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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To e-mail head office regarding this?

104 replies

HateMyJobWhatShouldIDo · 27/04/2017 19:18

Popped into Morrisons yesterday for a few bits with my mum. Both had less than 10 items so went on the less than 10 items bit - there was nobody else there. We only had the one trolley between us so were sorting out what was mine and what was hers, took maximum 30 seconds. In this time a member of staff with a coat on so was at end of his shift pushed in front of me and my mum and the cashier said "you dont mind do you he's desperate to get home". Actually, yes we did mind. just beause he works there doesn't give him priority above anyone else. He only had 2 things but took ages counting out his money, then they had a chat about when they'd next be on shift together so took a good 5 minutes.

We both said that we werent happy with what had happened to the cashier, I said that it was wrong. She said "oh sorry" with no feeling behind it. As we walked off I said "I'll be emailing head office"

Now wondering if we should do? Would you?

OP posts:
NotTheDuchessOfCambridge · 27/04/2017 20:57

That is quite sad Biscuit

Molehillfromamountain · 27/04/2017 20:57

I can see why you are annoyed but it's not worth getting worked up over. I work in retail and hate when colleagues speak to me if I'm serving, it's rude. You would have been better pulling a manager to one side at the time as most head office complaints will be referred back to stores anyway.

Butteredparsnip1ps · 27/04/2017 20:58

I'm not sure I would have given it a second thought.

Then again, I would be in your position OP. If someone had come up behind me with 2 items and I was sorting out 20 I would have offered for them to go first.

ShatnersBassoon · 27/04/2017 21:01

If I was in the position of the OP, I would be upset. I wasn't allowed to act that way as a staff member when I was working part-time at the Co-Op while attending college.

Of course this isn't allowed in any retail outlet Confused.

My point is, if something small upsets you when you're shopping, have the gumption to resolve it there and then. Don't go home and have a think about it for 24 hours, because, after the event, it's no longer important. Taking something as inconsequential as this straight to the top is just daft. Store managers are quite used to fielding these sorts of complaints and are no less likely to give you a voucher...

Original poster
HateMyJobWhatShouldIDo · 27/04/2017 21:03

If they had asked if they could go in front then it would have been fine but it's the fact they presumed they could.

And by sorting our our things, we had one trolley and were getting our own bits out, not discussing what belonged to whom, it was just me taking out my bits and my mum taking out hers. It would have been no different to use queuing with two baskets really.

I think it's the fact it was a member of staff, in staff uniform, that pissed me off the most.

I'm not really going to contact head office. I told the woman I would because I wanted her to realise what she had done was wrong but then told a friend what had happened and she said I should contact them so just wondered really.

OP posts:
Original poster
HateMyJobWhatShouldIDo · 27/04/2017 21:05

I didn't even get chance to offer for the other person to go ahead, they didn't even get in the queue just pushed ahead. They hadn't waited at all, just walked up to the till, past us and handed his stuff to the cashier.

OP posts:
LilacSpatula · 27/04/2017 21:05

Initially I though YWNBU but then I realised the exact same thing happened to me last week and I said, "Of course." And didn't think about it again so I do think you're being a little mean. Maybe he really did need to get home and you don't know the reason why. Be kind.

PhyllisNights · 27/04/2017 21:06

If it had happened to me, I probably would have been upset in the moment and would have just wanted to get my groceries in the car and go back home. I wouldn't have been wanting to wait around Customer Services in the evening, especially if I had been at work.

Send an e-mail, go and see the manager in-store (the highest up one will be there in the daytime) and share your thoughts on your Facebook. Do whatever you have to do to get it out of your system, to feel better and to feel as if something has been done about it.

LilacSpatula · 27/04/2017 21:07

Maybe she didn't 'do something wrong' maybe she was trying to be nice. He might have an elderly relative to get back to, a poorly child to collect etc...

Original poster
HateMyJobWhatShouldIDo · 27/04/2017 21:08

For those saying it wasn't 5 minutes, the discussion went along the lines of,

"when are you next in?"
"friday"
"oh im off friday when next?"
"sunday"
"im in sunday morning"
"im in sunday afternoon"
"oh, will see you monday then, margarets back monday"
"lovely will be nice to see her"
"what time you finishing today"
"9pm"
"feel for you"
etc etc went on and on.

