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Original poster

Do I complain to the supermarket?

88 replies

OhGodNotNow · 29/03/2023 22:32

Sorry about the length...Husband and I called at local supermarket on the way home from work (large national chain), at around 5:30pm; very busy time. I had bought some sherry for cooking and one or two other items, and we went through the self checkout bit. When you're ready to pay, it asks for the assistant to confirm your age; the lady who was looking after the self-service bit was obviously really busy, but she came over and signed in with her card, and approved the purchase. I stepped forward and presented my contactless card, but at that very moment, she darted in and took the bottle off the 'tray' bit to remove the security collar, before replacing it on the tray so we could pack our things, including this bottle. This must have confused the machine, because it began to say repeatedly "has something been removed from your bag? Please replace the item". I just ignored this, because the item had been replaced, the payment had gone through, and the till had generated a receipt; we left the shop. A few moments later, just as we got outside, we heard a commotion behind us; the cashier was running after us shouting "Your payment hasn't gone through, you haven't paid". As I said, very busy time, everyone turns round to look at us (and I should say that this is a small town, where everyone knows everyone else...). I was surprised, and said that the payment had gone through, and we had the receipt to prove it - I dug it out of the bag and showed her, but she insisted that we had to return to the shop "because that's not what the till says". We were marched back to the till we had used, with everybody staring at us - lots of people queueing and also waiting for the cashier on the self-service tills; she said very loudly "Sorry, everyone, I'm back now, just need to sort this out, so sorry..." She then scanned her staff card to sign in to the till, and it immediately resolved the issue and it was apparent that we were right and had actually paid. By this time, another assistant had arrived and they looked at each other, said "Oh it must have got stuck", shrugged and went on with what they were doing. We were free to leave, but no apology, and everyone still looking daggers at us.

I felt absolutely humiliated and angry; should I complain? What I would like the shop to consider: 1.) If you need to challenge someone about something like this, could you say "Excuse me, I think you've forgotten something" rather than yelling that the customer hasn't paid? 2.) Since we had a valid receipt (which the cashier didn't dispute), could we have been asked to wait at the customer services desk by the entrance while she nipped back to check the till, so we weren't being paraded in front of everyone? 3.) Am I being unreasonable to think that an apology would have been nice?

I spend a lot of time and money in this store, and have done for many years; I'm sure the cashier was just rushed and a bit thoughtless, but I don't feel I want to go back.

OP posts:
CheeseMeltCracker · 29/03/2023 23:06

Honestly I think you should get over yourself! Other people in supermarkets are so insignificant to shoppers.

And the whole “I spend so much money in X shop” thing is just cringey to read, you are not Marlborough cigarettes agreeing to go with an ad campaign in Mad Men ffs.

If you had her job for a week, you’d soon realise how unreasonable you are.

Hawkins003 · 29/03/2023 23:06

Mistakes happen, but I understand your perspective op

TheHateIsNotGood · 29/03/2023 23:11

If you shop by machine and the machine alerts you that something is wrong then why would you ignore it? The machines always require some human intervention before the transaction is completed.

And then go all human and get embarrased when after you didn't follow the machine, the staff humans followed their instructions and sorted it out.

I still use the human-operated tills as they're more friendly and reliable and don't find fault with the way I bag my shopping, unlike the machines.

Glitteratitar · 29/03/2023 23:29

I’ve seen this happen a couple of times before - never once judged the customer as assumed it was a mistake. Any eye roll would be because the queue is long and I just want to pay rather than there be another delay.

