Going Shopping FFS!

[Tastethedifference]

Today I went to a local homeware store to replace some much needed household items. It is a large chain claiming to be ‘safe’ and have ‘strict social distancing’.

Looked promising on arrival, screens up, staff wearing PPE and monitoring entry. Big sign saying ‘wait here until told to enter’ there wasn’t a queue though, we were waved straight in.

We got our items, following one way system, when suddenly it was packed, far too many people to Observe social distancing. Lots of staff members just standing around adding to the numbers and not challenging anyone or helping in any way (chatting to each other). No one could move without getting close to others. It seemed to come from nowhere. Nobody paid attention to the one way system anymore and we just had to head for the tills ASAP.
I thought maybe it was just a busy section but no the whole shop was super busy!

To add insult to injury the tills (Laid out in a giant L shape), forced everyone to walk along the back of others with less than 1 meter gap.

I fully appreciate that everyone else had just as much right to be there as I did and I’m not complaining about that, but why were the shop not controlling it better?
I have no problem queuing and waiting my turn to shop safely and at a reasonable distance from others like at supermarkets - one in one out system.

Surely stores opening and behaving this recklessly will just set everything back massively. If they say ‘we are safe and strictly abiding social distancing policies’ then that’s what I expect. AIBU?

I’m honestly starting to think that it’s just ‘business as usual’ again to everyone and I’m the one being precious.

How well organised a store is in terms of social distancing depends entirely on the skills and attentiveness of the store manager (or acting manager, depending on the day). When you look at their salaries (retail pay is really, really low) it’s unsurprising that many don’t have the inclination to tackle these new issues and train up staff accordingly. Let’s not forget that stores are not run by the SAS.

P.S YANBU - it’s a shit situation.

@Annabk

I know but surely this is common sense?
I pointed out the lack of appropriate space to the lady behind the till (whilst people were practically brushing shoulders with us trying to get past), she shrugged and said ‘it’s 2 meters wide, they measured it’.

So they measured a 2m gap but didn’t account for the fact that multiple people had to stand in/walk along that space whilst maintaining a 2m gap from each other. Stupidity at its finest.

Also you can't force customers to listen to you as a retail assistant, I'm dreading going back to work, half of the staff probably don't even believe in social distancing as a need, a lot of people think it's no big deal regardless, it's just the flu, so it's gonna be chaos in stores.

People are gonna argue against the number of people allowed in the store at a time, how many people could you realistically argue with a day, for weeks on end before giving up.

I work in Retail, for a major store that was allowed to stay open. We try all the time to tell people to follow the social distancing guidelines but they just refuse to. We had to give up on the single shopper rule due to the sheer amount of abuse we were getting. People just queue separately then join up in store. We restrict numbers in but people insist on browsing for a long time in store and then we end up with a long queue at the tills. It's easier to just ignore it than keep being abused day in day out. I can't even begin to describe what we have had to put up with daily. I would like to say that our company supports the staff but they just don't want the complaints, so tell us to let them get on with it basically. I've learnt to not let it upset me and try to just do my job the best I can.

@thesedaysarescary

I can empathise, I certainly wasn’t blaming the cashier, just pointing out that in this case it was impossible to follow the 2m rule even if every shopper tried hard to, the shop simply hadn’t left enough space.

In fairness my DH had to go to B&Q several weeks ago (to fix a serious leak in our home) and was disgusted by the amount of full families (several kids and all) shopping there. This was in the height of lockdown when their website (and all the signs outside the store) clearly stated only one person per household and strictly no under 16’s!

Wonder why they even bothered.

I understand there may be rare occasions where an adult has no option but to take children to get urgent shopping/items. I understand lots of single parents of those with partners who were key workers had no other choice.

But when 2-3 adults and several children are shopping in a group it was bloody ridiculous. It wasn’t a day out FFS!

I work in retail and am dreading enforcing it. Know exactly the abuse i will getting and people won't listen. We're working through our guidelines now and its a pain in the backside

The trouble is that so many people in society are not prepared to follow rules or think they don't apply to them. It is so hard when so many will not listen. The fact that they would rather shout abuse and personal insults at staff who are trying to keep everyone safe is what has shocked me the most. The people who moan about the queues or generally just moan about measures I can deal with and sympathise with, but the members of society who proper kick off because they've been asked to follow the one way system or be respectful of other shoppers or staffs personal space just make me angry. We have whole families shopping with kids running round and they really do not like being told to keep them with them or stop them touching stuff. I was screamed at by one lovely lady that her kids were bored so why shouldn't they run around and play in the shop it was none of my business what she as a parent let's them do 🙄 a whole new generation of entitlement

I understand your frustration but I actually think the public are to blame. Everybody, without exception, knows that we have to keep 2 metres apart but people are fed up of lockdown and have no patience. I've had people tutting, eye-rolling and storming past me when I've waited behind someone in an aisle choosing their groceries. They just need to realise that the days of just popping in and out of shops are no longer. Be prepared for the shopping trip to take much longer and just be patient but it is beyond some people it seems. It's not fair to expect teenage shop assistants to police the behaviour of the general public and nobody deserves to have abuse hurled at them in work. People really are the worst.

