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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Skipping the Que

165 replies

LindaHoney · 10/12/2023 20:46

Now that I am calmer, I think perhaps I may have been a jerk but I was so annoyed earlier.

I was catching the train to work with about 20 minutes to spare. I stopped off at the deli near the trainstation (also petrol station), Sunday morning close to Xmas, the que was longer than usual and the staff were slow enough.

This lady skipped the que and approached the men at the top and asked if she could stand in, as she was in a hurry as she had a baby in the car.

I was annoyed but whatever. She then did the same thing in the que to pay.

She left the shop and while I was in the que to pay, and by now, barely going to make my train due to the slow deli, she came back in, picked up a bottle of water and approached the man at the top of the que.

I was second in the que, she had the same story. “Sorry is it ok to jump in, I just have a baby in the car”.

he said it was ok. It was not ok with me. I piped up and told her no it wasn’t okay, everyone’s got places to be and I’m in a hurry too, she’s after skipping twice and wants to skip the third time? Get to the back of the que and wait your turn.

she started yelling I was very rude, very rude indeed, turned to the sales assistant saying how rude I was and the sales assistant served her.

the man who let her go ahead of him also let me go ahead of him.

I didn’t complain to the sales assistant but I called the shop immediately after I got on the train, complained to the manager and he called me back there tonight to say he watched the cctv back and he is after reprimanding the assistant in question.

OP posts:

Barleycat · 12/12/2023 06:46

Ffs you're a ray of sunshine aren't you.

oneflewoverthe · 12/12/2023 07:12

Wow you sound delightful. You lie about being able to spell a word for some reason. Then start throwing around ages or sexist insults and chuck in about being unemployed for good measure.

NaughtybutNice77 · 12/12/2023 07:21

I'm with you on this. Personally I feel the only fair thing to do if someone cuts in is to offer them your place, not everyone else's. Like you I'd have let the first one go, even at a pinch the 2nd, but 3 times!!! And yes I'd have confronted the staff who rewarded bad behaviour.

NaughtybutNice77 · 12/12/2023 07:24

FatFatMary · 10/12/2023 21:09

I think you have anger problems.

Really? For speaking up? She didn't swear, threaten violence, scream, yell....she vouced her (very reasonable) anger and chose to deal with it later in a mature way. She was angry. She did not lose her temper.

readymealeater · 12/12/2023 07:25

Allfur · 11/12/2023 18:17

Some q jumpers are ok

😂

NaughtybutNice77 · 12/12/2023 07:26

Hiddenvoice · 10/12/2023 21:38

I’d also find it really annoying but I wouldn’t have phoned the shop and complained to the manager. Other customers were letting her skip, as annoying as that is to everyone else in the line, that’s their choice and nothing to do with the sales assistant.
I’d have moaned about being in a hurry but what a rubbish thing for the sales assistant to get into trouble for when they are just trying to get on with their shift.

But it isn't the customers right to make a choice on behalf of everyone else....when she voiced her reasonable concerns it became a sales assistant problem. When they handled it badly it became a management problem

readymealeater · 12/12/2023 07:30

join the grammar police online when they’re most likely unemployed in person

I don't understand the connection with being unemployed.

BeadedBubbles · 12/12/2023 08:06

*Caught out? Behave yourself. 😂 Is it a big deal even if I didn’t know the correct spelling? Who cares, except for some sad middle aged women who creamed their full briefs over a misspelt word? Get a grip, I mean, it’s really not that deep.

Q, Que, Cue, Queue. Who cares?

I personally prefer que. What’s hilarious is all the aul ones falling over themselves to join the grammar police online when they’re most likely unemployed in person.*

Ah - showing a very nasty, ageist side there op. Not sure how a poster's employment status is relevant?

Can't you grasp that que has a completely different pronunciation - and therefore is not a substitute for - queue?

BeadedBubbles · 12/12/2023 08:07

Bold fail 🙄

ithinkthatmaybeimdreaming · 12/12/2023 08:30

43ontherocksporfavor · 10/12/2023 20:56

Annoying but I’d have been over it within 10 minutes. Don’t sweat the small stuff op.

This!!! It's over, forget about it.

As for phoning the shop, that really wasn't necessary.

ithinkthatmaybeimdreaming · 12/12/2023 08:32

hangingonfordearlife1 · 11/12/2023 08:12

Woman was an ass for jumping the queue but you really are a sad act for calling the shop. Its not shop assistants concern if she's asked other people to jump in. Honestly people must have very easy lives with no problems if this is what makes them so upset.

Amazing isn't it? I can't help but wonder how on earth they cope when something serious happens.

Emeraldrings · 12/12/2023 19:12

ExTheCheater · 11/12/2023 20:42

Glad you complained, the lady was extremely entitled and rude. We all have places to be.

And how is complaining to the manager going to help. The lady in question won't get in to trouble. If anyone does it will be the sales assistant (except she won't either because it's a ridiculous complaint). So waste of time complaining.

SoreAndTired1 · 14/12/2023 11:53

If a customer was waiting to be served and the assistant was serving everyone but them, you'd complain, wouldn't you? I don't see what's different here. The server was not serving in turn. Any server would get in trouble for that. The OP was right to complain because that is simply not good enough for customer service.

Emeraldrings · 15/12/2023 10:21

No, any server would not get in trouble because they are defusing the situation. Having worked in retail I know my manager would have backed me and probably not even mentioned the complaint (or if he watched the CCTV or spoke to me he would back me up after). Unfortunately some manager's are assholes.
But it was still spiteful to try and get someone in to trouble just because you are in a bad mood. I see be kind didn't last long.

easylikeasundaymorn · 15/12/2023 11:21

Everyone is acting like the manager "reprimanding" the shop assistant is going to be taking them out the back and beating them with a stick or sacking them instantly. Whereas it will probably be "look I know you were in an awkward situation but the idea is we serve people in order, it's not great to let someone jump the queue three times, if everyone in front said it was fine then of course you can let them but at the point this lady said she wasn't happy you shouldn't have ignored her and served queue jumper anyway."
Shop assistant "ah ok yes it was a bit awkward, I haven't been in that position before, it's good to know what to do if it happens again."

It might be a minor incident but the whole point of having management is to train other staff which included telling them when they do something wrong. I would expect my manager to tell me if I did that in my job, as would most people. Not sure why it's unfair for a shop assistant just because they are on a lower wage -if anything that's quite patronising to assume they don't care about their work and don't want to improve.

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