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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Supermarket worker offering her discount

108 replies

Belledan1 · 11/03/2022 07:06

Went to major supermarket. Realised had left card at home. Luckily DH had cash. Tried to add up as went along as only a top up shop. Realised near the end of the shopping going through it would go over so we said can we not put something through. The cashier said I will put my discount card on if you want so can get it. I said don't worry but thanks. She was really young and a friendly girl and thought dont went to get her into trouble and did not need it financially anyway. Is this a new thing to help people out and I wonder how many people will take advantage that don't need it.

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 11/03/2022 08:20

@CaptainMyCaptain you can't know that without knowing where she works, what their policies are and that there are no exemptions in place for customers who need them

Soubriquet · 11/03/2022 08:23

@girlmom21

It was lovely of her to offer and I don't know why people are being so miserable about it.
It’s not about being lovely or miserable.

If anyone is miserable, it’s head office for not letting staff members to do this.

But we are not allowed.

Sparklingbrook · 11/03/2022 08:24

@girlmom21

It was lovely of her to offer and I don't know why people are being so miserable about it.
Nothing to do with being ‘miserable’ she was doing something which she shouldn’t and could have been at risk of losing her job over it 🤷‍♀️
AllOfUsAreDead · 11/03/2022 08:30

@girlmom21

It was lovely of her to offer and I don't know why people are being so miserable about it.
Yes bad op, don't you know you should have just thanked her, used it and helped her to lose her job? Much better than helping her keep her job in these difficult times.. 😂
girlmom21 · 11/03/2022 08:34

None of you know where she works and what their policies and discretionary allowances are so stop with the sarcasm - it's boring.

Soubriquet · 11/03/2022 08:37

@girlmom21

None of you know where she works and what their policies and discretionary allowances are so stop with the sarcasm - it's boring.
I would imagine all supermarkets enact the rule.

Asda have been mentioned but I know Sainsburys and Morrisons have this rule

Their profits would be down if staff members were allowed to offer discounts to the general public. And they can’t have that can they

Sparklingbrook · 11/03/2022 08:46

@girlmom21

None of you know where she works and what their policies and discretionary allowances are so stop with the sarcasm - it's boring.
Neither do you Confused
girlmom21 · 11/03/2022 08:47

@Sparklingbrook no and I'm not making assumptions. Regardless of whether she was supposed to do it or not it was nice to offer.

I'm not the one saying "oh maybe she didn't know she wasn't allowed because I think she had learning difficulties"

Absolutely bonkers.

CaptainMyCaptain · 11/03/2022 08:55

[quote girlmom21]@CaptainMyCaptain you can't know that without knowing where she works, what their policies are and that there are no exemptions in place for customers who need them [/quote]
But you don't know she wouldn't be sacked. Posters are concerned she might be

Original poster
Belledan1 · 11/03/2022 10:29

Even if I didnt think she had learning difficulties I would not have accepted it. Wouldn't want anyone loosing their job because of me.

OP posts:
TheNeverEndingIllness · 11/03/2022 10:46

@CaptainMyCaptain

She could be sacked. My grandson works pt in a supermarket and it is strictly against the rules to claim discount even for friends and wider family.
@CaptainMyCaptain My mum works for a supermarket and the only rule is that the discount card shouldn't go through the tills when they're clocked on, so my mum tells me her shifts so I avoid using her discount then, no rules on family and friends using it
emuloc · 11/03/2022 10:58

@girlmom21

It was lovely of her to offer and I don't know why people are being so miserable about it.
It would not be lovely if the poor girl got sacked because of it. She is not allowed to do this.
melj1213 · 11/03/2022 11:11

Honestly, some people seem to think supermarket workers are idiots and don't know what our own rules are. We have no idea where this person works or what their policies are so automatically assuming that she is risking her job is just stupid - she could just be using her discretion to help out a customer as allowed in her company policy.

