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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Me or Sainsburys staff member?

278 replies

HouseofSkullduggery · 21/02/2022 14:31

My local Sainsburys is in a shopping centre with chargeable parking. You usually have to spend £10 or more to get free parking unless you are also using the pharmacy or Argos which is also inside.
So this morning I had to return some items to Argos that I bought yesterday. I did that no problem and never asked them to validate the ticket as I had a few other things to get from Sainsburys and thought it's quicker to go to the self service tills and do it myself.
I bought items which were just over £7. Paid and started to walk to the machine to validate my ticket. The staff member immediately saw me approaching and stood blocking the machine. She actually had to walk backwards to make sure I didn't go round her.
She then said have you spent £10? Where's your receipt? In a really snotty tone. I explained I'd just been to Argos too but needed other things hence why I was there. But no that wasn't good enough. She said no I would have to pay to park because I hadn't spent the £10.
She was really off and I felt like a naughty child! I just said again I'd been to Argos, I was in a rush and as it made no difference to her please could I use the machine on this occasion. But no she wouldn't back down.
I left and just felt quite bewildered at her attitude. Nobody normally mans the machine. I go in there all the time. Never had any issue. Even going through the normal tills staff have been happy to validate the ticket as long as youve bought something. I feel she was rude and a jobsworth. Aibu?

OP posts:
SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 21/02/2022 18:43

@LittleWins

What a jobsworth!
Have you ever had a job where if you didn't do exactly as you were told you would be fired? Or had strict checks and discrepancies could also get you fired? In both cases, often fired without being able to plead your case or 'managed out'

Cos that was what working in retail was like for us.

Rosehugger · 21/02/2022 18:45

£3 here, £2 there X by however many customers who try this day in and day out would probably fund another store being built

Sainsbury's might not be able to open yet another store. Well, doesn't it make you absolutely weep for them? Imagine, they might even have to forego the bubbly at the shareholders meetings. if enough people spend only £7 instead of £10.

Wheelz46 · 21/02/2022 18:47

Personally, I think you are the unreasonable one. If you couldn't show proof of validation that you had been to the Argos then the Sainsburys lady was just doing thr job she has been paid to do.

Everyone could say, oh I just went to Argos but forgot to validate my ticket when they actually hadn't (I am not saying you did, but she isn't to know that).

To be honest, I have never seen parking restriction like this, seems crazy!

Rosehugger · 21/02/2022 18:47

There are a load of people who think that they are extra special and that the rules don’t apply to them

A lot of rules are stupid and/or arbitrary. Good.

AiryFairyLights · 21/02/2022 18:48

@planningtomakeaplan

OP, there are loads of people on MN who are absolute sticklers for the rules and love to roast people on AIBU for breaking minor rules.

I can't work out if

a. loads of people really are this petty and inflexible in their thinking in real life
b. we get a higher proportion of those kinds of people on MN
c. they're not actually sticklers for the rules, really what they're after is a stick to beat the OP with as that's how they get their kicks.

👆 THIS 👆
Rosehugger · 21/02/2022 18:49

To be honest, I have never seen parking restriction like this, seems crazy!

I know, our mega Sainsbury's has free parking. Or three hours free anyway, you'd never get anywhere near the limit.

Jazzybeats · 21/02/2022 18:53

Argos and Sainsburys are the same company….

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 21/02/2022 18:57

@Rosehugger

£3 here, £2 there X by however many customers who try this day in and day out would probably fund another store being built

Sainsbury's might not be able to open yet another store. Well, doesn't it make you absolutely weep for them? Imagine, they might even have to forego the bubbly at the shareholders meetings. if enough people spend only £7 instead of £10.

You either get my point or you don't.

Sainsbury's is a business. That means they are there to make money. If they don't make money, people lose their jobs. May not be that exact employee who reprimanded OP, but it could be.
If that branch keeps letting people get away without paying for parking or meeting the minimum spend, they could decide that the store isn't performing well enough and it closes down. Yeah that'll show 'em!

CailleachGranda · 21/02/2022 18:58

@LittleWins

What a jobsworth!
In what way? What did the member of staff do wrong m?
Cherrysherbet · 21/02/2022 19:01

Basically, you didn’t spend enough money to get free parking. Usually they validate your receipt, but today they didn’t bend the rules for you.

Why did that make her a jobsworth? She was doing her job. The manager probably told her to make sure people paid the minimum required.

Next time, spend £10 and get free parking. Simple.

wandrewarren · 21/02/2022 19:03

Don't know if this question has been asked already, but how much is the car parking charge? Is the OP arguing over having to pay a small fee, maybe £1?

planningtomakeaplan · 21/02/2022 19:11

Your attitude shows a real lack of actual experience on the shop floor, to be honest. It’s all well and good working in marketing in a nice cosy office, but you lack the real life understanding of what it’s like dealing with people who are stealing, playing the system and being rude and abusive to staff.

Wow, that's some chip you have on your shoulder!

FWIW, I'm fairly long in the tooth, and before moving into workign in offices I had a shit tonne of experience of working in pubs as well as experience of retail (in London's West End) and waitressing.

I also worked on the phones in an office for many years where I had to deal with any complaints coming in.

So, I've had plenty of stroppy customers to deal with in my time, and I'm sure I don't need to remind you that the stroppy customers in pubs are not only drunk but potentially violent on occassion!

Being a jobsworth wouldn't have helped me in any of those roles.

PriamFarrl · 21/02/2022 19:14

@planningtomakeaplan

Your attitude shows a real lack of actual experience on the shop floor, to be honest. It’s all well and good working in marketing in a nice cosy office, but you lack the real life understanding of what it’s like dealing with people who are stealing, playing the system and being rude and abusive to staff.

