Sainsbobs Accident

Regina.filangie

Hello, sorry if this is the wrong place to post this but I'm after a bit of advice.

I was shopping at my local Sainsbobs last night, picked up a few items and a bunch of flowers in my basket and bypassed the regular tills to go to the kiosk as I wanted to buy a lottery ticket (which I still haven't checked - eee I might be a millionaire!). I asked the lady at the kiosk if I could pay for my few bits of shopping there and she replied with a very abrupt "yes but you will have to return your basket to the store entrance." I couldn't believe it! I had a big handbag, a bunch of flowers and 2 bags of shopping and she expected me to return the basket! I said I don't really think it's appropriate for you to tell a customer that they have to return the basket, you don't at the other tills, to which she replied yes but I'm by myself here. I have no idea why it was such a problem for her to put the basket behind the till to be returned later or on the floor (out of the way) in front of the kiosk. The way she spoke to me was completely out of order and I eventually had to tell her that I didn't wish to stand here and argue I just wanted her to serve me so I can pay for my shopping and leave. Then she said 'don't be angry that I've asked you to return your basket, in the most condescending manner she could manage, and again I had to request that she didn't argue or discuss it with mr and could she please just get on with serving me so I could leave. Anyway, she finished the transaction, I paid for my shopping, and duly picked up my (large) handbag (that does not have a shoulder strap), bunch of flowers and 2 bags of shopping as well as the basket and walked to the door. Whilst walking past the security guard I slipped on the floor and fell to the ground with my knee taking the brunt of my fall and my shopping going everywhere. The security guard took ages to come to my assistance and looked almost embarrassed at having to do so which really annoyed me, so I managed to get myself up and immediately began crying and hobbling towards the door. I heard the customer services lady bing bong for a first aider to come to the store entrance straight away and she rushed over to see if I was ok, and a couple of minutes later the first aider arrived with a chair. I declined the offer to sit down at the store entrance in front of everyone to see (no shoppers came to my assistance either and chose to stare instead - who does that?!) and I was offered a drink of water. I explained through my uncontrollable sobs (caused by the stinging pain in my leg and the shock of the fall) that the woman at the kiosk had made me carry the basket and I was struggling with it as I already suffer from a bad back and she said she would 'have a word with her'. She asked me to fill out the accident book but I was so upset/angry/embarrassed/shocked that I let the ladt take my name and number and I left and cried in the car for 10 minutes before I could drive home. My back has kept me up all night in agony and I've got a big bruise on my knee. I also paid £7 for a bumch of flowers which were damaged when I fell. Should I write to the store manager to complain? Or somewhere else? I want to complain about:
a) the woman's attitude at the kiosk :mad:
b) the fact that I had been told to return my basket to the store entrance when clearly I would struggle to do so
c) the pathetic response of the security guard when I fell directly in front of him
d) the pain I'm now in as a result of the fall.

Any help appreciated.

Looksguywalker

Regina.filangie wrote: »

Hello, sorry if this is the wrong place to post this but I'm after a bit of advice.

