Please don't bring your basket here

too many complaints about an employee will get them fired, heck, even a bad attitude can get them in trouble, that kind of behaviour wouldn't last long here in the states.

I agree with the other responses, way too nice, but like you say a bit taken back by the situation, but I would have called a supervisor and asked the shop assistant to explain why she didn't want to serve me to her. Tesco annoy me anyway, I remember one time they put my card through three times saying it hadn't gone through the first two times and when I went to cashpoint outside they had charged me for my shopping three times and each time as they had authorisation from my bank I couldn't get back from bank, went back in with mini statement which showed this and they said I would have to give a proper statement. Took from the Thursday til the Tuesday to sort which was done by my bank contacting Tesco themselves about it. I had paid for groceries 3 times leaving me no money left for other things and after numerous letters of complaint they did eventually send my a £10 Tesco gift card as way of apology. Ridiculous. I have to shop at Tesco as they have the monopoly in the town I live but wouldn't if there was a choice. Like you say though a bit late to complain too loudly now it should have been down at the time. I hope your next shopping trip goes well. Ellie :D

"She said no, just her preference." *chin hits the floor* ARE YOU KIDDING ME? LOL oh I would NOT have taken kindly to that at all.. "I asked her would she prefer that I spoke to her supervisor as I felt that if individual assistants are gong to make store policy, then the customers should know, so that we could prepare ourselves perhaps by shopping elsewhere" LOL BRAVO! My husband would have handled it politely like you did...me? I would have done that then gone to the supervisor regardless and not been so pleasant about it...When you work with the public IMO you have to hold a certain standard of behaviour..which is EXACTLY why I COULDNT work with the public in that type of work..serving ppl in any fashion other than in a bar scene is NOT something I'd be good at..LOL

I like your response to her. I on the other hand would of got all fired up and actually asked for the manager. Good for you for handling it so nicely. She's lucky she has once less warning on her record LOL

Preference or not she has no right to deny a customer in such a way. I can understand the 10 items or less rule, since the registers in those lanes are much smaller than the rest. I would have discussed the issue with the manager first, if nothing was to happen after this, then I would consider going elsewhere.

I would have kicked off big style I dont care if that is her preference it wasnt store policy so she can go jump, you are just far to polite..

I have had similar trouble in Tesco. Last time I went in, well maybe not last time but a recent time, I only had a few things and didn't want to wait in a queue, I always look for the quickest queue. Not necessarily the one with the fewest people but for example if there is a queue of 5 30-something year old men with 2 or 3 items or one with 2 old ladies with a basket full, I'll go for the queue with the men because they tend to be quicker. Anyway, back to the point. I was in Tesco and went to an almost empty checkout because that was quickest for me. I had my son in a pushchair as well so was trying to push him and carry the shopping so I didn't really want to go further than necessary. One of the staff who never seems to do anything asked me to go to the "10 items or less" checkout. Normally, I wouldn't mind but it was the other end and the queue was bigger, the woman could also see I was already struggling with what I had. I think it's disgusting. I wouldn't have minded so much if the place was packed but it wasn't. We should be able to choose which checkout we go to. Obviously you don't go to a "10 items or less" checkout with a full trolley but I don't see a problem going to an empty checkout with less than 10 items.

That lady is way too rude. I would have shouted at her if she did that to me..Usually here in the Philippines on the payment counter they have this post saying cart, baskets only, 10 items or below only, cash or credit card only ..there's also fast lane and this is really helpful for us buyers to know where we should go.They should do that there so as not to confuse the customers. You should've talk to her supervisor she acted so rude.

I'm glad you kept your dignity as this person was definitely in the wrong. I don't agree with customers making a loud obnoxious fuss. There are ways of handling complaints without being disagreeable. Everyone makes mistakes and some people can make you mad by saying the wrong thing and having the wrong attitude but going off the deep end in my opinion makes the customer just as bad as the offending sales person. This person's behaviour really shocks me to be honest and if I was the store manager I wouldn't have them on the checkouts where they are dealing with the public. Staff should be properly trained and put into a position that most suits them.

Good for you for standing your ground. What a silly, lazy woman! No sense of customer service there whatsoever. I'd be tempted to speak to her manager anyway.

As I work in a local supermarket, please let me say that you should have gotten a supervisor immediately and told on this rude clerk. She has no right to make her own rules based on her preferences. You are the customer and you deserve to be treated like you matter. We are actually offering bags now that the customers can use as to help with the environment and I would not expect one of our cashiers to tell someone that they would not wait on them if they had those. That is very rude!!

