Thank you David for giving the best reason and account of this non story and totally agree with your sentiments... Ms Clarke you're one of life's silly protagonists seeking your 5 mins of fame! If you're planning on switching to Waitrose or any other supermarket brand I would suggest you learn basic social and human manners? if not the internet is the best place for you right now...
darren voysey - 11 years ago
seen it so many times...if its an emergency, then i stop...but when they twig that its not, i at least get a whispered thankyou
S Rooney - 11 years ago
I totally support the employee and well done for informing the customer that she was unable to serve her due to her rudeness in using her mobile phone whilst at the checkout. Its a sad day when a company like Sainsbury's cannot support the staff who work so hard to provide a good quality service for their customers. I have been a very loyal customer of Sainsbury's for many years but they have got this one very wrong. What a public disaster for you. I can confirm that the only good way to show my anger about this is to take my money elsewhere which i will do starting from this Saturday. I will not return shopping at Sainsbury's until a full public apology to their employee has been made. One good thing about the Internet is maybe others should be doing the same to show the support for her actions which her employees were unable to achieve.
L Rooney - 11 years ago
I have worked in retail all my life and had my own shop, I have recently returned to working for myself where I have class customers unlike this stupid ignorant woman.. Does she not understand its not just rude to the person serving her its rude to other customers, The times my customers have been held up due to people like her chit chatting whilst we all wait for her to pay !!!!!!. We don't care for her life story either or here her droll conversation. My last job was again a manager and would deal such rude customers who would look at me like I was brain dead and a lower form off life..I smiled because I know my home is probably three times the size of theirs but chose to have a break from being my own boss to keep in touch with big boy company tactics to which I learned so much from on how companies themselves de-value their staff like Sainsburys have in this case. Its low pay, long hours with little thanks and a whole heap of expectations. If I had a vacancy I would hire this cashier straight off, honesty is rare, and balls to stand your ground even more rare..WELL DONE TO THAT GIRL, Over the years I have watched retail go back hundreds of years beyond Victorian attitude towards its staff. It is unbelievable that retail feel that work should come before family { get a life } when are they going to realise that we all work to live not live to work, and if we can be lucky enough like me to do a job we love then that's great but if you treat staff like slaves/peasants then you will never have loyalty or respect. Sure you will always get the odd staff member who is a waste of space and take take take but that does not give us as employers the right to treat all staff like that. I don't know many employers unlike me who can put their hand on their heart and say they have had staff cry because they are leaving for better pay then weeks later ask if they can come back because they love working for you or cry because you are leaving and they don't wont any other boss!!!! now that's how working life should be not living in fear of saying what you think when its right to do so. I was witness only the other day to a customer being completely rude to a bank teller because he could not have his way, I ticked him off for the cashier and wrote a letter for her to use in case he dared have the nerve to complain. Rudeness is not okay at any level no matter who you think you are and Jo Clark your nothing special honey sorry your just another body/number like the rest of us.
The customer is not swearing or being rude in anyway in my opinion.
She is there to pay money not get paid so being told your not allowed to talk on the phone is absolute nonsense.
Not much need for communication, customer just needs to pay and go, customer is the winner!
Bad Boy - 11 years ago
Whilst I don't use my mobile phone when engaging in face-to-face conversations I cannot condone the actions of the cashier/employee. What about all the cashiers chatting to other cashiers whilst working the check out ?! Happens far too frequent in my experience. When challenged all I get is a look of distain and ignored ! Unless company policy employees should not engage in expressing personal opinions.
Jamie - 11 years ago
I think it is so rude to the checkout staff, the problem with people these days is the lack of respect - Its not hard to finish your conversation before hitting the checkout.
As a property manager she would not expect to meet a potential client and whilst explaining the property the client sitting on the phone - IGNORING HER
This is very rude - I do not think Sainsburys had to apologies but they did out of respect just as she should have put the phone down out of respect
Regards
Jamie
purrdey - 11 years ago
Well I hope I never encounter Kev in a social situation, he sounds a real boor.
