sales assistant sniffs clothing I returned to the store

[shethinksistink]

I have namechanged for this as I find it very embarrassing.

I went shopping end of last week, found trousers and a top I liked, wasn’t sure of the sizes and couldn’t be bothered trying them on, so took both items in 2 sizes. At home I tried the bigger sizes on first, they fitted great so didn’t even bother trying the smaller sizes. Bagged up the 2 smaller sized items and set them aside to return yesterday.

Friend arrives 9am and we drive into town and my first port of call is to bring my returns back. Shop assistant packs out the two things, looks at my receipt, starts checking the numbers off against the tags then picks up the top and sniffs at it. Not in a discreet way, the exact same way you’d sniff at the armpits to check if it needs to go in the wash, blatantly! She didn’t look happy. I hate to do the exaggerated “I was shocked to the core” mumsnet thing, but I was. I have genuinely never felt so shocked, embarrassed and dumbstruck in a shop in my life. I am hyper vigilant about personal hygiene and the thought I would return smelly items made my recoil in horror. But I hadn’t even tried them on, so I was totally confused. There was a queue a mile long behind me at the desk. Everyone could see and hear this.

In a total fluster I ask the sales assistant what the problem is, she replies in quite a disdainful tone “I just thought I smelled cigarette smoke”. I don’t smoke and neither does anyone else in my house but I was just massively relieved it wasn’t a BO smell. So I jump in and say that it can’t be smoke as I don’t smoke and my house is smoke free. And she again replies disdainfully with “well I can definitely smell it” with a kind of roll-eye facial expression. The whole exchange had a hostile kind of undertone to it. At this point it dawns on me my friend smokes in her car all the time, just not when others are in it. No doubt she’d smoked 2 or 3 on the drive down to my place. The bag with the items had been in the car for around half an hour. Yes, they no doubt had a second hand stale cigaretty smell to them.

But even at that. I was appalled that any sales assistant would sniff an item of clothing in such a blatant manner then bemoan the fact the smell wasn’t to her liking. 40-a-day smokers are actually allowed to return clothes. As are dog owners, chip pan owners, curry cooks, people who cook fish in their homes, people who don’t shower daily and so on. While I sympathise with stores who no doubt get some ponging items of clothing returned, I have never ever witnessed a sales assistant do an in-your-face sniff test in front of a long queue of onlookers. AIBU to find this an appalling lack of manners on the part of the store/sales assistant?

If things must be sniffed, shouldn’t it been done discreetly? Then again, I doubt stores can refuse to accept items of clothing that have been stored in the houses of smokers or pet owners or people who own a chip pan or fry fish or are painting the skirting boards with gloss or people who wear cheap crappy perfumes. So why the hell did the sales assistant sniff my fucking top? lol

For the record the whole thing knocked me so sideways I didn’t say a word to the sale assistant. I just left the store as quick as I could. Checked with my friend and yes she had smoked in the car that morning (and it would be fair to say she smokes daily in her car as she spends 3-4hours per working-day on average on the road, wouldn’t surprise me if she smokes 50 ciggies a week in her car). My mood was so fucked up I abandoned my shopping trip and came straight home.

Calmed down in the afternoon, and called the head office of the store. They were appalled and assured me it would be dealt with. I had the name of the sales assistant as it was on the return receipt. Asked me to put the whole event in writing and send it to the head office, which I have done and they’ll get back to me in the new year. I then called the actual store and spoke with a manager who was equally sympathetic and horrified, apologised on behalf of the sales assistant and assured me it would be dealt with and wouldn’t happen to anyone again.

So AIBU to consider having a little trip into town tomorrow morning, finding the sniffing sales assistant and just politely ask her if she meant to be so rude she meant to spoil my day and embarrass me to the core then she should be wholeheartedly congratulated as it worked a treat. And tell her that I hope after head office and the store manager are finished with her that she feels half as rotten as I felt yesterday morning. Then just wish her a happy new year and smile and leave.

Or am I just being childish and petty and should leave it at the written complaint and the 2 phone calls?

I would like her to be told that smokers are human and as such should be treated with respect when they return an item and act respectfully. Not looked down upon and snarled at and treated with disdain

I'd like to tell you that shop assistants are human and as such should be treated with respect when they are trying to do their job over the busy Christmas period on a minimum wage. Not looked down upon and snarled at and treated with disdain.

