Break it, buy it?

anewme

The OP's child broke something and the OP as his guardian is totally responsible to make good any damages and yet some people twist it to say the shop assistant must be on the take?

Never heard the likes of it!

Jeniflan

davo10 wrote: »

I find it strange that just because it was an accident you fell no responcibility to pay for it.

I've already said many times that I made an assumption, right or wrong, from my own experiences working in retail

mickoneill31

mickoneill31 wrote: »

Ive worked in retail for a largish retailer. The POS they used allowed me to discount. It got reported to management automatically.

Why would you be discounting?

Bad setup for a large retailer, open to serious fraud.

shaunr68

thehouses wrote: »

Can you be sure they would sell it? Would the price the shop bought it for not be fair?

This is a good point. I don't think the shop are entitled to make a profit from a breakage, but it is reasonable and only fair that their actual losses are reimbursed

the_pen_turner

I have done most of my shopping in hardware stores over the years. every hardware shop I have been in has been able to discount. you ask the price they say 500 for example then press a few buttons and discount a bit and come back at 475 for example.
I have never seen a system where a manager or supervisor had to authorise the discount.

I don't know th e law on this issue but morally you should pay in full

anewme

anewme wrote: »

The OP's child broke something and the OP as his guardian is totally responsible to make good any damages and yet some people twist it to say the shop assistant must be on the take?

Never heard the likes of it!

Yes on the take because ive never heard of shop assistants having the authority to discount.

How was this assistant placing value on the product?

Did she contact head office to find the pre profit and pre tax net cost?

How did she enter the product through the retailers till system, did she get management to authorise a sale discount?

Did the Assistant provide a receipt of sale as legally required to the OP when they took payment?

No, she told the OP she would have to cough up a fiver and shoved the cash into a cuboard under the till. Only when the OP questioned this did the assistant panic and take back the cashand return it to the customer.

As someone with over 30 years of retail expereince i would have full confidence this assisntant is on the take and defrauding innocent customers.

I would have security watching her like a hawk and preparing a disiplinary against her for gross misconduct with full suspension once i had gathered enough evidence.

the_pen_turner

Deleted User wrote: »

Yes on the take because ive never heard of shop assistants having the authority to discount.

How was this assistant placing value on the product?

Did she contact head office to find the pre profit and pre tax net cost?

How did she enter the product through the retailers till system, did she get management to authorise a sale discount?

Did the Assisntant provide a receipt of sale as legally required to the OP when they took payment?

No, she told the OP she would have to cough up a fiver and shoved the cash into a cuboard under the till. Only when the OP questioned this did the assistant panic and take back the cashand return it to the customer.

As someone with over 30 years of retail expereince i would have full confidence this assisntant is on the take and defrauding innocent customers.

I would have security watching her like a hawk and preparing a disiplinary against her for gross misconduct with full suspension once i had gathered enough evidence.

this is just pure baseless nonsense. how do you know that a receipt wouldn't be provided or that it wasn't going to be logged into a book of damaged goods

Shelflife

[Deleted User] wrote: »

With all respect, most certainly not!

Access to stock control would be limited to senior management instore.

No member of staff other than management would be allowed to discount products, and even then with good reason.

Not sure what company you worked for but in my shop the sales assistant can discount , refund and ring in an item as open sale, but they have to account for any of these transactions.

To leap to the conclusion that the shop assistant was on the take is a bit far.

Op accidents happen but I think it's only fair to offer to pay for it.

the_pen_turner

the_pen_turner wrote: »

this is just pure baseless nonsense. how do you know that a receipt wouldn't be provided or that it wasn't going to be logged into a book of damaged goods

Because the op handed over the cash and got no receipt.

Damaged goods are wrote off simple as, not discounted.

Large retailer do not generally sell damaged goods because of various issues including writing off stock.

Like ive said, over 30 years of retail management experience highlights this incident as highly suspect on the sales assistants actions.

All the warning signs are there. No sales assistant in any large retailer has the authority to discount, even management rarely can.

