to believe that if the girl in the lingerie department had been less obsessed with trying to sell me a store card she would have remembered to remove the security tag...

[CoffeeCrazedMama]

Thus saving me much embarrassment at the store exit when I set off the alarm. I checked my bags and could feel the tag through the bag and tissue paper. I waited for the security guard, showed him my receipt, and then had to pull out the item of nightwear to which it was attached for him to deal with.

Much as black lacy knickers (mercifully untagged) fell out as I pulled everything out of the bag! I am extremely modest and did not want to share my (for me) racy lingerie choices with a security guard and the crowds of Oxford St!

I was fuming after because even though the guard was very polite and made it clear he knew I wasn't a shoplifter, I remembered how persistent the girl had been - even insisting on putting a leaflet and application form in the bag in case I changed my mind! If only she had been so careful with the things I had bought!

I wouldn't have minded so much if it had been tableware or something impersonal.

No wonder this particular store has been doing badly for years.

Rant over - I feel so much better!

complain!!!

this really annoys me

the leaving the security tags on thing that is

in the last 2 months it has happened to my friend who bought a jacket from topshop to wear out but when she put it on disocvered the tag was there and it was too late that day to take it back so she ended up not wearing it

my dd's outfit from mothercare which is quite a way from us and i had to get my parents to drive us back, it was a sale item and cost less than the bus would have to return to have the tag removed]

and in the disney store when i bought dd a stuffed toy got half was home and discovered that they had left the tag on went straight back and had it removed

i think if this happens you should get some voucher or at least your travel costs refunded

i am sure she didnt leave it on on purpose.

as for the store card thing, sales assistants are often told that they must sell x amount of these per day, and often their performance reviews will take in to account how many cards they sell, some companies acyually take disaplinary action against staff that do not meet these targets.

Yes Nancy, or else they use mystery shoppers to make sure the sales assistants say everything they are supposed to.

Store card targets are a pain. I'll assure you that most staff hate having to sell them, and 'having' is the operative word. Mystery shoppers mark on a lot of things, including whether or not a customer was asked about/offered a store card. It's bloody annoying when you can't just get on with your job. You know the customers hate it, but it's a choice of an irritated customer or an absolutely fuming boss.

Retail is crap

What really puzzles me is that hard sell of shoe polish that you get whenever you buy shoes.

I can understand the storecard hardsell because of the huge proofit to be made there. But shoe polish? 20p profit a pop?

Once I asked a shopworker in JJB about this and he sais that if you don't sell enough polish each day you are demoted from the shoe part of the shop to a less favourable part.

Why? Why does shoe polish have to be pushed so hard?

the staff are targeted on that as well hilariusbookbinder, i used to work for a large shoe company and our shoe care had to be a certain % of our days sales, if it wasnt you got a nasty phone call from your area manager! i think they actually make quite alot of profit on those kind of things, costs the co very little, doesnt take up space in the shop, that kind of thing

Nancy, this is exactly my point - I realise that there are pressures/incentives on staff to do this. Instead of relying on good service and providing what the customer wants, stores rely on profit from these cards (which consumer organisations are always warning us to avoid).

If only retail chiefs would realise that this is an own goal. As I always say, I have enough cards, ones I chose to have. If I think I need one, I'll seek it out. It all ends up becoming a gauntlet you run when shopping.

When Woolies left a security tag on an item of clothing and it threatened to squirt blue dye over the garment I rang them back when I got home and they said come back in and we will remove it . I had my shitty head on that day and was not prepered to except this ,they then said they would give me a £2 voucher for the my trouble. I was still not in a good mood (I will blame pms) so I said I didnt drive and had young children and I was not prepared to do this so could I have the number of head offfice . I then told them that I would appreciate it if they would deliver another of the same item and take the old one back . One hour later the item was delivered . LOL

i think yabu in not taking the store card, they are great, its like being given freebies all the time. you can buy as much as you like and pay it of at only £5 a month. you missed out big style there

(joke)

kerry -

This happened to dh

When his bag was checked the guard could`nt find the tag and dh left with the coat.

3 weeks later when dh went to put it on he found the tag inside the lining.We can`t remove it or it will rip and ruin the coat

Now when dh goes shopping(wearing it) he has set off other shop doors alarms .
I always walk out first so nobody thinks I am with him

Hands up everyone who has never made a mistake in work.

This woman will have been set a target. She will be expected to ask everyone this question, I doubt that she hassles people from choice.

I'm sure it was embarrassing, but complain? get real. We all make mistakes

It happens all the time to me now - the keys to my new car seem to be the culprit!

Like MB, I think you are being a bit harsh, it's not like anyone has never seen a pair of lacy nicks before

At least you had some decent purchases - think how you would feel if you had to empty your bag and you had been buying Tenalady or something. Not speaking personally of course

But lacy knicks - woo-hoo!

Unless CCM is really a man............

No, all girl, UC! Just easily mortified!