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 be upset by this incident in Sainsburys?

204 replies

FlobberWobber · 18/09/2013 15:25

I've just been into Sainsburys with DS (2) who I always put into a trolley seat as it's quicker than him walking. Was in a hurry as didn't want to be late for school run and all the checkouts were busy. I only had 6 small things so I transferred them into a basket with Ds still trolley and went to the basket only aisle which was free. The cashier told me I was cheating, I said I had a basket, she said I should go and use one of the other aisles, I said there were none free and I did have a basket.

She huffed and told me I'd have to move DS out the aisle, which was really wide as the till next to it was closed and no one wax waiting in ours. I moved him to the end of the aisle and came back to my basket. She then pointed out her aisle was only for little bits, I said my basket had 6 small items. I felt quite humiliated by this
point, and annoyed especially
as I spend about £150 a week there!

OP posts:
MadeOfStarDust · 19/09/2013 15:28

I sometimes top-up shop at Waitrose specifically because they have a 10 items or fewer aisle..... pedantry costs....

Blu · 19/09/2013 15:28

YANBU.

Surely the purpose of a Baskets queue is so that customers with a small shop don't have to wait behind the weekley shop for a family of 8! You had a small shop, the fact that your child was in a trolley was immaterial.

TheSurgeonsMate · 19/09/2013 15:31

Nickname - she had them in a basket! And then the cashier wanted to argue the toss about how they got into the basket and what size they were.

BloomingB · 19/09/2013 15:35

Yanbu

I would be upset too. Strangers have no right to be rude to you, especially cashiers who ought to be displaying good customer service skills and basic friendliness! Complain, Sainsburys will send you a voucher.

NicknameIncomplete · 19/09/2013 15:39

Basket checkouts and 10 items or less are two DIFFERENT things. I could have be carrying a basket full of 30 or 40 things and still be eligible to use the basket checkout.

I do think the cashier was being unreasonable about the size of the items and was just nit-picking there.

HoneyDragon · 19/09/2013 15:40

I like the fact that she accused the op of CHEATING. That's right, the op cheated, damn her and her wily shopping habits.

FFS, no wonder that the op feels humiliated. I'd be gutted if I found out I'd failed Sainsburys Sad

HoneyDragon · 19/09/2013 15:43

Paint a boa constrictor (get a 12 footer at least) with the Sainsburys logo. Stick it in a basket and queue at her check out and watcher her scan that fucker.

TheSurgeonsMate · 19/09/2013 15:48

I've been reflecting on what might constitute "Cheating" HD, I was thinking maybe if you took some helpers in with you to balance a basket carefully so that you could fill it up way beyond the handles and carry it between you to the basket only aisle stuffed with dozens of items, that might be "Cheating". But you're right, shopping shouldn't be a test!

ivykaty44 · 19/09/2013 15:49

Op I can't see the difference between a trolley to transport your dc or a pushchair and then hold a basket. The woman at the supermarket was being difficult for no apparent reason other than she wanted to be difficult. Otherwise why did she mention you should only have little bits, either it is contents of a basket or not

I see old people who would struggle to carry a basket and there sticks etc using a trolley for a few bits (they usually have a basket as well in the trolley to show what they are doing) then using the basket cashier as they only have the amount of stuff they could fit in a basket - as they probably can't carry anymore than this - I would hate to see them treated in this manner as they have an actual trolley.

happyyonisleepyyoni · 19/09/2013 15:49

Silly old bag. Have a word with customer services, they ought to know how mean minded their staff are. No doubt shed have had a go if your toddler was running amok not in a trolley.

diddl · 19/09/2013 15:53

So in some places you can't fit a pram through the "basket only"?-how bloody ridiculous is that?

CSIJanner · 19/09/2013 15:55

I've just come from Sainburys where the checkout leader told a lady with her grandchild to goto the basket only aisle as she only had 4 items and its not like you could fit the baby in the basket. So it's discretionary. However if there was a queue behind you, I can see why she was being a jobs worth.

HoneyDragon · 19/09/2013 15:56

Yup, my nearest Morrions basket only aisle can't adequately get a wheelchair through.

So my friend can't go through with a basket on her knee. Their solution? They pointed out the trolleys they have for wheelchair users Confused

usualsuspect · 19/09/2013 15:56

She was a bit petty, yes.

But I'm not so sure she was an 'old bag'

Saffyz · 19/09/2013 15:57

YANBU. The point of the "basket only" aisle is that people won't have too many items to buy. The actual receptacle is irrelevant.

usualsuspect · 19/09/2013 15:59

Yabu to be upset by it though.

usualsuspect · 19/09/2013 16:01

And she might have her supervisor on her back about allowing trolleys through the basket only aisle.

jacks365 · 19/09/2013 16:03

Diddl I can fit my little buggy through but not my big coach built pram despite the fact that I can still only carry a basket. Wheelchairs wouldn't fit either but they open a special wide till for wheelchairs so no queueing at all.

RoonilWazlibWuvsHermyown · 19/09/2013 16:07

YANBU. I really dislike jobsworths at supermarkets especially after working with them! The amount of hassle they cause customers (and themselves) when if they just used their common sense it would be much easier for everybody. Whenever I was on the basket only till, I put my brain into gear and if someone had a trolley with three items or something, they'd be served without batting an eyelid. A massive full trolley would be turned away. Tbh I think some of them just like to have something to whinge about in the staff canteen on their breaks (from my experience).

Saffyz · 19/09/2013 16:07

You can email your comments here:

www.sainsburys.co.uk/sol/contact_us/contact_us.jsp

usualsuspect · 19/09/2013 16:08

Asda have extra wide aisles for wheelchair users. I think Tesco do too.

plantsitter · 19/09/2013 16:08

YANBU and I'm a bit scared of those who say otherwise. Interpretation, people. Otherwise you find yourself only going up escalators if you have a dog with you and prosecuting poor old Bill Posters.

Just out of interest, if you go to the 10 items or fewer aisle and discover you have 11 items when you get to the till, do you chance it or start again at the back of a normal aisle queue?

ouryve · 19/09/2013 16:10

Is it really worth getting so het up about?

usualsuspect · 19/09/2013 16:10

Checkout staff are allowed to whinge the same as anyone else. Grin

'They' are just people the same as you.

RoonilWazlibWuvsHermyown · 19/09/2013 16:15

Of course they are allowed to whinge, usual. It just gets silly when you watch them create the problem themselves and then sulk and sob in the staff canteen. Of course they are people just like me, considering I've worked on checkouts like I said.