

[UptheChimney]

It was the lack of respect from staff. Putting their butts out on the floor when there's a bin and swearing too. I just thought it was all a bit shit

Respect? For whom? these are people paid minimum wage to do a fairly tiring and boring job, and they have to smile even towards entitled customers and their pfbs. They're on a break (not paid) and you have no right as far as I can see to make demands about how they behave.

And if you can't see your hypocrisy in calling swearing "a bit shit" then ... Well, it made me laugh, at you, not with you

Really? Do you have nothing more important to think about? There are real problems in the world ...

[Bogeyface]

I work for minimum wage in a pub that has the "early doors club" consisting of some of the richest people in England. I could be arsey and think "fuck you" but I dont, because above all else, I have respect for myself.

[MrsBonkers]

YANBU

I say this as someone who works for Tesco


Please complain. Staff who don't give a monkeys are making things much harder for those of us that do want customers to have a better shopping experience.

0800 50 55 55 during office hours or online.


"They're on minimum wage, doing a crappy job and have to put up with moany customers like you all day.Let them enjoy their fags."

Tesco pay more than other supermarkets and above minimum wage.
Erm, not a crappy job thanks. I and many of my colleagues are quite capable of doing other jobs, but CHOOSE to do this.
Yes, some customers moan, but if you don't like customers then you shouldn't work in retail.

[MidniteScribbler]

Upthechimney: Being on a minimum wage now means you can break the law by just throwing your rubbish all over the place and letting someone else pick it up?

[bugsocute]

somethings about them are bad. but some of there prices are good. there tomato in the tube is just the same as more dear 1 but the value 1 is cheaper for example

[chrome100]

This thread reminds me of that monologue in Alan Bennett's Talking Heads, a Lady of Letters, where she has to write and complain about EVERYTHING.

I am not a massive fan of smoke but it's part of life. You do sound a little....snooty about things and should realise none of this stuff is actually important. Just try to relax, enjoy your life and let the Tesco workers get on with theirs.