How are you supposed to shop when you are treated awfully?

[Mummypig2020]

I popped to jojo this morning as Dd needing some shoes. She’s 3 and Dh works during the day so I took her with me.

We were barked at as soon as we walked in (no one else was in the store). Don’t let go of dds hand, no touching anything. I don’t mind these things but to be made to feel utter shit about it. It was horrible and I really had to bite my lip from not crying (hormonal!).
I just felt so sad for Dd, she normally loves that shop :(

I said jokingly “wish we could just go back to normal” to be shouted that it won’t ever go back and if I touch something it will not keep other people safe 😑😑

I don't disagree but if you want shoes for your child, and the shop sells shoes for children, they need to serve you without harrumping!
If you refuse to follow simple guidelines they don't have to serve you at all.

Vote with your feet .

Is this only for "non-essential" shops? Because I've had nobody barking instructions at me to get into the supermarkets or Superdrug. Or policing what I buy or asking me what I want like Boots.

I never said they were barking instructions and I didn't say it was for all shops. I said

DD works in a retail store. They have to have someone in the door telling you the 'rules' before you enter.

That means in the store where DD works they have to give people instruction before entering. This has come from head office and their decision on how to safely open the store for both staff and customers.

The classification of the store is 'essential' - not sure why this matters though

Ok I'l rephrase - I haven't had anyone politely give me instructions when walking into a supermarket or Superdrug.

You seem to be having trouble understanding that not all shops are approaching things in the same manner. Superdrug will do what they choose and Jojo will do what they choose.

Ultimately the aim is to keep people safe so the more stringent measures these shops employ the better

I don't think the virus discriminates on whether you're doing essential shopping or not.

Blimey, op, surely you can show some common sense in a pandemic? Shopping is not a leisure activity right now, it's a necessity. Either you or your h take dd for shoe. One trip. Not tricky...

I just felt so sad for Dd, she normally loves that shop sad
This suggests your dd has form for running around playing with the merchandise, op...
Seriously, you were sad that you were told this was inappropriate during a pandemic?

I’m with you OP, if shop workers make shopping a miserable experience I won’t be spending my money there at all. Online and the supermarkets for everything. Shopping should be enjoyable and if it isn’t then there is no point to it.

Wonder why they were like this in an empty shop ?

@KeepYourDistance2m it might be an idea to check what the shops policies are before you go, to make sure the shopping experience as painless as possible.

It wasnt like this when I went to clothes shops on Monday. Clothes was stacked up, no way on earth to get to a bigger size without holding the pile above ( well I could have used the table cloth technique and flung the rest all of the shop with quick hard yank on my item)

Nothing was taken away and burnt if I touched it but didnt buy it. Try other shops OP. I knew my dd was a size 8 so just buy a 9. Try M&S. Bigger shops are better right now I find.

Or order over £35 online from jojo in various sizes and send the rest back.

Shopping is tedious and painful right now that's for sure. I'm hoping to not buy any more kids clothes now until 2021.

@KeepYourDistance2m

So DD has had a growth spurt over lockdown and DH is taking her shopping Sat to get new EVERYTHING. How will he get the right size without touching the hangers? Or check prices without touching tags? Or check the material to see if its suitable? (Asd - she is very fussy about which fabrics she will wear). Is there actually any point in him going?

I expect he will do what most parents do and look at what size clothes she has grown out and then decide to buy the next size up or the one above that if she's grown a lot. Then only buy clothes in the materials he knows she will wear.

All of this can be done online easily and with the minimum of fuss.

I think many shops, staff and the government are presuming that most people visit shops purely to aquire things, so as long as they are able to aquire things, it doesn't matter how miserable the experience is. That the joy is the getting the stuff home and using it, not the experience of shopping for it. For a lot of people, the experience of shopping is fun as well as having the new thing.

The OP is upset because for her and her DD, going to JoJo MB is normally something they associate with having a nice experience, which justifies that shop is a little more expensive than buying very similar items from other larger shops or on line. Take away the 'niceness', what is the point in paying the higher prices?

