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 😑😑

Shops are not treating customers badly!

Customers,however,are being vile

That's as much a ridiculous generalisation as if someone said "all shop staff are being rude". Of course some shop staff are treating customers badly, some staff treated customers badly before coronavirus, that's not going to have changed. Equally, I'm sure some customers are being horrible, just like pre-lockdown. There was no excuse for any of it then, and there still isn't now.

People are nervous, they've spent months at home being told that outside is too scary. Now they're back and they're barking at customers and sticking rigidly to the guidelines. People will adapt and get used to things then they'll be able to ask in a more relaxed way and sound less stressed. Yes to using the supermarkets. I've found tea time a nice quiet time to go and browse the clothes aisle.

Most staff have been lovely, may having a moan about how different their jobs are and that too, which is understandable.

However, I have had one experience similar to what you describe. Needed some calpol for DC, one was feeling under the weather and I didn't realise the backup bottle had been used..I know thats my fault for not checking so it wouldn't have been a rushed thing. But anyway, went into superdrug..line outside, fair enough. Only letting a few in at a time, fair enough. Sanitizer, fair enough. BUT. Woman on doors rule seemed to be you must go one way (usual), and you are not allowed to move past anyone. A couple of women were looking through the makeup stands, using samples, picking up everything. I literally waited behind them for 20 mins until I got sick of it, had a small queue behind me who were annoyed too. So I just walked past them quickly, the rest followed suit. And the staff member came over and actually said to me smething along the lines of 'you have potentially killed customers in this shop today because of that behaviour and you have made others break the rules too'

Very very OTT. And quite a silly rule for a place that has a fair few people staring at the makeup for literally hours on end sometimes even on quiet days! Am quite sure walking behind someones turned back..being near them for half a second..is going to be fine.

The woman on the til though was rolling her eyes a lot at the whole overdramatic display and said she was going to have a word with manager because many customers had complained f the same thing that day. So I think the 'dont pass anyone at all' rule might possibly have been only that staff member, rather than instruction from top down.

Wherever it came from though, its unrealistic to expect people to wait behind others for hours..which would have been quite possible given how slow they wee and how they seemed to want to test every damn thing on the many many makeup shelves. And accusing customers of killing people is just downright bizarre to me. I could understand such a reaction if I had purposely coughed in their faces or something of course..but for walking past?! Also bizarre was how got the blame for others who had waited beind me also walking past the dawdlers. I didn't force anyone to do that, and couldn't have stopped them if I wanted to.

Complain to the head office. Note the time you went. Say they have lost your custom after years of loyalty. Say you are telling your friends.

Them: Hi. Do you mind using the hand gel? Please put anything you touch in this basket so we can wipe it over, and let us know if you need any help.

Yes, this has been my majority experience too. Only bad one really was superdrug yesterday, so doing ok really.

Mind, me saying that above does not mean I think customers are perfect either! I have workd in customer service since turning 18 and I know they can be utter cunts at the best of times.

@BatShite definitely complain to Superdrug! What a ridiculous experience, the staff should have stepped in and offered help to the makeup browsers, or just moved the queue along.

I literally waited behind them for 20 mins

You literally didn't. Come on now. You've devalued your whole story with that ludicrous exaggeration.

Oh but I did.

Also agree that staff should have moved them on, but staff are already doing more than usual..I don't actually plan to put in a complaint unless it happens again..as anyone can have a off day and I wouldn't want to cause issues in a time where jobs are going to be lost. I think its possible she was just panicky, but the rule makes no sense in a shop like that, to me anyway.

Tbf it wasnt wait in exactly the same spot. We were all moving up a couple of inches every few mins

It seems laughable now really. But was quite annoying at the time and clearly there wasn't only me thinking it. Whats weird is..how can the makeup tryers be quite to..unaware that they have 10 people waiting behind them for them to move, and another 20 outside who cannot even get to the indoor queue until someone leaves the shop..

