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Original poster

Is this complaint unreasonable?

120 replies

mickeyfartpants · 13/01/2015 08:33

I went in to a large (old & prestigious) Oxford Street store and bought a gift for my son.

It was £12.99 and I gave the cashier £20. She asked me for £30 more. I was confused as I thought she might be asking for the penny or something so I said sorry, what? She answered that she had entered £50 on the till instead of £20, so all I needed to do was to give her £30 more, and she would give it straight back. All I had on me was the £20 I had given her.

I asked why she couldn't just take £30 off the change amount and she frantically started doing some sums on a pad next to the till. There was a queue mounting so I asked DP, please just give her the money and end this awkwardness

He only had two twenties. So he said again, its ok, just take £30 off what the till shows is the change. More frantic sum writing and she was starting to look very confused. I said to her, look, the change is £7.01 if you need to know. She gave us £7.01 and that was that.

Later on, we looked at our receipt and the gift should have had a 10% reduction. So we were effectively short changed. The receipt shows £38.31 as our change so she had to give us £8.31 back.

Anyway, should I email them about this? It was excruciating to watch her struggle to do basic maths while customers waited. I understand the human error of pressing the £50 by mistake, but I wouldn't have even had to know about that if she'd been able to work out the change and not ask me for £30 more!

I know its only by just over a quid but the whole thing was just like it was a monty python sketch.

OP posts:
WooWooOwl · 13/01/2015 08:35

I'd say that was worth an email.

babewiththepower · 13/01/2015 08:37

I agree. She shouldn't be on the till if she can't work that out. In Greggs we never had the luxury of the till working out the change!

Nolim · 13/01/2015 08:38

Yes. Let the store know.

alsmutko · 13/01/2015 08:38

Sounds like a scam to me. I'd be very suspicious and would let the store know.

Funny how the most prestigious stores don't always manage to attract all the best staff. The idiots I came across when working in one of the high end shoe shops, especially when compared with working in one of the old BSC Charlie Clore shops.

InfinitySeven · 13/01/2015 08:39

I wouldn't, because you told her what change to give, and she followed your instructions.

You'd almost certainly get the quid if you complain, though. There's no way they'd want someone that disorganised working there, they are known to be heavy handed employers.

Dazedconfused · 13/01/2015 08:39

Seems more like two Ronnies....misses point haha

wow that is really bad, I mean to take the 30 off is not hard at all I would be emailing in so they can up their training

Original poster
mickeyfartpants · 13/01/2015 08:42

I could have waited infinity but I told her to try and help her, as she had the till open the whole time and I was concerned about the amount of cash on display! I felt bad for her. And there was no way of knowing the 10% reduction was on there as it wasn't advertised.

OP posts:
whatwhatinthewhatnow · 13/01/2015 08:51

I'd let them know too. It doesn't give a good impression to have your cashiers stumbling over change.

BitOutOfPractice · 13/01/2015 08:53

Can you really be bothered to potentially get someone the sack for a pound? If you can you have too much time on your hands and I could give you a list of jobs to keep you busy.

Catmint · 13/01/2015 08:57

The complaint isn't unreasonable, depending on how you express it.

Although you were a bit short changed, the real issue for you is that this cashier needs to improve the quality of their service. That is how I read it. ( although it would be nice to get the pound).

If you just tell them what you have told us, I hope they will provide extra support to the cashier to handle this stuff better in future. If this is your preferred outcome, then do let them know.

londonrach · 13/01/2015 08:59

Very strange and sounds like a scam so report to company

Topseyt · 13/01/2015 09:00

I thought the transaction could simply be cancelled and started again?? Or am I wrong?

Don't think I would bother complaining for just a little over a quid though. Perhaps she was new to the job and very inexperienced.

NoLongerJustAShopGirl · 13/01/2015 09:01

She was probably new and worried about what the till would show and flustered and confused and thinking "arghhh why does everyone who can help have to be on their break at the same time". Then the queue starts mounting.... (been there)

So you told her what change to give and she gave it to you. That probably added to the confusion because what you read on the display on your side is not what she would have seen on the till, where the discount would have shown...

