Was this retail assistant a bit U?

[AlleyOop]

Bit of background
My mum usually comes with me on the last day of the kids school term and we have a day out and she buys me some shoes in the early sale for my birthday- it’s a tradition we’ve done for years and I always wear those shoes on Xmas day

Sadly she’s very poorly (cancer) and not mobile at the moment

I drove to the shopping centre and found something perfect (I’d actually had my eye on them for months not able to buy them myself when they were full price in September )

I find that they don’t have any nationwide in my size (and annoyingly they’re in the sale) in store they only have small sizes

As I leave I notice there’s a pair of the mannequin next to the till and I ask if they’re my size she says no and says those shoes are huge.

Disappointed I leave and call mum (who’s ringing a lot asking where I’m going so she can “be with me”) and I mention the shoes

She persuades me to go in ask if they can check the shoes on display and they refuse saying that they cannot sell them as they will then have a half dressed mannequin - and that she knows that they are my size but she won’t give them to me.

What would you have done?

I know this is an incredibly pathetic first world problem but because I was in my own and channeling my very feisty mum I pushed them a bit more- in the end 3 sales assistants got involved- giving their reasons why I shouldn’t have the shoes

What would you have done?

They have shit jobs

Not everyone who works in retail has a shit job...some people enjoy their jobs

Its just sometimes its shit

In some companies, display stock can't be sold as it's written off/doesn't actually exist according to the store stock holding. This causes issues if you sell it.There's also the fact chains tend to issue display guidelines that must be adhered to, no deviations, and if it's not exactly right, you get a bollocking. So, maybe it was the same here?

@MidnightCircus
They went through the till with no bother at all and I bought them

I was very thankful to her and said I really appreciated her taking the time to get them for me. Her name was on the receipt and I will send an email thanking the company and naming her and maybe the next time someone asks she will do the same minus the side eye

I hated working retail in my student days. People just think you’re equivalent to shit on their shoes and talk down to you. She said no, you should have respected that and left like any normal person would have.

@nowaypose I didn’t talk to her like shit

And I’m sure if she wasn’t able to sell them to me they would not have gone through the till on the barcode
I honestly think either she wanted them or she could not be bothered but I could be wrong of course

Depends where you shop I assume noway, I’ve worked in retail most of my career and love nothing more than helping a customer and getting a sale ... no one is ever rude to me