Asked to move back ..aibu to be annoyed?

[simdd]

I went to Morrison's today.
I'm stood in the queue for the deli counter.
She shouts for my turn so I go over
(Obviously I cant see what I want,so before I order I look at the items )
I'm stood back (not right next to the counter)
She shouts .."can you step back "
(Bare in mind she's behind the deli counter and the counter is quite wide outwards)
So I say "I am back,I'm trying to see what I want to get "
Step back further and block the aisle now ..
Then she throws my meat on the counter.
I go to pick it up and she pipes up again
"I did ask you to step back"
So I reply .."how the hell am I meant to pick it up from on top of the counter without moving forward"
Aibu to think people are getting a bit stupid here and not using common sense.

@Lady what are you talking about? @rawlikesushi was responding to a poster who told a woman to fuck off because she complained that she didn't maintain the two meter distance and pushed past her - and recommended that perhaps she could have responded without swearing at her and then you called @Raw rude - which is completely inexplicable as she didn't swear at someone. If you don't find that sort of thing unacceptable then perhaps the reason store staff are difficult with you says a lot more about your attitude than it does about their adherence to the rules.

And for the final time - to pay for your goods you simply wait at the line until indicated to step forward. It's really not that hard - clearly many many people are doing it because if not we would see thousands more posts from people with no shopping.....

We get that you don't like the rules, that you think they are beneath you evidently and people who follow them are jobsworths and pathetic but the rules are in place to keep everyone safe. It's wonderful that you clearly don't have anyone you need to worry about - are you so selfish that you are willing to risk infecting other people just so you aren't inconvenienced? You can't guarantee you don't have the virus (especially with your dubious attitude towards SD and keeping safe) so how can you guarantee you won't infect someone by not adhering to the guidelines provided to keep us all safe?

And lastly - if I came across some foul mouthed woman swearing and mocking another customer when she was in the wrong - I would most certainly consider her a banshee with no manners or self respect. I'm amazed you (or anyone) would defend that sort of behavior regardless of your feelings on social distancing.

"1: I refrained from telling anyone to fuck off -because I was with DP and he would've moaned-

1. I didn't slam anything down
2. I didn't "leave in a huff"

I actually wonder if you've rtft? "

All incidents detailed on this thread. I didn't say that you personally did any of them. Just responding to the comment about anxious people staying out of the way. Because I'm incredulous that anyone would think that anxious/worried/vulnerable people should stay out of the way, as opposed to the non-anxious exercising a bit of consideration.

@zaffa the reason why it doesn't occur at other tills with other people is because those staff aren't making things more difficult than necessary. As I said in my case with OTT self titled Covid Patrol, even the staff had had enough of his bollocks as he had been bullying them all day too. The poor girl on the till looked miserable, she said it was difficult enough now without him annoying customers and staff and putting everyone on edge.

Like any situation you get people who ignore rules, of course, but you also get those who are totally OTT but expect everyone else to understand what they expect you to do via being psychic. Why can't they step back if a customer can't reach the card machine? The stores are the ones who asked if customers wouldnt mind using card, if possible contactless, but a bit of common sense would suggest a 2m line with a card machine that is static isn't going to work. In that situation the staff member can decide to move back, most are now behind screens and just like everyone else they can decide to wear a mask too.

It's not "customers breaking rules" sometimes it's just someone on a power trip, sometimes its people lacking in foresight.

And no, I do not think I'm above the rules, I've been wearing masks before we were on lockdown, I also have asthma but I'm not going to be a dementor like some of you on here.
I've also had people literally come up right behind me in stores but what would be the point shouting like a loon? You cannot force people to follow a rule. You can ask politely but I've lived in some rough old areas where being told to fuck off would've been the least of squawking woman's problems.

@Lady but they do step back - once their part is done they step back and advise the customer to step forward. The examples here are customers just walking up to the counter past the line without being told to.

In your example it sounds as though the store were made aware and changed things to ensure that member of staff no longer behaved that way - so that situation was resolved.

In these other examples there was presumably a long line to the till or counter - so either all those other people ahead of the complaining posters were able to negotiate purchase and payment successfully or in each case the poster had an opportunity to witness what they consider OTT rule adherence and prepare accordingly.

Or did each person ahead in each of these queues leave without their purchases as they weren't willing to wait to be told to step forward?

The people who serve us in stores are allowed to take all the precautions available to them by law to protect themselves. It's very entitled for us, the shoppers, to refuse to comply because it's inconvenient.

And regardless of where you have previously lived, telling people to fuck off is rude, degrading and shows a real lack of self respect to speak to people like that. It is far worse than reminding people breaking the rules of what the rules are (which isn't a bad thing at all!) we are not dementors - we are literally following the rules!