I work in a supermarket and I don't just offer my discount out to anyone because there are rules however there have been random occasions when our discount card rules are relaxed - most recently we had a couple of weeks where we could give our discount card to friends and family and anyone could use it any number of times, another time I could give it to anyone for one single transaction a day ... usually it can only be used by me and one other authorised member of my household, so someone who saw me offering people my discount may have thought I was risking my job but actually it was a company policy to allow me to do so.

I did not give the discount to just anyone coming through my till while those policies were active but if one of my lovely regulars had been a bit short then I would happily have offered them my discount to use. Equally if they were a bit short at another time then I would happily use my debit card to pay the difference (we are allowed to have our debit card on our person, we just can't have cash on us if we work on the tills) for someone I either knew well or who seemed to genuinely be struggling.

Equally there are some staff who have the authority to give additional discounts - I work on the customer service desk so I have the authority to use discretionary discounts where I feel it is appropriate whereas regular till operators don't have that authority... if I'm helping out on the checkouts one day I still have that authority so can make reduction judgements that other till operators can't.

Ifailed · 11/03/2022 11:22

If the till was running Retalix software it can be configured in many ways, including blocking the use of the person logged in to it from using their own discount card. It certainly can be used to record an attempt to use the operators own card, and have it flagged to profit protection.

Retalix is used by Tesco, Sainsbury's & Morrisons and a lot of smaller chains.

hangrylady · 11/03/2022 12:17

I imagine she'd get into trouble but what a lovely gesture!

Original poster
Belledan1 · 11/03/2022 13:03

melj1213 just to clarify I don't think any shop workers are idiots. My reason for posting was I wondered if it was a new policy to help people that are struggling and was shocked that she offered it as know it is against the rules normally.

OP posts:
bruce43mydog · 11/03/2022 14:23

yes i actually once worked in a shop and was on the tills. was being bullied by the managment at the time. so for fun i put peoples shopping threw the till for free.

my reason was bully me and i will lose you money. and i nicked a topic bar of chocolate just for fun. i must say my mental state at the time was not great so obvioustly my thinking of what is right and wrong was distorted.

the people walked away happy with there free shopping though. and i learnt i didnt like topic bars of chocolate, i am more a galxey caramel person.

and someone gave a fake fiver and i didnt want the bullys to have a go at me for putting a fake fiver in the till, so i tried to cover it by shoving it in my pocket.

bully someone for long enough and eventually they will break the rules of life or break emotionall.

i was happy to leave that place. i walked out. oh to be young and wreckless eh.

bruce43mydog · 11/03/2022 14:24

spell check break emotionally

bruce43mydog · 11/03/2022 14:27

what role where the settees playing the bad guys.

Heckythump1 · 11/03/2022 14:31

It will show up on their systems that she's used it on her own checkout.

I used to work at Sainburys and a colleague got fired for collecting nectar points on her card when customers didn't claim them. Dopey bugger used her staff discount when spending the points, that was how she was caught!

bruce43mydog · 11/03/2022 14:31

and i found some scottish money on the floor and didnt hand it in. finders keepers losers weepers, but with age you do realise that its not morrally correct to do such things. so i would tell my 23 year old self to stop taking every rejection so serioustly, and live and let live. not everyone will be nice and the problem is with them not me.

Im2022 · 11/03/2022 14:35

My friend’s son works in Vue and he gives discounts to us all the time. Didn’t realise you weren’t allowed to do it 🤣

LittleGwyneth · 11/03/2022 14:35

Fuck of a lot of nacs on this thread. Really nice act of kindness. Just be grateful and move on.

SmolCat · 11/03/2022 14:45

Which shop was it?

At Morrison’s I think you’re allowed to share your discount with friends and family. Someone who works there will know better but I think you have a certain number of friends and family discounts available.

melj1213 · 11/03/2022 14:48

@Im2022

My friend’s son works in Vue and he gives discounts to us all the time. Didn’t realise you weren’t allowed to do it 🤣
Depends on where you work as to how staff discounts work.

Some people on this thread seem to think there is a universal rule that staff cannot ever share their discount when that is not the case.