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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Told off in Sainsburys

204 replies

MassalaQueen · 21/01/2017 13:40

I was shopping in Sainsburys this morning with my 3 year old ds. At the entrance there was an unmanned taster stall with some crisps in tiny bowls and some Robinsons squash in cups. My ds asked if he could have some juice and I helped myself to a cup. The stall holder came along and said you dont just help yourself to the samples. I was embarrassed and apologised. She then continued to reprimand me saying this isn't a cafe you know and tutting. Was her reaction over the top? Surely the point of the sample stalls are to promote the products rather than tell customers off for sampling. AIBU if I report her to customer service?

OP posts:
Olivialoves · 21/01/2017 14:11

Yes ok she was rude.
However as someone that works in customer service for supermarkets now, the manager would get an email, and they will mention it to her.
Is there a chance you misinterpreted her tone?
She won't get in trouble for not manning the stall as someone has mentioned- they leave for all sorts of reasons, to get more cups, or wash her hands etc.

Do you want anything free? Are you really that riled? What do you want to happen?
Why didn't you say something at the time?

RubbishMantra · 21/01/2017 14:12

What an odd reaction from the person manning the stall! Probably bad tempered because she'd not made many sales, due to her "dog in a manger" behaviour.

It's not really possible to sample things unless, well, you sample them. I'd be tempted to go in with a big gang of friends and treat it like a buffet. except I wouldn't be brave enough

User006point5 · 21/01/2017 14:12

Was she of a certain know-it-all-bossyboots age? eh?

ZippyNeedsFeeding · 21/01/2017 14:13

Are those little stalls always manned? Where I live they very rarely are and people are just expected to help themselves, but I'd never consider what happens here to be the template for normality!

In any case, it isn't the shop assistant's job to be telling anyone off and definitely not to be telling you off for doing the exact thing the stall is designed for.

Original poster
MassalaQueen · 21/01/2017 14:13

Thanks for all the replies. I think I will just leave it, I was feeling particularly sensitive this morning as it's my 15 wedding anniversary today and I got sod all from DH, not even a happy anniversary darling. Then being spoken to like a child was embarrasing.

OP posts:
MsGameandWatch · 21/01/2017 14:13

*She was near enough to see, so 'manning her stall' is neither here nor there really

Think the idea is for you to try and buy, not feed your kid from it...

Did you overfill the cup op?*

The perfect post as an example to why people find MN such a tiresome place to be at the moment and the multiple threads saying so.

alltouchedout · 21/01/2017 14:14

She sounds rude and ridiculous. I don't know if I could be bothered to contact Sainsbury's to complain about her though. If I did, I'd point out that if she didn't want anyone to touch her precious samples, leaving them unattended and in easy reach was a very bad idea. I'd probably just roll my eyes and think how daft she was, though. I wouldn't have apologised to her at the time!

toomuchtooold · 21/01/2017 14:14

She should think herself lucky it wasn't my daughter who emptied the cheese sample tray at the supermarket the other week while I was looking at the yoghurt. Sorry coop! We did buy some of the cheese, it was the least I could do Blush

grannytomine · 21/01/2017 14:15

She was rude. I would complain but then I'm probably in the busybody stage of life so not really allowed an opinion. (I've still got one though,)

SingingSilver · 21/01/2017 14:16

There is no 'know-it-all bossyboots' age. They tend to cover the complete human age range!

Olivialoves · 21/01/2017 14:17

Maybe it was her 15th wedding anniversary and she got nothing, or maybe it was her birthday and no one remembered. or maybe she just got out of the bed on the wrong side and felt annoyed that someone was helping themselves before she was ready to start giving them out.

everyone has off days OP, and yes there will be people who say well leave home at the door, but that's poor management, and not always possible.

I'm sorry your're feeling sensitive, but let either let the little things go, or next time, just pop to the customer service desk in the store, at the time, and ask to speak to the duty manager. complaining at the time always results in a better resolution.

grannytomine · 21/01/2017 14:17

MassalaQueen, Happy Anniversary and I hope your day gets better. I understand your pain, I remember the birthday when my husband said he was taking me out for a meal, my face when we arrived at the grotty fish and chip shop (not the nice one the grotty one) must have been a picture and he's never lived it down.

DeathStare · 21/01/2017 14:17

This reply has been deleted

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alltouchedout · 21/01/2017 14:18

^She was near enough to see, so 'manning her stall' is neither here nor there really

Think the idea is for you to try and buy, not feed your kid from it...

Did you overfill the cup op?^

Only just spotted this gem. Are you a similarly unpleasant sample stall holder yourself, NotStopped? Does it really rile you when people help themselves to samples from a sample stall?

EvansOvalPies · 21/01/2017 14:18

I know in Costco (our local one, anyway) the person manning the sample stall cannot allow children to help themselves, because of possible allergy issues. They always have to have an adult present to approve the sampling. But in that scenario, the stall holder would not leave samples out for anyone to help themselves. Maybe the person in Sainsbury's was afraid she might get in trouble for those reasons Possibly?

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 21/01/2017 14:25
  1. She should have been watching her stall.
  2. Yes she will put potential customers off with that attitude, so let her get on with it. Its called learning the hard way
  3. Why did you let her talk to you like that. And to still be going on after you apologised.
SenecaFalls · 21/01/2017 14:26

This reply has been deleted

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Coconut0il · 21/01/2017 14:28

If someone was rude to me like that I would ask to speak to the manager straight away. She may be having a bad day but she is working in a customer facing role and should act accordingly. I have bad days but don't take it out on the childen I work with.

Sorry about your anniversary op Flowers from me.

TheSecondOfHerName · 21/01/2017 14:29

There is no know-it-all-bossy boots age

Apart from 3-4 and 12-14 Grin

TheSecondOfHerName · 21/01/2017 14:31

Just realised I cross-posted with DeathStare. I'm sure there must be other parents of know-the-answers-to-everything adolescents out there.

Mrskeats · 21/01/2017 14:33

There is no know-it-all-bossy boots age???? wow
Also its staffed not manned. Let's not be sexist on top of everything else.

Bodicea · 21/01/2017 14:39

You should definately fire off an email or make a phone all. I am pretty sure the management would at least send you some vouchers for such bad customer service.

BitOutOfPractice · 21/01/2017 14:40

God I'm not one to jump on the offended wagon but by christ that ageist comment has got on my last one!

ilovesooty · 21/01/2017 14:41

Given the number of times that ageist comment has been repeated I wonder whether MNHQ might consider deleting the whole thread.

ArcheryAnnie · 21/01/2017 14:41

YANBU, OP, she was being ridiculous.

And so are some of the posters here are being ridiculous, too, with a nice side of ageism. And how can the OP possibly have "overfilled" a taster cup? They are hardly pint glasses, FFS.