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Original poster

Dishonest shop staff

121 replies

Montymorency · 20/08/2017 16:23

This lunchtime was in a large branch of Boots. Looked in chilled cabinet for pasta salad, saw assistant with 2 in her hand, prawn, just what I wanted - to my disbelief saw her tuck them behind the chilled drinks, making great show of pulling bottles to the front of the shelf, looking around shiftily. When she had moved on I took them out, even better they were marked down to 50p each! Whereupon she sprang back and said I couldn't buy them, she was keeping them for another customer who had 'gone to get some money'. Told her she couldn't do that, they're on the shelf and I'm buying them. She retreated. So I bought them, subsequently spoke to manager who was full of apologies. For me the markdown wasn't the issue, I would have bought them at full price but I was annoyed that the assistant had challenged me - don't believe a customer had to go and find £1 ffs! think she had them earmarked for herself.

OP posts:
Laiste · 20/08/2017 17:16

Seriously i'd put money on the fact that the manager was Hmm about the OP once she was out of sight.

What a bloody hoo har over bugger all!

Purplemac · 20/08/2017 17:21

When I worked in a small supermarket, we were allowed to put things in the chiller out the back to purchase later on a break or at end of shift, whether they had been reduced or not, as long as we checked with the manager first (to make sure we weren't taking the piss, or marking down items more than they should be). So he would have let me put one of the salads out the back for my lunch, but not two. One of the few perks of a very shit job.

Grace789 · 20/08/2017 17:26

Obviously speculating but maybe that's all the money the girl could afford for her lunch? Why did op feel she had to buy both? Well never know

DressedCrab · 20/08/2017 17:27

A bit spiteful to talk to the manager. You got your sandwiches, why be petty?

SnickersWasAHorse · 20/08/2017 17:28

By that reasoning, all retail workers could mark stuff down, hide it from customers, then buy it themselves.

That happens all the time.
DH once hid a games console in the stock room until it was reduced to £25 by the automated system.

The employee is also a customer surely.

Fluffypinkpyjamas · 20/08/2017 17:28

Agreed Grace why buy both. A sad "win" I hope they tasted awful Grin

VeryCunningStunt · 20/08/2017 17:30

The employee is also a customer surely

Of course they are. But hiding stuff and/or lying about it is dishonest.

Original poster
Montymorency · 20/08/2017 17:31

Er, was buying lunch for two people...... And not a girl, as if that's even relevant, a woman. I didnt' say the money didn't matter, I said I would have paid full price - fwiw I don't earn loads either.

OP posts:
SnickersWasAHorse · 20/08/2017 17:32

How is it dishonest? She isn't stealing it.

InfiniteSheldon · 20/08/2017 17:33

Snickers then your dh is a thief

SnickersWasAHorse · 20/08/2017 17:34

Perhaps she was keeping them for someone else?

Ketchup123 · 20/08/2017 17:34

Jeez, I can't believe you ratted her out. What motivates you? What a horrible person.

VeryCunningStunt · 20/08/2017 17:34

How is it dishonest? She isn't stealing it

I didn't suggest she was stealing. I said hiding things and lying about them was dishonest. Which it is.

SnickersWasAHorse · 20/08/2017 17:34

How is he a thief? He paid the going rate. The company reduced it.

somanylovelyearrings · 20/08/2017 17:36

I really wouldn't have got so invested!
I'm sorry you don't have much money- but it wasn't a reason to make this much of it.
I doubt she'll get the sack- hopefully.

madein1995 · 20/08/2017 17:37

Op you are beimg ridiculous. I work in a supermarket and I am not selfless when I want to buy something. I have hidden lindt bunnies behind anti freeze and wine behind liver (so it cools in time for hometime) before now. Buggered if I'm going to think 'what about the customers all the time'. And yes id do it with barhains - i want them as much as customers and i really dont care if me hoding my bottle of wine stops customers gwtting one. Have a read of the customer horror stories thread and youll see why shop workers dont fall over themselves to please customers. And in her siruation id have zipped my jacket up so you couldnt see my badge and moan about me, informed you tgey were mine and took them off the shelf.

LavenderDoll · 20/08/2017 17:38

Why speak to a manager ..... not a nice thing to doConfused

midnightmisssuki · 20/08/2017 17:40

Bit harsh to speak to the manager OP - I mean, you already embarrassed the lady, she relented. Surely that was enough? I think the whole speaking to her manager was a massive over reaction and quite mean. What did you want from it? Her to be sacked? Shock

spicyavocado · 20/08/2017 17:43

I used to work in Boots. The mark down stickers are kept behind the till and at a certain point in the day someone has to go out and mark down everything with todays sell-by date.

It's quite common practice to do this just before first break and doesn't make a difference to the store as they were going to be marked down anyway.

Our managers used to let us keep things behind the tills if we wanted to buy them later, whether that was perfume or a sandwich.

Oh and having worked in 5 different stores under many different managers and assistant managers I guarantee they don't/didn't care and did absolutely nothing about it.

Becca83 · 20/08/2017 17:44

You sound really mean

Bluntness100 · 20/08/2017 17:48

Yeah, I'd agree with the majority here, I'd assume the salads were marked down by the shop, I assume date related and she was saving them for her and possibly another employee.

I wouldn't have bought them, I'd have let her have them. I wouldn't have seen it as dishonest or thought she was doing worse also, as a pp suggests. Yes she shouldht have lied. But I think you were mean to take them when you knew deep down she wanted them and to then go and complain to the manager and try to get her fired or disciplined is even meaner.

I hope you enjoyed them.

WeAllHaveWings · 20/08/2017 17:52

No need and very spiteful to involve her manager. Did it make you feel good to get her into trouble? Quite sad really.

Billben · 20/08/2017 17:54

DH once hid a games console in the stock room until it was reduced to £25 by the automated system.

He should have been disciplined for that.

kali110 · 20/08/2017 17:57

Think it was really spiteful telling on her. You got your salads.
You're only assuming she wanted them anyway!
We often put things aside for other customers.

Nanny0gg · 20/08/2017 17:59

Snickers

Because it could have been sold at full price except it wasn't on the shop floor, it was hidden,