To have had a strop at the B&Q checkout guy

[Arnie123]

We went in bandq today to get some stuff to decorate the house. We wanted a large bin but the only one we found was not on display so we took it out of the box to look in it and when we decided we liked it we put it back in the cardboard box and continued to the till with a lot of other stuff too. When we got there the guy said have you opened the box and when we said yes he said he had to examine the bin. I naively thought he was looking to check it was not scratched but he was actually checking that we had not stuffed the bin full of loot in an attempt to shop lift goods. I let this go as I assumed this may be store policy but what riled me is he then picked up a cutlery holder that had no price tag on it and told me I had to go get another. It was a massive store and we had been in there ages and we had gone down every aisle mainly chasing an overactive toddler. I told him I had no clue whee about in the shop it had come from and he just shouted there and pointed to the right. The tills were at the far left of the shop and so he basically pointed at the entire shop. I had a good look round and still could not find it and so returned and explained. Again he pointed and said past the kitchen stuff so again I went on the hunt to no avail with a son who was now getting bored and crying. When I returned he said I would have to wait as he had just let some more customers to the front of the queue with who he appeared to know as he was chatting to them at length in a familiar manner. At that point I got sick of waiting so went to another till where there was no queue. He then stared shouting at me as I was not allowed at the other till has he had already scanned in all but one of the items. I told him I did not want the last item and it was not my job to go hunting repeatedly around the shop of their company could not put a bar code on. I told the new till assistance that I was not going back to his till and she could scan the items again as he was still chatting to the same customers. Thankfully we were just next to the customer service desk so the manager went and for us one with a bar code on.

I feel bad stropping off to the other till but the whole thing drove me nuts

YANBU I can understand the store's concerns re the bin but customers are not there to go hunting for bar codes.

the bin thing.. is normal and your be surrpised how many try there luck.

how ever he shouldnt have made you chance around for one, he should have called some one over to go get one.

He was rude and unreasonable. I think the bin thing was fine though as it's a common method of stealing, to fill up a large box like that.

Yanbu. Awful customer service.

I understand about checking the bin but the rest is awful.

You had more patience than I would have, I wouldn't have gone hunting for another product once let alone twice like you did.

I would've sent for the store manager and explained to him why I was leaving all that stuff at the checkout and walking out.

Bin thing fair enough but to make you go hunting for a barcode? Terrible customer service. Please complain!

Bin thing fair enough - this is a really common method of shoplifting. In the store I worked we were supposed to open all the big boxes, even if they didn't look tampered with, in case they'd been taped back up.

The barcode thing is crap service though, he should have called another member of staff over to get it.

Bin thing is normal- the rest is appaling customer service. As soon as he had informed me that I had to go looking for another bar code i would have asked to speak with his manager and waited til he called them.

Yes the bin checking is normal. I have to check in large objects for other items when Im on my checkout. Once a man had stuffed a box full with childrens underwear!
The attitude of the guy was totally unacceptable and I would have made a complaint to the store manager and head office.
Ive worked in retail for 24 years and there is no excuse for rudeness even when Im serving an absolute bastard

The bin checking was normal.

The other bit was terrible customer service and I would have complained even louder than you did.

Agree with the bin checking HOWEVER I always check every item I take to a till to make sure it has a barcode on or a price tag, OK it's not your job to go back and get another one if it hasn't and there is no excuse for poor CS.

But I find that by ensuring the items I take to the tills has a BC on especially in a busy store on a Saturday, saves time, effort and tempers.

chateau, I would have done the same but probably not in reality as would have just wanted to get out asap with squirmy toddler

Yanbu. Not your fault if the store don't adequately price their items. Guy sounds like he needs some customer service training. Complain to store manager or head office.

YANBU. Checking the bin was the correct thing for him to do, but sending you to get a barcode for a product was not. Nor was the attitude. I used to work on the tills and remember running around the store to get the barcodes. I would never ask a customer to do it even though I was hardly the best when it came to customer service.

Thank you all for your sage advice. I suspected the bin thing was store policy but am a bit shocked how sly shoplifters can be cramming boxes up with loot

I complained to head office about the checkout guy. Hopefully he gets a rollicking over it