AIBU - experience in a tesco store

[unknown7]

Don't know if I'm overreacting or not, probably am but it happened last night and I have history of some abuse. I was in a tesco stored at around 8pm, I wanted to ask about an item so approached two customer service people at the checkout area, one was male and one female. I approached them both but due to how they were standing I was closer to the male so showed him my phone. He gave me this aggressive blank stare and shrugged but kept staring right at me, he made me feel really uncomfortable and just didn't say anything. A really cold stare. The female noticed I was a little uncomfortable so quickly came across to help me but would you complain to tesco about this? Am I being ridiculous. He just made me feel so uneasy.

And why do they get consideration and I don't? Maybe I'm ill or a family member is ill but I still have to come to work and be a verbal punching bag for the general public.

The last part of my post is the bit where I say I'm human and have limits ... I've worked in retail for years and never had a complaint (beyond the people who complained I couldn't/wouldn't do things outside my control) but that's because I know my limits and everyone can have an off day where they aren't sunshine, rainbows and unicorns from the second they wake up until their head hits the pillow.

Working with the general public is exhausting and it has got harder and harder in the last few years as people get more and more entitled ... Yet retail staff are expected to sit there and just take the verbal (and occasional physical) bashing they get with a smile on their face without ever acting like a human being.

I was physically assaulted at work a few months ago. My crime? At 20mins past the time we closed and every other customer had left the store I spoke to the couple who had finally finished their transaction and we're now just standing at the checkouts perusing their receipt and faffing about with bags like they had all the time in the world - I told them that as their transaction was completed could they please make their way to the exit as the store had been closed for 20 minutes and we needed to secure the building. Yet I was expected to go to work the following day, plaster on a smile and behave like nothing happened because anything else would have been terrible customer service.

That’s what I’m saying. It’s 50/50, compassion works both ways.

We should all respect each other’s days and if you gave me a blank stare and were rude like that I would wonder what I had done and would think you were frosty and rude.

Not reading your whole post or the bit about assault as that’s not relevant here. I don’t abuse people and I still deserve to be interacted with nicely.

It's not an odd request as people have said, it's perfectly normal. Unlike his response. If he didn't know, he could say "let me find someone who may help".

Could he have found you attractive? Ffs. Really? This old shitty chestnut.

Report him. The whole point of having people around store is that they can help you. If he's unable to do this he should get another job in the back. If you're customer facing, you have to face it. No excuses such as ND etc. get the right people for the right roles.

You say that once but we hear it 10,000 times a day and it gets wearing having to repeat the same thing over and over again when you know why someone is there as it's the whole point of your job and of they just added a couple of words to their statement/question then the process could be so much more efficient. You don't go to the bar in a pub and say "Please can I order a drink?" and then wait for confirmation that you can before ordering your specific drinks as we all know why we are at the bar, it's an implied part of the interaction you go straight in with "Hi can I have XYZ please?".

Retail is the same, you're at a pharmacy, we know you're most likely going to either be dropping off or collecting a prescription so if you say "Hi, I'm here for a prescription for Jean Smith, please" that gives is the information we need to do our job without unnecessary extra steps added in.

So you get to cherry pick what is relevant and what isn't, why?

I have given you a reason why someone might not be on top form - like if you'd come to me the day after I'd been assaulted and just stated "Can I ask you about this" then I may have been more likely to stare at you for a few seconds rather than immediately proactively start asking relevant questions but as I've not been rude or abusive then I've also not done anything wrong, I've just not been over effusive and OTT with my service.

I find if I say "I am here to pick a prescription for x", "a parcel for x", or "I've ordered through the app, my code is x" I have to repeat my name or the code because they weren't ready to hear it and if you think it's appropriate to give a blank stare because you can't help but give a childish or sarcastic response that would result in a complaint, I'd suggest you're in the wrong job.

You sound like you are very much not cut out for customer service. Blank stares after asking a question is plain rude.

How would you do by the way according to your logic if I had a 'foreign accent plus had one of those long, 'foreign' names and I proffered that information to you all ar once during my first sentence? I bet you would think I'm rude as well then!

It does sound as though he came across as very rude. I suppose the question is whether he meant to be rude or if he was taken by surprise and he effectively shut down because he didn't know how to answer. I have had a couple of uncomfortable experiences when I have asked about something in shops and, being a bit socially awkward myself, it has usually taken quite a bit of nerve for me to ask in the first place! I find it hard to brush these things off. In the end though, whether he was deliberately rude or not, he definitely needs some training in how to deal with customers.

