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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect to be able to make a purchase in a SHOP?

45 replies

suedonim · 24/04/2007 22:26

Today I took dd into John Lewis's children's shoe dept to have her feet measured for shoes. Much to my astonishment, the assistant said she was unable to serve us as it was too near to closing time!! I checked my watch, and there were at least 15mins before 5.30pm but even when I said I'd be buying school shoes and trainers and thus spending a fair bit of money, I had a negative response.

Surely shops should be serving people until closing time - I've done shopwork and carried on working until the last person was served even if that was after closing time. I think I feel an email to JLP coming on....

Btw, I can't believe I'm starting an AIBU thread but this has really annoyed me.

OP posts:
MamaG · 24/04/2007 22:28

report her to the manager lazy bitch!

heiferCROCloather · 24/04/2007 22:29

agree with MamaG - as usual ...

GreebosWhiskers · 24/04/2007 22:29

That is totally out of order. I can see the point of shops not allowing customers to enter if it is just before closing time but with 15 minutes to go you should defo have been served. I'd email John Lewis & complain for sure.

princesscc · 24/04/2007 22:29

You go girl - send that email! I can't think of any reason for them not to serve you tbh. Surely shop hours are 9.30 - 5.30 and therefore 5.15 is within that time.

TheArmadillo · 24/04/2007 22:30

report.

All the shops I've worked in would be furious with any staff who did this.

YANBU.

choosyfloosy · 24/04/2007 22:36

It never fails to amaze me how incredibly difficult it is to get a British company to take your money.

Witness restaurants - 9 times out of 10 the only way to get a waiter to take notice is to attempt to walk out without paying.

I remember someone on here who worked for Clarks who described as 'cheeky' people who wanted non-Clarks shoes checked. I saw what she meant, yet I think in many countries this would be seen as gold dust, i.e. customers of competitors, who nonetheless trust your brand so much that they are in your shop, and are psychologically ripe to be sold stuff!

John Lewis does treat its staff well so possibly there is a policy that staff don't have to agree to do anything that would potentially take them into overtime.

But I'd have been incredibly frustrated. It's so hard to get to the right shop at the right time at all.

2shoes · 24/04/2007 22:50

complain

SNOWBall4girlz · 24/04/2007 22:55

definately complain
hard enough to get the kids to the shoe shop in matching socks then not get served wtf 15 mins til closing !!
e-mail customer services
that is well out of order

Chocolateface · 24/04/2007 23:02

I had an independent shoe shop reluctantly serve me 10 mins before closing. Apparently it takes a very long time to fit children's shoes.

Original poster
suedonim · 24/04/2007 23:38

Email sent! It may well be the case that JLP staff can turn down tasks but the least they could do is have a sign up saying shoes won't be fitted less than 30mins before closing time, or something. This time they've lost the money because I'm not going into town again before we go back abroad on Friday. I'm visiting my mum tomorrow so I hope I can get shoes near to her place.

I agree, ChoosyFloosy, it can be hard to get people to take your money here! We've just been on holiday to Madeira and I was struck by how professional their workers are, shop assistants, hotel and restaurant staff, everyone we came into contact with, really. It's probably a vicious circle in the UK now. People are grumpy with shop assistants so they are grumpy to their customers, who are then even grumpier back etc.

OP posts:
Califrau · 24/04/2007 23:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
suedonim · 24/04/2007 23:46

It wouldn't happen in the US, I'm sure Califrau! Are you over the jetlag yet?

OP posts:
Ladymuck · 24/04/2007 23:57

Was the assistant already serving a customer? Or was she just polishing the mirrors etc? Assuming the latter, then I would have probably looked for a manager there and then. However as a veteran of the children's shoe department in John Lewis Oxford Street, there is always a huge rush of parents in the last week of the school holidays (though most schools would have been back by today?). We didn't typically turn customers away unless it was clear that we would not be able to start the fitting with time for the customer to leave. We were on the 4th floor, fitting for 2 pairs of shoes would take 15 minutes+, then time at the till plus escorting customer safely out of the building (as other departments may have closed). That said, once we started a transaction we were there until the finish (as were till staff, manager, security and the cash office staff as till could not be balanced until after the transaction). End Aug it wasn't that unlikely for schoolwear and shoe staff to not finish before 6:15 (even though shop closed at 5:30). Fairly unpopular throughout the whole store, but not much you can do if you start kitting out a new uniform in the afternoon - sometimes it judt drags on!

Tbh you'd have more likely been served if you had only mentioned one pair of shoes. Still hpoefully the JLP goodwill policy will come up with something.

GeeGee2 · 25/04/2007 00:17

She obviously had a hot date that evening and wanted to get off on time.

Original poster
suedonim · 25/04/2007 00:19

She was just floating about the department, not doing anything that I could see. Another assistant was fitting a small boy, though. The schools went back here on 15th April so definitely no rush on!

Thinking about it, though, I'm wondering if there's been a misunderstanding. The assistant had a foreign accent (Aberdeen v popular with Polish people) and although her English was good maybe she's misinterpreted the rules and regs that JLP has? It does seem an odd thing to say.

OP posts:
twentypence · 25/04/2007 05:43

Dh has to serve people even if they come in to make a claim for a house fire at 5 mins to closing. The receptionist is good in that she makes sure the load is spread evenly and that mothers or fathers who have to pick up kids or face penalty fees can do so. He is late maybe once a month.

However he is not known to answer the phone at 5 to closing time!

Stigaloid · 25/04/2007 11:57

Definitely report! The shop was still open for custom - it was therefore her job to serve you. I am sure JLP would be appalled to hear how this staff member acted. Sounds like a lazy sales assistant to me.

Original poster
suedonim · 26/04/2007 01:33

I've had an email from JLP saying this should not have happened and apologising for a wasted journey; they've also left a message on my answer machine asking me to call them to discuss it, which I'll do tomorrow (been out all day today - see my thread about Power of Attorney!) and see what they have to say. I spent GBP67 on shoes for dd today at Clarke's in Perth, so that was their gain and JLP's loss.

OP posts:
AitchTwoOh · 26/04/2007 01:40

vouchers! get vouchers! tell them you've told us - drinks are on suedonim.

Original poster
suedonim · 26/04/2007 02:09

Hehehe! I also complained to Sainsbury's about their filthy restaurant recently. They gave me 1000 points on my card, which I thought was pretty mean but then dd said it's the equivalent of 10gbp sp I guess that covered the cost of the food. Actually, I might take up complaining as a career......

OP posts:
Katy44 · 26/04/2007 02:11

1000 points is only £2.50 I think in Sainsbury's itself.
Might be more if you exchange it through the nectar scheme. I could be wrong though - hope I am!

Original poster
suedonim · 26/04/2007 03:17

Is it? Then that's not so good! It used to be that a point was worth a penny but that was when the card first came out, donkey's years ago.

OP posts:
Katy44 · 26/04/2007 03:19

Actually it might be 500 is £2.50, sorry.
Am looking for something now but can't seem to find anything about redeeming them.

misc · 26/04/2007 03:21

suedonim what are you doing up at this strange hour?
I'm here because of a noisy dog (mine!)waking me up.

Katy44 · 26/04/2007 03:23

yes it's 500 points = £2.50
Entered a prize draw to win one of those bags while I was on there!

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