(Also I agree it makes me look quite pathetic to have waited that long in the first place )

I think you and your DD both need to Woman Up OP, she shouldn't be sad because she can't touch pointless over priced shop tat.

Nah definitely complain, I’m sure it’s Superdrug policy to not offer currently testers so no idea what they were sampling. If the customers were opening products to use as testers, staff should have stepped in.

All the stock they were messing with needs to be written off for hygiene reasons too

I've cut right to the end. Sorry. I normally read all of the posts on a MN thread, sometimes all 500 of them! 😊 Really!

But I have been shocked, over the past 12 weeks, at some shop workers' behaviour during this lockdown. The sheer level of hysteria, the humiliation levelled at alleged 'transgressors'; the leaping forward well into people's 2m, to assert their petty authority, the 'power plays' of so many, the night club bouncers outside Waitrose managing a queue like it were Selina's on Friday night 'Step back, madam!'..... sorry, different thread, but I can so see how Brexit happened. Influence-less people with a bit of power.

Interestingly, I am a front-line, Covid facing HCP. In the first half of 'all this', at work, the nigh on hysterical reactions were all from our lower banded workers; porters, HCAs, catering workers. All with the same access to PPE- and training on how to use it, as I do.

They've all calmed down now, as further 'training' has brought the situation under control.... at least, in my NHS Trust. I no longer field high pitched, hysterical calls from porters, along the lines of 'DO YOU REALISE THIS PATIENT HAD COVID? AND YOU EXPECT ME TO BRING THEM DOWN TO YOU FOR A SCAN??' Yup, that's what I expect. Put on the PPE.

I no longer visit my local Tesco, the next nearest local shop bring on my way home from work, I should add, due to their hysterical reaction to Covid.

The government have got a hell of a job on their hands getting anyone to behave rationally again. Well done, chaps.

I'm not going to be rushing back to the shops, it won't be a pleasant experience. If I'm desperate for anything I can get it online without any hassle.

@Miljea so why do you think the hysterical reactions are mainly from the lower banded nhs staff and shop workers? Whats your point?

I remember Miljea’s pompous writing style from her Tesco thread a few months ago. Apparently she showed them how to queue, as they were attempting to queue so incorrectly, it was hysterical. (That’s why she doesn’t shop there now, I suppose.)

porters have died of covid 19
you have an appalling reaction

noone is supposed to be trying on any make up right now so the staff should have intervened anyway @batshite

staff should have stepped in.

And then we get abuse for that too. As seen on this thread,people don’t want to be told how to shop, they want the full experience’

We are supposed to stop people browsing. Our rolling tannoy message says please avoid browsing.

You can’t intervene.as I said upthread,customers are vile

@Miljea
You’ve ‘been shocked’? Then you are easily shocked and sound a bit of a snowflake

Remember stores are AUDITED for health and safety. Officials pose as customers to check they are being told all guidelines and correct signage is in place, they also watch cctv back

It’s simple, staff are pressured to keep the public following store guidelines and the public don’t like it...so,how is the NHS audited on this? Tell us!

How does biting your lip stop you from crying anyway?

We are supposed to stop people browsing.

Hmm... the government guidelines actually say something different:

www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/shops-and-branches

Steps that will usually be needed: Encouraging customers to avoid handling products whilst browsing, if at all possible.

Encouraging if at all possible is very different from stopping. The reality is that you cannot shop without browsing. Customers may have to look at one or two items instead of ten but they need to see what they are buying (like they have been doing in supermarkets throughout the lockdown).

Again, I know I am repeating myself but I love my nearby Sainsbury's! They have been brilliant -- pragmatic, efficient, friendly and highly professional. I hope other non essential shops in my area will learn from their experience.

Our store has narrow aisles. With a one way system, no room for 2 to pass so yes, no browsing. We’ve been open all along so as an ‘essential’ retailer it was in,grab what you need (essential) and out again

Shops follow guidelines from government but are free to make their own too....hence no browsing, no encouraging families in to design new home projects etc, cluttering aisles