Money Moral Dilemma: Should I report cashier who used loyalty card on my shopping?

sun_claw

There are a couple of options for how another loyalty card was used.

In the store I work for if a loyalty cards barcode is accidentally scanned after payment for the previous persons shop then the new transaction will go to the previous customers card.

If the colleague is using their own loyalty card then I know the supermarket I work for classifies this as theft and has fired and prosecuted colleagues. If you are uncomfortable reporting them I can understand that. All I can say is that if the store you used is like my employer, they have a system in place that automatically checks for abuse like this. In my store a team leader was fired because he scanned his loyalty card too regularly and our monitoring system flagged him, so they will find this person on their own within a few weeks, which takes the pressure off of you. If you wanted to use your points then you will need to report them to claim your points.

dizzybird2012

most supermarkets have the loyalty scheme, but staff normally get loyalty points and discount. So if a member of staff has got your loyalty points, have you got her staff discount???


Just a thought...

judywoody

duchy wrote: »

Yes you can ask ..... I've posted about it before.
It's call centre work but based at home - so pretty badly paid - but it fits in with my carer's responsibilities.



So if you were asking in the hope I'm a 40% tax payer who doesn't know what it is like to be on a low wage...... I'm afraid you'll be disappointed !

In one job I had -the staff consistently met all targets for monthly bonus -except till balancing . The bonus was quite generous. Turned out it was one of the few full-time staff with sticky fingers -Once the rest of the staff realized that he wasn't just stealing from the company but also from them they got over the feeling that they were grassing him up and wanted him to stop depriving them of money each month in their paypackets. They reported him- and in my view they were right to.

I've done all sorts of jobs -highly paid and badly paid..... a single Mum with a disabled child has to find hours that will fit in with family need. None of which has any influence on my definition of theft ...or not. I know what it's like to not have enough money for basics -doesn't mean I feel stealing is justified and even if it did I wouldn't be stupid enough to put a job I had and needed in jeopardy for the sale of 50p as this cashier appears to have done.

Sorry to disappoint you. I realize people from different countries may have differing views of theft and in some countries corruption is a way of life and upbringing will define what is honest or dishonest regardless of nationality but in my experience it doesn't matter if it's 2p or £2K people will either say no or they'll make up excuses to justify their actions.

As for getting a life.... I have one thanks

No i didn't expect you to be in a highly paid job but maybe in a job that you were able to choose.

To say someone chooses a job that's terribly low paid and it's therefore his or her own fault is pretty patronizing. But again i would like to ask how often in the past have you stolen time from your employer?

I said it before and i say it again: i am not saying what she is doing isn't wrong but you don't seem to get the point that it's still a kinder way to give her a hint. There is a difference between literally taking money out of the till and scanning a loyalty card..not in terms of theft but in terms of nastiness. I can imagine that someone in a job like this might not fully grasp the reason as to why this is theft as she doesn't understand the system behind it. To her it's just scanning a card with no "real" money exchanged and she might think that nobody is harmed..i think that needs to be clarified first. Everyone knows that literally taking money from someone is theft. If you do that, that is pretty nasty. You see a lot of people here have absolutely show no regard to kindness. The arguments they bring up of course are logical but you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Suppose all those people on their high horses found out that the cashier is a person that's very cose to them? It's always easy to think you are so superior and leave comments on an anonymous forum about what they would do and how dishonestthis person is. It's easy to cast stones on the internet isn't it? I am quite frankly glad that i will never meet one of you guys in person because in reality you have all at one point or another bent the truth or broke the law..i think it's time to hand yourself in to the police you naughty, naughty people! Remember that everyone deals differently with all kinds of pressures and as much as i admire you for your hard work as a carer and mother i can't get rid of the feeling that all you are trying to do is to show how superior you are morally. Kind people try and help people first to change their ways. If this cashier is truly a nasty person, fair enough but you don't know that do you? Give her the benefit of the doubt rather than putting her into a situation where ahe probably will instantly loose her job over something that's not even worth worrying about (as opposed to burglary for example)

Idiophreak

PegasusPJ wrote: »

So would I but in this case the cashier did not ASK.
If he/she gets away with this, what's stopping him/her to sneak some cashback on the bill next time?

I don't really see what it matters if they asked or not. There was something I didn't want, they took it. Why would I give a rats !!!.

Actually stealing money is something quite different.

