Poor customer service & plain rude!

[deflatedbirthday]

I had a small shopping list so called at my local Tesco express on the way home from work.

I popped the items in a basket and headed to the self service checkout. After scanning one of the items I remembered my DH had massaged to say he had already picked up this particular item at lunch time.

I politely asked a passing staff member if they could please remove the item. There was a queue behind me and people at the other tills.

He proceeded to look me up and down and said quite smugly 'What's the problem? Do you not have enough money?' This was loud enough to be heard.

I said 'No. I just don't need it'. I could feel myself going red. 'Suuuurrre' he said whilst removing the item.

I proceeded to pay hurry out of the shop. I was mortified. The item was not expensive. I could have bought it but it was a fresh item and would have been wasted, hence my reason for asking for it to be removed.

AIBU that this was so rude and lacking any sort of customer service?!

Yes YABU.

To be honest, I think you were probably flustered due to your mistake holding other people up.

It was an accident, he will have had to deal with this sort of thing a million times so I sincerely doubt he 'looked you up and down' or was 'smug' at all.

I'm not a very forthright person, but I wouldn't let anyone try to humiliate me like that. I can't imagine anytime putting up with that kind of shit from anyone, you were very unreasonable to stay silent and hurry off.

Do you honestly think this staff member had the time or inclination to 'humiliate' anyone?

Think you're taking an impersonal exchange very personally.

I don't think I was flustered. I realised almost immediately and the staff member was passing. I didn't hold up anyone any longer than if they have to check ID for alcohol etc.

I'm not sure he needed to comment at all. Imagine that being someone who didn't have enough money. How degrading for them that would be.

You're right I should have said something. I couldn't quite believe he'd said it and I was tired after a long shift at work (hence me not remembering when I picked up the item that my DH had even text me!!)

How do you know he wasn’t asking in case he could help you out and lend you the money?!!

I think it sounds like an odd thing for him to say. There’s no reason he would need to know if you don’t have enough money or don’t want it or changed your mind or whatever. I worked in retail and if someone wanted to put something back I just said ‘yeah no problem’ and removed it. I didn’t care or want to know why they didn’t want it. I felt it wasn’t my business.

As OP was there and you weren't, she's more likely to be right than you, isn't she? Small Tesco Expresses are rarely so busy that staff don't have spare time. Is it really beyond the wit of man to comprehend that someone doing a boring repetitive job like this might well be dim enough to think it funny to take the piss out of customers?

But yes, I’d agree he sounds sort of rude, but more a bit malicious and nasty. I don’t think it’s an appropriate way to speak to somebody else, especially being sarcastic when you said you simply didn’t want it.

Apparently so. I'm not sure why you're so sceptical: some people working in 'customer service' can be very rude or dismissive or act like by being a customer and so making them do their job is you performing some great imposition on them. Just like you get rude and unpleasant customers, you also get rude and unpleasant employees.

Can't believe people sticking up for the man's rudeness.Yanbu.

My take is that he’s tried some “banter” and clearly got it all wrong/missed the mark. Annoying, yes.

I’m guessing bored teenager amusing himself.

Not much help to you though OP.

From the tone of his voice. And the fact that he was announcing it to everyone present. A kind gesture like that surely would have been done discreetly? I may be wrong.

....what?

I don't know exactly how old he was but I would have guessed late 20s. I'm rubbish at guessing ages though 😆

The first few replies made me go back and reread what I wrote!

If it was not much money I wouldn't have bothered with the hassle of refund

He’s probably had a bad day, it’s awful sometimes working in retail.

it doesn’t excuse his rudeness though.

and no, I very much doubt he was going to lend her the money 😂

There is a horrible little man with a loud voice in my nearest Tesco who loves himself and the sound of that voice of his a bit too much - and he gossips and makes nasty remarks to his cronies via his headset.
Had I chosen to, he could have been in serious trouble with his remarks- threat, even..
So they do exist, sadly.
That humans for you.

OP, if it played out that way, he was being a twat.

One of my student jobs was working in a restaurant at a holiday destination.

I distinctly remember one of my colleagues, when asked where the cutlery was, pointing above his head and to the left a bit and saying “over there, where it says Cutlery“ in a tone dripping with sarcasm. I thought he was the most witty, urbane human on the planet.

Now I wonder how the customer didn’t slap him.

I think sometimes people just amuse themselves OP. Maybe next time call him out. The little shit.

It wasn't a refund. I hadn't yet paid. Only scanned it through. It was a simple delete.

He's a right sort.

All that was needed was an "ok no problem".

I'd complain on their twitter DMS

Tbh, when I used to work on the Tesco self service tills, we used to keep a pot of loose change incase anyone was short by a few pence or even a pound or so, and at our discretion we could use the money from the pot. I also paid for a few customers small shops when they forgot their payment. They'd always return the money at a later date, and sometimes with a bottle of wine or bunch of flowers to say thanks. Not everyone working in customer services is rude, but ALOT are! I doubt he meant the tone, and to make you feel awkward, if young, maybe he is lacking in basic social skills, and will learn with time how to be more sensitive. Could just be a jerk though 😂

It wasn't a refund. It was an unscan.

And even if it was a refund its much better that than wasting food.