Benoni - 11 years ago
As a checkout operator myself I see way too many rude people like this woman who will talk on their mobiles and ignore the operator totally - pure bad manners!
Mary - 11 years ago
All sainsburys staff should be given mobiles to use whenever they see this rude lady and her ilk approaching, give 'em a taste of their own medicine!
Kev - 11 years ago
I think it was rude of the sales cashier to make that statement. She had no idea what the call was about and it's not her place to tell a customer that she won't be served until she gets off her phone. What if the next time a cashier asks "how are you?", I think in a polite manner I will respond that it " no offence but how I am isn't your concern". The cashier was being petty. Maybe having a bad day. I've been checkouts where the staff are chit chatting instead of attending to customers, smoking in uniform in sight of customers and having personal conversations in the aisles. As people we can be petty if we want and complain about every little thing that annoys us. She should have been fired or reprimanded for her action as it wasn't her place. There are correct channels for that. She could make a suggestion to management to do as they do in some banks and post offices where there is a sticker/sign that states 'Please do not use mobile phones while at the cashier or till....' At this point she then has grounds to say "I'm sorry but you're not allowed to use your phone while at the till/checkout". Much more polite and the customer should understand and shouldn't take offence.
Fiona - 11 years ago
As a 22 year old who has worked for the company for 6 years, I can completely understand why the checkout assistant refused service. Although she may have approached the situation in the wrong way, I believe that it is just polite to not be talking on your phone or listening to your iPod whilst being served by a colleague on checkouts. I, myself will take a moment before serving a customer so they can realise that I'm not a robot, a simple hello is all the acknowledgement I need, and thank you doesn't go a miss either.
Mike Johnson - 11 years ago
I don't think the colleague should have stopped serving her and taken that tone, however when you are employed to deliver excellent service standards on a daily basis and sat on your checkout for 8 hours serving thousands of customers, it's only fair that the customers treat the staff with the respect they deserve. Customers with headphones in is also a real nuisance, have a bit more respect, or use a self checkout!
Chris Sugden - 11 years ago
The cashier was 100% correct as far as the other customers in the queue. Customers on mobile phones are rather like drunk drivers. They cannot find their cash to pay. They cannot cope with change. They cannot find their credit card or remember their PIN. They are arrogant and think they are more important than anyone behind them in the queue. Sainsburys should give the cashier a bonus for standing up for the majority of their customers who have to put up with such arrogant behavior from certain of their customers.
David - 11 years ago
There is nothing in the story to show that the employee implied anything, they simply refused to serve them unless the phone conversation was halted. Everybody is placing assumption on a situation they did not witness and described by a biased protagonist and an embarressed, weak willed Customer Relations team of an organisation seems to grovel and beg for every passing penny at the cost of humiliating it's own staff. And to the protagonist, don't come to Waitrose in Dartford, you will lower the tone for those of us whom shop there already.
jason - 11 years ago
I don't believe the customer did anything wrong, its not like she is at work or in a formal situation, if she wants to talk on the phone then she should be able to, the checkout staff should have served her. Almost everyone on this planet has a mobile phone now so get used to it we are not living in the past everyone has situations where they need to be on the phone, get over it, bunch of stuck ups.
graham - 11 years ago
Down right rude not to put your phone away when tasking with another person. What has become of manners
Susan Tomlinson - 11 years ago
Talking on mobile phones should be banned from all check out stations. This practice is the height of bad manners. We expect our children to be well manner, so what example are we setting them.
Susan Tomlinson - 11 years ago
Talking on mobile phones should be banned from all check out stations. This practice is the height of bad manners. We expect our children to be well manner, so what example are we setting them.
Marvin - 11 years ago
Surely in any case where you are purchasing goods, the Customer is King. Sainsbury's should be offering a high level of service despite who the customer is and what they are doing at the checkout...
Chris H - 11 years ago
The customer is blatantly in the wrong here. She should know better and should learn manners - she had no right to complain either.
