Jojo Maman Bébé ‘locked door procedure’

[Redolent]

Sorry if this has been posted before. Jojo Maman Bébé next to me, ever since reopening, has always had its doors locked. You have to knock for a staff member to let you in, and then one of them has to let you out. It’s always appeared deserted every time I walk past, and that’s probably no coincidence (it just looks shut). The staff are also VERY jittery in general about touching items etc in the store. I guess I just find it mildly inhospitable and counterproductive for a business to do this. Feels like a hassle for me and them if I just want a quick browse.

Checked online and this is part of their post-covid reopening policy: “ Introducing a locked door procedure to control customer flow.”

Did you think I meant Poundland I did - apologies for the knee jerk comment, I love pound shops and will defend them till the death

I’d still hope your local is following H&S legislation though, even if not a chain.

Wasn't there a thread on here about a woman complaining that JoJo wouldn't let her toddler daughter run riot and touch all the displays and was asked to keep her from doing so?
Perhaps staff feel at least this way they can control who is in there at any given time and ensure there is minimal risk of cross contamination in case people are sick and don't realise it (or too selfish to follow the dreaded roolz......)
I can't see why people are so hell bent on fighting all the attempts to get back to a semblance of normality - now you can shop and browse in JoJo if you want to, with some rules. Three months ago you could not .... I know which one I prefer!

Half my utensils and stationery are from Poundland. :o

I call it TenPoundland because I never leave without spending less.

If Jojo is so worried about the health of its staff I hope they’ve made a proper study of what are best practices, which also include

• Having the room well ventilated, therefore opening doors etc... to increase airflow
• wearing a mask so I’m assuming they are providing one for each member of staff. A disposable one, surgical type, that people change each time they have to take it off, To drink example, or after sneezing/coughing (masks should never be worn moist). And of course, for no longer than 4 hours....

I’m wondering how they are dealing with people not wearing a mask too....

Wrong solution to the problem

I’m no longer shopping in our M&S food hall because the numbers of middle aged women sauntering around, pulling out EVERY tub of flaming coleslaw to find the longest dates and changing direction 40 times. Gived me the rage.

So just like OP you decided that you thought the safety measures in place weren't appropriate so you don't shop there any more. Neither of you is right or wrong, you're both allowed to decide where to shop. Obviously shops will be concerned if their approach is losing them significant numbers of customers; no one is going to please everyone, though.

Bloody middle aged women, going out, doing shopping, checking the food they buy has a decent shelf life.

The only shop I've encountered so far with a 'locked door policy' is a yarn shop.
The shop is TINY and the lady running it is the only member of staff. She has a bell on the door which you ring and she opens the door with a buzzer thing from her desk.
If there is someone in you wait outside, you can see easily that someone is in there and there is a covered porch.
When you go in she asks that you use hand sanitiser which she provides but she's happy for you to use your own.
She has the back door open for air flow which is great.
When you are looking she asks that you don't touch the yarn BUT she has samples to squish,
When you leave she opens the door with a buzzer.
She's a tiny shop doing her best to survive and she's busy all the time. Every time I've been I've had to wait and there's always been someone waiting when I've left.
I have no issue with a 'locked door policy' if it is applied with sense and cheerfulness. But if I was made to feel unwelcome or a nuiscence I'd leave pretty quickly.

@bibbitybobbitycats

Bloody middle aged women, going out, doing shopping, checking the food they buy has a decent shelf life.

Yeah, I wasn't sure what the relevance of 'middle-aged' was there either.

best practice was to keep doors open as much as possible for ventilation.

that's what our charity shop has to do - we have no windows which can open. Fine in August.

Not looking forward to November when they're expecting volunteers to stand counting people in and out for an hour at a time.

I don’t go places that take temperatures. I don’t refuse - I just don’t go.

This is the most bemusing comment on this thread. What is there to dislike about temperature-taking? It doesn't involve any physical contact, or even invasion of personal space. Unless the hospital I visited last week were doing it wrong.

(Whether or not there's any merit in checks is irrelevant. I'm not religious, but I'm not offended by the existence of churches, mosques and synagogues. I don't go around in a state of suppressed rage because other people have different beliefs to me, and act on them in ways that barely affect me.)

I think it is a difficult balance to strike for the shops. A locked door policy would probably put me off to be honest, but then again I was in Sports Direct the other day - no monitoring of customer numbers, only half the tills had screens up and the number of customers not wearing masks was astounding. So I won't be going back there. Most places I have been have been somewhere in the middle of JoJo and Sports Direct - monitoring numbers but not with the door locked.