Wow, that's some chip you have on your shoulder!

FWIW, I'm fairly long in the tooth, and before moving into workign in offices I had a shit tonne of experience of working in pubs as well as experience of retail (in London's West End) and waitressing.

I also worked on the phones in an office for many years where I had to deal with any complaints coming in.

So, I've had plenty of stroppy customers to deal with in my time, and I'm sure I don't need to remind you that the stroppy customers in pubs are not only drunk but potentially violent on occassion!

Being a jobsworth wouldn't have helped me in any of those roles.

There are plenty of times when being a ‘jobsworth’ comes up in those jobs.

Just a week off your 18th birthday? It’s ok, I’ll serve you booze anyway.
This item is £20 but you’ve only got £15? Have it anyway.
You’ve eaten the entire meal but now you are complaining about it and want a refund? Sure.

Tevion28 · 21/02/2022 19:17

She was entitled to free parking as she used Argos but should have got the ticket validated.

00100001 · 21/02/2022 19:20

I just buy something expensive,like a pack of batteries, validate the ticket and immediately return the item 🤷‍♀️

StrandedStarfish · 21/02/2022 19:24

They should pay for your shopping for a year after this post, as every topic I have clicked on after reading your post has a right sided bar advertising them and their Tu clothing range

FatFredsFriedEgg · 21/02/2022 19:29

My local Sainsburys is in a shopping centre with chargeable parking. You usually have to spend £10 or more to get free parking unless you are also using the pharmacy or Argos which is also inside.

Is the Argos inside the Sainsbury's I wonder? It may make sense (sort of) for the OP to assume she could validate the ticket at the Sainsbury's machine if that was the case.

WindyState · 21/02/2022 19:29

@Rosehugger

There are a load of people who think that they are extra special and that the rules don’t apply to them

A lot of rules are stupid and/or arbitrary. Good.

The OP knew the rules and ignored them and then thinks she is a precious little flower who is entitled to ignore them.

Whether you/OP think the rules are stupid and arbitrary is irrelevant.

WindyState · 21/02/2022 19:29

@00100001

I just buy something expensive,like a pack of batteries, validate the ticket and immediately return the item 🤷‍♀️
Surely that's more hassle than it's worth to save all of a fiver.
JuergenSchwarzwald · 21/02/2022 19:31

you lack the real life understanding of what it’s like dealing with people who are stealing, playing the system and being rude and abusive to staff

Yes, that is a complaint I often make about shop head office staff in their ivory towers, but I don't think that was the point you were making, was it?

Policies are set by people who never appear to go into a shop themselves, that much is clear. For example, requirements to nag customers about buying things they don't need and don't want (Superdrug). Or chasing customers around a store (Lush, Benefit).

JuergenSchwarzwald · 21/02/2022 19:32

Is the Argos inside the Sainsbury's I wonder? It may make sense (sort of) for the OP to assume she could validate the ticket at the Sainsbury's machine if that was the case

Yes that is the point. Argos is now generally inside Sainsburys. We lost our stand-alone shop (which just means I use Amazon instead).

So the OP was entitled to get the free parking, but needed to have got her ticket validated.

JuergenSchwarzwald · 21/02/2022 19:33

@StrandedStarfish

They should pay for your shopping for a year after this post, as every topic I have clicked on after reading your post has a right sided bar advertising them and their Tu clothing range
Grin

well actually it's not really funny that the ad tracking works like that :(

JuergenSchwarzwald · 21/02/2022 19:34

@wandrewarren

Don't know if this question has been asked already, but how much is the car parking charge? Is the OP arguing over having to pay a small fee, maybe £1?
no I think she was complaining about not being allowed to get near the machine
PizzaCrust · 21/02/2022 19:48

@JuergenSchwarzwald

you lack the real life understanding of what it’s like dealing with people who are stealing, playing the system and being rude and abusive to staff

Yes, that is a complaint I often make about shop head office staff in their ivory towers, but I don't think that was the point you were making, was it?

Policies are set by people who never appear to go into a shop themselves, that much is clear. For example, requirements to nag customers about buying things they don't need and don't want (Superdrug). Or chasing customers around a store (Lush, Benefit).

Oh, I don’t disagree with you on that at all. There’s plenty of tasks that I have to do which are a waste of time, or I find cringy.

I still do them, though. I might not enjoy it but I accept that it’s part of my job and if someone higher up than me thinks it’s important then I’ll go along with it.

I highly doubt this employee enjoys doing this task (I’d actually imagine it’s the one job everyone doesn’t want to do. Still needs done, though. It’s a shame people can’t just comply when it’s something so basic and simple.

Cantleave · 21/02/2022 19:51

@Rosehugger

In any parking scenario you are allowed a grace period to park and get change for the machine. The OP was intending to go on to get other items to the value of more than £10 so this grace period should have been extended to her also.
Where did the OP say that she was intending to get other items to the value of more than £10?? She had finished her shop in Sainsburys. She was NOT intending to get other items! IF she was getting other items she would have got them BEFORE she paid. That’s normally what people do…. get the items, then pay…NOT pay then get more items (there’s another word for that)! Confused

You point out about a grace period to park and get change for the machine. 🤦‍♀️ Even if this was the case, it DOESN’T apply to the OP. She WASN'T going to get change for the machine, she didn’t intend to pay for parking, so why would she need a grace period, to get change??🤷🏼‍♀️

It’s the staff member I feel sorry for, having to deal with customers who think that the rules don’t apply to them.