And the name calling - morons, stasi wannabes, etc - on this thread is appalling! Why do we need to ridicule and mock people who are trying to keep themselves safe whilst still do their Jobs? It must be miserable enough having to put yourself at risk every day - why are we making it worse for the people who are actively helping us and providing a service by ridiculing and mocking them?

My local Morrisons is pretty awful at the best of times.

In desperation about halfway through lockdown I booked a delivery slot with then having tried everywhere else (am trying to shield as much as possible as caring for elderly vulnerable parents).

Received a confirmation email on the day...your shop will be with you between 10 - 11pm. Half my items unavailable but ok, beggars can't be chooses.

At 10.20pm I received a text. "We are unable to deliver your order."

No explanation or apology. Phoned customer service who contacted the store, 'there's no manager in'. Eventually had a call at about 3pm the following day, no apology, still didn't have a clue what had gone wrong, asking if I still wanted my shopping.

You can imagine what I told them to do with it.

Unfortunately there are a lot of people who believe that retail staff aren't real people. Therefore they should take any shit that customers feel like giving them. That was my experience before lockdown so it's probably a million times worse now.
Customers go in shop and go home, they forget the staff are there for 9 hours or more a day and then go home to their family.
People seem to misunderstand that a mask does not protect the wearer.
Still they're just retail staff. What do their lives matter?
I wonder how happy all the moaners on here would be if the retail world went on strike? Perhaps they should until they actually get a bit of respect.

I get that it’s really difficult and/or scary to work in an environment where you come into contact with a lot of people right now, but the lack of logic is just baffling.

I went into Superdrug and, as I went in, the woman on the door said “A normal shop only, please”. As compared to what? I asked her if there were items I couldn’t buy and she said no. I didn’t want to be That Person and say “Well I can buy whatever I bloody well like then, can’t I?” but it’s what I was thinking.

Equally my local Coop has a sign outside asking you to wait until someone else comes out. Except that you can’t see if there’s anyone in the shop at all so if it’s empty to start with you could be standing outside in the rain for a very long time.

When I did go in, I wanted one item. If I’d gone the “correct” way round, I’d have walked down three narrow aisle with people in them. The item in question was at the end of a completely empty aisle so I took two steps over the arrow meaning I was technically going the wrong way, picked up the item and turned round. Took all of two seconds. The couple in the far aisle running along the top of the aisle I’d just been in shrank against the biscuits in terror even though I was at least 10m away from them.

I’m of the firm belief that the first casualty of Covid was common sense.

@BrightYellowDaffodil yes I'm with you on the common sense thing

As for the pp who suggested, we don't care about poor retail workers, I'm an ex retail worker and have seen it all. I once, as a Saturday/Sunday girl in a local newspaper and offy got some bloke twice my size have a right go because he wanted every newspaper because Diana had died and we had, inevitably, sold out. I wasn't even responsible for the newspapers but hey ho
Do yes, I do give a shit. But I've also worked with jobsworths who are usually, or certainly in my experience, the most workshy or useless at their job.
Yes, vigilance is fine. Utter ott attitude problems are not. It makes an already difficult situation worse.
And I'm far from the only non-dementor on here who has used the term Covid Stasi.
It's like they've been waiting their whole lives to condescend people and this is literally the excuse from heaven.
Just as a customer ignoring, deliberately or otherwise (as rules seem to change weekly) is a nuisance to the shop workers, so are over zealous shop workers who don't use common sense to us (who are paying your wages and deserve respect).

If we all decided to go up and down the aisles to the ones we just wanted, then there would again be a lack of SD in the shops and people pushing past each other.

Yes it is an absolute pain to wait behind people who are taking their time to decide, instead of pushing past or circumventing them. We all understand that before we could do this but now, we cannot. We know it's inconvenient. We are all inconvenienced by shopping taking two or three times longer than it used to. But that is life now.

Those people in retail have seen their colleagues get sick from public infection at far greater rates than those of us not working in public facing roles, they are taking precautions not to take that sickness back home to their families whilst still providing us with a service. The attitude of I deserve respect because I pay your wages is incredibly telling of an entitled mindset. I think we will find that we need those shop workers far more than they need us - we may pay for the goods but we wouldn't be in a position to get any goods if they weren't willing to take those risks and sell them to us.

And saying oh everyone else is also calling them names is hideously immature and pathetic.

@zaffa I'm not sure why but you seem to entirely ignore most of what I say just so you can bitch at me
Do bore off dear.

I'm not entitled. Just would like respect, rather than being treated as a leper/moron all the time.

You totally ignore the fact I'm ex retail myself so know what I'm talking about. In any situation, you remain respectful, you do not shriek like a hysterical banshee because someone has the audacity to want to actually pay for their goods.

