Somerfield managers attitude

grannygrunt

Hi
Last weekend I went to my local for my normal saturday afternoon refreshment. I drive for a living so I really look forward to my saturday 'down time' with only my crosswords to occupy me.
After I had my customary 2 pints I then went to my local Somerfields as usual to buy a bottle of wine for the evening.
I got the wine and queued up but the till had something wrong with it and the checkout girl couldnt fix it.The manager had to be sent for and he came out in a terrible temper. He fixed the machine and I presented my bottle of wine. He took it from me and then glared at me.
"have you been drinking?" he shouted? I had to admit that yes I had. He then said that he was refusing to serve me as I had been drinking. He said he was risking his license to serve me.The check out girls just gaped at him and other customers enjoyed the spectacle. I felt totally humiliated.
I am a middle aged working man -not a 17 year old on alcho-pops.
I looked up the law and it does say that a licensee should not serve anyone who has been drinking.Fair enough - but it doesnt say you can humiliate customers in front of others.
I did get my wine though - just crossed the road to the off license.They will be getting all of my custom from now on.

grex9101

I used to work in SF, and refused many,many people because i believed that they had been drinking. The stores decision was always final.

That said, if he was really rude, complain to head office. I suspect not much will be done however.

WestieFan

Shocking attitude of the manager, even if he was acting 'within the law'.

Speaking of which, if that law is followed to the letter, then when you go into a pub and have a drink, are they within their rights to refuse to sell you another one, as 'you have been drinking'?

CRAZY!!!

:beer: on me !!!

ps There is a big difference between having had a drink and having had too much to drink.

shellsuit

How could he have known you had been drinking?

Did you slur your words, stagger, or smell of beer?

If he knew then it must have been obvious you had been drinking which means you shouldn't have been driving.

You should be thankful you weren't pulled over, never mind stern wording from a store manager.

Sorry if this sounds blunt or sharp but having very recently lost a family member to a driver who had been drinking (not drunk but still over the limit), this is worrying to read.

WestieFan

I wholeheartedly agree with you shellnsteve, should be zero tolerance in my opinion.

But, grannygrunt didn't say he was driving, he said he drives for a living and was on his 'down time'.

shellsuit

WestieFan wrote:

I wholeheartedly agree with you shellnsteve, should be zero tolerance in my opinion.

But, grannygrunt didn't say he was driving, he said he drives for a living and was on his 'down time'.

Oh God, you're right!

I'm sorry OP, I just read 'drive & 2 pints' and put 2 and 2 together to make 8, my mistake totally.

grannygrunt

No I definitely dont drink and drive.I go to a local pub and shop then home - not exactly living the high life you'll admit.
I can only assume that he smelled drink on my breath since I dont sway/stagger/belch -or indeed any anti social activity.
Stern words I can take - a rant from a young man the same age as my son is not something I expect to get on a saturday afternoon.
And as has been pointed out-by the same token the barmaid at my local should have been sacked for selling me my second pint as I had already been drinking.
There is indeed a long way from having had a drink to being drunk.

peter_the_piper

Arn't they the ones who have walls made from boxes of beer sold dirt cheap? Sounds a bit hypocritical to me.

hawkwinddotcom

Which store was this?

I ask cos I know a few of the managers through doing work for Somerfields

hjb123

I guess I can see both sides here. There are 24 hour drinking laws and people can buy drink at many hours of the day. When the manager came he must have smelt alcohol on your breath or thought you had been drinking to have questioned you. Did you tell him you had just had 2 pints? In the end he had to make a decision whether to serve you or not, a bit like the decision he has to make whether someone is of the legal age to drink or not. It is his license and reputation that he risks and he didnt want to take that risk - what if you were from Trading Standards?

IvanOpinion

Given that people are now sueing shops, bars and off licenses for selling them alchohol allowing them to become drunk and hurt themselves ... we bring these silly rules upon ourselves with our own stupidity and then have to live with the consequences.

On a similar vein the uncle of a work colleague was knocked down and killed by a speeding motorist who had been banned. The defence was that the pedestrian had been drunk and walked out in front of the car .. the police response was that the man was well known, went down the town everyday, had one pint of Guinness, and walked home .. fortunately the car passengers, after a little bit of persuasion, gave the true story (and the driver was sentenced to 4 years).

Ivan