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Original poster

Rude Shopkeeper! Should I cancel our paper?

19 replies

Eulalia · 29/08/2004 14:39

We get our Sunday paper from the local shop across the road. We live in a tiny village with just this one shop. I don't use it very often except for the paper. Ocasionally get some milk or an ice cream for ds maybe once a week or every 10 days or so. The owner is very grumpy and recently has become worse. He 'forgets' to leave our paper out in the boxes outside if we don't come in for it on the day. Today I went over and they have changed the hours and now close at 1pm. It was about 1.07pm. No paper in the box (but everyone elses was there). I tried the door and he unlocked it. I said I didn't know about the time changes and he said "well that's because you don't use the shop" shoved the paper and my change into my hand and shut the door!

I am really annoyed at his rudeness and feel like cancelling the paper all together and not going to the blasted shop. One reason I don't use the shop is that it really has nothing I want to buy ie expensive tinned food and sweeties. I know it is hard to run a small shop etc etc and have a lot of fresh food but should I have to buy something every time I get the paper?

What would you do?

Thanks.

OP posts:

wobblyknicks · 29/08/2004 14:41

Sounds a bit odd - unless you get your paper for free then you are using the shop!!!!

Davros · 29/08/2004 16:08

My DS swore never to use one of the local shops here about 3 years ago. He buys a LOT of magazines, and he has been as good as his word. I think the owners did notice as we often walk past BUT we do have a choice of other shops. It felt good to take away our custom which he claims was worth a holiday a year to them! Do what is best for YOU, sod him!

JJ · 29/08/2004 16:13

If I could get the paper another way, I would.

Davros, what prompted your DS (DH?) to quit shopping there? (Yes, I'm very nosey)

carla · 29/08/2004 16:18

Sorry - but ditch him

posyhairdresser · 29/08/2004 17:43

If it is more convenient to buy your paper there then carry on. No need to buy anything else.

If it is not convenient then stop.

British shop service is so dire that you can't be sure of getting better service anywhere else IME...

coppertop · 29/08/2004 17:46

If you can get the papers somewhere else then use a different shop. I wouldn't want to give my money to some miserable so-and-so who had no idea about customer service.

WideWebWitch · 29/08/2004 17:54

I'd cancel the paper because it would piss me off. But only if I could get it elsewhere easily. Is there a garage you could drive to? Yeah, sure it's hard running a small shop but being rude to customers isn't going to make it easier or get you more business! Vote with your feet.

suedonim · 29/08/2004 18:16

It depends on how far away your next shop is, really. If it was a trip of 15 miles, then I suppose I'd grin and bear Mr GrumpyHead but if there's a reasonable alternative, I'd use that.

We also only have a village shop, with a PO in it. I admit I don't buy much in there but I do all my PO business there rather than in the big PO. They only stock the local daily paper which we don't read but I buy the local weekly rag and things I've run out of. Mind you, I have a hard time persuading dh that he should use our local shop rather than drive 5 miles to a scabby Safeway 'Compact' Store, a name which allows Morrisons to charge us more than they do in their regular stores, pah!

MeanBean · 29/08/2004 19:41

Can you get the paper on subscription directly, as with magazines, so bypassing the middleman altogether? Don't know if that's possible...

lavender1 · 29/08/2004 19:55

Go somewhere else...acting like that isn't right ....the postmaster I work for has been doing it for 20 years and he has such a likeable personality you would want to use this shop if he was near you....find someone else who you can share a joke with and smile at...life's too short to be encountering rude people with no people skills!!

Original poster

Eulalia · 29/08/2004 20:22

Thanks for the support! Have decided to cancel the paper. Nearest shop is 3 miles away and is a 5 min drive in the car so obviously not so handy but bearable. To be honest I am not that bothered about a Sunday Paper anyway (we get Scotland on Sunday) as most of it's not read. May look into subscribing though. Are there sort of Saturday papers you can get which are similar to Sunday ones?

I made the mistake of telling dh when he came home and he went ballistic and said he's going to go in tomorrow and give him a piece of his mind. dh isn't one to mince his words so I think I will have to evade him. I don't want bad feelings and besides ds may want to use the shop when he is a bit older... don't see how I can stop him.

I think I'll just write a short note and hand it in tomorrow (don't want to be a complete coward) and just not use the shop again. They can draw their own conclusions from that. The wife is actually lovely which is a shame but I don't want to speak to her horrible husband again.

OP posts:

Tanzie · 29/08/2004 21:11

Cancel the paper and sh*t on his step as well!

Sorry, have had too much kir tonight

Original poster

Eulalia · 30/08/2004 19:50

Tanzie

Went in this morning and had a note in my hand just in case there was other customers there. I was hoping it would be his wife but no it was the miserable git and the shop was empty. I was in a hurry though to get ds to school so just shoved the note at him saying "its about the paper" and walked out of the shop and drove off quickly which felt very good.

I know he's hardly lost a lot of money in my custom but it is a small village and I won't hesitate to tell others about him.

OP posts:

whizzz · 30/08/2004 19:55

Yeah - Well done ! I hate bad service & rude people too !!

Davros · 30/08/2004 21:21

Just catching up. JJ, I don't mind you asking, I'm a very nosy cow myself! DH went in that shop a LOT and often didn't have enough money! The husband in there was fine and let him owe him a few pounds here and there and he always paid him next time. One day he went in and the scowly wife rudely told him that he couldn't have whatever it was (F1, amateur photographer, scientific american, who knows). So he said he wouldn't go there again. I'm not sure he said anyting to her but certainly dumped what he was going to "buy" and left. I did point out that he was kind-of taking the pee but he was cross really because she was rude so I suppose he's right.

JJ · 30/08/2004 21:37

Davros, I'm with you and her husband. He (the shopkeeper) was making far more money off of your husband by keeping him a customer.

Does he like New Scientist?

Davros · 31/08/2004 11:43

Yes, he likes New Scientist, he also gets loads of bike magazines (one of his hobbies), motor racing, cameras, used to get wine but less interested, food mags sometimes, car mags, used to get HiFi mags but less interested...... I'm sure there's morel. He says he's stopped buying so many and reads them in the shop which I think is pervy, I hate people reading mags in the shop!

Mirage · 31/08/2004 13:57

Eulalia,I think you've done the right thing.I used to work in shops & would ALWAYS be polite & friendly to customers,no matter how I felt-after all,they paid my wages.

Consequently now,I just can't stand bad service.I get particularly irate when staff serve me whilst carrying on a conversation with a colleague.It is just so rude.

Incidentally,a star goes to Borders bookshop.My friend & I were in there earlier,both with pushchairs.The lift was being serviced so we couldn't use it,but two members of staff volunteered to carry our pushchairs up 2 flights of stairs.Also a lovely assistant in Argos carried my shopping to the car for me on Friday,as he was worried about me managing DD,pushchair & a heavy box.I might just ring & speak to the managers of both shops-those staff deserve a pat on the back.

muddaofsuburbia · 31/08/2004 14:12

Eulalia - the Glasgow Herald now does a Saturday paper with magazine/lifestyle supplements etc.

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