A bad experience in Tesco. Or my fault?

[HMS_Dave]

Yes, I think that would have been my approach.

Have done it before, in ASDA.

Not because of a Covid incident, way before that.

Yes, i very much almost did, perhaps i should have. It was uncalled for. Id have happily listened and obeyed instruction, if she had spoke to me like a living organism.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I didn't want to make a huge fuss in store, i was already a little shocked. I dislike shopping at the best of times and just want to get on with it. I do think you're right though, it will happen again, but that for me says it all. People will vote with their feet. There's an Aldi just up the road in Lichfield, A Morrisons and a Waitrose not far away. Plenty of consumer choice. That being said, id wager she was in her late 50's/early 60's. Maybe she was just having a bad day. But i would have thought maybe she had the experience to realise i was not the cause of whatever issues she might be having.

To be honest, I wasn't thinking so much of the benefit for the store, more of the benefit to other shoppers and yourself.
Forgive me if this sounds a little "far out man", but something happened and you're not feeling great about it. Speaking for myself, I can lessen the negativity by trying to turn it into a positive - in this case making an attempt to help some unknown shopper in the future.
In this way, whenever I'm reminded of the incident, the last thing I remember is something good.

 

[BoldonLad]

Don't see how you were "in the wrong' if previous customer had left, presumably, you were going to have to take up the position you did eventually, when the assistant had finished her chat?

I am not sure it is purely a "Tesco" problem.

At present, we are staying near Bury St Edmonds, the local Tesco, which we have visited twice was fine on both occasions.

At home, we use ASDA, OK about 50% of the time, but mainly down to failure to comply on the part of Customers, rather than staff.

The only supermarkets I have used personally, since the onset of Covid, which have consistently impressed me with their Covid "compliance", have been Lidl, Aldi and a Marks & Spencer Food Court.

 

[Reynard]

Just sounds like she was having a bad day - you've done nothing wrong as far as I can tell.

On the flip side, I've done a stint in food retail, albeit on a much smaller scale in a continental deli, and when you've had to spend the whole day in a packed shop dealing with customers who are difficult, pushy, grumpy etc (and it's particularly true at Christmas and Easter) sometimes it can just get a little too much. I'm not justifying what you've experienced, just adding a different perspective.

Maybe have a word on the QT with the manager?

Have to say, my local Tesco have actually been pretty good throughout, although I do tend to go in the evening, so it's far less busy than earlier in the day. The one way system went west a little while back as did the trolley cleaning, but masks and social distancing seem to be better than average.

 

[Skibird]

Went and did a shop in Tesco today. Me and the missus thought we should do a weekly shop as there are impending lock downs sprouting around and it may be a good idea to stock up for more than few days. Anyway, walking around it was immediately apparent nobody was following the rules, the shelf replenishers were mingling, chatting and not keeping anything like distance from shoppers or each other. There was 3 in one aisle having a chat, huddled together almost. Im not one to complain, this just an observation for what was to come. As i got to the till, they have a black line which must be stood behind while there is a customer being served. The customer had paid, left and the cashier of advancing years, didn't use the conveyor to pull the shopping up to the till and was trivially chatting to the other cashier, so i thought it would be perfectly fine to stack up ahead. Instead of asking me to get back behind the black line, she shouts across to her colleague on the other til "i don't know why we have these lines, nobody follows them, like this Gentleman here" which she store at me and i was left pretty flabbergasted and embarrassed. I simply responded i thought it would be safe as the customer had left and my shopping couldn't fit on what little bit of the conveyor i had available. She then angrily responded with "the rules are there to protect me!" Ok i responded. I did say im not there to cause trouble, i explained why i did what i did and apologised. But she continued ranting and quite forcefully pushing my goods at me in the bagging area... I was belittled and embarrassed by this, was it necessary to handle this this way? I still don't think i did anything wrong. I didn't invade anyone's space i wouldn't have already. The only thing she could have possibly been angry about is not having her permission to approach. I did consider just walking quite frankly, maybe i should have. Maybe im just entirely wrong?

Im not one to complain to the store and i won't, i vow instead never to shop there again as i have been particularly careful for the entire of the covid lockdown/restrictions. Either way, its pretty damn grim out there at the minute...

You were much more polite than I would have been, had it been me on the end of her vicious tongue she would have been put in her place. There is no excuse for rudeness, it does not matter how you feel or what sort of day you are having, you don't take it out on someone else.