I was shopping at my local Sainsbobs last night, picked up a few items and a bunch of flowers in my basket and bypassed the regular tills to go to the kiosk as I wanted to buy a lottery ticket (which I still haven't checked - eee I might be a millionaire!). I asked the lady at the kiosk if I could pay for my few bits of shopping there and she replied with a very abrupt "yes but you will have to return your basket to the store entrance." I couldn't believe it! I had a big handbag, a bunch of flowers and 2 bags of shopping and she expected me to return the basket! I said I don't really think it's appropriate for you to tell a customer that they have to return the basket, you don't at the other tills, to which she replied yes but I'm by myself here. I have no idea why it was such a problem for her to put the basket behind the till to be returned later or on the floor (out of the way) in front of the kiosk. The way she spoke to me was completely out of order and I eventually had to tell her that I didn't wish to stand here and argue I just wanted her to serve me so I can pay for my shopping and leave. Then she said 'don't be angry that I've asked you to return your basket, in the most condescending manner she could manage, and again I had to request that she didn't argue or discuss it with mr and could she please just get on with serving me so I could leave. Anyway, she finished the transaction, I paid for my shopping, and duly picked up my (large) handbag (that does not have a shoulder strap), bunch of flowers and 2 bags of shopping as well as the basket and walked to the door. Whilst walking past the security guard I slipped on the floor and fell to the ground with my knee taking the brunt of my fall and my shopping going everywhere. The security guard took ages to come to my assistance and looked almost embarrassed at having to do so which really annoyed me, so I managed to get myself up and immediately began crying and hobbling towards the door. I heard the customer services lady bing bong for a first aider to come to the store entrance straight away and she rushed over to see if I was ok, and a couple of minutes later the first aider arrived with a chair. I declined the offer to sit down at the store entrance in front of everyone to see (no shoppers came to my assistance either and chose to stare instead - who does that?!) and I was offered a drink of water. I explained through my uncontrollable sobs (caused by the stinging pain in my leg and the shock of the fall) that the woman at the kiosk had made me carry the basket and I was struggling with it as I already suffer from a bad back and she said she would 'have a word with her'. She asked me to fill out the accident book but I was so upset/angry/embarrassed/shocked that I let the ladt take my name and number and I left and cried in the car for 10 minutes before I could drive home. My back has kept me up all night in agony and I've got a big bruise on my knee. I also paid £7 for a bumch of flowers which were damaged when I fell. Should I write to the store manager to complain? Or somewhere else? I want to complain about:
a) the woman's attitude at the kiosk :mad:
b) the fact that I had been told to return my basket to the store entrance when clearly I would struggle to do so
c) the pathetic response of the security guard when I fell directly in front of him
d) the pain I'm now in as a result of the fall.

Any help appreciated.

a) No
b) No
c) No
d) No

Lip_Stick

I've always had to return the basket when using a kiosk. There's no room behind the counter for them to be piling up, and you can't leave one at the front of the kiosk either as someone might trip over it.

You could have put some of the items into the basket when going back to put it away.

margy

well i would complain the woman could have offered to take the basket to the door for you, and why was she so abrupt with you it cost nothing to be nice you had a bad experiance at the store you should put it in writing

mildred1978

Sounds like a trolley would have been far more suitable in the circumstances.

CAPTAINBLONDECHICK

Regina.filangie wrote: »

Hello, sorry if this is the wrong place to post this but I'm after a bit of advice.

I was shopping at my local Sainsbobs last night, picked up a few items and a bunch of flowers in my basket and bypassed the regular tills to go to the kiosk as I wanted to buy a lottery ticket (which I still haven't checked - eee I might be a millionaire!). I asked the lady at the kiosk if I could pay for my few bits of shopping there and she replied with a very abrupt "yes but you will have to return your basket to the store entrance." I couldn't believe it! I had a big handbag, a bunch of flowers and 2 bags of shopping and she expected me to return the basket! I said I don't really think it's appropriate for you to tell a customer that they have to return the basket, you don't at the other tills, to which she replied yes but I'm by myself here. I have no idea why it was such a problem for her to put the basket behind the till to be returned later or on the floor (out of the way) in front of the kiosk. The way she spoke to me was completely out of order and I eventually had to tell her that I didn't wish to stand here and argue I just wanted her to serve me so I can pay for my shopping and leave. Then she said 'don't be angry that I've asked you to return your basket, in the most condescending manner she could manage, and again I had to request that she didn't argue or discuss it with mr and could she please just get on with serving me so I could leave. Anyway, she finished the transaction, I paid for my shopping, and duly picked up my (large) handbag (that does not have a shoulder strap), bunch of flowers and 2 bags of shopping as well as the basket and walked to the door. Whilst walking past the security guard I slipped on the floor and fell to the ground with my knee taking the brunt of my fall and my shopping going everywhere. The security guard took ages to come to my assistance and looked almost embarrassed at having to do so which really annoyed me, so I managed to get myself up and immediately began crying and hobbling towards the door. I heard the customer services lady bing bong for a first aider to come to the store entrance straight away and she rushed over to see if I was ok, and a couple of minutes later the first aider arrived with a chair. I declined the offer to sit down at the store entrance in front of everyone to see (no shoppers came to my assistance either and chose to stare instead - who does that?!) and I was offered a drink of water. I explained through my uncontrollable sobs (caused by the stinging pain in my leg and the shock of the fall) that the woman at the kiosk had made me carry the basket and I was struggling with it as I already suffer from a bad back and she said she would 'have a word with her'. She asked me to fill out the accident book but I was so upset/angry/embarrassed/shocked that I let the ladt take my name and number and I left and cried in the car for 10 minutes before I could drive home. My back has kept me up all night in agony and I've got a big bruise on my knee. I also paid £7 for a bumch of flowers which were damaged when I fell. Should I write to the store manager to complain? Or somewhere else? I want to complain about:
a) the woman's attitude at the kiosk :mad:
b) the fact that I had been told to return my basket to the store entrance when clearly I would struggle to do so
c) the pathetic response of the security guard when I fell directly in front of him
d) the pain I'm now in as a result of the fall.

