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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To have pulled her up on this

101 replies

Catlady1976 · 09/02/2017 12:53

So I was in Waitroise shopping and as I have a my waitroise card can get a free tea or coffee. So I paid for my shopping and was given my cup to take to the self service machine. The queue was long so the lady on customer services told us there was another machine at the deli counter
I arrived at the deli counter and the person serving started to make the tea.
A deli counter customer arrived and she left my tea to go and serve the customer. It wasn't a quick transaction so I started to get edgy as my car park ticket was about to run out.
So she than left deli counter customer to finish off my tea. She than apologized and pointed out she had only one pair of hands. I said that she should have finished serving me as I was 1St.
So I was I be reasonable to say this or was I rude as I wasn't actually paying for the tea.

OP posts:

LaContessaDiPlump · 09/02/2017 12:56

I think you were rude. It's not her fault you were in a rush and her main priority should be the deli, not tea/coffee.

That said, it sounds like another self-service machine is needed.

Original poster

Catlady1976 · 09/02/2017 13:00

If the coffee machine is behind the deli counter than I would have assumed that this was part of her job too but after saying it I did start to wonder.

OP posts:

GinIsIn · 09/02/2017 13:02

You were rude - it didn't get you your tea any quicker so it was unnecessary to say it.

KurriKurri · 09/02/2017 13:02

I'd have thought first rule of customer service, you don't abandon the customer you are serving to go and serve another.
Doesn't really matter if your tea was free (it's a loyalty reward presumably so not exactly free) And you were told to go to the Deli counter.

I can understand the server on the deli counter getting flustered though - it shouldn't be her job to make tea. That should be confined to the cafe - does it mean you;d have to walk through the shop carrying tea to get to the cafe area ? - That doesn't sound very H and S conscious. Or are they take away coffees ? (Sorry no Waitrose near us so don't know how they do this stuff)

VaginaSuprise · 09/02/2017 13:03

She was wrong, you are a customer and she was assisting you first. Simple as that really.

ChasedByBees · 09/02/2017 13:05

She was in the wrongcand it might remind her not to drop the first person she is serving next time.

MagicMojito · 09/02/2017 13:05

Yes sorry, I do think you were being a bit rude. Paying customers should be a priority over people waiting for their freebies.
You would have been late anyway had you gone to the other (official?) Free tea/coffee station as you said there were already big queues there.
Not the end if the world though

Original poster

Catlady1976 · 09/02/2017 13:10

Actually I think the original station would have been quicker. Normally my tea is still hot when I get to the car but it was actually starting to get cold so I must have been delayed a couple of minutes.
This waitroise doesn't have a cafe.
Good to see different opinions.

OP posts:

Onemorewonthurt · 09/02/2017 13:10

I don't think it matters what her usual role is, you're a customer and she's staff, of course she should've finished serving you first. As for the drink being free, it's a loyalty reward therefore you're a paying customer

However I probably wouldn't have said anything, worse things happen

sum1killthepawpatrollers · 09/02/2017 13:13

if its not her job then why is there a tea station at the deli?

Candlefairy101 · 09/02/2017 13:14

She was wrong to leave you and begin to serve another customer, she should deal with one customer at a time on a first come first serve based.

BUT I do think it was wrong if you to show the girl that type of behaviour.

rookiemere · 09/02/2017 13:16

I bet Waitrose rues the day it offered free tea and coffee to it's customers.

Our machines are always running out of coffee/needing emptied/needing more milk and it's always a challenge to find staff to do it.

Yes I think you were right - she was already serving you - the free tea/coffee is conditional on a previous purchase, so you are a customer too.

sonyaya · 09/02/2017 13:17

YANBU. Your tea isn't a 'freebie' out of the goodness of their heart, its a loyalty reward for being a card holder. I often shop at Waitrose instead of the nearby Sainsbury's so I can get my coffee! Also you must have been a paying customer that day, it's just you had already finished paying.

Don't abandon a customer you're already serving as far as I'm concerned.

NavyandWhite · 09/02/2017 13:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 09/02/2017 13:21

I understand your frustration, but Yes you were rude. She apologized to you,and from what I gather you totally put her down. In your head you called her for everything, but. No one gets paid enough for disrespect and rudeness. You can think what you like, but. You can't say what you like. The poor women was rushed off her feet and on her own. She did what she thought best in a difficult situation.

bigbuttons · 09/02/2017 13:22

Bloody hell, you are getting arsey about how fast you were served a free cup of tea? Unbelievable and entitled.

Sparklingbrook · 09/02/2017 13:23

I just wonder whether she thought whilst your drink was pouring from the machine she could quickly serve the deli customer.

Bit weird to have a drinks machine at the deli though.

If my car park ticket was about to run out I wouldn't have bothered with a free tea though. It takes more than a couple of minutes for a cup of tea to go cold.

rogueantimatter · 09/02/2017 13:23

Hmmm. Eenteresting.

Perhaps you could have said something like,

"Excuse me I hope you don't think I'm being cheeky but my car park ticket is about to run out - would it be possible to have my tea now? "

SapphireStrange · 09/02/2017 13:24

I think you were a bit unnecessary. I'd have said 'It's OK' and then written to the store manager. Making it clear that I was not complaining about any one member of staff, but wasn't sure about the wisdom of having a coffee machine at the deli counter as it seems to cause issues with questions of customer service.

laureywilliams · 09/02/2017 13:25

YANBU.

You don't drop an existing customer for another one. Unless the second is going to be very significantly faster.

Doesn't matter that the tea was 'free'.

If you'd been making a 'free' enquiry about something I wouldn't have expected her to rush off either.

Waltermittythesequel · 09/02/2017 13:28

Is a free cup of tea that important to you?

If you can't afford to go without one, consider shopping elsewhere.

greenfolder · 09/02/2017 13:29

i think that the whole free tea/ coffee thing in Waitrose could be used as a case study for how a good idea can go bad.

they need to kill it dead.

Dagnabit · 09/02/2017 13:30

As long as you put your point of view across politely then yanbu. Just because they're offering a 'free' loyalty service, doesn't mean they can treat you like a second class citizen.

It reminds me of when you have a groupon for something and are suddenly low down in the priorities when they realise. Which I never do because it's too much bloody hassle

Original poster

Catlady1976 · 09/02/2017 13:31

I may have said that rouge but she wandered off before I could say anything. Also I would say she was rushed off her feet. When I arrived there were no customers and there was only one other during the time there.

OP posts:

Original poster

Catlady1976 · 09/02/2017 13:32

O yes I was still polite. I have worked in customer service myself so I remained calm and polite. Still thinking her and answering her questions with please etc.

OP posts:

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