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AIBU?

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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:
PrimalLass · 22/09/2013 20:03

TF it doesn't apply in Scotland, however I think it is quite sensible in a supermarket as you could have a full trolley and be queuing to pay by 10.30.

kali110 · 22/09/2013 20:04

Yanbu! I can understand however no need to take it out on you!!i dont understand people who think if they moan at an assistant that the store will suddenly change.
Op you have my sympathy. Iv just done 11 years in retail. Im not going back!
Had enough of being screamed, sworn at and having things thrown at me.

YouTheCat · 22/09/2013 20:04

Now that really would be annoying - if you expect a shop to be true to it's advertised opening hours and then it has to shut early due to accommodating some sour faced cow who couldn't wait ten minutes.

MrsDoomsPatterson · 22/09/2013 20:06

Of course you can't make the hours up as you go along!

MrsDoomsPatterson · 22/09/2013 20:07

My local supermarket does exactly this, to the poster saying they didn't think food shops did.

ThisWayForCrazy · 22/09/2013 20:09

I work in Waitrose. We open at 9:45 and by law can not trade until 10am. We have signs saying this. Every week, without fail, the same people get huffy.

MurderOfGoths · 22/09/2013 20:11

Working in retail is fun fun fun! You do get some nutters in don't you? Have also worked for stores who do the browsing time before opening on a Sunday, it's pretty widespread.

Isthatwhatdemonsdo · 22/09/2013 20:11

I would have thrown the stuff back at her. Preferably at the back of her whining head.

picnicbasketcase · 22/09/2013 20:15

This Sunday trading shit really annoys me actually. I see no reason whatsoever why large shops shouldn't have the same trading hours as the rest of the week. The convenience store on my street is open from 8-10.30 on Sunday, selling the same items as a supermarket, (although obviously with less stock/choice), so why is it fine for them to sell all day but not Asda or Sainsburys or whoever? It makes no sense to me.

MrsDoomsPatterson · 22/09/2013 20:15

I wonder where she ended up. If she'd just had a little deep breath & acted like a reasonable human being instead of some spoiled child, she wouldn't have had to cut off her nose to spite her face, stroppy piece.

MrsDoomsPatterson · 22/09/2013 20:20

I think it goes back to the original Sunday trading laws being introduced & a sort of half way house decision to keep everyone happy. It's a bit outdated but still government's decision.

BruthasTortoise · 22/09/2013 20:21

She was an ignorant bitch. Honestly, this I why I so glad I don't work in retail, it would've took me all my self restraint not to throw the stuff back at her. Hope she gets barred.

JamieandtheMagicTorch · 22/09/2013 20:24

I was in Ikea today and some silly woman was getting all aerated because they opened the till are 3 minutes after 11am. Some people are inpatient fools who think it's OK to take out their frustration on staff

MurderOfGoths · 22/09/2013 20:24

Think the idea is to give the smaller stores a chance against the large ones

MollyBerry · 22/09/2013 20:26

MrsOakenshield all the supermarkets like Sainsbury's and Tesco do it. Mine near to me is only open 11-5 on a Sunday. If they're 24 hours they close at midnight on Saturday open for 6 hours on sunday e.g. 12-6 then open again at midnight and are open until midnight the next Saturday

JamieandtheMagicTorch · 22/09/2013 20:26

Browsing time in Ikea is the best time, BTW.

Whatever, the point is, it's not ok for anyone to act like a toddler because shop staff are somehow fair game

NotYoMomma · 22/09/2013 20:27

someone threatened to beat me up because I couldn't serve them alcohol on a Sunday before mid day due to our licence

working in a shop around the corner from an alcoholics refuge was... err... interesting

lborolass · 22/09/2013 20:32

Sunday trading and the associated limits have been around for years, I'm really surprised that anyone in England doesn't know about browsing time.

It's not about whether you can understand it or like it, it's just the law, if you need your food earlier on a Sunday you have to use a smaller corner shop type store.

ImTooHecsyForYourParty · 22/09/2013 20:33

Bloody rude of her.

Out of interest, how big are the signs at the door that explain this? If they aren't big enough, why not suggest that some bigger ones are made up and put somewhere that they can't possibly be missed.

SignoraStronza · 22/09/2013 20:39

This is the kind of Waitrose customer my friends who work there can't abide. How incredibly rude, but sadly not unusual. Just laugh at her!

Blissx · 22/09/2013 20:40

ILetHimKeep20Quid, even 24 hour supermarkets are only allowed to trade 6 hours on Sunday so close at midnight on Saturday and open Monday morning. Has been like this since the change in law to allow shops to trade on Sunday since the early 90s. How has this passed some people by? OP, there was no excuse for that rudeness and what amounts to assault.

BuskersCat · 22/09/2013 20:40

our local coop is open 9-8 on Sundays

StuntGirl · 22/09/2013 20:40

Out of interest, how big are the signs at the door that explain this? If they aren't big enough, why not suggest that some bigger ones are made up and put somewhere that they can't possibly be missed.

I used to work in a shop that was a concession in a larger shop. The larger shop often had sales on, which we had no part of, because we were not the same company at all. Angry customers used to get incredibly pissed off aaallll the time when their basket of goods were not 50% off. One guy angrily told my colleague we should "put a fucking sign up or something to let people know". She calmly pointed out the SEVEN A3 sized posters she could see from the tills alone (there were more dotted about all over our shops and theirs), plus the three posters on the counter and the three behind the till too. You could wave a neon sign in front of people's faces, some people just don't notice.

MurderOfGoths · 22/09/2013 20:41

Shops under a certain size are exempt from Sunday trading laws

MurderOfGoths · 22/09/2013 20:42

Gah, hit post too soon, meant to finish with "I think". I'm sure that's what I was told.

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