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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

..to have complained about the cashier at sainsbury's this afternoon...?

184 replies

americantrish · 27/03/2007 17:43

i got two bottles of soda at the cigarette counter and after paying her (exact change), she just turned her back, didn't offer a receipt, a thank you. NOTHING. seriously f**ked me off. so i went to customer services and then spoke to the cashier manager person who was apologetic (sp?) and said she'd have a word with her.

i felt a BIT bad after, but if she treats most of her customers like that....(and i've worked in customer service (albeit in the US) for 10+ years...) being decent is being decent. a thank you or have a nice day would have been nice.

meh!!

OP posts:
ScummyMummy · 27/03/2007 18:30

Yes, you were definitely unreasonable. Poor woman.

ENTP · 27/03/2007 18:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

kittywaitsfornumber6 · 27/03/2007 18:32

if she's in such a state that she can't even say "thankyou" for whatever reason then she should not be at work. She is employed to do a job, if she feels she can't do it she should throw a sickie not be rude to customers.
I don't think you were unreasonable. I have often really wanted to complain but then couldn't be arsed.
I have also done the oppostie and gone to customers services to praise a member of staff before.

SpiritualKnot · 27/03/2007 18:33

Thank you SpookyMadBunny, I can't understand why there's all this sympathy for the checkout girl. Sainsburys etc are a business, out to make money, they do not want their customers to be offended. As I say I worked for years at supermarkets. I wasn't bored, stressed or underpaid and I didn't see customers as difficult etc, neither did the other staff. Flippin' heck, Americantrish might have been the 10th person that that cashier had upset that day. Also these big stores do not expect feedback saying "thank you" . If they're doing the job right they know it by the lack of complaints. Complaints are the only way they learn if they're getting it right.

zippitippitoes · 27/03/2007 18:34

perhaps she was just distracted

I can't imagine noticing never mind complaining

saltire · 27/03/2007 18:34

spooky, that really annoys me too, it happens a lot in tesco and Asda in Dundee. The checkout operator will be serving you but chatting to the person behind, or their colleague at the next till. I really don't want to hear about your night out with 16 bottles of Smirnoff ice and a kebab, or about your aunt betty's ingrowing toe nail. that's why they have staff rooms and break times.
However, i also get annoyed when i go into Woolies - what is it with the staff in that place
"Did you get everything you came in for madam"
"Did you find everything ok madam"
"Do you need any stamps today madam"
"That'll be £27.50, thank you madam, enjoy your day".
Then they start all over again with the next customer
I know they are being nice but it irritates me.

misdee · 27/03/2007 18:35

very unreasonable. kiosk dont tend to give reciepts unless customer asks for them. (have done kiosk work for years).

shop working, especiallyu supermarket cashiering is shit honestly. day after day, grumpy customers saying horrible thinsg, swearing at you, complaining because you didnt smile.

one customer swore and was abusive at a lady in the coffee shop so she threw an empty paper cup at him. she got a dispalinary beause of it. he was always being abusive to the girls in the coffeeshop, but the managment wouldnt bar him

zippitippitoes · 27/03/2007 18:35

it's all fake

why do you want someone to fake being nice to you just because you gave them 1.85 to put in the till?

edam · 27/03/2007 18:36

I think you were a bit OTT.

staceym11 · 27/03/2007 18:37

now i think that complaining to her boss is unreasonable, you dont konw the reasons! if i were served by the same person in that manner many times i would prob complain but not as a one off.

i did work as a shop assistant for some time and always managed a smile and thank you etc etc. (even in the midst of morning sickness) just plain manners imho!

SpiritualKnot · 27/03/2007 18:37

Thank you to kittywaitsfornumber6 as well.Also, I meant to say complaints are the only way they know if they need to make improvements, obviously if there's no complaints they're already doing it right. You know what I mean.

BassMama · 27/03/2007 18:40

She wasn't rude though! Thats why she is getting sympathy! She just wasn't 'overly' polite.. she didn't 'offend' or 'upset' anyone! The OP just expected a thank you, which is fair enough, but you cant class someone as rude or say they are offending people just for doing her job, in a simple way!

