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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

sales assistant sniffs clothing I returned to the store

693 replies

shethinksistink · 29/12/2016 15:56

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?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
15
ChristmasTreeKisses · 30/12/2016 18:21

EuropeanSwallow you are totally right I didn't think of her waving acquaintance with half the BMA, maybe the OP can speak to her priest or will she be on 'say Morning if you see each other in the post office' terms with the vicars wife?

colourmylife · 30/12/2016 18:39

I don't see what the sales assistant did wrong. Yes smokers are allowed to return clothes but only if they are in the same condition they bought them in. If they smelled of smoke or fish or dogs or whatever other example you gave then they are not in the same condition are they?!
I think your issue is that you are embarrassed but the sales assistant was just doing her job.

Underthemoonlight · 30/12/2016 18:40

Superfly unfortunately I think MN took it down but it was very much indentical to this poster

colourmylife · 30/12/2016 18:45

" I was subjected to awful service in a store, and that person is not good at her job."
Exactly how were you subjected to awful service? You were trying to return items that weren't in the condition you bought them in.

And exactly how was she not good at her job? She was correctly considering not refunding your soiled items. She seems like she's pretty good at her job to be honest.

jayisforjessica · 30/12/2016 18:48

Sounds like the only thing she was actually bad at was kissing the OP's butt.

fliptopbin · 30/12/2016 18:56

If I was going to return something I would not take it in a car with a smoker tbh. Once it had been exposed to smoke I it is damaged so I would not dream of trying to return it. I think you were the o e that was out of order, and to then go and try to get the shop assistant in to trouble. That is prety pathetic tbh.

Bantanddec · 30/12/2016 19:08

When I worked in a department store we would often check the clothes that were being returned because people would buy them for a night out then return them the next day.

Zombiemum1946 · 30/12/2016 19:12

A car is a very small space in terms of cig smoke. The smoke doesn't disappear it changes form. The amount of cigs your friend had before she picked you up would have been ample to cause you to smell of it never mind months of heavy contamination. The toxins soak in to everything in the car and are constantly contaminating anything in it.You would also have been breathing in the highly toxic residue. It's one of the reasons that just because you don't smoke in the room when a child there, they are still exposed to the toxic residue as it lingers on for years . Not only would the clothes been smelling of it strongly but so would you. So to the sales assistant in a smoke free environment, the smell would have been very obvious. So every time your friend gives you a lift you will be smelling of smoke because you are covered in a layer of the poisons in the car as well as your child who will also be breathing it in. By the way opening the window to let the smoke out doesn't help much as the smoke is often blown back in by the wind and the car is still full of toxins.

SoleBizzz · 30/12/2016 19:14

Lol oh dear.

wictional · 30/12/2016 19:35

Fair enough the SA could have been more discreet, but as has been suggested up thread, it was Christmas and the queue was miles long. Retail staff are under so much stress at this time of year, and you, OP, have added to that with your appalling treatment of the poor girl.
I honestly can't believe that you think it is appropriate to treat another human with such disrespect. She was following her training and you threw your toys out the pram because you failed to package your items appropriately. I would love to hear how you're talked about in the squeaky voice in the staff room!!

bretonpuffin · 30/12/2016 19:39

Can guarantee you OP that neither the manager nor head office were appalled or horrified. They made the right noises and asked you to put it in writing to get you off the phone. They then most likely had a laugh about it with colleagues.

RebelRogue · 30/12/2016 20:17

This is completely totally bonkers ! GrinGrinGrin

ClarissaDarling · 30/12/2016 20:52

This thread has affected my DCs bedtime, trying to do night feed and chortling too much! Get thee to the dungeons stockroom ungrateful serving wench! How dare you question someone who is on nodding terms with a manager. Good thing you are imaginary....

myusernamewastaken · 30/12/2016 21:05

Ffs Op get a life....you sound like a nasty piece of work !!!

CauliflowerSqueeze · 30/12/2016 21:14

Well I think my favourite phrase is

"On nodding terms" - I'm trying to think of anyone I am on nodding terms with. I can't. I don't think I nod at anyone??

RufusTheSpartacusReindeer · 30/12/2016 21:27

There is a bloke who walke his dog past our house

I am on nodding terms with him

He may well be something big in retail

CauliflowerSqueeze · 30/12/2016 21:46

Does your brother in law know him?

DameSquashalot · 30/12/2016 21:59

Cauli that's my favourite term too. Love it. Xmas Grin

fliptopbin · 30/12/2016 21:59

I really hope complaints like this don't stop shop assistants from checking returned goods. I bought a pair of trousers just before Christmas without trying them on and when I got home and tried them on I found what I really really hope was fake tan residue around the gusset. After diving into the shower just in case it actually was skidmarks, I am now too embarrassed to return them in case they think it was me! You think you were shocked to the core, see how you feel when you try on some trousers and find a brown gusset!

ConfusedintheNorth · 30/12/2016 22:14

Are you actually for real!? All bloody sales assistants do this, I've seen it loads, so has everyone else that lives in the real world!
Lets look at the reality of this shall we, you've called a head office to tear apart some poor sales assistant, and possibly endanger her job, because she dared to suggest the clothes you were returning may smell of cigarette smoke... which you've just admitted they did!
AIBU to suggest if you have any redeeming qualities as a person, you'll withdraw your complaint!?

FairNotFair · 30/12/2016 22:19

Bless the OP. She's crusading for us all. She's Erin Brockovich, but in UK smalltown retail. And on nodding terms, no less. OP, I salute you.

bowchikkawowwow · 30/12/2016 22:27

I'm on nodding terms with Sir David Attenborough cauli.

RufusTheSpartacusReindeer · 30/12/2016 22:28

Is he on nodding terms with you though bow?

Thats the real question

ConfusedintheNorth · 30/12/2016 22:33

Actually... hat am I saying!? Go back in there... scream bloody murder!

...give the poor sales assistant the joy of seeing you dragged off by security...

CauliflowerSqueeze · 30/12/2016 22:38

Is it an individual nod or a succession? Or does it depend on how well you know the person? I think I smile at people rather than nod. Why would you nod?

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