And YANBU to feel the way you do about it.

I've worked in retail and if you have said can I ask you a question about this product but haven't said what the question is I'd have given you no response either.

Do you want to know how much it is, if we have any more, country of origin, if it's on offer etc?

Maybe he was channeling his inner psychic abilities that customers think retail staff have, who knows?

A bar is different, they generally only
serve drinks. If they do serve food, people usually say “can I order some food” or “what crisps do you have”

I go to my local pharmacy to buy over the counter meds, ask questions, ask where things are in the shop. And occasionally…. pick up a prescription.

If someone can’t cope with that basic statement they then need a new job.

You don't go to the bar in a pub and say "Please can I order a drink?" and then wait for confirmation that you can before ordering your specific drinks as we all know why we are at the bar, it's an implied part of the interaction you go straight in with "Hi can I have XYZ please?".

Ha ha. I get your point but it’s even worse in a pub. They get to the bar and then it’s like a massive surprise that they have to chose a drink. So annoying when there are clearly other customers waiting to be served ( although even though the other people have been kept waiting they still won’t know if their friend wants a pint or half of soda or lime or if there’s ice in the gin and tonic, so pointless going to them first).

Well I hope showing checkout staff pictures of products on phones and asking them to tell you about them doesn’t become a thing, else we’ll all be queuing for hours to pay for our shopping.

This!

I work for Tesco
On self service. I repeatedly get people ask me to help them find something..I explain I can't leave self service and signpost to customer services but they always have a moan about it 🤣
They get annoyed when I don't know if we stock certain items. I don't work on stacking the shelves so again singpost to someone..more moaning.
Yesterday I tried to explain to someone nicely why the self service machine wasn't working for them. They was putting the items down on the wrong side. Pushing the wrong buttons
He just told me " no sorry you are wrong and I am right " right ok.
Half the people I serve can't even manage a simple thank you after I help them
I suspect he was probably pissed off op and was waiting for you to elaborate but I would of asked what you needed help with.

They weren't checkout staff. They were customer services staff in the checkout area. There to provide services to customers I imagine.

Of course people are going to ask you questions if you are wearing the shop's uniform 🙄 How on earth am I supposed to know that you are off the clock doing your own shopping or doing some shelf tidying on the clock if you insist on wearing the uniform off the clock?

@Tessisme if they were on the shop floor they were unlikely to be "Customer Service" staff - because they would be on the Customer Services desk not wandering the sales floor.
Anyways...the OP never came back so I assume she realised she was being dramatic over nothing sinister actually happening at all 🤔

Tesco pre recruitment quiz is interesting to do. My dd did it and the right answer always centres customers even if you have a big job to finish and it’s ten mins till end of your shift! So I’d say he was aware he should’ve responded. My dd failed the test!

ive worked in retail and some people are rude and some are lovely. Now I work with the public and will often get phones shown to me. I always respond with what can I help with.
It is hard working with public but no need to stares and rudeness.

I get asked all the time about stuff in Tesco. I don’t work
there but generally I’ll say it’s there if I know or an apology and I don’t work here. Never just stare!

I dontt know what you are complaining about , he was clearly confused as ti what you were asking him. From what you have said he was taking a moment to process an odd request

Why is it odd?

What’s odd about that? Op was asking anout one of their products, and it’s easiet for everyone to see a picture of it rather than trying to explain.

maybe the fact that i have my bag,my shopping bags ,my phone/list in my hand outdoor coat on but not zipped up, i will tell people where to find stuff but im not going to help someone with a tv when i have already said im not actually working but go to customer service and someone will help

@iwishiwasonhol think that’s fair enough.

You can tell when staff are off the clock.

I wonder @Needmorelego if they were the staff who wait at the self checkout area to help people when there's an 'unexpected item in the bagging area'😆

Just as well you said Tesco as if it had been Asda I would have been certain you were talking about my son.

He is employed on the "twilight" shift, to stack shelves. He is not neurotypical, doesn't like interacting with people at all. He does not "do" customer service. He is there to fill the shelves, but as he starts at 6pm and the store does not close until 10pm, during those hours there is nothing stopping a customer approaching and asking for help. DS would very much do that staring, rabbit caught in the headlights thing as interacting with people he doesn't know makes him really uncomfortable. He's not trying to be aggressive, or intimidating, or rude.

Anyway, a "cold stare" is entirely subjective on the part of the OP, isn't it?