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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this customer was downright abusive?

103 replies

LittleMissGerardLouiseButler · 22/09/2013 19:35

In the shop I work in we have half an hour browsing time, which is a pain but it always has done.

Most customers are lovely and when you explain are fine, some get annoyed but appreciate it isn't the staffs fault.

But today myself and a colleague were filling up and a customer came over and said why aren't the tills open?

So then I politely explained that we are not allowed to trade due to legal reasons and apologized. She said can't I just leave the money? I said I'm sorry but we are not allowed to do that.

I've got kids outside in the car I just need a picnic, again I explained its illegal to trade.

She said well what time is it now? I said its 20 past. She said you expect me to stand around till half past? I explained again, and then she threw her shopping at us saying this is ridiculous and stormed out the shop!

Luckily I had my colleague who backed me up and said I was very polite, and another colleague saw her throwing the stuff, and the manager said she would back us up if anything came of it.

I'm just Shock that she thought this was acceptable!

OP posts:
ILetHimKeep20Quid · 22/09/2013 19:46

What about 24 :(hour stores,?

bluesbaby · 22/09/2013 19:47

To be honest, if it was before my first cup of tea in the morning, and no one explained if/when I entered the shop that I couldn't actually buy anything at that time, then I may do the same...!

She was probably in a hurry, and didn't know she couldn't buy anything.

bluesbaby · 22/09/2013 19:48

Stupid rules like that do tend to bring out The Rage in some people.

TediousFool · 22/09/2013 19:48

Agent they (HO) tried to get my old shop to do it. The shop was a medium sized Early Learning Centre in a market town, during Christmas Sunday trading we'd probably have a maximum of 3 customers for the first hour, no jeffing way was I gonna be made to look like a fool by opening half an hour early and refusing to serve any random member of the public that may have wandered in on the off chance!

Original poster
LittleMissGerardLouiseButler · 22/09/2013 19:49

I work for a national chain and all our shops do it.

People have thrown things down in a strop before, or I've been given a basket or trolley full of stuff they don't want, I don't mind that, but to throw things at people is inexcusable.

OP posts:
TheSmallPrint · 22/09/2013 19:49

I think the browsing time is actually a great idea and have certainly known about it for years, most major retailers do it. She was a bloody rude cow, sorry you had to put up with that.

Wallison · 22/09/2013 19:50

I guess it's a natural progression for the kind of people who see wandering around the shops as a leisure activity - you know, you don't have to buy anything, or even want to buy anything, but just Looking At Stuff In Shops qualifies as being a Thing To Do.

Tavv · 22/09/2013 19:50

YANBU. People show their true colours when shopping!

ILetHimKeep20Quid · 22/09/2013 19:51

I left a pile of stuff at a till today. I spent £4.56 in a large chain card shop, handed over my card to pay and got told I couldn't as it was under a fiver. I'd already stood in the queue listening to the girl serving swearing and gossiping. I hate stupid rules like that.

Original poster
LittleMissGerardLouiseButler · 22/09/2013 19:52

Shops do have some stupid rules, but its not our fault, we just have to put up with it.

OP posts:
TediousFool · 22/09/2013 19:52

I'm actually quite Shock that some people (Scottish/Welsh people excepted!) don't know about this! Suppose if you don't go shopping on a sunday or you don't leave the house till later then you're not going to really...

It's my favourite time to go food shopping, arrive at supermarket for 9.30am Sunday morning, get all my shopping done from full shelves and almost zero customers, come home and relax for the rest of the day!

ILetHimKeep20Quid · 22/09/2013 19:54

I've never seen it in a shop here in Scotland and they are all open more than six hours. I used to work in one of the Arcadia chain's stores and worked 10 to 6 on a Sunday, serving the whole time. I'm assuming its am English thing.

Viviennemary · 22/09/2013 19:54

YANBU. But this browsing time is a bit annoying. Life is too short. If somebody goes in a shop they want to buy something now not in half an hour's time. But it isn't your fault. You didn't make the rules.

GetStuffezd · 22/09/2013 19:55

OH my God - I HATE people like this. I go to Morrisons during browsing time on a Sunday because it's so quite and there is ALWAYS, without fail, some tutting wanker, moaning or "fuxaching" while the cashiers get set up. As if they're being deliberately awkward.
How stupid do you have to be to not realise they cant actually scan good before 10am?!

Original poster
LittleMissGerardLouiseButler · 22/09/2013 19:55

ILetHim yes it's a different law in England, only allowed to trade for 6 hours on a Sunday.

OP posts:
TediousFool · 22/09/2013 19:56

Anyway OP chin up, next week it'll start picking up because of Christmas and you'll soon be too busy to notice the rudeness. Grin

MrsDoomsPatterson · 22/09/2013 19:57

Shops are legally obliged to stick to 6 hours on a Sunday over a certain square footage. They could stay closed until 10.30 or 11am. I'm sure fuckwits like her woukd moan about that too. Nowt as queer as folk.

ILikeBirds · 22/09/2013 19:57

YABU to say downright abusive, rude maybe, not abusive from what you've posted here

ILetHimKeep20Quid · 22/09/2013 19:58

What a nonsense! Just read the link ( sorry hadn't noticed it before) and it's a bit archaic!

KatyPurrey · 22/09/2013 19:58

I left a pile of stuff at a till today. I spent £4.56 in a large chain card shop, handed over my card to pay and got told I couldn't as it was under a fiver.

£4.56 really got you a "pile of stuff"?

StuntGirl · 22/09/2013 19:59

How have some people never heard of this? All sorts of shops do it, half the high street does it. Shops are legally only able to trade for a 6 hours. If they're open longer than 6 hours on a Sunday, they're not trading for the whole time. It's pretty standard.

ILetHimKeep20Quid · 22/09/2013 19:59

Mrsdooms that should read shops in England and Wales,according to that link .

MrsOakenshield · 22/09/2013 20:00

she was being very rude but it's not the norm so I can understand her confusion. I know John Lewis do this, for instance. But Sunday hours can be all over the show, and I don't think what you said was exactly right, OP - I think by law a store over a certain size can trade for 6 hours on a Sunday, between 10 and 6 - so one shop may be open 10-4, another 12-6. So say your store opened for browsing at 10.30 but the selling hours were 11-5 - it's not actually illegal for you to do business at 10.30, just that if you did you'd have to shut earlier.

I've never heard of a food shop doing it (though of course the JL food hall does) but it's actually quite sensible in a big dept store like JL, as you can browse, try on, go to all the different depts, half an hour before the shop actually 'opens', so you can be there at the till on the dot of 11 (or whatever the opening time is).

StuntGirl · 22/09/2013 20:01

it's not actually illegal for you to do business at 10.30, just that if you did you'd have to shut earlier.

Well yes but if your opening hours are advertised as 10.30-4.30 you're not going to open and therefore close half an hour earlier.

ILetHimKeep20Quid · 22/09/2013 20:02

Katy , in a card shop where you can get ten for £1, it was quite a pile.

10 generic cards
2 large birthday cards
1 badge
1 gift bag
3 sheets paper
Bag of ballons
Tissue paper

Seeing as you asked ;)