For instance, if I leave a table out on the street and someone comes up and takes it, I don't view them as having stole the thing. I didn't want it, they took it. Everyone's a winner. Someone who came into my house and took my table on the other hand...

scotty2c

What shop was it?

Fitzmichael

j-g wrote: »

you forgot your card - why worry about the 50p you might have not got in points - life is too short - it's not as though they nicked your car.

That's the modern attitude to honesty that's brought us to where we are. It's the attitude of those 'serving' you face-to-face in the bank etc, who mis-sold you insurance, investments, ..., robbing you to get their bonus

phb40012

I'm a pharmacist and I know that a pharmacist working in a supermarket pharmacy was struck off recently for doing something similar. Rightly so. It's theft, plain and simple, and brings my profession into disrepute.

However, whilst there is very little excuse for a well paid pharmacist, I doubt this cashier is quite so fortunate. Yes, what she is doing is fraud, but perhaps she is hard up enough that she considers it necessary. Maybe she has children to feed and the extra points make it that little bit easier. Maybe she doesn't even realise that what she's doing is serious, or appreciate the consequences if caught.

So here's a compromise. Instead of reporting her directly to the store, or allowing them to examine the receipt to identify the culprit, just report the scenario itself to the store. Make it clear that you simply want them to remind staff of their responsibilities. Chances are they would make all their staff aware that this is unacceptable and make them aware of the consequences. If she continues after this, then it's at her own risk.

Of course, I could be totally naive and she could be flagrantly pocketing a good little bonus for herself. Though I personally would find it difficult to feel good about myself if I got someone fired regardless of the circumstances. At worst, you might confine someone to abject poverty, at best, you might just contribute the UK's doll bill.

But in any case, it's up to you. Just consider though that there is a story behind every person.

dmet

If there is something within their terms and conditions of employment forbidding them to have a loyalty card then this would be gross misconduct and potentially sackable.

The other issue is this could be seen as extra income or benefit in kind and could be a taxable.

The computerised systems would easily spot this sort of thing anyway. If the card was used 10 times per day then it would flag as suspicious.

You could always speak to someone at the store and ask if they allow staff to do it as you have noticed it without specifically pointing anyone out. The store could then do its own investigation. It may be a number of people are doing it.

Fitzmichael

judywoody wrote: »

There is a difference between literally taking money out of the till and scanning a loyalty card. I can imagine that someone in a job like this might not fully grasp the reason as to why this is theft as she doesn't understand the system behind it. To her it's just scanning a card with no "real" money exchanged and she might think that nobody is harmed ... something that's not even worth worrying about. i can't get rid of the feeling that all you are trying to do is to show how superior you are morally.

That's the modern attitude to honesty that's brought us to where we are. It's the attitude of those 'serving' you face-to-face in the bank etc, who mis-sold you insurance, investments, ..., robbing you to get their bonus.
How can the person doing this think there's no money=value involved when she is taking value from the cardholder and transferring it to herself? I realised when I was a boy going to school on the tram that people who got off without paying were doing something wrong and eventually worked out that we were all supposed to share the cost. It took some years before I realised that any shortfall would be reflected in fare rises for those who paid. If I knew that was your attitude, I wouldn't trust you with any business of mine. I think your final sentence applies more to you than it does to Duchy.

duchy

judywoody wrote: »

No i didn't expect you to be in a highly paid job but maybe in a job that you were able to choose.

To say someone chooses a job that's terribly low paid and it's therefore his or her own fault is pretty patronizing. But again i would like to ask how often in the past have you stolen time from your employer?

)

You've missed the point again ........ In this country people apply for jobs -there is choice. Whilst those choices may be limited by geography, education, other commitments etc - jobs are applied for not allocated.

As for me "stealing time" to you that may be acceptable and commonplace in whatever job you do (I note you work part-time) but it's rarely wise to assume that everyone does as you do.

All this nonsense about kindness. Is it a kindness if the store loses business because there is a perception that the staff are less than honest -and there are redundancies or reduced hours. The fact that the card number is on the receipt and was done slickly enough that the OP didn't see her do it indicates this is unlikely to be a one off. Customers notice this kind of shenanigans and vote with their feet. Why should other staff lose their jobs or have their hours cut because one person thinks the rules don't apply to them ? How is that kind?

Supermarkets are very clear with their cashiers about what is and isn't acceptable process - and the consequences.

In an ideal world all jobs would have a living wage but they don't and for every person who thinks poor wages entitles them to a bit of "skimming" there is an honest unemployed person who'd be happy to have the job and behave decently and honestly.