Now that was just plain rude of her. She was just being lazy and didn't want to work. I worked in a retail store as a cashier and there was no way that kind of service would have been tolerated where I worked. First we didn't have any stools or chairs to sit on and secondly the customer is always the most important person because without customers they wouldn't need as many cashiers. I personally, would have reported her to the front end supervisor for this behavour, and I would have gone right to the supervisor before I checked out my items. I would never put up with that kind of service and if the front end supervisor didn't do anything about it I would never shop at that store again.

In your case, I'd have spoken to the manager regardless, especially since your cashier continued to grumble about it anyway. Yes, I have been grumbled about, and even had one man fired for it! I walked in to WalMart (just one more reason I hate shopping there), there were no carts inside where they usually are. It was FREEZING outside, and I had my boy with me, about 18 months old at the time. I asked the man if there were any more carts in the rack on the other side of the store, and he told me "It's best to bring your own cart in from outside. You can go back out and get one for yourself and your friend." (I was shopping with my sister-in-law.) I let that slide, and wound up getting one from a passing lady who was leaving. When I was finished with my shopping and getting ready to leave, the same man walked up and told me that it was awfully cold outside, and didn't I think my son needed a hat on?, and then he TOUCHED MY KID'S FACE! What the hell?! I let it fly then, and started screaming at him not to touch my kid, that he didn't care about it being cold on my son when he told me to go back out and get my own buggy, that he didn't know if my kid was a good kid or not, he's never even met him before, and for him to get his manager. He tried to "calm" me then, saying "Noo, we don't need to get the manager involved! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" So I just started screaming at the cashiers to get the g-damn manager over here RIGHT NOW before I decided to file a lawsuit. I told the manager off up one side and down the other about both instances concerning the man (i.e. "If that's how you permit your employees to treat your customers, blah, blah.."), and I've only seen that buggy-guy one time since then. I didn't really file suit, but the threat sure got those people moving! I'm really good at making a scene in public... Yay me! ^_^

I'm very surprised by that treatment. People like that shouldn't be working in retail. I definitely would have spoken to management about that. You know, it's not too late to call and speak to management about the issue.

You handled it very well in my opinion. I think I would have placed my 3-4 items still in the basket on the belt and walked out. I honestly never had a problem were I shopped at. I even had a cashier say out loud while other customers waiting, that she wished that everyone that came through her area was better prepared as I was. All I did was have my discount card, id, and my debit card out and ready to go. I also placed my items neatly on the belt so it's easier to get to and people behind me are able to put there items there as well. Now my mom had a bad experience at Walmart, she had a lady that must of been in a bad mood that was giving her an attitude. My mom just politely pointed out to her, that if she didn't like what she was doing that she should look for a job that made her happy, because she wasn't happy dealing with her attitude, lol. I had a bad experience at Walmart just a few weeks ago. I had to walk all the way to the back to get 12 balloons blown up, which when I got there, no one was there to help me. Then was told they had to get someone that delt with that. I mean come on how hard is it to blow up 12 balloons. So I got tired of waiting, and I let them know I was tired. I said out loud, that this was a mistake coming here, that I should have went to the other store instead, which I did.

wow maybe that lady just didn't want to do her job that day!! maybe she is bitter cause she works in a grocery store and really hates her job. If you dont like serving people and talking to people then you shouldnt be working in that type of job should you?! lol. If i were you i would have talked to her supervisor anyways. Let him/her know that that lady is doing her job inproperly, i'm sure there are a lot of other people who would love to have her job.

Wow, I would be really offended if someone said something like this to me. What kind of snob thinks they can make their own rules for things like this without posting anything or consulting their supervisors? Gah! I don't shop all that much, and when I do it's usually at the same store where my husband works. So I haven't had too many problems there. When I was younger, though, I always had the problem of people not wanting to wait one me just because I'm "weird". :P

I would of said something to the supervisior about the way she acted and what she said.

I think, p1kef1sh, that the clerk was rude and out of line. She clearly did not have the authority to make such a decision, otherwise she would still have refused to wait on you. If it had been me, I would still have lodged a complaint against her.

No. They are very friendly. I am sorry you had to be served like that. You should have talked to her supervisor! She had no right to treat a customer that way!