I get it mortifying, but it’s a non issue really so not sure what complaining would achieve.

goingback · 29/03/2023 23:35
alcohol drinking GIF

shocking, not only because everyone was giving you daggers and probably gossiping about you in the small town and online, but because you were buying sherry to cook with

Justdontbejudgy · 29/03/2023 23:35

No, it's the unpredictable world of the self service checkout. I've had them lift stuff for de-tagging nowt happens, other times machine be like...NOOOOO! Morrison's is the worst offender for the latter, Asda usually the former....meh another one of life's pains in the arse.

ifIwerenotanandroid · 30/03/2023 01:04

She should have apologised for dragging you back, or thanked you for your patience. But forget it now.

nomoremerlot · 30/03/2023 03:51

The moral of the story is, if the machine is unhappy then wait for an assistant to resolve it, even if you've paid..... or use the manned till.

Otherwise, you may be put in the sticks on the village green and rotten fruit thrown at you, by all those giving you daggers.

wandawaves · 30/03/2023 04:12

Surely if everyone could hear that "your card hasn't gone through", then everyone could hear "don't worry the machine must've gotten stuck"?

Also, no one cares. I think you're probably imagining all these people "throwing daggers".

So no, don't complain.

WandaWonder · 30/03/2023 05:02

I know there are people that would 'march down there and play hell' but mistakes happen

GoodChat · 30/03/2023 05:07

You said yourself she told you the payment hadn't gone through. She didn't run after you shouting STOP THIEF, then march you back through the store ringing a bell and shouting SHAME.

Stop being so dramatic and accept that mistakes happen.

Nobody else cared.

TimeForMeToF1y · 30/03/2023 05:52

I want to know where this strange place is that shoppers look amgrily at other shoppers who've been the subject of a till snafu

Were they angry on behalf of the supermarket?

I've been in a similar situation where the till thought my payment hadn't gone through (it had) it's a risk you run with self service checkouts. OK they should have been more polite but mountains and molehills atevl coming to mind here

You are blowing all out of proportion

ScentOfAMemory · 30/03/2023 06:14

That sort of thing must happen a dozen times a day in every supermarket.
What would you complain about? The self service checkout had a blip and the staff sorted it out?
You didn't steal anything. Nobody thought you had. The shop assistant did what she said she was going to do which was sort out the issue with the till.
Move on.

ScentOfAMemory · 30/03/2023 06:19

Also, if you'd put the bottle back when the machine asked you if something had been removed (instead of, in your words, "ignoring" it) then all this trauma would have been avoided. The bottle had been registered, then it was removed for the tag, then it didn't go back on the tray so the machine removed it from your bill.
So because you ignored the machine, you had to go back.

GoodChat · 30/03/2023 06:21

ScentOfAMemory · 30/03/2023 06:19

Also, if you'd put the bottle back when the machine asked you if something had been removed (instead of, in your words, "ignoring" it) then all this trauma would have been avoided. The bottle had been registered, then it was removed for the tag, then it didn't go back on the tray so the machine removed it from your bill.
So because you ignored the machine, you had to go back.

It didn't remove it from her bill. That's not how it works nor what has happened. The machine just glitched after payment.

FiveShelties · 30/03/2023 06:31

There seem to be so many threads where the OP only posts once - I wonder why?🤔

TheTeenageYears · 30/03/2023 06:33

If you don't complain the same thing is very likely to happen again. The member of staff needs training to deal with issues so you the customer isn't negatively impacted by their behaviour. They can't treat everyone as if they are criminals and humiliate them just because there are people who try to cheat the system. Yes people make mistakes but they also need to learn from them and at this point the person in question is possibly blissfully unaware that her actions caused you distress.
@ScentOfAMemory it was the member of staff who removed the bottle to remove the security tag, not OP so can't really be held responsible for ignoring the machine.

Oblomov23 · 30/03/2023 06:39

I agree, I think it was handled really badly, and they are clearly very short staffed and under pressure.

CrappyJob · 30/03/2023 06:40

Nobody thinks that someone that has put their shopping through the till it's trying to steal. It's not a thing.

What does happen sometimes is that people try to pay contractless, the machine aks for chip and pin and the customer walks off not having noticed. What I have also seen happen is someone scan their loyalty card and have a brain fart and think they've paid.

