Feeling a bit shaky after an encounter in Sainsbury's

[HelenSkeleton]

I just went to a Sainsbury's Local and picked up a bar of chocolate advertised at £2.40. It scanned at £3.00 and there was another shelf with the same bar at the higher price so I went to the counter, explained that I was confused about the price and the woman behind the counter went to check.

While she was doing that a woman who looked like a manager came up to me and very rudely told me there was "no need to get like that". I wasn't like anything. I was not rude, unkind, nasty or anything. I was perfectly calm. I told her I wasn't "getting like anything" and was merely confused. I was also confused by her attitude. She was very argumentative told me that "we make mistakes" which I acknowledged but she continued arguing with me saying"I've just told you we make mistakes". I hadn't even complained, simply asked for the correct price. I told her she was protesting too much at this point.

She was really confrontational at which point I said "you know what, let's just leave it" and I left the shop. I'm actually shaking and I don't know why. Her reaction was out of all proportion. I feel quite sick.

This.

Hardly stalking is it. She typed her name into the Internet and information came up 🤷‍♀️

Most stores have the store managers name on receipts, if I type their names into Google does that make me a stalker 🤣

You knew her name, it was on her name badge.
You did not need to be nosy and go looking her up.

One name will suffice for a complaint, it would be unusual for 2 Valerie's to be on at 5.15pm. just like it would be unusual for two managers in Sainsburys to be called Valerie.
and often with names like that, one happens to like to be called Val and the other if there was one likes to be called Valerie.

Yes. You can't always control your flight or fight instict. Sometimes your adrenaline just kicks in for no real reason. That's the basis of panic attacks. O P try to relax and concentrate on breathing right. Maybe use a mindful app. You didn't do anything wrong and sounds like you just met an angry woman with her own agenda.

I once reported a person who claimed to be a manager in Waterstones. I had walked around for some time with an expensive book in my hand, eventually decided I could not afford it and replaced it on the shelf. I did buy a much cheaper book and left the shop. Thanks heavens I kept the receipt. This man accosted me in the street and accused me of intending to steal the book but "chickening out" when I knew staff were watching me. I gave him back as good as I got and reminded him that you cannot accuse someone of theft until they actually take the goods out of the store without paying. I wrote to the head office and enclosed a photocopy of the book I had purchased to show I was a genuine customer. I got a letter of apology and a £10 voucher. A few weeks later I was able to afford the book and used my voucher in part exchange. I was hoping to meet the "manager" so I could show him the letter and rub his nose in it. He was nowhere to be seen. Subsequently I never again saw him in the shop.

It isn't normal to go online and pick on total strangers either, FWIW.

Call and complain.

With any luck they will get the pleasant man onto you.

Not you it was her. Some people are looking for a fight, including that woman over 60 pence. Yes these people must be navigated around as we do our weekly shop. Swerve, avoid, ignore. If this fails....Complain and get pleasant call back possibly.

I am truly baffled by the people who think involuntary physical responses to stress hormones such as shaking or feeling sick are controllable and the OP has chosen to experience them.

OP - you're doing the right thing, the woman was not doing her job properly, got involved in something already being resolved, escalated it for no damn reason and made you feel horrible. A complaint is absolutely warranted!

@slashlover you shouldn't be in a customer facing job then.
It's not being unprepared if there are no bags put out for customers to use.

I rarely shop at Sainsburys now after multiple occasions when the price at the till is higher than the shelf edge label. It got to the stage whereby I was taking photos of the SEL on many items as I suspected there’d be queries at the checkout - and there were!

Delays were caused as another member of staff had to check the labels and they were all busy. Eventually, after checking, I’d be told the ‘promotion’ had finished but staff had been too busy to change the label pricing. They weren’t too busy to amend the increased electronic prices post-promotion at checkout, though!

It is infuriating, shopping prices have increased so much and if people buy something on the strength of the promotion price but are expected to pay full price at checkout, it can significantly increase the total bill. Plus, having to endure the disdain of others in the queue who are kept waiting due to the dispute!

Other supermarkets are just as bad at times although I’ve never been overcharged at Aldi, Lidl or M&S.

Probably at 19:03 when you said

It shows she's inexperienced. I'm not stalking her. I wanted to find out her full name in order to complain. Though the first name is unusual enough to identify her.

Yes I always get a paper receipt too for a similar reason. I actually had a store person follow me out of the store and take a photo of me. Their explanation was that my handbag was bulging with things i had obviously swiped. The things I had in my bag were M&S branded as I showed them, and I was in another store entirely. No store buzzer went off when i exited and I suggested they review their own CCTV if they thought I had stolen anything.

I should have complained actually. It certainly unsettled me enough that I was shaking and quite emotional.

That’s ridiculous. You had an encounter that upset you but rather than move on, you’re googling her?! That’s not going to help you relax and get over it, why on earth are you choosing to prolong your upset?

Have a good sentence in your mind to use next time you are confronted. ' Sorry, I thought you were here to help me, not be rude'.

Now this has gone weird. Why would you do that?

You don’t need to type anything into Google. OP has already said she wore a name badge and the first name would have been enough because strangely they know who’s working due to rotas and people clocking in because they like to be paid.

When you complain to head office, link them to this thread so that they can see the widespread problems in their store network.

For the sake of 60p price difference I wouldn't have even queried the amount tbh.

Sometimes people are going through rough times or they are just rude in general, I know it’s hard because it was directed to you personally but try to understand that it’s more her and you was just a outlet.

don’t let the interaction plague your mind

Why have prices on anything ? 🙄

To answer the original question OP, I would be shaking too. I had a similar experience recently when I went to collect some dry cleaning and the man accused me of having already collected it pretending to have lost the ticket. He sneered at me and accused me and got a colleague in to back him up.
I shook and worried about it for hours and looked online for information about him. I understand where you’re coming from. You may get somewhere complaining as it’s a big company.

I'm guessing you don’t have any money worries?

Our Sainsbury’s is constantly in breach of trading standards, with advertised Nectar prices not being given at the till. To one customer it’s just 60p, but if you add up falsely advertised pricing across thousands of customers who won’t notice it as part of a big shop, or don’t want to make a fuss, that’s quite the earner for Sainsbury’s, persuading customers to buy something on an apparent deal that they otherwise would not have picked up.

Gosh wonder if folks were drunk when they were posting and attacking the op last night. I see no issue with looking her up on line to get her full name to enable you to make a complaint.

Too many issues in Sainsbury's with wrong prices. When you query it and they have to do some work walking to the shelf to check. I had a horrible experience instore I had used scanner app to do the shopping as I went round store after paying at the checkout I packed my bags, I noticed a self service worker standing behind me but didn't seak. I carried on packing I looked again and she was still there " I had noticed your putting items straight in your bag without scanning" I explained i used app and had paid "]let me see" I explained i had receipt as i had already paid No apology for making you feel like a shoplifter. No apology when I complained to Sainsbury's either just they would give further training to Checkout staff.

This, sorry op I agree. I get it’s horrible when what should be a banal polite exchange ends up with someone being rude but I think it’s a bit much to start googling her history. Possibly she had had a string of people having a go at her and she took something out on you. People are more rude to shop staff than the other way around although have noticed the younger generation can be very sullen and don’t do small talk which is sad but not rude I guess. Good luck op.