Eileen Beesley - 11 years ago
The customer was rude and full of self importance - she's wrong to do what she did and should learn some respect for others
Aurley Keenan - 11 years ago
While I see that Sainsburys had to apologise for a misquote of company policy....I still agree in theory with the emoloyee, basic manners should apply for both parties.
Scott - 11 years ago
Talking on the phone while being served doesn't show the best of manners but the employee shouldn't have lied. Apologies all round I think.
Thank you David for giving the best reason and account of this non story and totally agree with your sentiments... Ms Clarke you're one of life's silly protagonists seeking your 5 mins of fame! If you're planning on switching to Waitrose or any other supermarket brand I would suggest you learn basic social and human manners? if not the internet is the best place for you right now...
seen it so many times...if its an emergency, then i stop...but when they twig that its not, i at least get a whispered thankyou
I totally support the employee and well done for informing the customer that she was unable to serve her due to her rudeness in using her mobile phone whilst at the checkout. Its a sad day when a company like Sainsbury's cannot support the staff who work so hard to provide a good quality service for their customers. I have been a very loyal customer of Sainsbury's for many years but they have got this one very wrong. What a public disaster for you. I can confirm that the only good way to show my anger about this is to take my money elsewhere which i will do starting from this Saturday. I will not return shopping at Sainsbury's until a full public apology to their employee has been made. One good thing about the Internet is maybe others should be doing the same to show the support for her actions which her employees were unable to achieve.
I have worked in retail all my life and had my own shop, I have recently returned to working for myself where I have class customers unlike this stupid ignorant woman.. Does she not understand its not just rude to the person serving her its rude to other customers, The times my customers have been held up due to people like her chit chatting whilst we all wait for her to pay !!!!!!. We don't care for her life story either or here her droll conversation. My last job was again a manager and would deal such rude customers who would look at me like I was brain dead and a lower form off life..I smiled because I know my home is probably three times the size of theirs but chose to have a break from being my own boss to keep in touch with big boy company tactics to which I learned so much from on how companies themselves de-value their staff like Sainsburys have in this case. Its low pay, long hours with little thanks and a whole heap of expectations. If I had a vacancy I would hire this cashier straight off, honesty is rare, and balls to stand your ground even more rare..WELL DONE TO THAT GIRL, Over the years I have watched retail go back hundreds of years beyond Victorian attitude towards its staff. It is unbelievable that retail feel that work should come before family { get a life } when are they going to realise that we all work to live not live to work, and if we can be lucky enough like me to do a job we love then that's great but if you treat staff like slaves/peasants then you will never have loyalty or respect. Sure you will always get the odd staff member who is a waste of space and take take take but that does not give us as employers the right to treat all staff like that. I don't know many employers unlike me who can put their hand on their heart and say they have had staff cry because they are leaving for better pay then weeks later ask if they can come back because they love working for you or cry because you are leaving and they don't wont any other boss!!!! now that's how working life should be not living in fear of saying what you think when its right to do so. I was witness only the other day to a customer being completely rude to a bank teller because he could not have his way, I ticked him off for the cashier and wrote a letter for her to use in case he dared have the nerve to complain. Rudeness is not okay at any level no matter who you think you are and Jo Clark your nothing special honey sorry your just another body/number like the rest of us.
The customer is not swearing or being rude in anyway in my opinion.
She is there to pay money not get paid so being told your not allowed to talk on the phone is absolute nonsense.
Not much need for communication, customer just needs to pay and go, customer is the winner!
Whilst I don't use my mobile phone when engaging in face-to-face conversations I cannot condone the actions of the cashier/employee. What about all the cashiers chatting to other cashiers whilst working the check out ?! Happens far too frequent in my experience. When challenged all I get is a look of distain and ignored ! Unless company policy employees should not engage in expressing personal opinions.
I think it is so rude to the checkout staff, the problem with people these days is the lack of respect - Its not hard to finish your conversation before hitting the checkout.