Then you didn't bother to look at your receipt IN the shop? really? after all the caffuffle? Why would you not check, where if there was a problem you could get it rectified?

Would just let it go - and remember to check receipts before you leave a shop.

highlighta · 13/01/2015 09:05

Yes it is bad service, but then again you have to feel sorry for the cashier a bit. When you are under pressure, we all have blanks, and perhaps she was new, a colleague was on lunch or something, and as you said there was a queue of people behind you.

I wouldn't make a complaint about one pound tbh.

Whippet81 · 13/01/2015 09:07

I think that's a bit harsh Practice to be honest.

I don't think someone is going to get sacked over it but I do think it's an absolutely ludicrous situation to ask someone to hand over the 'imaginary' money. I have worked on many tills during uni and still now help out taking money somewhere and if you can't take off £30 in your head then it's not the job for you. We all have dim moments and I often say (especially after a long day) that I'll check what someone owes on the calculator as my brain has gone - but I wouldn't protect someone who simply isn't up to the job. They'll know if this is the case or of she is generally a good employee and lost the plot for a minute.

I'm also very suspicious of wrong changing at tills (even though I've done it myself). I go into a shop and have seen the same cashier short change a number of people and then act all dizzy when they correct her - I'm sure she's up to something - how many people don't notice?

Would def email.

stripedtortoise · 13/01/2015 09:08

Sounds like she was under pressure and drew a blank. I would send an email but don't be too harsh about the cashier.

Original poster
mickeyfartpants · 13/01/2015 09:13

Of course the money isn't the point. Its the frantic transaction and the need for training thats the issue. I wonder, if she were so inexperienced, why would they put her in the Wonder Room at Selfridges....

OP posts:
Bakeoffcakes · 13/01/2015 09:14

What would she have done if you didn't have an extra £30?

Tbh I would have just said I didn't have it, then she would have had to call someone and found out how to correct her mistake.

I wouldn't complain, as I couldn't be bothered. And it was you who told her how much to give you.

OnlyLovers · 13/01/2015 09:15

I'd email about not getting the 10% discount, and let them know that they need to train their staff better so they know that it's not OK to ask customers for extra money to make up for mistakes.

But I agree: the individual cashier is not to blame. She probably doesn't get paid that well and may have had inadequate training. Whenever I write a complaint I always emphasise that I am not complaining about the front-line person involved and that IMO it's always management who are at fault and should take the rap.

Dafspunk · 13/01/2015 09:17

I completely understand that it's a simple sum and she should have been able to do it but have you never panicked and had a mental block? I'm sure that she was very aware of you standing waiting and of the large queue of people all watching. She probably just couldn't think straight under the pressure.

If this had happened to you more than once in the same shop, I might think about saying something but not when it's just a one off and for the sake of a pound. Have a bit of empathy.

Siarie · 13/01/2015 09:19

Some people are not built for maths, I expect she was flustered by the queue and had a moment. We all have them at times, but if you want your change go back and explain.

whatwhatinthewhatnow · 13/01/2015 09:19

OP only told her what to give because the girl didn't know after doing two lots of sums. And when OP said, its £7.01 why did the cashier not say no, theres a 10% discount, so its xxx instead.

I personally don't carry round and extra £30 for cashiers who cant do maths! Grin

RJnomore · 13/01/2015 09:20

Oh that's ridiculous. Same thing happened to me in Asda (glamorous ) and she did quickly check with a colleague that the till would still tally but it took seconds.

Surely anyone who deals with cash for a living would realise if you put 30 in and take 30 out the 30 isn't there.

I don't know if I could be bothered complaining but if you can and word it nicely, I'd say go for it. It suggests to me they're either recruiting people who can't cope with the job or they're not providing the training they need.

I'd like to know that if it was people that I managed.

DustyBedhead · 13/01/2015 09:21

You can't always just cancel a transaction it depends on the till but she should have just done rung it off and she could have printed out a receipt and put it in the till drawer to explain later her mistake, she should have done that she could have then done your transaction without all the fuss. Clearly there has been zero training for her .

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 13/01/2015 09:24

the woman made a mistake and then got flustered under pressure. let it go.