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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

...to expect some actual assistance from shop assistants?

27 replies

frakkit · 07/07/2010 11:29

So I was in the impenetrable maze that is the supermarket hunting for some pine nuts. After 10 minutes of fruitless (nutless?) wandering I decided to be a woman and ask for some directions....

Me: I wonder if you could help, I'm looking-
Assistant 1: No, I can't.

OP posts:
slushy · 07/07/2010 11:37

YANBU perhaps there was a works outing and they were all hurrying off so as to not end up missing the bus by giving you directions .

Did you find them?

TheMoonOnAStick · 07/07/2010 11:39

Yanbu! I can never find anyone to even ask. All thet wasted time trawling about.

And supermarkets do have the oddest places for putting things like that sometimes don't they?

I can't see why it would be too difficult or expensive to have one or two in-store screens in supermarkets you could ask to check stock/location/price. It could give at least the aisle number you need. I bet the people running the place have access to that info.

AxisofEvil · 07/07/2010 11:41

How very rude. Shop in waitrose and not only do they have to be polite and call you madam, if they are on the floor they have to take you to the product rather than saying "by the eggs".

PfftTheMagicDragon · 07/07/2010 11:54

They are normally in the baking section, near the walnuts.

TheCoalitionNeedsYou · 07/07/2010 11:57

YABU. They obviously have much more important things to be doing.

NeverPushWhenItSaysPull · 07/07/2010 12:50

I would have finished my shopping, asked to see a manager, then handed him/her my full basket/trolley and told them why I would not be buying there. I have abandoned my shopping on a number of occasions because of rude staff, and I always ensure that management knows about it.

Having said that, I also endeavour to point out when I have received good service, tip well and try to identify pleasant staff by name.

(I may also be a nutjob. There's a strong possibility...)

mustrunmore · 07/07/2010 12:53

Which supermarket was it, out of interest?

To date, I'd say Asda has the owrt record for staff helpfulness, altho to be fair we were there the other day and one lady was lovely.... she couldn't help, as wasnt sure due to not working in that dept, but she tried anyway. It was abn eye opening first there, I tell you!

rewardgirl · 07/07/2010 12:54

How annoying. I find Tesco are usually the worst for this - awful, awful customer service.
I agree with Axis - Waitrose are fab with this - they SMILE, take you to the item, check you don't need anything else and are generally v polite and helpful. Sainsburys are getting better as well and are (usually) very polite and helpful.

shell96 · 07/07/2010 12:57

No YANBU.

I have this problem fairly regularly in local supermarket caused mostly by them insisting on moving things around the store so that just when you have learned where everything is, it is suddenly gone.

Often the assistant has no idea what I even want (didnt realise chutney or chorizo were such exotic items ) or else when I ask if they sell a particular thing they say 'hmmm I'm not sure. Well, no I dont think so'. If they aren't sure how can they then know in the next sentence that they dont have it?!!

I worked in a supermarket a few years ago and it was standard practice to take customers to the item they needed or if we didnt know if we sold it/where it was then we would go and find another member of staff that did. Not difficult...

5Foot5 · 07/07/2010 12:59

Which shop? Name and shame!!

I always find Sainsbury's pretty helpful, when you ask an assistane they usually take you to the right aisle rather than just pointing and directing.

Iklboo · 07/07/2010 13:02

I'm weird - I always feel a bit guilty when they take me to where the stuff is I'm looking for

superparty · 07/07/2010 13:08

Me too iklboo, and I feel like a naughty child being took somewhere, as iff I've mot looked properly. What makes it worse is we usually have 3 of our children walking and a baby in pram and a shopping trolley, so its like a school outing

Original poster
frakkit · 07/07/2010 13:08

Oh I miss Waitrose...

I'm not actually in the UK so I possibly am being British and petty but often here people are nice and smiley, even if they don't lead you to the product you're looking for. If you're in Europe then don't shop at Casino

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 07/07/2010 13:10

i agree ikl, i'd much ratherthey just said aisle 16 (assuming it is 16!)

mitochondria · 07/07/2010 13:12

I had to ask for two different things last time I went to ASDA, as they've moved everything around again and followed no logic in it whatsoever. All the wine is miles away from the rest of the alcohol.

