Customer service goes out the window when you're clearly an idiot!

[RiskyRetail]

This is more of a rant than AIBU, feel free to join me...

So I work in a supermarket convenience store. I was on the early shift yesterday and surprise surprise, people are still ignoring social distancing and essential travel... Just a few examples of people being idiots include...

• Old people coming in to buy a newspaper
• People coming to buy lottery tickets

Neither are food or medicine. What do people not understand about essential travel?

• People coming to the till with a single item... Go to the self checkout FFS 😡
• People not understanding the 2m distance. You don't need to be peeking over my shoulder whilst I'm dealing with the self scan.
• People realising there's a queue to get into the shop and then grunting forget it. If you can 'forget it', it is clearly not essential so why the fuck are you out and about?

I was very snappy with a few customers yesterday but I'm beyond caring. I'm not going to stand with a smile while your idiotic behaviour puts me and people I care about at risk!

[AvonBarksdale99]

Oh no! And they were fat as well! They should get some exercis- well, not outside obviously... but they are fat... so they don’t deserve to be out... head explodes

[ivegonegreyfindingausername]

Shitwithsugaron

Im more shocked you or someone you knw managed to get 95% of the ingredients for a spag bol!!!

The ignorance of the public does not surprise me at all. My mum said it was much quitter in Tesco yesterday and people standing in the squares but when my husband went for milk to Asda he said no one was bothered and he couldn't get away from people in the queues.
I haven't left the house for 3 days but the foot traffic in the main roads is reduced and only 1 to 2 people per bus that comes past around every hour with reduced service. Not bad considering its usually an every 10mins service.

[itsgettingweird]

Nothing the shopping trolley full isn't the issue. It's the people who think they need that daily!

[browzingss]

@ilovecakeandwine no. the guidance is essential shopping only, so buying newspaper/lottery doesn’t fall under essential purchases. walking to a shop is irrelevant, just because you walked instead of driving doesn’t mean you are now justified in only buying a newspaper.

we’re all supposed to be limiting the amount we visit the shops, so you can’t be buying daily papers as part of your lockdown routine.

[Someonesayroadtrip]

I agree people shouldn't be popping out for non essentials, but it's ridiculous to suggest people can't buy non essentials, like chocolate or a newspaper anymore. If the shop sells them I think it's fine as long as it's limited to as little as possible, so with your usual essential shop.

[ilovecakeandwine]

If they are buying them with milk or bread there is no harm to buy a newspaper but to go just for the newspaper sounds odd anyway you can download theses days .

[iloveruby]

@Someonesayroadtrip where has anyone said that you mustn't buy non-essentials at all??

[WitsEnding]

My. Mum relies on her paper as she's quite deaf and lives alone. I am now only getting it when I also need milk for both of us - big cartons to minimise trips, and I can't carry it as well as our weekly shop.

Shop assistant still gives me The Look even from six feet away, paying contactless.

[Marieo]

@PlomBear your persec is terrible lol

Anyway, I agree popping out for one or two non essentials is silly and dangerous, but I do understand the newspaper as for some without the internet it's the only way they access news aside from on the telly. Here there is a delivery service for free, guessing it's not ideal but also one person being out saves 50 going out. It can live on surfaces so them posting it might take it into their homes, but must be safer then them going to the supermarket.

[h3av3n]

I don't understand the chocolate argument, food IS essential... why does it matter what it is? Where do we draw the line..?

[Sargass0]

As always on Mumsnet, the drama and emotion runs high

What does Birdie friend think?

[RiskyRetail]

Maybe I should have been clearer. I have no problem if you grab a newspaper or chocolate ALONG with essential shopping. I'm complaining about the people who come in daily for a single newspaper or their daily scratch card fix!

Walking to the shop for a newspaper is not an acceptable form of exercise!! Walking yes but don't come into the fucking shop! You have no need! Newspapers ARE NOT ESSENTIAL!

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe]

I hope this thread goes soon. What an indictment of MN.

Mirada such a twattish post. Lardbucket?

[greenleafycarrot]

I don’t think it’s fair to judge purchases.

The instruction is "essential" food shops. Picking up easter eggs when you go to stock up on essentials = fine. Going out just to get easter eggs - fucking stupid.

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe]

shitwithsugaron, you're in the wrong job. For everybody's sake call in sick/stay home/find another one.

You have no business being customer-facing. None whatever.

[SarahTancredi]

I think if someone comes in buying absolute non essentials - eg just a newspaper, the sale should be refused

But they are there already so what's the point of sending them out again?

Plus how do you know they dodnt come out for other things too but were unable to get them?

To an elderly person that walk to the shop may actually be their exercise which is allowed.

Perhaps people should just serve instead of deciding what is and isnt essential when theres a good chance the only reason they are out "too often" is because panic buying has caused them to not be able to get what they need. Family can no longer visit. And there are no delivery slots.

[Cosmodian]

Can not believe another thread where people just do not get it - go out as infrequently as you possibly can, there is less chance of the virus spreading if everyone does this. i.e. go once a week at the most and get everything you need then. Unbelievable.

In other countries the army are out making sure this is what you do, and there could be no exercise allowance if this happens here - do you really want this?? It will happen if people are incapable of policing themselves. This has really made me wonder what is wrong with people... look at what is happening in hospitals, why would you keep popping out for a few items. Yes as one person it may not seem so bad but can you really not see the implications if everyone does this?? I really despair.

[Whichoneofyoudidthat]

What’s the consensus on sultanas?

[Waspnest]

I do! No one needs chocolate. We were told to go out for essential purchases only. Continue to go out, and making excuses as to why you need to and we'll soo find ourselves under stricter rules.

I think this is the sort of post people were responding to OP.

[ilovecakeandwine]

How do you know he came in for something that was essential saw none left so just bought his newspaper ? you don't and you shouldn't be policing what people buy it's hard enough . Why sell newspapers and lottery tickets? If it bothers you so much put a sign up saying only buy essentials see how that goes down .
I think if the guy has gone for his walk fair enough, some people aren't tech savvy don't use the internet so it's his way of the daily news . I wouldn't I'd download go online same with a lottery .

[Eyeslikethesea]

I work in a bargain store that’s still open because we sell food and medicine. The vast majority of people coming in were buying paint, garden furniture or home furnishings.
I am actually so upset by people thinking this is acceptable.
The rest of my customers were buying sweeties.
Apparently my life, my colleagues lives and our families lives don’t matter because we are minimum wage workers who should shut up and be grateful we have a job.
But yeah, there are a lot of people who just don’t care

[Graphista]

The sale of non-essentials needs to be stopped.

Lottery tickets, newspapers, stamps... all non essential for now. What else would we add to the list?

Doing this could also free up space on shop floors and in warehouses for essential items.

Especially in stores where normally the floor space isn't predominantly food based they're being allowed to stay open because they sell essential food/cleaning/toiletry items that should be all they're selling right now.