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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that Marks & Spencers closing their dressing rooms is absurd

181 replies

paulaplumpbottom · 30/12/2009 11:03

I was in Marks & Spencers yestaerday and saw a couple of really cute dresses so I took them to the dressing rooms to try them on. The dressing rooms were closed. The sales assisant then told me that they now close them during the sales. I explained to her that yesterday was a rare day when I didn't have my very young son screaming his head off and that returning it would be a hassle. She rudely refused me even though i'm a really good customer and shop their daily. I don't understand how this policy benefits their customers. I felt really angry. Am I being unreasonable?

OP posts:
Pikelit · 30/12/2009 13:36

Neither of my dss were great shoppers when little. But they did have to cope with the daily routine of it as they did every other reasonable daily routine. Internet shopping hadn't been invented and in any case, I am also a believer in shopping little and often. Somewhere along the line, such power as should exist appears to have been transferred to your son, Paula and that, with respect, is an issue of greater importance than the opening (or otherwise) of the M&S changing rooms.

merrycompo · 30/12/2009 13:37

oy coq be kind
she hasnt been on here for a yr and a half and is coming back to us
play nicely

CoqAuVin · 30/12/2009 13:38

i want to be her
sashaying trhough marks

FabIsGoingToBeFabIn2010 · 30/12/2009 13:39

This will not chnage really until you have a break from daily shopping. Your son clearly associates shopping with being unhappy, etc etc so will react every time you go.

No one should need to shop every day but if you insist you have too you will have to change how you do it. Go after he has had his lunch and nap, etc etc.

Original poster
paulaplumpbottom · 30/12/2009 13:40

Oh if only I was sashaying and not running through it like a mad thing

OP posts:
LastOfTheMulledWine · 30/12/2009 13:41

Is M&S like other food shops? I only have the wnaky adverts for reference. Is it strip lighting and crap music? The weekly food shop is enough for me to be wailing in the corner so a daily trip into consumer hell would send me over the edge.

I like cut of your ds's gib paula. Let them know what you think of their shops in no uncertain terms.

Original poster
paulaplumpbottom · 30/12/2009 13:43

I know it probably seems as easy as changing the time I shop. I wish it were that easy but its not. If he is like this for ten minutes you can imagine what he might be like at the end of an hour. I do think this is kinder. I can't not do the grocery shopping.

OP posts:
Original poster
paulaplumpbottom · 30/12/2009 13:44

lol
Mulled Wine. Thats it he too demands better customer swervice

OP posts:
Pikelit · 30/12/2009 13:48

M&S is a deal better than the hell that is Tesco.

But actually, I don't think you should change the daily provisioning routine simply because a very small child has decided it doesn't suit him. With respect, he should be rather lower in the pack order!

Note that my comments relate to "provisioning" though. Because shopping for the sake of it, as some sort of warped leisure activity, is an offence to civilisation, imho. Any child who pipes up in protest is on the right track. But commonsense says that you don't take small children on that sort of shopping outing.

LastOfTheMulledWine · 30/12/2009 13:49

My dd loves the weekly shop. A week is a long time to her at 2.7yrs. She sees it as an infrequent treat. Long aisles, running around, helping put things in the trolley, asking for items at the bakery etc.

We went away for a week not so long ago and stayed somewhere with a broken fridge. We shopped daily and dd despised it. Once back to weekly shopping, she enjoyed it again.

He'll be better when he's older I would imagine. I know you're getting a bit of a bashing on here for it, but it doesn't sound like much fun. In fact it sounds like toothbrushing time here. Scream, scream, scream but it has to be done.

LastOfTheMulledWine · 30/12/2009 13:55

Shopping for the sake of it.

There's a sentence I'll never understand.

I don't know if I agree that a child has to come low down in the pecking order and just get on with the shopping when they hate it. In fact I don't agree. DD is a toddler. She isn't able to rationalise things in the same way as an adult. She doesn't understand 'need' in the same way as I do so if there's a way of doing things differently so everybody's happy then I'd rather do that and accept that her world's very different to mine. There's plenty of time for her to learn about obligation and necessity and I'm happy to work round her for now. But I'm an old hippy who has no time constraints and only one child so operate outside normal parameters. She needs to brush her teeth and go to the toilet and drink and eat etc. She doesn't need to fit into my nonexistent M&S habit. Not at 2.

thesecondcoming · 30/12/2009 14:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ruddynorah · 30/12/2009 15:00

did you ever man the fitting room secondcoming, or do the repro?

thesecondcoming · 30/12/2009 15:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ruddynorah · 30/12/2009 15:21

despite all the hassle, christmas tends to be good fun to work, good atmosphere if you're part of a good team. i'm on maternity this year so tis quite weird to walk in and see it all and resist tidying things up and dealing with the queues..nice to still have the discount and staff shop though

DarrellRivers · 30/12/2009 15:24

Am laughing at how this thread turned into being about PPB shopping daily in M+S with her son rather than the sales/dressing rooms saga.
So MN

thesecondcoming · 30/12/2009 15:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
paulaplumpbottom · 30/12/2009 15:34

Mulledwine I used to be that way when it was just me and my daughter. Those were the days before my son's reign of terror began. He is very sweet most of the time.

OP posts:
Original poster
paulaplumpbottom · 30/12/2009 15:36

SecondComing, I was very nice to the Sales Assistant. I used to work in a grocery store and know how difficult the public can be. I asked in my sweetest manner.

OP posts:
ruddynorah · 30/12/2009 15:39

ooh yes, you have to have a shit incident every now again, or even a used sanitary towel incident

thing is when you've been there a while you've seen it all so a truck full of repro waiting in the loading bay, or a queue of 60 people waiting to pay, or a big fat turd in the lift...really doesn't bother you

SpawnChorus · 30/12/2009 15:40

Is this thread a wind-up? Have you all gone MAD?

Poor old paulapb came on here for a grumble about M&S (fairly reasonable IMO...have just wrestled my way out of there...hell on earth) and now she's getting bashed for her shopping habits. Why does anyone care??!!

This made me actually LOL:

"OP, they probably did recognise you today. Probably thought oh it's that woman who comes in here every day with that poor child who is hurting himself in anger and sadness at having to schlep round the shop every damn day when he's clearly let his mother know how god awful the experience is for everybody concerned."

PPB - your POOR CHILD being dragged around m&s for 10 minutes...it's ABUSE I tell ya!

MollieO · 30/12/2009 15:44

Just back from our local M&S and the changing room was open, as was the one in Monsoon (didn't go anywhere else as that was enough }.

Original poster
paulaplumpbottom · 30/12/2009 15:44

thank you Spawnchorus

OP posts:
Original poster
paulaplumpbottom · 30/12/2009 15:46

Monsoon did have theirs open yesterday and ended up getting my business instead.

OP posts:
thesecondcoming · 30/12/2009 15:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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