@thesedaysarescary i feel like we definitely work for the same company!x

@Betsy86 I wouldn't be surprised if all the companies trading at this time are facing the same issues! Some attract these type of people and mine definitely does 🤣

I’m a retail manager

They are just guidelines and not law. The amount of abuse retail staff have had through this is obscene. I’ve been physically assaulted, told the twat store was too full and closed, but no, forced me to the ground to get in, police out etc.

So don’t say ‘shops should do more’

I feel like I also work for same company as you two!

This is exactly why I wear gloves and a mask whenever I go into any shop. I know they aren't fool proof but they do help a bit, and if everyone did it, it would go some way towards protecting others when shops have tight corners that make it difficult to keep up the distance.
Customers can do their part, it shouldn't all be down to the shop...

Surely you were adding to the problem by going shopping?

You say you were shopping for household goods so not food which obviously is essential. Have that many things really broken beyond repair in nine weeks?
I shop at Tesco and they have a large household area, why not buy things whilst doing a food shop or alternatively online?

Sounds like you are part of the problem or is it just everyone else who should stay at home?
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I'm returning to retail (huge premises, v busy) on Sunday and dreading it. Got so much abuse on the last day we were open.
Try controlling when you get so much abuse, people screaming and spitting in your face, deliberately dropping items..I won't be remaining calm and polite when I go back I don't think...

I would guess that shop staff receive so much abuse that's it's not worth it for them. I worked in retail as a student and you are treated like s@*t generally by many people.

I’m actually looking to get out of retail now because of the public.

We employ a large amount of younger people and I feel so protective over them, they are easy targets and rarely stand up for themselves. Awful awful behaviour

Someone kicking off massively today over lack of availability of a garden fork. Think I want out

I'm dreading going back to work because of this. But there's no way I'll be arguing with anyone, I'll be keeping 2 meters away from them. If they want to be an arse that's their lookout, I'm not paid enough to challenge idiots. That's for management.

@Fairyliz

Surely you were adding to the problem by going shopping?
Not really, they’re re opening non essential shops in the hope people will shop because the economy is on its arse and thousands of jobs are at risk.

You say you were shopping for household goods so not food which obviously is essential. Have that many things really broken beyond repair in nine weeks?
Yes- I moved house 2 weeks before lockdown so got stuck (with a newborn) living in a partial building site for lock down!

I shop at Tesco and they have a large household area, why not buy things whilst doing a food shop or alternatively online?
Actually buying all your home ware items from supermarkets in my opinion makes you a bigger part of the problem. People queuing in need of vital essentials are having to wait longer so you can browse their towels and teaspoon selection.

Sounds like you are part of the problem or is it just everyone else who should stay at home?

(Face palms hard) I quite clearly said everyone else had the same right to be there but (and here’s the important part) also be safe! I’ll happily queue and wait my turn but they weren’t making people queue, they were just letting everyone in.

I guess the staff feel they don’t earn enough to have to put up with the verbal abuse tbh. A lot of staff are very young, and feel intimidated by older people. It’s a farce - social distance queuing outside stores works well, but once inside, people are just focused on what they’re putting in their baskets, and social distancing gets thrown out the window. Trolleys and baskets are cleaned, but then you see people pick items up and put them back on the shelves.

I work in retail and the stores have done what they can and it's now upto the customers to use there brains and follow the guidelines. Store staff cannot police everyone and after the abuse we have had for the last 10 weeks were tired and now had enough. It's not hard for customers to use there brains

I’ll happily queue and wait my turn but they weren’t making people queue, they were just letting everyone in

And what exactly do you think is going to happen come 15 June when all non essential shops are back open for business. Its all fine and well controlling how many people are entering/exiting the shop to ensure shoppers safety within the store but when each shop along the high street has a socially distanced winding queue outside all intertwining and blocking the way for pedestrians walking through it all becomes a bit pointless.

@Annabk - yes, it is BAU.
Once you saw Cummings, Vardakar... then the CEO of Astra Zeneca (so called miracle vaccine maker) is worried about the virus not being around by September... ? Well, then I just go on as BAU. Anyone who is vulnerable can shiled until the vaccine is ready the others can work on herd immunity and try to get the economy back on track.
Second wave will come, dont get me wrong, but we need to prepare for that now