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Was I expecting too much?

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Am I expecting too much from people working in supermarkets?

Yesterday I popped into my local Tesco superstore to see if they had any Christmas puds as I quite like these and often buy a few when they are reduced just after Christmas.
I couldn't find any so I asked a shop worker I saw walking around and who was wearing a "Ask me and I'll see if I can help" badge.
The conversation went like this:

Me: "Excuse me, if you have any Christmas puddings left, could you tell me where I would find them"
Store worker: "Do you mean, like, Yorkshire puddings?"
Me: "No, I mean Christmas puddings that are eaten as desert after Christmas dinner"
Store worker: "Oh, you mean Christmas cakes. They will be in the bakery section"
Me: "I don't mean Christmas cakes, I mean Christmas puddings."

At which point I gave up and went and asked someone else.
«1345

Comments

  • DoaM
    DoaM Posts: 11,863 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fifth Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic
    I would have still have expected Christmas Puds to be with other Christmas edible items, like cakes, so the store worker's response seems reasonable. (One can't expect them to know the location of every item, albeit a Christmas item should still be reasonably prominent in their minds). Did you check? Were they there or not? What did the other person say?
  • I agree that I wouldn't expect them to know where everything is located, but I would have hoped that someone whose badge stated "Ask me and I'll see if I can help" and who was working in the food section of a supermarket would at least know the difference between a Christmas pudding and a Yorkshire pudding!

    I asked at the customer service desk and was directed to an aisle in the store where they were selling off Christmas items such as cards, crackers and puddings and they did have I type I was after.
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 18,860 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Good job you didn't ask for "Fork handles"!
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • Silvertabby
    Silvertabby Posts: 10,088 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Eighth Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic
    I once asked a Tesco assistant if they had any vegetarian mincemeat. She burst out laughing and assured me that all mincemeat was vegetarian, as it contained fruit, not mince.
  • hollydays
    hollydays Posts: 19,812 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Try asking for vegetarian cheese, that really confuses them.
  • JReacher1
    JReacher1 Posts: 4,661 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper I've been Money Tipped!
    edited 30 December 2018 at 1:00AM
    In fairness you’ve asked one member of staff at Tesco about Christmas puddings and they didn’t know what a Christmas pudding was.

    I agree it is a bit unusual but they are a lot less popular these days so it isn’t that incredible the staff member didn’t know what one was and in fairness they did try and clarify what you were after but you decided to just be a bit rude and walk away.

    There are thousands of products in Tesco and to expect them to know everything is unreasonable. If they are polite and ask questions for clarification (like this person did) then that seems acceptable. Unfortunately as you’ve demonstarted some customers are just a bit rude and if they don’t instantly get the answer they want then they just walk away and then basically accuse the person of being an idiot on an Internet forum ��
  • I once asked a Tesco assistant if they had any vegetarian mincemeat. She burst out laughing and assured me that all mincemeat was vegetarian, as it contained fruit, not mince.


    She was correct though. Mincemeat is a fruit based mixture. Whereas minced meat is - well, minced meat.:)
  • LilElvis
    LilElvis Posts: 5,835 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    She was correct though. Mincemeat is a fruit based mixture. Whereas minced meat is - well, minced meat.:)

    Nope, you and the shop assistant are both wrong - one of the main ingredients is beef suet, unless a vegetarian alternative is used.

    https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/13377/traditional-mincemeat
  • JReacher1 wrote: »
    but you decided to just be a bit rude and walk away.

    I didn't realise that you were standing behind me and saw me just walk away. It's either that and you didn't actually hear what I said or you are simply making an incorrect assumption without clarifying the facts first, something that you do on a regular basis.
    I said that I gave up and went and asked someone else. Just because I didn't state every word of the conversation doesn't mean that I didn't tell the store worker that I would go and check at the customer services desk, and that is exactly what I did do.
    JReacher1 wrote: »
    and then basically accuse the person of being an idiot on an Internet forum
    Did I?
    Perhaps you can quote where I accused anyone of being an idiot.
    All I did was to ask a question and that question was
    "Am I expecting too much from people working in supermarkets?"
    and saying that someone who was advertising the fact that they were there to offer assistance:
    "Ask me and I'll see if I can help"
    couldn't actually offer assistance regarding a particular item that is extremely popular at this time of year.
  • Good job you didn't ask for "Fork handles"!
    Yes, I'm sure the OP would still be in the store now :)
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