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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think Boots shouldn't charge me.

251 replies

Lagoonablue · 13/07/2015 22:20

Shopping after school and my 5 yr old falls heavily on his knees. He is crying and knees are bleeding and dirty. We are 15 min walk from home. I am next to Boots. I go in with my hysterical 5 yr old and ask if they can help. A pharmacist hands me a pack of antiseptic wipes and some wound dressing. I clean him up and then she says £4.99 please.

I pay for the wipes but not the dressing as I haven't used it. Left feeling a bit miffed. Surely they had the odd wipe knocking about and do wouldn't use the opportunity to sell me a product! I went there as it was the nearest place and kind of made . sense. However I bet if I went in any other shop they might have helped out by using their own first aid kit or something,

It's not about the money but feel it wasn't very sympathetic

OP posts:
Eminybob · 14/07/2015 05:59

When I first started reading this thread I was in the YABU camp, but now on reflection I don't think you are.

If you came into my place of work I would have gotten you a tissue out of my bag, or gotten the first aid box out, sat you both down, got you drinks etc. I think most people would to be honest. I work in a building society, not Boots though, so I do agree with those who've said it was your choice of shop that was your problem. They probably thought you wanted to buy something. Which, if I were in your shoes I probably just would have bought a pack of tissues or wipes or whatever. I'm not very good at asking others for help though.

Probably irrelevant but the staff at my local Boots are absolutely horrendous, rude, no Customer service skills whatsoever so it's the last place I'd go if I really needed help.

returningtotheuksoon · 14/07/2015 06:26

Lidl gave me a free plaster once, but I was a customer and bleeding on the checkout

ConfusedInBath · 14/07/2015 06:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Spartans · 14/07/2015 07:05

Yabu, they are not a charity or a clinic. You went into a shop and asked for something. It didn't happen in their shop.

LilyMayViolet · 14/07/2015 07:14

It was a couple of wipes and a flipping plaster for a child who is bleeding! It's nothing like a tyre from a garage! How much do you think that would actually cost? Do you really think people are going to go around injuring themselves to get free plasters?! Yes it's a business but businesses are run by people, not robots and you'd think people would have a bit of compassion and common sense.

AnnoyedParent22 · 14/07/2015 07:16

Well from the sound of things on this thread you would have been better treated at John Lewis or Waitrose.

OP I think you should send a link to this thread to Boots head office.

There are enough people on here who feel this was pretty poor behaviour from Boots store assistant. If it is policy that Boots always charge for a dressing for a bleeding customer or general member of the public requiring assistance then they need to revise this quick smart as it's not good for Boot's image.

LilyMayViolet · 14/07/2015 07:17

Perhaps I'll try that today if someone's sibling falls over just outside our school "no, I won't give you a wipe or a plaster, it didn't happen in school and you're not even a pupil yet plus these things cost money." What do you think?!

Jollyphonics · 14/07/2015 07:19

On the subject of people complaining if a first aider inadvertently caused them harm - when I worked in a hospital a patient's relative had a cardiac arrest while visiting. The crash team resuscitated her, and in doing so they cut her dress off in order the apply the defibrillator pads to her chest as quickly as possible. Afterwards she put in a formal complaint about the damage to her dress! Some people are just astounding!

junebirthdaygirl · 14/07/2015 07:19

Count yourself lucky they didn't try to sell you antiseptic cream and whatever else as they are notorious for their bloody parallel selling. It drives me bonkers. I don't think yabu only by thinking anyone in Boots would ever be kind or helpful. It's the way they are trained. It's one of my hobby horses how they try to sell you an extra product. They have no respect .

pudcat · 14/07/2015 07:22

Who on earth goes out with children without taking tissues or wipes. In fact who goes out without tissues?

MackerelOfFact · 14/07/2015 07:23

I don't understand your entitled attitude. If that had happened to me, I would be thinking "crap, I can't believe I've come out without any tissues/wipes/plasters, oh look, there's a Boots, I'll pop in and buy some quickly."

FWIW if I'd passed you in the street would've given you the pack of tissues I always carry in my bag Wink and not expected anything in return. But they're my own tissues to give away and I'm not a business!