Plus fiddling about counting out his money, putting stuff in a bag etc etc

OP posts:
RedDogsBeg · 27/04/2017 21:09

The OP made her feelings known to the cashier at the time, who then apologised, so it was dealt with at the time, taking it further just smacks of pettiness and a desire to get someone into trouble. I doubt the cashier will do it again.

It was a minor incident, lives weren't lost or ruined by it.

SlothMama · 27/04/2017 21:12

It's really not a head office incident though is it? Complain to the store if you HAVE to...

VladmirsPoutine · 27/04/2017 21:13

Poor you OP, I also feel rage on your behalf. Can you post the name and address of the store so that I can also write a strongly worded letter on your behalf.

I'm sitting here crying on your behalf. What they did to you is unacceptable and I would urge other MNetters to come forth with donations so that we can fund a few counselling sessions for you so that you may be able to move on from this disastrous plight.

How can those people sleep at night!?! I'm so angry right now!!

ShatnersBassoon · 27/04/2017 21:13

Phyllis, that really is terrible advice. Get it out of your system?! She was held up for a few moments by a chatty man, not by an armed robber. There is no need to emotionally offload on Facebook, or anywhere Grin

RedDogsBeg · 27/04/2017 21:15

For goodness sake Phyllis gold star for epic over-reaction.

hippyhippyshake · 27/04/2017 21:17

I am totally gobsmacked that you remembered this incident 5 minutes after it happened let alone over 24 hours later. It's a non-event! Maybe 30 seconds of annoyance then whoosh! Erase it from your memory. Life's too short

FiveShelties · 27/04/2017 21:19

I used to think I was so intolerant but reading threads on here makes me realise just how easy going I must be. Grin

CuppaTeaTeddy · 27/04/2017 21:24

@RedDogsBeg 😂😂

You got the shopping done in the end. So did he. Everyone got home. Happy days. End of a very small problem.

Ceto · 27/04/2017 21:24

You should have sorted out your stuff before you got to the desk, it was pretty rude not to. If I'd been in the queue behind you, I wouldn't have been that happy to wait whilst you and your mother faffed around. If you had sorted it out before you got there, the reality is that the staff member would have been ahead of you in the queue anyway.

floraeasy · 27/04/2017 21:28

Ach, I just couldn't summon up the effort it would take.

Just look at it as you did a nice thing for someone - good karma and all that.

melj1213 · 27/04/2017 21:42

I'm not really going to contact head office. I told the woman I would because I wanted her to realise what she had done was wrong

So you basically just wanted to threaten a shop worker with disciplinary action because her apology wasn't sincere enough?

Either you felt the need to write to Head Office about the incident or you didn't, in this case it seems like the reason you wanted to write was because you weren't grovelled to.

In my supermarket, if a customer mentions something to customer services/asks to speak to the manager in store about something like this, the customer will get a suitable apology and reassurance that the colleague will be dealt with. It will then be dealt with informally in store between the colleague and their direct supervisor. If it goes to Head Office, then it automatically becomes a formal disciplinary matter and it will go in the colleague's file. It's very unlikely to get them fired but it will be kept in consideration when it comes to internal promotions etc.

Oh and in my experience "customer time" = real time x 5.

I once had a customer complaining he had been waiting "nearly 10 minutes" for someone to help him ... the store had only been open for 10 minutes, he was not one of the people that had surged in when I went to unlock the doors at opening time, nor had I seen him in the four or five minutes I was hauling the A-frame advert boards from where we store them overnight in the foyer to put them outside, so he had been inside the store for less than five minutes total, at most, at that point.

SingingTunelessly · 27/04/2017 21:53

Complain all you want. You and your mum rocked up with a loaded trolley at the 'basket under 10 items' checkout. You're wrong. Smile

AngryGinger · 27/04/2017 21:58

Ooh bet they're shitting themselves 🙄 It's annoying and rude but tbh I wouldn't want to get them in any trouble so I'd just leave it. You wouldn't be unreasonable to complain, I just don't know what you think the outcome will be

Gabilan · 27/04/2017 22:00

these are lighthearted suggestions before anyone accuses me of being too easily irritated

They sound entirely reasonable to me.

DevilsDumplings · 27/04/2017 22:00

To say I'm going to email head office in earshot of the staff member was passive aggressive. Then to have come on mn to post rather than do just that has taken you far longer than the extra time you were in the que originally.

OP ask yourself what is really bothering you as your cause of action is a sledge hammer to crack a nut. Perhaps you're transferring/projecting your anxiety/anger about something else onto the cashier.

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