Shops like Jo Jo MB with a good website shouldn't have opened yet.

(Bit like the discussions about reopening pubs with social distancing and only being able to sit with your household members. I've been drinking wine with DH for weeks, if I'm going to go to the pub, it's to chat and laugh with someone else. Restaurants are different, but again, I don't need time to catch up with DH - as much as I adore him, I really want to go socialise with other people - you won't be getting my money until I can do that).

I’ve been into town this week. Many shops are being super nice to reassure customers, others are being arseholes whose store won’t make it through this time. I received both excellent and poor customer service today and won’t go back to spend my money in the latter.

I understand the staff needing to communicate the rules, being worried about their own health, etc., but if someone replied to a completely benign "wish things could be normal again" with something along the lines of "it won't ever go back", I think I'd turn on my heels and walk right out the door, with a snarky "Have a great day!" tossed over my shoulder. (That is, assuming you didn't absolutely have to buy something there that day).

I think many shops, staff and the government are presuming that most people visit shops purely to aquire things, so as long as they are able to aquire things, it doesn't matter how miserable the experience is. That the joy is the getting the stuff home and using it, not the experience of shopping for it. For a lot of people, the experience of shopping is fun as well as having the new thing.
The purpose of shopping is to acquire things, if you go for recreational purposes only you'll need to find a new hobby.

If someone had barked at me as soon as I walked in I would have walked straight out.
There is no need for rudeness - Corona or no Corona.

It's possible though that they were just trying to explain the rules and it came over wrongly.
I'm in another country and I haven't been in any non-essential shops since this started. I've had no problems in any of the food shops I have been in. I've ordered everything else I needed online to avoid the hassle of shopping as it is at the moment.
I am sorry that I am not able to support the high street shops but all the rules and regulations are just too much, never mind having to queue outside some shops to get in in the first place.

If you are not happy about the treatment in some shops then you have other options.

In the country I live in restaurants were opened a while back but with lots of rules about facemasks. This was an absolute pain and it soon became clear to government that they weren't going to be able to reinvigorate the sector if they didn't change the rules. Facemasks initially restricted to entering the premises only and then completely dropped. Once people were able to visit restaurants "normally" then they did. The only difference is that there are fewer tables in each one.

For those saying the DD probably normally runs around and touches stuff - in our local JoJo MB, they genuinely encourage that sort of behaviour! It's got colouring area and play area, and kids are made a fuss of by staff. It's a nice shopping experience for little children, they aren't treated like a problem. And as such, parents are more relaxed and are more likely to ignore the extra couple of quid on the prices.

I haven't experienced anything like this in any shop, in fact I took my 8yr old into a farm shop on Tuesday despite there being signs on the door saying "No children unless essential" and the staff were their normal friendly selves and even gave my daughter a free punnet of cherries because their till was playing up. The only horrid people I've come across have been other shoppers.

In your situation I probably wouldn't complain but I would certainly not be going back again.

Being in some shops has reminded me of visiting my brother in prison with barked orders and very brusque treatment but I suppose the staff are on edge with so many people being crap. I do have sympathy with them.

@Mummypig2020

Thank you! Will try the super market.

I felt so sad for her, she wanted to measure her self against the growing thing like she normally does and obviously wasn’t allowed to let go of her hand.

I don't know why you thought it would be normal shopping? Why would you think she could go around and touch things? The virus is still around, the shop isn't a virus free zone, and the staff are trying to protect themselves and their customers.

I've only been out three times in the last 13 weeks, the atmosphere was very tense, I can imagine all shop assistants are on edge going back to work this week and working under new rules and strange circumstances.

Well I would be upset too TBH! Had a horrid experience at the start of lockdown in Tesco . Very rude cashier ,almost in tears .Wont be going back there ! Could you complain to the manager? Clarks are pretty good here ,and as PP have said Supermarkets or M and S as well .I realise everyone needs to be careful ,but I think some staff are taking it a bit too far TBH! Dont forget we are paying their wages, and if they put people off too much wont have any customers or a job either!