I would like her to be told that while the store does not have to accept returns on items that stink of smoke, that it is always a good idea to be sure it's the ITEM that stinks and not the returnee of the item (or her best friend who smokes and is standing next to her!)

So how the fuck would you like her to find out if it is the ITEM that stinks if not through actually sniffing it? Are you actually that thick?

Op is this you...?

I would like her to be told that while the store does not have to accept returns on items that stink of smoke, that it is always a good idea to be sure it's the ITEM that stinks and not the returnee of the item (or her best friend who smokes and is standing next to her!)

Sorry but i am imagining this said in the style of Basil Fawlty at the end of the Waldorf salad episode or maybe Winston Churchill

I will commend your OP on not mentioning the name of the shop.

To be fair to the store, I shop in there a lot, and it's a good store. The whole branch/store shouldn't be bad mouthed just because of the obnoxious behaviour of one member of staff. I am on nodding terms with the manager. He has a good bunch of staff. They are much friendlier, more helpful, more pleasant than in other branches. And I know this comes from his "from the top down approach" of his (my niece worked there a while back, he is big on friendly service and prides himself on his leading by example etc etc). I have never had any problems in this store, but have often walked away with "this is much better than you normally get type of service" in that branch. That's why I am sure that this particular person was acting way above her remit and her behaviour won't be look upon favourably by the store manager. I am sure of that.

I couldn't give a toss if he looks back on me as that insane-on glue-unstable-in need of an intervention-lunatic. But I do care that the rude sales assistant gets a black mark on her record. She deserves it.

This thread has turned from amusing to making me feel a bit sick.

Op you are not very nice.

But I do care that the rude sales assistant gets a black mark on her record. She deserves it

Now you are sounding nasty again

And if he is a good manager (who has obviously told his staff to sniff ) she wont get a black mark against her

What else do you expect? Have her fired? Walk of shame? Get her in a cage and throw mouldy tomatoes at her? Public execution?
She only did her job. People return clothes which they wore and will lie to the shop assistants' faces they never had them on. You're a drama queen.

You chose to be embarrassed by a shop assistant doing her job.
Your fault and yet you complain.
Lots of people would choose not to be embarrassed at all.
Are you usually so dramatic and not capable of managing your own reaction?

Deserves a black mark on her record?
Good god what an obnoxious creature you are OP.
Like other posters I had assumed you were a young and somewhat inexperienced teenager, but you are apparently 44 years old. It beats me how anyone can reach 44 years of age and be so utterly lacking in class, manners, self awareness and common sense.

She won't get a black mark against Her name.....unless it's to tell her she shouldn't have refunded you!

You do know that nothing will actually happen with the sales assistant don't you? The entire store will think you are batshit crazy and will be on her side. Every time.

Oh for pity's sake. You were "shocked to your core" and "humiliated" and your mood was "utterly [expletive deleted] up"? And you ask US how WE deal with daily life? GET A GRIP.

I do that woman's job. That woman is me. And okay, I don't sniff most returns. But if I catch a whiff of something nasty, yes, I am going to confirm it's not coming from the clothes the customer is trying to return. By law, my company doesn't have to accept your return because it's classed as a "change of mind" purchase. By your own admission you "couldn't be bothered" trying them on.

That's not our fault. It's your fault. You chose convenience over common sense. We don't have to wear that because it doesn't suit you. We choose to as a sign of good will, but there are limits. We expect that the garments we are doing you the favor of taking back are in the same condition they were sold. They are not allowed to be worn. They are not allowed to be stinking of anything - BO, cigarette smoke, perfume. They're not allowed to be washed - so I'm sniffing for detergent as often as I'm sniffing for smoke or BO.

I'm so glad MN doesn't allow editing of posts because your vindictive, nasty, histrionic post is immortalized for all to see. You can't deny it. Here's what YOU wrote, translated for the non-pearl clutchers:

You, by your own admission*, "couldn't be bothered" trying clothes on. It was too much of an inconvenience for you. (Hey, guess what's an inconvenience for the store? Trying to resell stinking clothes. Dealing with pearl clutching histrionics from ridiculous drama queens like you.)
The store did you the favor* of accepting the return, even though by law they do not have to because YOU screwed up, not the store.