Roussette · 14/07/2015 07:29

I think if it was directly outside, they really should have helped. It's good PR and if your little boy was crying etc, anyone would.

But if you were across the road, or up the road or round the corner... maybe not so much...

SoupDragon · 14/07/2015 07:32

It's a shop that sells first aid stuff. Why would you not just go in and buy some first aid stuff or tissues? Confused

Effendi · 14/07/2015 07:33

Many moons ago I worked at Boots. Back then a member of staff would have been disciplined if they took something off the shelf and it wasn't paid for.
Can't imagine it has changed much.

Nargles · 14/07/2015 07:34

I'm a bit of both on this one. I used to work in a shop (not boots) and when I was a manager if something similar had happened I would not have used stock but I would certainly have used our first aid kit (it wasn't seen as being only for staff in the company I worked for) however this would have required it being written up in the first aid book too.

One thing to bear in mind is that it's possible that this sort of thing happens frequently in Boots and they may have a lower empathy / tolerance for it because of that. The shop I worked for was a book shop and we got a lot of people wanting to use the phone (pre mobiles), lost tourists wanting to look at maps etc without buying them, parents asking for water for children and so on and my helpfulness definitely waned over the years the more often it happened.

WhereAreMyDragons · 14/07/2015 07:39

I agree OP. I was heavily pregnant, summers day so wearing just a skirt and tshirt. In local pharmacy (disclaimer: not Boots) when I had one of my massive nose bleeds out of the blue. Trying to catch it in my hand, asked the shop assistant for a tissue, expected to be handed one out of an open box.
Nope, I had to pay for a pocket sized packet of tissues BEFORE I could use them Angry

Had to walk out looking like something out of the Walking Dead, blood dripped all down my massively pregnant front.

CptJack · 14/07/2015 07:40

I sustained an open fracture and dislocation of my little toe at an airport years ago. My toe was at a right angle to the rest of my foot. I dragged myself into wh smith.

The staff their grabbed all the travel first aid kits off the shelve to stem the bleeding & flatly refused payment.

AuntyMag10 · 14/07/2015 07:52

Yabu, not sure why you would expect it for free. Maybe because you think it 'was a child' then it's ok? So what, it's still a business. If it was an adult would you feel the same. They did provide you with the items, your son was sorted out and you had to pay for it. Sounds like it all worked out.

RagstheInvincible · 14/07/2015 07:53

YABVU. It's not the staff's stuff to give away and if they did so and it wasn't accounted for they might face disciplinary action. Plus, they make their money selling this stuff. If you wanted free first aid, you should have tried any shop other than a chemist.

muminhants1 · 14/07/2015 07:58

I agree that they could have given you a plaster from their first aid kit for free. I've never been told in any first aid course that I couldn't give a plaster to a non-employee and I've been doing them since 1999. So YANBU on that score.

They probably would have been sacked (at best reprimanded) for not charging for a pay-for plaster however.

Hellionsitem2 · 14/07/2015 08:01

Boots have a first aid kit specifically for the first aider to use with staff and the public

Hellionsitem2 · 14/07/2015 08:02

The staff wouldn't need to take something off the shelf to provide a plaster

Florrieboo · 14/07/2015 08:04

He didn't need a plaster, the OP didn't use one. Do you all put plasters on every cut knee?

Hellionsitem2 · 14/07/2015 08:10

It doesn't matter if the child needed a plaster or a wipe. Boots should have used the formal company first aid box

Original poster
Lagoonablue · 14/07/2015 08:11

I wondered when the word entitled would crop up. It is a MN favourite!

I don't think I am entitled to free stuff btw, just ad hoc help with a bleeding child occasionally. Because it's a nice thing to do, not because it's a selling opportunity.

Thanks for your opinions everyone. You'll be pleased to know DS knees have stabbed over nicely. He is in long trousers today. I will also remember next time to make sure I have tissues. I didn't actually realise it was a crime to forget them on occasion......

If he or other child has an accident in future I will also remember not to ask anyone for help....unless it's JL of course!

OP posts: