Would you object if Aldi staff checked your personal bag?

[vruskin]

Are you aware that ALDI has a policy of treating cuztomers like thieves.
I was at ALDI Caterham yesterday.
The cashier checked my empty plastic bag inside even though it was very obvious that there was nothing in it.
I then complained to a manager who didn’t even apologise and said that it is their policy to treat every customer like they were thieves.
Would you object to it? I felt disrespected and humiliated. How would you feel?

My son works at Aldi and they have to ask everyone, the manager looks back at the cctv routinely and if it is seen that they don’t ask, they are reprimanded. So many people get angry at him, when he is only doing his job. Please complain to the management/head office and not frontline staff

You're being weird

Well, at least somebody agrees with me that there are better ways of managing customer services at supermarket.
If they want to catch thieves and retain customer services, cctv monitoring is the way. They have it at bloody aldi too, they just prefer to harass the decent customers instead. Unfortunately, I now understand why it happens. Not because of shoplifting but because people don’t mind being treated like sh’t. Consequently, Aldi and Ryanair is the future you people deserve. Sorry, this is not my future, I’d rather have less but quality customer care. Please keep your Stansted, Aldi and Ryanair.

I’ve never had anything stolen from my house by friends but that is because my friends are good people.
However if something did go missing after a group of friends came round then the next time they came I would be watching them more carefully.

Just wait till you hear about DBS checks! 😂😂😂

Can you explain how you catch thieves by CCTV monitoring?
Yes you can see them steal by how do you actually catch them and deal with them? Checking bags is more efficient.

Yeah, this would piss me off. In my town, this sort of thing happens in Asda, too. I got approached by a security guard the other day because I had bought some child’s hair slides with a security tag on that the cashier hadn’t removed. Our Asda is the meeting point for heroin addicts trying to score in my town. I don’t often go in there for that reason!

Honestly, some people on MN just like to go against the grain.

@vruskin I guarantee that nobody on this thread would like being treated as a potential thief.

Its not remotely comparable to airport security checks which are for everyone’s safety.

When a shop does this, it is basically admitting to the fact that they have decided to abandon customer service.

😂😂

Yes, ive had the empty (apart from a handful of old receipts) bring your own bags checked once before. I normally open them in the trolley ready to pack, but hadnt on that occassion, so maybe thats why I was asked that one time only.

I would not mind if they did this to every customer but they don’t! I go weekly and never asked then when I went with my partner who is not white we were very rudely asked to show our empty carrier bags. I have never been asked since either. When it comes across as the cashier is using prejudices to decide who’s bag to check it makes it very wrong!

I would definitely be hiding the good cutlery if previous guests stole some. Seems like an obvious action to take.

I don't think having someone check my bag would make me feel I was being treated as a thief, particularly if they're checking everyone's bag. I don't feel I'm suspected to be a terrorist at airport security nor an alcoholic when my bag is checked at a gig. Watching CCTV would mean several extra staff, not serving customers, and having to tackle people after they've stolen. Checking bags hopefully prevents thefts.

Making stealing harder and therefore less prevalent helps keep store prices down.

Costco also "treat everyone like thieves", but people get over it as their prices are cheaper.

We have a shoplifting epidemic because the police and legal system are so under resourced that shoplifters aren’t legally pursued. Some shops ban people that the cctv recognises as a thief but it doesn’t pay for keeping the thief on the premises until the police show hours later. They don’t want to put their staff at physical risk either.

It’s the same with burglary- under £200 and the police don’t even come out to investigate. Car stolen? You get a crime number for insurance purposes and that’s it.

Somebody probably said this but it’s better that everyone is treated the same rather than Aldi profile customers and treat those of a certain age, race, demographic differently.

I go to this store regularly and they always check my bag. I have absolutely no issue with it, the staff are clearly uncomfortable doing it because of people complaining so why make their job harder, it takes a couple of seconds. Perhaps get angry with the scumbags who make this an issue by constantly stealing. Make it easy for them by removing the bags so the trolleys empty and they can get on with their job 🙄

Aldi in Germany have been doing this for decades, when I take my own bag or basket while shopping there I automatically lift it out of the trolley and show it at the till.

It’s kind of wild reading these comments as a POC.

Or...

Store does random checks of a sort you don't like.
Cashier has to do every 50th customer
You get checked for the first time
Your partner is not White
You decide this must be racism
And the Cashier is a closet racist

I'd have more sympathy if you were checked frequently but only when with that partner

Yes . Twice that I can remember and it wasn’t nice.

once in the local coop , by a really abrupt woman , she was on the kiosk, and I passed her my things and she said, ‘show me your bag’ .I was a bit confused and lifted it up to show her , and she really abruptly said ‘no , inside. I need to see what’s stashed in there.’ then she asked to see in my handbag . Im still annoyed I showed her. They obviously suspected something.

I didn’t go back for a long time. But what made it worse was they all knew me well (husband had been a manager there for 15 years, and I worked in the local school)

I did wonder if it was to embarrass me.

I did complain to the help centre a few days later and they topped my coop card with £5 of points from what I remember.

i think it was how she spoke to me that was the biggest problem

It’s standard practice and has been for years. Unless you shop m&s or something. It’s certainly an Aldi and Lidl practise. I live in Germany and they have it set up so they can see your empty trolley before they scan your goods. Usually people pack bags after scanning. It’s a ballache but it’s what it is. Too much theft.

Don’t speak over someone who is describing a racist experience and then try to gaslight them with ‘every 50th person’ BS.

It does not make you look good.

This isn’t true. My Aldi never does it. Not to me, anyway.

This is standard practice in Australian shops. It annoyed me when I first moved here, but now I am used to it. They are always very nice about it, if it keeps shoplifting down let them crack on.

Do you know there is a policy of it being every 50th customer or have you just made that up?

I would find it hard to believe that I have never seen a bag check before or since despite going weekly. That was the only time my partner has been with me as well.

I did not accuse of racism I said when it comes across as the cashier picking who they are asking based on prejudices…

I have had it multiple times and it doesn’t bother me at all. They can’t look in handbags though I was told.