Its loveley to think that she could afford to just take time off if she's not feeling super happy that day. Maybe she had some bad news as has been suggested. Remember, she is paid by the hour, so if shes not there, shes not earning. I know I have had VERY 'off' days at work, and cant afford to take time off!

If you want the store to learn from mistakes, and you really have nothing better to do and not getting a Thank You really ruins your day that much, then by all means complain. But cant you just complain i general, rather than naming names?

I agree, I hope she hasn't been sacked.

RubyRioja · 27/03/2007 18:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BassMama · 27/03/2007 18:40

She wasn't rude though! Thats why she is getting sympathy! She just wasn't 'overly' polite.. she didn't 'offend' or 'upset' anyone! The OP just expected a thank you, which is fair enough, but you cant class someone as rude or say they are offending people just for doing her job, in a simple way!

Its loveley to think that she could afford to just take time off if she's not feeling super happy that day. Maybe she had some bad news as has been suggested. Remember, she is paid by the hour, so if shes not there, shes not earning. I know I have had VERY 'off' days at work, and cant afford to take time off!

If you want the store to learn from mistakes, and you really have nothing better to do and not getting a Thank You really ruins your day that much, then by all means complain. But cant you just complain i general, rather than naming names?

I agree, I hope she hasn't been sacked.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 27/03/2007 18:42

OTT. She probably cant afford to take time off work, not that she gets paid that much. You should have spoken to her yourself.

magicfarawaytree · 27/03/2007 18:44

no. not unreasonable she paid to do a job and that job is service the customers of her employer in an efficient and curteous manner. sloppy service seems to be the norms these days. I have worked in customer services including call centres people can be vile sometimes but I am employed to do a job so I did it. yes cursing in my head at times.

WotzsanEgg · 27/03/2007 18:46

If you have done shop work (I have) I think you have an understanding of what a low paid shit job it can sometimes be.
I don't care if they ignore me (maybe having a bad day, don't we all) as long as they give me the right change and don't look at the cakes and then say "that's got lots of calories in it"!

Twiglett · 27/03/2007 18:48

we don't do 'have a nice day' in the UK .. thank god!!

LittleSarah · 27/03/2007 18:50

'As I say I worked for years at supermarkets. I wasn't bored, stressed or underpaid and I didn't see customers as difficult etc, neither did the other staff.'

Seriously?? Lol. God, I'm sure if you did a survey you might find some supermarket staff don't have quite the job satisfaction you experienced.

Customer service jobs - especially in shops -
are (IMO and experience!) rather horrendous, dull and low-paid. I always tried to be nice and polite I must admit however but everyone has a bad day occasionally. I am sure if she is generally nice then her manager will be understanding.

LittleSarah · 27/03/2007 18:51

Exactly wotzanegg!

LittleSarah · 27/03/2007 18:53

I'm also one of those who find rudeness really annoying and do tend to do the slightly sarcastic shouting of 'don't mind me' or 'thanks very much' when I experience it!

BibiThree · 27/03/2007 18:55

I've worked in many sh*tty, low paid, long hours jobs in my time and no matter how crappy your job/day/week/month has been, I think it's just plain rude to not thank or even acknowledge a customer.

So what if she's having a hard time/hates her job? Don't we all have times like that and for those of you who don't, then lucky you, but that's not the point. She was in a bad mood or just being rude and has spread her bad mood. I might not have complained, but at the end of the day she could just be a rude person with a bad attitude to customer service and have no reason other than that for her behaviour.

Rude is rude.

magicfarawaytree · 27/03/2007 18:59

poor job satisfaction I would suspect was an issue for much of the population.

WotzsanEgg · 27/03/2007 18:59

There are more important things in life to worry about IYKWIM. Its one of the things I let slide as I hate sopping anyway so I'm not normally in a great mood myself!

I expect good service in a restaurant for example. but I wouldn't complain about it in a supermarket.

margo1974 · 27/03/2007 19:00

Ooh must post properly on this - dinner time at the mo - will return..

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