To be Angry with b&q

[Pregbabe]

Hi I am 31 weeks pregnant and yesterday was in b&q doing some shopping. I was bursting for a wee so asked the female staff member if there were any toilets, she said staff ones only and I couldn't use them. I had run across to Morrisons on the other side of the retail park.

Giles Yes - where I work we had a public toilet severely damaged by the public very recently and we're not even retail (think performing arts).

This allegedly happened in my local B&Q
www.loughboroughecho.net/news/local-news/cheeky-porn-stars-filmed-scene-5804638 local-news/cheeky-porn-stars-filmed-scene-5804638

I can't believe people even think for a second that staff can just leave the floor like that.

Retail staff spend alot of time on their own . You can't just go out the back with customers

Besides in a shop that's not say a cafe pub or somewhere with actual customer loos, and is readonsbly close to somewhere else /town centre, customers asking means they have obviously been caught short or come over unwell which is when you get the piss and shit everywhere.

Both myself and dc have a medical condition which affects toilet use and it is a nightmare. I have had to complain recently because certain places have been locking their public disabled toilet with their own key so that the disabled radar key lock doesn't work and you have to run around and find a member and staff.

I understand why private establishments won't let you use them as they don't want to get sacked but for people like us the lack of public toilets is horrendous.

This thread is an interesting insight in to how retail workers think. I suppose they are good at their jobs because they abide by the rules, which obviously is what the management want.

What absolute bullshit.

I am good at my job because I put the effort in, but that doesn't mean I am going to risk losing it for an entitled customer.

I follow the rules mainly because if I didn't theneed I'd lose the job I need to keep my bills and rent paid as well as feed and clothe me and my daughter.

Also, for the most part, the rules are not just arbitrarily created, there is a reason behind them. So not letting customers into employee areas is a liability issue; refusing to take electrical returns without a receipt is a loss prevention issue; not honouring a clear/obvious misprint on a price label (eg rrp £100, the price label on the shelf shows £10 but scans at £100) is common sense and the store has no legal obligation to lose the money; when a 23yo looks under 25 and wants to buy cigarettes without I'D and gets refused thats a legal issue etc.

Sometimes it means that it can be frustrating to customers who think that "the easiest and most logical solution is X" when X doesn't take into account the fact that either the process or system won't physically allow that. Or customers want you to make an exception "just this once" for them when they are a relative stranger and the thing they want you to do is something small to them but could cost me my job.

You wouldn't walk into offices and ask to use the toilets

Even public places have STAFF ONLY areas.

Public place doesn't mean access all areas

Honestly in a big conglomerate shop like B&Q or similar never. These sort of stores you can't be alone for 2 seconds without someone going "can I help you? are you finding everything you need today?". It's irritating.

Which B&Q was this? It was a frequent occurrence in my store to be closing at the end of the night and realise that there were only 4 of you in the store, manager and cashier included and this had been the case since 4 o clock but you had just been so busy running round like a blue arsed fly that you hadn't noticed.

It was all perfectly neat and tidy.

Please identify this store so we can give then an award. Ours was through a warehouse with 2 forklifts, 2 ppts, 2 wave machines, 3 pump trucks, any of which could be active and working round each other, numerous things that are sharp, explosive if mishandled, toxic, corrosive, heavy and/or unstable. You also had to pass the cash office and cloakroom which has no cameras and the toilets were often filled up with power tools on promotion as it was the only secure place to stash them and you had to climb over them to reach the sinks.

Again. Like fuck would the public be allowed in under any circumstances even if someone were available to take them.

WE can't even go in without a high viz and steel toe shoes. Random members of the public would be a health and safety nightmare.

I ALWAYS struggle to find a staff member in B&Q.

One of my friends was attacked by someone who made an excuse to be let into the staff only area and then pulled out a weapon and demanded access to the safe. That was in a small shop without any public toilets. So whilst most of the time customers are innocent, unfortunately some people aren't

I’ve actually been in a staff meeting today about dealing with a crisis at work. One thing that was mentioned was terrorist attacks. Keeping all staff areas locked and closed to the public is number 1 on the checklist to keep my workplace safe. For obvious reasons. There would be nothing to stop someone going round shops, hotels, bars etc coming up with excuses to possibly need to enter the staff areas and planting something like an explosive device. Except there is something stopping people from doing that... staff and locked doors. OP I’m not for one minute suggesting that you would be trying to do anything like that, but not all dangerous people walk around looking like dangerous people.
I would not be prepared to risk my job, my safety, my staff safety and security for a seemingly innocent looking member of the public. Sure this point has been made now...