As a property manager she would not expect to meet a potential client and whilst explaining the property the client sitting on the phone - IGNORING HER
This is very rude - I do not think Sainsburys had to apologies but they did out of respect just as she should have put the phone down out of respect
Regards
Jamie
Well I hope I never encounter Kev in a social situation, he sounds a real boor.
As a checkout operator myself I see way too many rude people like this woman who will talk on their mobiles and ignore the operator totally - pure bad manners!
All sainsburys staff should be given mobiles to use whenever they see this rude lady and her ilk approaching, give 'em a taste of their own medicine!
I think it was rude of the sales cashier to make that statement. She had no idea what the call was about and it's not her place to tell a customer that she won't be served until she gets off her phone. What if the next time a cashier asks "how are you?", I think in a polite manner I will respond that it " no offence but how I am isn't your concern". The cashier was being petty. Maybe having a bad day. I've been checkouts where the staff are chit chatting instead of attending to customers, smoking in uniform in sight of customers and having personal conversations in the aisles. As people we can be petty if we want and complain about every little thing that annoys us. She should have been fired or reprimanded for her action as it wasn't her place. There are correct channels for that. She could make a suggestion to management to do as they do in some banks and post offices where there is a sticker/sign that states 'Please do not use mobile phones while at the cashier or till....' At this point she then has grounds to say "I'm sorry but you're not allowed to use your phone while at the till/checkout". Much more polite and the customer should understand and shouldn't take offence.
As a 22 year old who has worked for the company for 6 years, I can completely understand why the checkout assistant refused service. Although she may have approached the situation in the wrong way, I believe that it is just polite to not be talking on your phone or listening to your iPod whilst being served by a colleague on checkouts. I, myself will take a moment before serving a customer so they can realise that I'm not a robot, a simple hello is all the acknowledgement I need, and thank you doesn't go a miss either.
I don't think the colleague should have stopped serving her and taken that tone, however when you are employed to deliver excellent service standards on a daily basis and sat on your checkout for 8 hours serving thousands of customers, it's only fair that the customers treat the staff with the respect they deserve. Customers with headphones in is also a real nuisance, have a bit more respect, or use a self checkout!
The cashier was 100% correct as far as the other customers in the queue. Customers on mobile phones are rather like drunk drivers. They cannot find their cash to pay. They cannot cope with change. They cannot find their credit card or remember their PIN. They are arrogant and think they are more important than anyone behind them in the queue. Sainsburys should give the cashier a bonus for standing up for the majority of their customers who have to put up with such arrogant behavior from certain of their customers.
There is nothing in the story to show that the employee implied anything, they simply refused to serve them unless the phone conversation was halted. Everybody is placing assumption on a situation they did not witness and described by a biased protagonist and an embarressed, weak willed Customer Relations team of an organisation seems to grovel and beg for every passing penny at the cost of humiliating it's own staff. And to the protagonist, don't come to Waitrose in Dartford, you will lower the tone for those of us whom shop there already.
I don't believe the customer did anything wrong, its not like she is at work or in a formal situation, if she wants to talk on the phone then she should be able to, the checkout staff should have served her. Almost everyone on this planet has a mobile phone now so get used to it we are not living in the past everyone has situations where they need to be on the phone, get over it, bunch of stuck ups.
Down right rude not to put your phone away when tasking with another person. What has become of manners
Talking on mobile phones should be banned from all check out stations. This practice is the height of bad manners. We expect our children to be well manner, so what example are we setting them.
Talking on mobile phones should be banned from all check out stations. This practice is the height of bad manners. We expect our children to be well manner, so what example are we setting them.
Surely in any case where you are purchasing goods, the Customer is King. Sainsbury's should be offering a high level of service despite who the customer is and what they are doing at the checkout...
The customer is blatantly in the wrong here. She should know better and should learn manners - she had no right to complain either.
The customer was rude and full of self importance - she's wrong to do what she did and should learn some respect for others
While I see that Sainsburys had to apologise for a misquote of company policy....I still agree in theory with the emoloyee, basic manners should apply for both parties.
Talking on the phone while being served doesn't show the best of manners but the employee shouldn't have lied. Apologies all round I think.
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