Yanbu the world has gone mad. There’s been far too much scaremongering. Life has to continue, the economy needs to get moving again, people need access to proper facts and research and we all need to act like rational human beings

@zaffa They're not being brandished as such for no reason though.
The attitudes some shop workers have developed are disgraceful.
Haughty, condescending and rude.

They've had a secure job, with a secure income, throughout this pandemic and will do forever more.
They're in a much better position than most of the population who will be facing redundancies after this.

They're also not the only ones who've had to work throughout. The shop conditions are no where near as dangerous or uncomfortable as those working on the frontline battling this illness.

Treating customers like lepers and barking orders at them isn't acceptable. No matter what.
I've worked in shops and hairdressers, I've had my share of abuse from plenty of different people. I certainly didn't take it out on the next customer, I'd have been hauled over the coals for doing so.

No @lady I'm not. I've agreed with you that your example was indeed extreme and also noted that it was resolved because you said the next time you went the member of staff was no longer behaving that way. You said the checkout worker confirmed he had been OTT and others had complained also. So it sounds like it was def back to management who dealt with it - which I'm presuming is the outcome you wanted?

I've replied regarding how to pay for goods when you don't hand 2m arms, I've engaged on why people are following the rules and not breaking SD guidelines, I've reacted to your mocking name calling and even engaged with your believe that the woman was clearly lucky she was only told to fuck off cos you've had worse.... what have I not listened to?

That shop workers aren't doing as they are told by us, the all mighty customer who pays their wages? Gosh if you said that to me I'd refuse to serve you - what a wank thing to say or think! You're not better than hyphen, you don't get to lord your paying status over their head. I pay their wages too then I guess and I'm all for supporting them feeling safe and following the rules ....

Just cos you worked in retail doesn't mean you have any experience of what it's like out there in retail today serving vast numbers of people fin the supermarkets. I also don't have that experience, but as if he lost without them working I'm totally willing to follow rules and cut them some slack.

Maybe if you didn't call people morons they'd treat you better?

I've been into Waitrose, Sainsburys, M&S and Superdrug during lockdown and haven't been shouted at by anyone. The staff have been really helpful and nice.

Superdrug ask you at the door if you want the pharmacy or the shop so they can direct you into the right aisle of queue.

I avoid the other shops if there is a queue, and have tried to time it when there isn't.

But @actually it's a pretty shitty job if they're being moaned about and yelled at isn't it? It's a bit like the teachers and the way a lot of people are laying into them for not being willing to risk their safety in overcrowded classrooms. I thought we all may have learnt a bit of solidarity and kindness in these times but it looks like everyone is just out to blame and moan.

And asking someone repeatedly to step back and give them their SD space is ok - even if we don't want to do it or think we have a better reason for getting in their space.

Are you currently working as a hairdresser or in a shop under these new socially distanced times when you could pick up a disease and take it home that could hurt you or your family? And are you dealing with people treating your safety as secondary to their own desire to do what they want / stand close to you / tell you to fuck off when you complain about their proximity to you or walk out because you tried to explain how to pay for your goods without encroaching on their space? What do you suggest the staff say to people who break social distancing rules and refuse to step back or argue about why they shouldn't follow them? Because that's what's going on here - they want to stand closer than guidelines recommend before the staff person is able to step back - and they are affronted when they are told no and asked to respect the rules ...

Lastly, it is never ok to mock, belittle or name call others - calling them morons, stasi police or telling them to fuck off or saying they are pathetic for following rules or being worried is horrible - how would we all feel if we were spoken to or about that way all the time, whilst still coming out to perform a service to the people mocking us?

If you think shop workers are haughty condescending and rude you need to look at the customers. A lot of them as shown on here are like that all the time.
No one I know has been told off by a worker but perhaps that's because they actually follow the rules (gasp!)
If you don't then you get told, not quite sure why so many of you think the rules don't apply and by the way those nasty retail workers who remind you of the rules would actually probably rather you weren't in there paying their wages and endangering their lives.
They'd probably rather stick with the majority of customers who pay their wages and stick to the rules.

[quote ActuallyItsEugene]@zaffa They're not being brandished as such for no reason though.
The attitudes some shop workers have developed are disgraceful.
Haughty, condescending and rude.

They've had a secure job, with a secure income, throughout this pandemic and will do forever more.
They're in a much better position than most of the population who will be facing redundancies after this.

They're also not the only ones who've had to work throughout. The shop conditions are no where near as dangerous or uncomfortable as those working on the frontline battling this illness.

Treating customers like lepers and barking orders at them isn't acceptable. No matter what.
I've worked in shops and hairdressers, I've had my share of abuse from plenty of different people. I certainly didn't take it out on the next customer, I'd have been hauled over the coals for doing so.[/quote]
This, exactly this

I'm self employed in an industry that has literally ceased to exist overnight. Luckily for me, I had some savings but these are dwindling and I've had to ask family for help if this carries on.