It will have looked to the shop assistant that that is what happened. They won't think you were attempting to steal - I promise you, people that are shoplifting don't put their shopping through the till first! And neither will other customers.

As for asking you to wait at the customer service desk - to do that either they need to explain to the person on the desk what happened (and they will be confused as all hell as to why you are leaving then there when it appears that you need to pay at a self scan till), or they run the risk of you walking off, potentially leaving money unpaid.

Honestly, nobody cares. I've stopped many people from walking off when their payment hasn't been successful. I don't remember a single one. It's just not that interesting to anyone other than you. It happens. And yes, an apology would have been nice - but the shop assistant was, by your own words, busy - and by this point probably had other customers to deal with. When you are on self scan you can be pulled in six different directions at once. She was probably trying to get everything dealt with as quickly and efficiently as possible. It's unfortunate. And I understand you feel embarrassed - but everyone else will have forgotten about it.

Feel free to make a complaint if you wish, but nothing will change as a result. 'Your payment hasn't gone through' is a completely accepted way of dealing with this situation.

Dibbydoos · 30/03/2023 06:42

Yes complain. It costs nothing to show manners, she should have apologised, loudly.

Crumpetdisappointment · 30/03/2023 06:45

no dont complain
they were following procedure

Albiboba · 30/03/2023 06:47

No there is nothing to complain about. All that happened is someone trying to do their job.

ScentOfAMemory · 30/03/2023 07:01

TheTeenageYears · 30/03/2023 06:33

If you don't complain the same thing is very likely to happen again. The member of staff needs training to deal with issues so you the customer isn't negatively impacted by their behaviour. They can't treat everyone as if they are criminals and humiliate them just because there are people who try to cheat the system. Yes people make mistakes but they also need to learn from them and at this point the person in question is possibly blissfully unaware that her actions caused you distress.
@ScentOfAMemory it was the member of staff who removed the bottle to remove the security tag, not OP so can't really be held responsible for ignoring the machine.

Well the machine then told her there was a problem. In her own words, she ignored it.

FrogsWormsandButterflies · 30/03/2023 07:01

CrappyJob · 30/03/2023 06:40

Nobody thinks that someone that has put their shopping through the till it's trying to steal. It's not a thing.

What does happen sometimes is that people try to pay contractless, the machine aks for chip and pin and the customer walks off not having noticed. What I have also seen happen is someone scan their loyalty card and have a brain fart and think they've paid.

It will have looked to the shop assistant that that is what happened. They won't think you were attempting to steal - I promise you, people that are shoplifting don't put their shopping through the till first! And neither will other customers.

As for asking you to wait at the customer service desk - to do that either they need to explain to the person on the desk what happened (and they will be confused as all hell as to why you are leaving then there when it appears that you need to pay at a self scan till), or they run the risk of you walking off, potentially leaving money unpaid.

Honestly, nobody cares. I've stopped many people from walking off when their payment hasn't been successful. I don't remember a single one. It's just not that interesting to anyone other than you. It happens. And yes, an apology would have been nice - but the shop assistant was, by your own words, busy - and by this point probably had other customers to deal with. When you are on self scan you can be pulled in six different directions at once. She was probably trying to get everything dealt with as quickly and efficiently as possible. It's unfortunate. And I understand you feel embarrassed - but everyone else will have forgotten about it.

Feel free to make a complaint if you wish, but nothing will change as a result. 'Your payment hasn't gone through' is a completely accepted way of dealing with this situation.

Have you not seen people scan shopping and keep stuff back in their bag/trolley to steal? So it looks like they’re paying for everything? I work in a supermarket and it’s a weekly occurrence

thegrain · 30/03/2023 07:03

and everyone still looking daggers at us. were they really?! I doubt it they were probably like oh somethings happening there and then getting on with their day. If not then I'd consider moving as you clearly live in a town with well nosey parkers who have no life.