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?

You have already complained twice and been given more than satisfactory apologies on both occasions. I think it would be overkill to hunt her down yourself as well as setting head office and her manager on her.

My sympathies are totally with the shop assistant, who was indeed probably trying to work out if you had worn the items before returning them! As you say, they probably did have a whiff of cigarette smoke around them, so you were lucky she accepted them at all. You should be apologising to her, not the other way round!

You are being completely unreasonable, the store have said they will deal with it why would you go in like a complete drama llama saying how she ruined your day

I'm surprised they took them back smelling of smoke. They can't sell them now.

You have massively over reacted here. She picked up on a smell, that you admit (initially) was there. She didn't tell you or your friend that you stank or anything if the sort. Cancelling a trip, letting it ruin your day and being bothered enough to make several complaints - just bizarre.

And no, head office and the manager probably didn't agree with you, humour the customer til they go away is the more likely tactic.

To be fair, the OP has made it quite clear she is not going to go back in.

and since when did speaking politely for 30 seconds to a shop assistant who treated you poorly become stalking? Really, have a hold of the grip I have just been passed

I have absolutely no need of a grip. I worked as a shop girl for 5 years to get me through university. I know what goes on - you were not contemplating "speaking politely for 30 seconds". You were contemplating

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

Very unclassy, rude, and actually pretty much harassment.

And thanks Luna for confirming what I"d been taught - that unless an item is unfit for the purpose for which it is sold, a shop is not under an obligation to accept it or give a refund. They only do so out of good will. I was a shop girl a long time ago

As you said yourself, you couldn’t be bothered trying them on (to quote your OP). You are lucky they even contemplated accepting the return & refunding you your purchase money.

You're the kind of customer I used to have to smile & nod to, and then go out the back and do a silent scream. And even back in the day (decades ago) when I was a shop girl, a complaint got us a rollocking. Nowadays, things are tougher, and the sort of complaint you've made could mean a serious disciplinary matter, which could include the sack, or probation. All for not much above NMW, to serve unreasonable people like you, and keep on smiling.

The lovely customers were just wonderful & kept me my faith in humanity. But difficult customers - oh boy, I'm glad I don't have to do that sort of work any more. But having done it, I do judge other people by how they treat shop assistants.

I think you need to chill.

OP, hate to pop your righteous bubble, but the head office will either not take it any further or congratulate the staff member on her vigilance. The "horrified" reaction that you gleefully wrote of is a well-practised way of mollifying complainants and they'll have already written you off as a nutter, although you might get a small voucher through the post to keep you quiet.

I doubt anyone else in the queue noticed her smelling your returns, so it's you who brought the whole embarrassing incident on yourself by asking what she was doing. She merely replied honestly.

Time to let it go unless you want the entire shop to realise you're slightly unhinged.

When I used to work in retail, my manager would always smell returned clothes - absolutely nothing personal to the customer, but to check whether they had been worn washed as we then couldn't sell them on.

If the item was being returned as it was faulty, that was obviously different but we couldn't accept clothes that were washed and returned if they had just changed their mind.

I can completely understand how you might feel, but I'm sure it wasn't anything personal!

Wow

Gosh I'd be hopeless working on a till then. I have hardly any sense of smell.
I wonder if they incorporate sniffing into the interview process?
"Would you mind smelling the armpits of this dress and telling us if it is returnable please?" "You can't smell anything? Well sorry you've failed the interview.."

This is one of those moments where I think most people would feel 'mildly irritated' at most at. To describe such an event as 'shocked to the core', describe it as a ruined day which you had to go home from, and then make two separate phone calls and a written letter of complaint about is bonkers.

Massive over reaction.

And what Devil said at 16:59.

It can be annoying when you're making an innocent return and you feel like you're being accused of something by their actions, BUT it isn't personal.

As has been said before there are lots of chancers out there and the shop assistant doesn't know you personally.

Please calm down and do not go and hunt her down tomorrow.

In the shop i work in someone would only (subtly) smell the item if there was a distinct smell

If its any consolation OP i have seen my collegues check for cigarette smoke (which my nose is very sensitive to) and for washing powder

but yabu, i am glad you have changed your mind about popping back into the store

OP.. if you really do think stale smoke doesn't smell that bad, perhaps you're not quite as fragrant as you think

Jesus, the way you write and your little revenge fantasy in particular is disturbing.

What the hell is wrong with you?

Way back when Geordie Jeans was open, I returned a pair of jeans and the supervisor signaled towards the person they were training to sniff the crotch of them. Quite embarrassing, but not exactly shocking to the core.

The shop assistant could have been a bit more professional with you, but that's about it.

Do people really buy clothes to wear out partying and then return them?

I thought you had to leave the tags on? It's a bit awkward if your price tags pop out on the dance floor and you're unaware you have £34.99 dangling from the back of your trousers.

Op, you do understand that the shop are not legally obliged to accept returns of non faulty items don't you? And you do also understand that they need to be able to sell non faulty items on otherwise they'll be out of business.....
So do you really not understand why there might be reluctance on their part to accept returns that smell of smoke?
Smoke is a horrible smell, but whether or not you don't mind the smell, no one, smokers included I'm sure, want to be buying 'new' clothes that smell of smoke.

My dd works retail in well known shoe shop. She has had to stand up many times to people attempting to return shoes. These people swear they have not ever worn the shoes despite scuff marks and sometimes dirty odours. She is accountable for all her accepted returns and could face repercussions if she makes a mistake.

I can see you are embarrassed, Op. Please don't take it personally. The shop assistant was just doing her job.

She was right, it did smell of smoke? I don't know, perhaps she could have gone about it more discretely but at the end of the day she was right. Anyway you have complained to head office, who will get in touch with the store manager who will have to speak to her about it so I don't understand why you want to go in and have it out with her?

You will be forever used in interviews as an example of the pain in the ass customer that needed dealt with in a professional way

So true

Crikey

And with you returning a yoga top and pants. . I can't help but visualise Waynetta Slob in her purple velour. ... "I'm smokin' a faaaaag "!!!!

Second hand smoke is awful.
You both stood there stinking of it, your friend especially.
You must have very low standards if you think it's ok for the store to refund.