I used to work for B&Q - though it's irrelevant it's the same company.

That was around 1999. We could take a member of the public to the staff loo - maybe insured, maybe not - nobody spoke about that when I was 16 in 1999! We would take small kids with their parent. I suppose pregnant women too.

Have you any idea how many times per day we were asked? I'm not exaggerating when I say we could have put one staff member on a Saturday on a relay run doing nothing else!

By the time you got them upstairs, waited around, back down... easily 10 minutes per person.

Most retail parks have food outlets, if you're likely to need to loo when out, familiarise yourself with what shops have them nearby and plan. I have IBS - I always know where I can use the loo.

What's wrong with so many people on this thread?

Have you any idea how many times per day we were asked? I'm not exaggerating when I say we could have put one staff member on a Saturday on a relay run doing nothing else!

By the time you got them upstairs, waited around, back down... easily 10 minutes per person

Well then maybe the company should install a public toilet! obvious answer. Big store, lots of toilet requests, cost per head, cost per making pregnant/unwell/desperate/normal person who just wants to shop comfortable and happy. Jesus - Just Do It. Install a toilet.

I agree with whoever said its about "how retail workers think". Drones who don't want to lose their job so obey the rules to the letter. No possibility of engaging with management to request in particular case (pregnant woman) customer could be accommodated. No possiblity of engaging with management as to whether a customer accessible toilet would be a good idea in future.

Nice to know so many women are supportive of pregnant women who need the loo.

Nope. Doesnt matter not worth challenging as I might lose my job.

No possiblity of engaging with management as to whether a customer accessible toilet would be a good idea in future

And you know that retail staff haven't asked their management because....?

Because in retail, a large proportion of the time, any given worker is 100% replaceable. Competition for jobs that don't require many qualifications is fierce, and people have families to feed.

Cost of retro fitting a toilet.
Cost of cleaning toilet.
Cost of maintaining toilet.
Cost of sanitary bin collectio service.
Ever worked somewhere with public loos and seen the state they can be left in?
Cost of lost sales space lost to new loos.

I'm not saying there isn't any point in doing the analysis. But it isn't necessarily going to come out in favour of building a loo!

You can add in value of customer good will and increased sales from impulse purchases of those coming for the loo - but these might both be low, if the customers don't expect a loo.

Sure it's great as a customer when there are loos - but are you saying EVERY shop should have them? And if so, are you happy to pay the price of that on your goods? I'm not.

And no, I don't have sympathy for any pregnant woman being angry with B&Q.

Plenty of sympathy for anyone who wishes there were more loos around, but not for those who are "angry" with a specific retailer.

Nope not going to lose my job so someone can go for a pee . World doesn't revolve around pregnant woman

No where is obligated to have a toilet unless they serve food and drink

I agree with whoever said its about "how retail workers think". Drones who don't want to lose their job so obey the rules to the letter.

And it's people like you and your attitude that make retail workers jobs that much harder.

Nope. Doesnt matter not worth challenging as I might lose my job.

Yup, that's exactly right. Why should someone incur the possibility of losing their job because someone can't hold in their bladder?

I have been to a b&q with a customer toilet and many without

If people strongly feel for whatever reason that there should be public accessible toilets in any/some stores then they should appeal or complain to the store itself

There have been masses of informative posts explaining why, in some shops, the facility isnt there

Why anyone thinks that the staff member on minimum wage would have a hope in hell of amending store policy is beyond me

Cant use the loo...then complain the management...start a petition...write to the local MP

I disagree. I think a little compassion in light of your obvious condition wouldn't be unreasonable better than a puddle on the floor! Our B&Q here in ni have loos. I would've thought they'd be provided if only to keep shoppers in the store longer

I agree with whoever said its about "how retail workers think". Drones who don't want to lose their job so obey the rules to the letter.

Right, like anyone working at Goldman Sachs or Merryl Lynch is going to let a stranger in to take a piss

What a nasty attitude.

People can't expect to get access to the loo on every premise that they enter!