Both assistants were very smily and helpful, even the one that told me they've sold out of most of the school uniform "because lots of people buy it at this time of year"

No kidding.

sanielle · 07/07/2010 13:14

The last 3 are a bit crap but I would have complained about the first assistant. (And I have worked in shops. Yes, she can help you. It is her job.

fatwildwoman · 07/07/2010 13:16

I once asked the 'fishmonger' in Morrisons ( qualified fishmonger in store, more reasons to shop @ etc etc.) for advice on cooking something ... helpful or not, Im not sure, but he said "I dunno, but you could ask me mum, she works on the bakery counter."

newpup · 07/07/2010 13:24

I asked an assistant in Tesco if there were any French Set Yoghurts the other day. He told me he did not know what they were!!

Sainsburys generally much more helpful.

thumbwitch · 07/07/2010 13:25

Frakkit - they sound horrendous!

Waitrose were always great - always took you there (although, like some of you, I didn't always need to be chaperoned to the exact spot). My local Tesco was actually also always good - they'd either take you there or at least tell you which aisle number and if they didn't know they would ask someone else (but it was quite a new Tesco so maybe they trained the newer staff better).

Here in Oz there are mixed views on how helpful staff are - again I think we are lucky because our Coles is relatively new and the staff are always uniformed and polite, mostly know where stuff is and will either take you to it or tell you which aisle. But I gather from some of the other Aussie posters that this isn't particularly representative of Coles as a whole!

I think the worst ever customer "service" I had was in Currys - no one on the floor, 2 people at the service desk. One of them was having a personal phone conversation and the other steadfastly refused to look up from the computer screen, despite it being OBVIOUS I was standing there waiting and coughing - I even said "excuse me" a couple of times - nothing. I walked out. Disgusting behaviour.

biddysmama · 07/07/2010 13:29

asdas "collegues" are very nice... i went in for a table and chair set for dd and ds last week (they wanted to eat in the garden) i'm 34 weeks pg and the chappy wouldnt let me carry it, took it and put it inthe car for me as well

PeedOffWithNits · 07/07/2010 13:44

DD being coeliac, the first thing I look for in a strange supermarket is their Freefrom section - went on hols last year, found a HUMUNGOUS tesco - was told by the first 2 staff I asked that they "did not have that" - a free from section. when i said they must sell something gluten free, they said "no, don't think we do"

in fact they looked like they had never ever heard of gluten free at all - I told them i would be amazed if they did NOT have a FF section in a store that huge (whole upstairs floor full of clothes, bikes, washing machines etc!). there was no attempt by them to find someone else who knew for me,.

3rd time lucky i got a lady who knew what aisle number I needed - and there was a MASSIVE range

LimaCharlie · 07/07/2010 14:00

YANBU - rude and unhelpful - if they don't want to help customers they shouldnt be in the job

TottWriter · 07/07/2010 14:29

YANBU. I used to work for M&S, and the importance of good customer service was drilled into us repeatedly (though sadly not all staff seemed to remember their training...)

I still get peeved when I'm in shops and the shop assistants are rude, because frankly, if you work in retail, it's your job to please the customer. It is literally your job description to assist the customer, not to stand there gossiping to your mates while you half-heartedly stack shelves. I did the retail thing for three and a half years until my health deteriorated, and I never had a problem with putting on my shop face for work hours and being polite to everyone, no matter how obnoxious or stupid they presented themselves as (and I have tales of some really idiotic customers).

Still, I agreee, name and shame. And name and shame to the manager - it's the only way things will improve. Just remember to praise good service as well, otherwise the entire staff are likely to get depressing meetings!

mustrunmore · 16/07/2010 16:28

You know, I thought about this thread today. For the first time in my life, I got really bad customer service in M&S, so bad I cried. And for prob only the second or third time in my life, I didnt think 'oh I'm sure they're just having a bad day' or 'cut them some slack, its hard to be nice all the time' etc; today I really did think 'you are just horrible and nasty and you're not big enough to admit your mistake and say sorry to me as another person, never mind me being a customer'

usualsuspect · 16/07/2010 16:32

I've always had fab customer service in both Asda and Tesco ...