 

[classic33]

I would have gone and had a word with the manager. The store has lost your goodwill and custom, and they don't know why. That doesn't help anyone. The cashier was plain rude, and I'm sure (basing this on my local Tesco) that if a supervisor had seen and heard it would have been picked up. If you're in a public servic role, then you must deal properly with the public, and rule 1 is that the customer in front of you is what matters, not your mate at the next till or the eye-candy further up the queue. I was buying a battery in Curry's today, spoke to an assistant, and while she was dealing with my purchase the desk phone went. She gave me a glance, then picked the phone up and started dealing with an enquiry while I waited patiently to get my receipt and change. It only cost me a couple of minutes, but I was livid, I think because I was made to feel unimportant.

Slightly changing the subject, is anyone else finding that shops are getting more and more reluctant to give receipts these days? It used to be completely routine to be handed a receipt with your change or credit card slip, but most shops nowadays ask if I want one. My answer is always 'of course'. The worst was yesterday when I filled the car up. I paid by contactless, the guy on the till said thanks, and I didn't move. He paused, than then: "Was there anything else?"

"Yes, please, can I have a receipt?" He shrugged, printed one out and gave it to me. I said thanks - politely.

"Sorry mate, but I'm not a mind-reader. How was I to know you wanted one?" Not entirely happy with that response either

On the receipt front, I asked for my receipt for card payment in EE, Leeds. Got the answer "But I'll have to touch paper!". No receipt given.

 

[RichardB]

On the receipt front, I asked for my receipt for card payment in EE, Leeds. Got the answer "But I'll have to touch paper!". No receipt given.

A receipt must be given if the customer asks for one. That's the law. A business cannot ignore it if they are simply squeamish about touching paper.

 

[Saluki]

Tesco is a free for all now. At first they had one way systems and limited numbers, now they just don’t give a monkies! Places like Asda and Morrison’s never had a one way system but people where courteous until face masks came in and now think as they have something on their face they can go close.

Our a Morrison’s doesn’t have one way any longer but 2 separate queues. One for the till people and one for the self serve abominations. Trolley wipes at the entrance and multiple hand sanitiser stations around the shop.

Tesco is a right bun fight and I avoid as much as possible. Local Lidl is a bit of a scrum too. I say local, it’s 10 miles up the road.

 

[classic33]

A receipt must be given if the customer asks for one. That's the law. A business cannot ignore it if they are simply squeamish about touching paper.

I think asking for what was legally mine, record of the transaction, threw him. The response, "I'll have to touch paper" was unexpected. Watching them lift paper with a cleaning cloth, from the printer was just as odd.

 

[winjim]

I think it needs a bit more clarity from store management about what is expected from customers and from staff, and for management to enforce it. You may well have been the zillionth person to break the rules that day, knowingly or not, and let's face it, the cashier doesn't get paid enough to deal with that bullshit.

 

[roley poley]

On the receipt front, I asked for my receipt for card payment in EE, Leeds. Got the answer "But I'll have to touch paper!". No receipt given.

and me a delivery postman..you can't touch a freshly printed receipt paper from a machine ..my my my

 

[Ming the Merciless]

It alright, yesterday, I had a shop worker claiming too many in shop. I was 7th person in. 4/5 of the aisles had no one in them. Apparently I was spreading the virus in a queue I was waiting patiently in. The person in front was 3m the one behind 2m and I had a face covering and neither of them did. But no the grossly overweight shop assistant ranted at me , rather than those without face coverings, as I’d initially gone down the wrong (but empty) aisle.

Some shop workers are bell ends.

 

[Mo1959]

I think asking for what was legally mine, record of the transaction, threw him. The response, "I'll have to touch paper" was unexpected. Watching them lift paper with a cleaning cloth, from the printer was just as odd.

....but he’s touching all the goods you and others have handled?

 

[Reynard]

Our a Morrison’s doesn’t have one way any longer but 2 separate queues. One for the till people and one for the self serve abominations. Trolley wipes at the entrance and multiple hand sanitiser stations around the shop.

Tesco is a right bun fight and I avoid as much as possible. Local Lidl is a bit of a scrum too. I say local, it’s 10 miles up the road.

Yeah, my Tesco has a full-on sanitizing station at the entrance to the shop - gel, wipes, paper towels etc, plus a security bod who keeps an eye on face coverings. Plus there are smaller cleaning stations dotted around the store.

Having said that, I always take my own gel and antibac wipes from home and clean trolley and hands before I walk in. I've got into the habit of putting my (reusable) mask on before I get out of the car. It's pretty well much the same as remembering to take your own shopping bags with you.

 

[classic33]

....but he’s touching all the goods you and others have handled?

And the card machine.