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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To complain about customer service that other people received

79 replies

Rhayader · 26/02/2017 23:07

I was getting lunch yesterday with DF and the DC in a large shopping centre. The restaurant we were in overlooked walkways in the shopping centre where there are little kiosks - think the ones that sell pretzels or frozen yogurts but this one sold mid/high end small appliances for a well known brand.

It was a bit of a novelty looking down at all the people and we soon noticed that the lady who was working (solo) on the kiosk was spending most of the time on her phone. It wasn't checking a quick text or an email, she was actively on her phone for 4-5 minutes at a time until she was approached by a customer.

After around 15 minutes a man approached her with a backpack and a coat on and she started gesturing at him as if she was complaining about something - this seemed a pretty strange way to speak to a customer. He then took his bag and coat off, stuffed them in a cabinet and put his name tag on. He obviously worked there.

Five minutes after standing around (still wearing his headphones) not doing much, he leant on one of the displays and then had a 15-20 minute facetime conversation with someone - from the body language of the employee and the person on the screen it came across as a boyfriend/girlfriend type of relationship.

Customers were walking up to him and he was ignoring them. After the facetime conversation ended he had customers asking him for help, he would wonder off and speak to his colleague for really long periods of time until the customers got frustrated and walked away.

I've never seen anything like this and my overinflated sense of justice is compelling me to report them - although, it's not really my place to report, or is it?

WIBU to send an email to the company in question and report them.

Don't want to drip feed -- this is embarrassing but I actually did make a video recording of a subset of the events mentioned above, mainly so that I could show DH.

OP posts:
Sugarlumps333 · 27/02/2017 07:10

Also, 'so that you could show DH' what a busybody you sound - if this is how you and your husband get your kicks together, analysing retail footage of people who are nothing to do with you - then maybe you have other issues you should work on.

VintagePerfumista · 27/02/2017 07:16

Does it matter that she was an onlooker?

Call me weird, but I tend to get involved when I see people being treated like shit.

I'd give over with your foot in mouth ageist stuff as well Norma. I've already reported your first comment. "Retired lady" is just as presumptuous and offensive, but you obviously don't get it. It's not the terminology. It's the assumption of how someone of that age would behave. And MN are finally clamping down on it.

Fairyflaps · 27/02/2017 07:17

It is up to the managers/ owners of the company to oversee and manage their staff. (For all you know, one of the people you observed was the manager/ owner).

They can do this by direct supervision, mystery customers etc, spot checks etc. If they choose not to do this, it's their management choice.
If you were a customer who had been ignored, a direct complaint would be appropriate. As an observer, just leave it. I'm not saying you are wrong to be appalled by this behaviour, just that it's not your problem. Some businesses get the employees they deserve.

roundtable · 27/02/2017 07:17

Has anyone read The Magpies...?Grin

1frenchfoodie · 27/02/2017 07:17

I was ready to say report them for what appeared excessive time on phones, not being available for customers etc. But then I saw the bit where you covertly filmed them. YOu were the one really crossing the line.

I like *melj's' response though if you really do feel compelled to contact the company.

NormaSmuff · 27/02/2017 07:18

How about my Lady of Letters comment? is that ok with you? Hmm

how about Are you Bored?

TheNaze73 · 27/02/2017 07:18

The empire is crumbling.... LTB

NormaSmuff · 27/02/2017 07:19

It's the assumption of how someone of that age would behave. And MN are finally clamping down on it.

well really, clamping down on assumptions

are you the MN police?

OnionKnight · 27/02/2017 07:22

God your life must be so tedious OP. Why were you filming them?

ThisThingCalledLove · 27/02/2017 07:28

OP how would you feel if you saw this on here?

"AIBU to think this woman has no manners or was just behaving oddly? I was in a shopping centre restaurant yesterday watching a woman having lunch with her DC. She spent the whole 45 minutes she was there staring constantly at people working in a particular shop, then was on her mobile phone for ages - it almost looked like she was filming the people in the shop but why would someone do film strangers like this? Is it me or is it rude to go out for lunch with your DC then spend the whole time staring into a shop? Let alone the weirdness of filming people in a shopping centre?"

I expect you would get calls to log your bizarre behaviour with 111 Grin

Charlottelouisa · 27/02/2017 07:29

Why would you make yourself busy?
Then to film it?! Are you mad?!
I can't believe there is people like you in this world honestly I can't.
You should not be filming strangers

ThisThingCalledLove · 27/02/2017 07:32

And also, knowing how a vast majority of retail workers are shafted on zero hours contracts and low wages which don't feed their families, on their feet for up to 12 hour shifts in the public view all day (and at the mercy of being filmed by strangers and posted about online), if you are burning with a sense of injustice I would direct it towards the massive employers who take advantage of the financial economy to fuck their staff over like this whole pocketing the profits. Perhaps campaigning for better employment rights would be a better use of this misplaced resentment you feel.

ThisThingCalledLove · 27/02/2017 07:33

PS I am not a retail worker myself btw!

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 27/02/2017 07:33

So instead of getting on with your lunch, you filmed some random people? Wow.

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 27/02/2017 07:35

Why didn't you just get on with your lunch - the situation is nothing to do with you. And how rude to be sitting with people but spending all the time spying on something.

And you are on dodgy moral and possibly legal ground filming them.

Mulberry72 · 27/02/2017 07:42

Goodness me OP, was your family lunch so boring that you had to immerse yourself in something that was none of your business? Wow.

maddiemookins16mum · 27/02/2017 07:44

YABU and sound like one of those MN posters who encounter some outrage on the school run/at the schoolgate and have it posted in AIBU by 9.14am.

ReginaGeorgeinSheepsClothing · 27/02/2017 07:51

VVVVVV odd and vvvvvu! Did you give this same level of intense scrutiny to all the shops and vendors in the mall?? You never know- some 0 hr minimum wage person down the other end could have also not have met your expectations of a service you didn't receive from a company you didnt go into..........

NormaSmuff · 27/02/2017 08:01

Grin Regina

I am sure op you must have missed some other members of staff behaving badly, somewhere Wink

TiredBefuddledRose · 27/02/2017 08:01

Your poor family, do you often ignore them like this?

Maybe you need a hobby or something because the behaviour you described is just odd and over involved.

However if you do complain could you please it via telephone and record it, I'd love to hear that conversation.

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 27/02/2017 08:02

Waiting for another thread:

AIBU to think that my DF was incredibly rude? We went out for a family lunch and she spent the entire time filming random retail workers and ignored us completely Grin

ExitPursuedBySpartacus · 27/02/2017 08:05

What did you have for lunch?

gggrrrargh · 27/02/2017 08:09

People watching is a great pass time so I don't think you were being odd at all. Once something catches your eye you keep watching, so I can see why they kept you interested.

If it was me I would leave it though, just because you weren't served directly.

NormaSmuff · 27/02/2017 08:10

Let alone the waitress who was serving you and other customers waiting for a seat
slow service complaint due to customer filming Wink

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 27/02/2017 08:11

By the OP's own admission she was gawping for well over 15 minutes. That is beyond rude when you are out with other people.