So no, my sympathy for retail workers who treat people like shit is nonexistent because there are many who are absolutely lovely and despite being in the same position of their banshee like colleagues are polite, friendly and chatty.

@zaffa

Lastly, it is never ok to mock, belittle or name call others - calling them morons, stasi police or telling them to fuck off or saying they are pathetic for following rules or being worried is horrible - how would we all feel if we were spoken to or about that way all the time, whilst still coming out to perform a service to the people mocking us?

We're Zaffa, I've not said it to anyone. I've thought it. Or am I not even allowed to do that now?

There sure are so candidates for those who were happy to grass their neighbours up for extra walks or moaned about the ones not clapping the NHS, aren't there?

And there's whole threads on here for anti-dementors too. Maybe you should go moan to HQ?

No - you wrote it out on here. You didn't think it in your head. And if in conversation with me anyone used that sort of language (demeaning, belittling, name calling) I call them out on it. On here or in real life.

I didn't report you to MN for being a dick, I told you directly you were being one. And questioned how @Raw was the rude one for suggesting to another poster how to interact without swearing, yet the poster screeching at someone to fuck off because she got called out on breaking SD rules was the rude one..... to me that says an awful lot about your attitude towards people trying to follow the guidelines and protect themselves.

And i sympathize with you - my husband has been made redundant and I'm on mat leave so I understand burning through savings, money I'd much rather spend on my baby once we are allowed to go swimming or to classes again, but I don't take that out on the people lucky enough to still be employed by name calling.

Sure, there are going to be staff who annoy everyone by being over zealous with the rules, but as you've proven that is dealt with by the store management. A lot of the complaints on here aren't about that, they're about not being allowed to stand directly in front of the till or the counter any more, about not wanting to follow the store arrow flow because it wastes their time, or about staff not doing as they want them to do or calling them out on getting too close and not following the rules in place for all of our safety.

I wholeheartedly agree that your example WAS OTT and you got the outcome you wanted - what else do you want to happen in that situation?

Also, that comment wasn't directed solely at you it's directed at everyone having public tantrums by swearing, name calling and belittling people (of which there are a number on this thread)

@zaffa Unfortunately, no. My job went kaput.

You bet your backside I applied for every shop going when I knew that my job was gone - most of the positions had been filled by that point.
I certainly wouldn't have been screeching at people, barking orders at them or treating them as anything other than a customer.
Customer service. One of the pinnacles of retail.

I've worked through the aftermath of 7/7, Tottenham riots, Swine Flu and Grenfell. I was fearful of hostility and violence + my health. Especially after 7/7, I hated getting the tube and hated that there was a bus stop & tube station right outside where I worked.
I didn't push that onto customers though. That was my fear.

You don't take the anger from the previous customer out on the next one. You just don't.

I can guarantee to you it's not the customers. I've seen the particular workers from the shop I have in mind barking, glaring, eye rolling... at teenagers, the elderly, parents, lone men and women alike. How can all of us be wrong?
The staff are all wearing visors, gloves and whatnot. They don't look too frightened when they stand in a gaggle near the self-service tills just chatting away.
In fact, it's when you need their assistance that the mood changes completely.
Snapping 'MOVE BACK' at a customer isn't on. What happened to please?

Same for the bouncers on the door. They will come over and try to intimidate you while saying you're not exactly 2M apart. Then go back and rub shoulders with their colleague.

They don't follow their own rules or one way systems, nor do they have any problem with reaching over you whilst picking the deliveries.

It's fucking annoying that it's one rule for them and one for everyone else. It's disgraceful the way they talk down to customers.

I did do my shop in there weekly, not anymore. I drive 20 minutes out of my way to go somewhere else.
Funnily, I've had none of the same problems at the supermarket I go to now; although I behave in exactly the same way.

The NHS frontline are at risk. They're right there, treating patients with this disease day in and day out. Do we reckon they snap at patients? Talk down to them? Eye roll at them? Hmmmm.
That shop workers believe they're at a much higher risk, therefore defending the complete inability to remain polite and courteous to customers, is laughable.

Can I just say also...

Guidelines are just that. Guidelines.
They're not rules, they're not laws.
They don't give people the right to talk to others like shit; if everyone deserves respect, everyone deserves it.
That's not something reserved for just the supermarket workers.

In my local Co-op, I was screeched at to follow the arrows. One arrow led to a one way aisle. So I guess I was meant to walk up to the wall and stand there forever?

This is the same Co-Op where staff shout at everyone to stand on the 2m circles to queue to pay. Everyone has been doing that but I’ve heard the cashiers say to each other “what a bunch of fucking morons.” 🤷🏻‍♀️

On my last visit, the cashier didn’t say a word to me. Grunted at me once. And I said “hello” and “thanks” nicely.