Any help appreciated.

Since no-one else has offered you any sympathy, I will. I am sure it must have been humiliating for you and sorry to hear you are in so much pain. Firstly, yes I would most definately complain but I would go straight to Head Office as you are more likely to get a better response than if you wrote to the individual store manager. The woman at the kiosk's attitude was ridiculous, especially answering you back in the manner she did. Fair enough, maybe she didn't have room for the basket but she could have put her point across with less attitude. What was stopping her asking another member of staff to return the basket?

Maybe it's just the kind of person I am, but I could not just walk past or stand and stare at someone who had fallen - its unbelievable that no passing customers came to help.

Hopefully, you will get a call from the store after leaving your number but if you are not satsifed with what they say when they ring, I would most definately send off a letter.

Haffiana

Also complain about:
a) pathetic response of all the other shoppers.
b) inability to carry exactly the same items after paying as before paying
c) sensitivity of back to same after paying

etc

It would be better to write to the store manager with the simple suggestion that they either make a place for baskets to be stacked, or that they put a sign up informing customers that they please return baskets to the front of store if using kiosk. This would be the truly useful response to your incident.

Lip_Stick

margy wrote: »

well i would complain the woman could have offered to take the basket to the door for you, and why was she so abrupt with you it cost nothing to be nice you had a bad experiance at the store you should put it in writing

I doubt she'd have been able to do that as it would leave the kiosk without a staff member.

rachbc

Given that you were able to carry your large handbag around the store with you whilst you filled your basket, then carry your large handbag and full basket to the kiost I'm suprised you couldn't put your shopping back into the basket to carry it back to the exit with you. Its not rocket science.

prowla

If the woman at the kiosk had said that to me, I would probably have told her to shut up and do her job, and I would have paid and then left the basket there anyway. Alternatively, I would have said that I didn't like their attitude, just left the things right there and walked out.

On the matter of the fall, the store has a duty of care to the public to ensure their safety and has to have public liability insurance. Fobbing you off with a glass of water doesn't really cut the mustard.

The possible reason that the various members of the public didn't help immediately is that they may have seen the uniformed shop people coming to help. In my case I would assume that they were more qualified than me, and though I might help by instinct, I would then look to hand over to somebody asap.

The security guard may have been wondering if it was appropriate for them to deal with you and/or whether they would be leaving their designated job to help you and/or whether the other shop workers were better placed and/or whether they were allowed to help you.

I think the offer of that chair was probably that it was near to the point of the accident and so would not have required you to walk far.

So, overall IMHO (i) the kiosk operative had a bad attitude and neeeded taking down a peg or two, (ii) apart from the security guard who was slow to react the other reactions sound appropriate, (iii) I think that the shop should have refunded/replaced your flowers.

laura1976

The attitude of people on here towards shop workers is surprising sometimes. It's not easy being stuck on your own on the kiosk, especially at night when you have to count the newspaper returns, count and pack away every single lottery scratchcard and shut down the whole thing, while still serving customers. Then someone who is too special to use a regular till comes over with a massive basket of shopping and you are expected to find space to pack it all for them, too right you should take your own basket back. Maybe next time use a proper till where there is space for it. They are not allowed to leave their till. I do feel sorry that you hurt yourself and i really hope you are feeling better soon, but what is with all this complaining culture? Accidents happen sometimes, it's crap but they do. I don't think there is any cause for complaint, you had a bad shopping trip, but actually i don't think the cashiers attitude was any worse than yours. Oh and i think sainsbos security are all employed by Chubb so not technically sainsbo's employees, and they are probably not meant to intervene with accidents. That is for the proper qualified first-aiders, something to do with insurance and people suing companies when they have accidents.