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AIBU?

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.

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suedonim · 26/04/2007 03:30

I'm a bit wired because I've driven a couple of hundred miles and spent half the day with my mother. I'm about to go to bed though as I have a looooong day tomorrow before we go back to Nigeria. Got to clean the house, do the laundry, pack and then get up at 4am Fri morning.

Katy, are you...um....labouring atm??

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Katy44 · 26/04/2007 03:33

I hope so - I'm certainly missing sleep and in pain
Goodnight Hope you get all your jobs done tomorrow

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misc · 26/04/2007 03:35

have a good journey back, sounds like you have a lot to do tomorrow think I will go to bed too and leave the contraction buddies to it! I'm excited and I don't even know them!

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suedonim · 26/04/2007 03:37

Oh, goodness me!! Hope it all goes okay for you and there's news here by morning.

It's babies all round - I'm awaiting news from a friend who's 11 days overdue and also my niece-in-law, who is 38wks pg with twins.

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suedonim · 26/04/2007 03:37

Night folks!

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kslatts · 26/04/2007 10:15

You are not being unreasonable, I would write to John Lewis to complain.

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kittyhas6 · 26/04/2007 10:27

Especially sice the staff are share holders

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GrumpyOldHorsewoman · 26/04/2007 10:46

My Mum had the same thing in Laura Ashley (Salisbury branch) a couple of weeks ago. She actually had a jacket in her hand that she was waiting to pay for at the till (about 10 mins to closing - doors still open). A nearby assistant told her that they had closed that till and she had to pay upstairs. She took it upstairs but all the assistants were beavering about the shop floor and denying responsibility for the till, so mum just left the jacket and the shop. Ridiculous because in the time they spent faffing around refusing to accept payment she could have paid, left and been halfway back to the car park.

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suedonim · 26/04/2007 16:37

Oh well, lots of abject apologies from JLP but no vouchers. I probably could have got some but when the manager asked if I'd made a special trip to them my guilt-ridden conscience menat I couldn't tell a lies so I had to say no.

But now I'm beginning to think JLP owes me, anyway. Dh sent his ipod soundock in for repair but it came back minus the remote control, without which it's useless. It turns out JLP forgot to give it back to us and it's still in their shop so I can't get it until July, grr.

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AitchTwoOh · 26/04/2007 17:26

is it the glasgwo store? (i mention this cos you said perth before). can i get it for you and post it? i think you shoudl ahve got vouchers, deffo.

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suedonim · 26/04/2007 21:16

That's really sweet and kind of you to offer, AitchTwoOh, thank you. I won't take you up on it, though, as it's the Aberdeen store and they've said they'll keep it until we're home again in July.

I think I should have got vouchers too - my v Christian friend said she'd have fibbed to get vouchers!!

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mawbroon · 26/04/2007 21:41

I always do my complaints by post rather than email. That way, they have your postal address and are more likely to send you vouchers etc. I have so far received £20 Waitrose vouchers, a free upgrade from DFDS and some replacement Denby. I must add that there were all legitimate complaints that other people might not have bothered to make. I used to work for JLP and I am surprised at the treatment you received tbh and would be mightily pissed off if it were me on the receiving end of it.

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cat64 · 26/04/2007 21:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

suedonim · 26/04/2007 21:54

I couldn't write to complain as I'm going back abroad tomorrow so there wasn't enough time. JLP have my details as I have a card with them so maybe there'll be a surprise in the post when I get back.

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SlackSally · 15/08/2007 00:40

Hi. I've never posted before but I've been lurking for...ooh an age now.

I felt compelled to comment because for the last two summers I have worked on a children's shoes department of a well known department store. We (not the same store) have indeed been expressly instructed NOT to start a shoe fitting after 5.15. We discovered this rule after doing such a thing and subsequently keeping a lot of people waiting for a considerable time after closing. As I think someone has explained, two pairs of shoes would take a minimum of 15 minutes, then paying, packing, escorting etc. And 15 minutes is assuming it goes fairly smoothly, child does not have awkwardly shaped feet, neither child or mother is fussy about style etc. I agree it would be a bit annoying, and a sign would be helpful. However, I don't think it's fair to call the assistant a 'lazy bitch'. Believe me, no one who has spent their day running up and down ladders, shouted at by various parents/children, endured often rancid feet and sat constantly in painful positions would appreciate being called lazy.

We would certainly allow someone to pay for goods at this time, but shoe fitting on children is far too important a job to rush. I'm sure most parents would be outraged if they had to return to the store with a child with bleeding feet and ruined shoes. And yes, assistants could, physically, stay until the process was complete, but I see no reason why someone on a joke of a wage should be kept behind, unpaid, stressed and knackered, because someone else has come in at the very end of the day wanting a specialised service. I'm sure this was probably one of few convenient times for OP, but I have seen fellow assistants stressing themselves silly because a lingering, demanding customer, who decides they have to have x, right now, ten minutes after closing time, and the assistant has their own kids to pick up, their own dinner to cook. Shop assistants are people too.

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MotherFunk · 15/08/2007 01:00

Message withdrawn

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SofiaAmes · 15/08/2007 06:49

god am I glad I am back in the USA where if a store says it's open until 5, it's open until 5. And if someone comes in at 4:55 looking for a service, they get that service, because the store management would have had the foresight to make sure that their staff were paid for a reasonable amount of time after the closing time. AND if for some reason there were services that could not be done close to closing time, that would be clearly posted as a store policy.
Having said that, I don't think calling people names is productive or kind regardless of their work ethic.

And could I add that my own personal opinion is that the whole shoe fitting thing is one big money making todo. I am perfectlly able to tell whether my children's toes are reaching the end of their shoes and whether they really are uncomfortable (or in my dd's case, just not pink enough). My children have never had "bleeding toes" or even blisters. And frankly, I think shoes from ASDA (or Target here in the usa) are perfectly sufficient and a much better buy for the money.

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Freckle · 15/08/2007 06:57

We have an independent shoe shop here in town where the staff are absolutely lovely and nothing is too much trouble. Staff stayed until 30 minutes past closing time to ensure my children had the right shoes. I even offered to leave and come back, but they insisted that my children left the shop that evening with well fitting shoes.

I rewarded them the following day by going back and buying some lovely (not cheap) sandals for myself!

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babygrand · 15/08/2007 07:59

Slightly different location I know, but the other day we were in a stately home eating a picnic tea in the grounds when a member of staff came over and told us to leave immediately as they were locking up. It was a full half-an-hour before closing time, and we were only a couple of minutes from our car. She was quite aggressive. Won't be going back there again.

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flowerybeanbag · 15/08/2007 08:00

I had same experience in Peter Jones a few years ago - I dashed in there with a friend who urgently needed a posh outfit, it was about 30 minutes before closing, we ran to ladieswear, I grabbed her 2 things, and we went to the changing room, with about 20 minutes to spare. I then had to have an argument for 5 minutes with the lady to allow my friend to nip in and try on.
We were about to spend about £150 on an outfit, didn't require any help, my friend just needed to make sure what I had picked for her fitted.
We eventually persuaded them to let us in, tried it on and were ready at the til about 5 minutes before closing.
Turns out they had already cashed up the till, which must have been why they were so p***d off with us.
Not good, though, and not what you expect from John Lewis either.

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