@SockYarn, yep I have the same issue at my work place...

Im not sure yet how I will get around it

Most of these stores will be closed forever soon and staff will be unemployed.

@bibbitybobbitycats

Bloody middle aged women, going out, doing shopping, checking the food they buy has a decent shelf life.

Damn those middle aged women for existing - next they'll become the ultimate MN nemesis OLD women.

It's quite simple - stores make the shopping experience shit - I won't go there. There's being covid-safe and there's being covid-arseholes - one is understandable, the other is unnecessary. I suspect that one type are more likely to weather the economic storm than the other.

The JoJo Maman Bebe closest to us had its doors open when we last visited a few weeks . They had a choice of disposable gloves and hand sanitiser for customers to use at the entrance.

I don’t go places that take temperatures. I don’t refuse - I just don’t go.

I don't mind having mine taken, but how do you know where these places are? Last time I went to the hairdresser's they did this, they didn't tell me in advance...

I have never been in a shop where there’s been a fire. I’d fancy my chances more in a small shop/showroom with a locked-door policy than in somewhere like Aldi (which until recently had a lock on the door to get in) or Sainsbury’s where the stampede would be horrific.

I went to the tunbridge wells jojo yesterday and it was fine - there was a clear sign that said the door may be locked as they’re trying to manage customer numbers. It was open when I arrived and there was hand sanitiser for you to use. The staff were v relaxed and friendly, in the time I was there another two groups arrived so there were four people/groups browsing in a small space so she went and locked the front door. After I’d paid she went ahead and I locked it for me so I could leave and wished me a good day. No problems as far as I’m concerned - I certainly don’t have the energy to be offended by it or flounce out because ‘I’m obviously not welcome’

I think it’s really interesting seeing how different shops are managing covid. Straw poll of my trip yesterday: Fenwicks had excellent social distancing measures, lots of staff in hand to help and their changing rooms were open. Fatface were fine for you to try jackets/jumpers etc on in store but asked you to hand them the items after so they could be quarantined. There was a queue of 15 people outside Clarks and the M&S food hall was absolutely rammed, probably the most stressful shopping experience I’ve had since lockdown eased.

@FluffyKittensinabasket

Most of these stores will be closed forever soon and staff will be unemployed.

What a joyful and helpful comedy. Thank you so much for your contribution.

"Can you imagine how that shop assistant felt when you brought up dying in a fire? They are already scared shitless about getting sick.

Well done you."

🤣🤣🤣

I didn't say anything about dying in a fire, I just pointed out that locking us all in was a fire risk.

But the covidiots do love a bit of hyperbole, assuming everyone else is just as "scared shitless" as they are

Meanwhile back in the real world, some of us have a bit of perspective.

I think retail in terms of actual shops was dying before C19, this has just hastened it.

The High Street was in its death throes ling before Covid. Unlike, say, the steel industry, retails is acquiring protected status rather than left to fail like, say, BHS. Indeed, going back to the office and train travel to save Pret a Fucking Manger now seems to be a sacred duty

Before lockdown when primark and others decided to shut their doors, I remember many posters saying that they would change the way they shop and only go to brands that put the health of their staff and customers above profit. Now it’s all ‘if they don’t want your money, shop elsewhere’ and ‘they’ll get a p45 soon’.

Oh goodness, I remember those threads!

I got asked how I slept at night shopping at Amazon as they had people working in warehouses and as delivery drivers (made to work during pandemic)

There are a lot of retailers who will not survive this pandemic due to how they are dealing with customers. I usually only shop online now apart from the weekly supermarket shop but went to Pets at Home last week where I was quizzed on the door about why I was there! Nearly said "Well fuck off then if you don't want my custom, I'll go somewhere where dog food is half the price" but of course I didn't, however I did vote with my feet and didn't buy anything.

These measures are there to protect the staff as well as you. It really doesn't have much to do with "Poor little pregnant women"

Can you imagine how that shop assistant felt when you brought up dying in a fire? They are already scared shitless about getting sick

Actually they should be scared shitless if they are breaching basic health and safety legislation which if they are locking the door, it sounds like they are! Dont fcking open if you are putting customers at risk by locking them in- keep your store online only then, But it sounds like the company cares more about money than safety......

Wakemeupwhenthisisover - you’re welcome, glad I could be of service.

The future of retail is Amazon style distribution centres staffed by robots.