To think reduced supermarket goods are for customers not staff?

[catlovingdoctor]

I was in an upmarket supermarket chain today and a member of staff, in full uniform, had a trolley load of reduced packs of avocados. They're normally relatively expensive but I thought I'd get some since they were reduced. So I went to take one out the trolley and she literally blocked my arm with her hand, saying it was her own shopping. Surely if she wants to do her own shopping she shouldn't be doing it in company uniform? The stock is there for customers not staff!

YABU. But not as unreasonable as the PPs who have said avocadoes are rank. Avocadoes are the best thing ever and anyone who thinks otherwise is a wrongmo. And probably a troll.

But TuftyFinchy the actual question is AIBU to think reduced supermarket goods are for customers not staff?
It wasn't unreasonable to assume the staff member was working, restocking the shelves etc. but the answer to AIBU is yes. As pp YABU to think reduce supermarket goods are for customers not staff. Is the op saying that supermarket staff members aren't allowed to buy reduced items in the store they work at?

imeithdpud how do you know she didn't apologise? Also it wasn't apparent it was s 'customer's' trolley. The 'customer' was in shop uniform do how was OP supposed to know she was a customer?
Why does OP's attitude stink? This thread and the meaness make no sense.
I think you're all being mean for the sake of it.
A trolley full of avocados in Waitrose could have been funny but no, let's rip the OP to shreds for the sake of being mean. Ok then.

Tufty

I think the main issues are:

a) The thread title "To think reduced supermarket goods are for customers not staff?" insinuating that anyone who works at the store is not allowed to purchase reduced goods irrespective if they are 'on duty' at the time.

b) The OP's assertion (having posted in AIBU) that nobody is allowed to tell her she was being unreasonable.

c) Just reaching into a trolley that for all she knew had expired, on-the-way-to-the-bin goods in it and the not apologising for trying to take another customer's items.

Hmm, thread had moved on a bit whilst I was typing that.

A trolleyfull of avocadoes? that is a lot of guacamole she is making!

Yes Mildred I do see that and maybe I'm defending the OP uneccessarily but I do think the responses are unfair - I would have made the same assumption if I wanted an avocado and saw a trolley load in the hands of someone in staff uniform. Also, of course staff should be entitled to shop in their own store but they shouldn't be in identifiable 'I'm working and in duty' and if a staff member is nabbing all the reduced avocados for herself, while the shop is open then doesn't that defeat the point of it being a shop?

If she had apologised I'm sure she would have established this fact some time ago since many posters pulled her up on it. Instead she threw her toys out of the pram when people didn't tell her what she wanted to hear and stated that she refused to be told she was being unreasonable after posting a thread in AIBU of all places. Whilst also giving the impression that supermarket workers who happen to be doing a bit of shopping after their shift (therefore becoming customers, regardless of what they happen to be wearing at the time) are not entitled to the same reduced priced goods that other customers have available to them. Is that the model of someone with a positive attitude then?

If you don't want to hear people's views then don't post a thread on a public forum asking for them!

I would have made the same assumption if I wanted an avocado and saw a trolley load in the hands of someone in staff uniform.

But surely you'd have the decency to ask before helping yourself? That's basic manners surely.

And the staff member isn't 'nabbing' anything. He/she is a paying customer like everyone else.

Don't supermarket workers have coats? Surely it would avoid confusion, it is October after all.

YABU.

I work in a supermarket. I'm as entitled to reduced goods as any other paying customer (company rules say so). I buy before, during (if on break) or after my shift. Sometimes all 3! I don't (won't!) change out of my uniform or cover up with a coat!

I'm not on minimum wage (I actually get paid really well) but I'm part time. Some weeks if it weren't for reductions I'd struggle to make ends meet.

Perhaps the woman was intending to crochet herself a coat out of avacado skin.

Just a thought.

This is why i no longer work in retail. I no longer have the patience.
Retail staff are not people.
Sometimes i purchased things on my break, even before or after work (shock horror!!) sometimes i came to work with no coat on

Shall retail staff purposely bring in extra clothes to make you happy op?
Or maybe put a bag over their head so you can tell the difference?
Or maybe a badge..
Maybe they should never shop at all and just wait to serve you all day.
Can'T understand why you're getting so much vitriol....

imwith it's been atleast 3 werks without a thread slagging off shop workers, we were doing so well

Supermarket staff tend to have jackets as part of the uniform. But now they need a cardigan as well.

As said up thread if the staff member was working the avocados could have all been out of date or something.

I tend to only buy stuff off the actual shelves and wouldn't dip into anyone's trolley TBH. Staff or otherwise. It's not for sale unless it's been put out.

YABU. Why do you think you are more important than the staff?

Even when staff are reducing goods on the shop floor, I always ask if it's ok to take.

The fact that you tried to snatch food out of a moving shopping trolley makes you look ill-mannered and uncouth.

and if a staff member is nabbing all the reduced avocados for herself, while the shop is open then doesn't that defeat the point of it being a shop?

How does that defeat the point of it being a shop? The staff members money is the same colour as everyone else's. In fact if it is Waitrose then the staff member is actually a share holder as well.

Thank you to the few rational posters who can see where I'm coming from. I must say, I don't naturally think to ask if staff are on duty if they're in a uniform in their place of work!

I'd say she had at least 8-10 packs of avocados, each with 2 in them. So 20 avocados...lord knows what she was going to do with them.

I don't think I'm "above" shop workers at all?? That's a really horrible thing to say. I only mentioned it was an "upmarket" shop to firstly set the scene a bit and because in that sort of branch you just expect a better customer experience.

Actually I did apologise to the staff member- once she said it was her own trolley I said sorry. But then again, she was in uniform and it looked like she was moving stock around. I don't see how it was unreasonable to assume she was engaged in some aspect of her job.

YABU

It was unreasonable to think that the contents of the trolley where up for grabs even if the employee was working. The avocados could all have been withdrawn from sale for some reason and were not to be sold to anyone.

Before nabbing anything from a trolley ask the person in charge of the trolley to avoid further grocery related misunderstandings.

I wonder whether the items ever reached the shop floor? I think it is policy in most supermarkets that reduced items should be put up for sale openly in the shop. They are in the business of making profit so the reductions start gradually usually, giving customers the opportunity to buy them with a smaller discount.

Otherwise unscrupulous staff would hide items they want until the sell/use by day and then reduce the prices, putting the items straight into their baskets. Someone has already said their father did some hiding of reduced items. It's not such a stretch to start hiding items that aren't reduced.

Not all shops offer discount

Perhaps the shop could issue some hi viz jackets with 'Shopping not Working' on them.