• You threw a wobbly in the store because the shop assistant did her job.
• You threw your toys out of the crib because it didn't go the way you wanted it to go - you cut off your nose to spite your face when you "cut your shopping trip short" over this nonsense. You, by your own admission, not only called the store to complain - twice* - and wrote a formal complaint. You, by your own admission*, then seriously considered tracking the shop assistant down to have another go at her. In most jurisdictions, by the way, if you actually did that, the shop assistant would have a case against you for stalking/harassment.
• And then you came on MN because you wanted pats on the back and cups of tea to console you over the ordeal. I personally think you should be ashamed of yourself. What is it that you want? Because laying a formal complaint three ways clearly wasn't enough, you wanted to track her down and have a go at her. What's enough for you? You want her written up? Fired? Taken out the back and beaten?

You do understand that it's likely no one even spoke to the assistant in question, right? Because you were at best the day's hilarious joke that got passed from department to department, and at worst an egregious waste of time and resources at one of the busiest times of the retail year.

Apologies for the rant - not to the OP, but other readers of the thread. I have a lot of feelings about people like this who treat people like that shop assistant - and by extension, me - this way.

No, you lot don't understand!

She knows the manager!

This changes everything OP.

This is hilarious

Matalan refused to refund my friend for a pair of jeans because they smelt too strongly of perfumey/washing powder that they couldn't be sure whether or not she'd actually worn them.

Imagine the horror. Washing powder!! (She was obvs in the wrong)

And from the other side of the coin - I bought a top that had slight yellowing to the underarm part and foundation/fake-tan marks on the neck of a white dress. Fuming. Couldn't get it out. Had to throw it away because I didn't even notice it until after I'd taken the fucking tags off

I was really enjoying this thread until the Saudi Arabia comment well done OP, you sound very ignorant as well as completely unhinged.

The clothes smelt of smoke, you were lucky to get a refund/ exchange.
I agree with others you are a bit obnoxious or at best unhinged.
go see your gp love, they can help you.

These are for you jayisforjessica for your superb post and for putting up with customers like the OP.

I am on nodding terms with the manager.

Oh boy aren't you important! It's like you're famous OP doesn't she know WHO YOU ARE??

Also agree with jayisforjessica 100%

Complete overreaction. Think you need to sit down, have a cuppa and chill the F out!

You must have a lot of time of your hands to react in such a dramatic fashion over this!

So how was this 'uppity' sales assistant to know if it was your friend or the clothes that smelt of smoke without sniffing one or the other?

Fucking fruit loop bonkers

This is my Thursday night entertainment sorted. Thankyou OP.

Ps. YABU

So you have one friend who you have admitted does smell of smoke & another one who smells of chip fat?
I agree that on MN people are obsessed with smoking and go OTT about it. But this situation is so different - I don't think even a smoker would want to buy new clothes from a store that smell even faintly of 2nd hand smoke - especially from what you have said is an upmarket store (perhaps John Lewis or House of Fraser?) - and yoga gear costing 40 quid (so presumably nice gear).
Your reaction is completely out of proportion.
I feel sorry for retail staff this time of year in particular - it must be thankless and they are run off their feet. Many have to work most of the Christmas period. But if this is how they get treated, then I feel even more sorry for them.

kung

This is what i hate about mumsnet

I plan on puttimg the ipad down at 9 to read

But then there is that one thread....

And i am pressing refresh all fucking night

No willpower

OP please let it go, the more you carry on the more you make yourself sound above the shop assistant and have something to prove. At 44 years old?! Get a grip.

I recently tried to return (as I was told I could do so, wrongly so it turned out!) knickers from a Top Shop concession in a department store. As it turned out, even though they had tags on and were unworn I could not return them. They even had a sign saying so which I mustn't have seen at the time of buying them as I'd been in a hurry. I was slightly annoyed as I'd picked up the wrong sizes in a sale and the knickers still had tags on but could see their reasons and so I just walked away with no confrontation. The salesperson confirming I could not get an exchange etc (he had to double check policy) actually mentioned to me that some people get arsey over it, but I admitted to him I should have read the sign too and not gone on hearsay from the assistant originally.

It does slightly beg the question as to your smoker friend and returns, what does she do if she buys clothes from not online shops if she wants to return them? Other smells too, what do they do? Makeup marks etc? I'm sure I've seen makeup marked tops etc marked down for a sale.