Jeniflan

Shelflife wrote: »

Op accidents happen but I think it's only fair to offer to pay for it.

Yep- like I said I made an assumption, right or wrong- and when asked to pay for half, and then told 'it was up to me'- I went directly to the till and gave her the money. She literally had it in her hand. When I queried it, she gave it back

Shelflife

Shelflife wrote: »

Not sure what company you worked for but in my shop the sales assistant can discount , refund and ring in an item as open sale, but they have to account for any of these transactions.

To leap to the conclusion that the shop assistant was on the take is a bit far.

Op accidents happen but I think it's only fair to offer to pay for it.

Well sorry but your shop is not a large retailer then.

Can you imagine a large retailer with thousands of till operators. If only 5% were giving incorrect discounts the stockloss would be huge.

Accidents do happen, but large retailers do not pursue customers for the cost because A) its poor customer service a admin nightmare and C) they claim the loss against their profits as a tax write off.

the_pen_turner

Deleted User wrote: »

Because the op handed over the cash and got no receipt.

Damaged goods are wrote off simple as, not discounted.

Large retailer do not generally sell damaged goods because of various issues including writing off stock.

Like ive said, over 30 years of retail management experience highlights this incident as highly suspect on the sales assistants actions.

All the warning signs are there. No sales assistant in any large retailer has the authority to discount, even management rarely can.

how do we know a receipt wouldn't be provided if asked for.

I'm not saying that your wrong about the cashier stealing but I don't see any reason to accuse her. she could be

I have almost no experience of discounts in large retail chains and none behind the scenes but that doesn't fit with my experience of medium sized hardware chains.

A_Sober_Paddy

Jeniflan wrote: »

Just to be clear, this wasn't a small local shop- i would have behaved differently- this was a very large well known shop (I don't want to name it, but all would be familiar) and surely they would budget for accidental breakages / have insurance for such? And the lady I spoke to didn't own it.
Totally understand if you don't agree with my opinions on it, thanks for the responses

I work of a large retailer, the company can afford the loss sure, but where I work each store is judged on its own. so when someone open a 30 € item last night, it basically meant that we failed to hit our weekly target, this that customer damaging a product costs us bonuses. We aren't allowed charge customers for that, because it's bad customer service, but we get a small bolloxking from the area manager...If something breaks because you wouldn't control your child, pay for it and learn control over your child

the_pen_turner

the_pen_turner wrote: »

how do we know a receipt wouldn't be provided if asked for.

I'm not saying that your wrong about the cashier stealing but I don't see any reason to accuse her. she could be

I have almost no experience of discounts in large retail chains and none behind the scenes but that doesn't fit with my experience of medium sized hardware chains.

Because if you are handling cash the money has to go through the till and a receipt is automatic.

Sales Assistants do not have authority to discount because its wide open to fraud.

jsms88

Lots of anecdotes being presented here as evidence/ fact from many posters based on their own time in retail, etc.

Just because something was a particular way in your time or where you were doesn't mean it's that way here, be it in terms of how the tills work or in terms of expectations regarded paying for something you break in a large retailer.

Reasoning from the specific to the general doesn't work here.

RayM

notjustsweet wrote: »

It's quite rude to call people the do gooder brigade tbh

Exactly. It's not the do gooder brigade - it's the high horse brigade.

I'm always terrified walking around certain shops, in case I knock a precariously placed item off a shelf with my coat or my arse.

When I worked in retail, we'd never ask a customer to pay for an item broken by accident. It made sense to take the hit, rather than creating an awkward atmosphere. Also, it's an obnoxious way to treat people. And those "nice to look at, nice to hold, etc..." signs are obnoxious too.

grogi

Deleted User wrote: »

Because if you are handling cash the money has to go through the till and a receipt is automatic.

Sales Assistants do not have authority to discount because its wide open to fraud.

Sales Assistants are in position to steal already... Going through discounting is not only more cumbersome, it leaves more paper trail...

Anyway, if you don't trust them, don't hire them.

A_Sober_Paddy

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

I work of a large retailer, the company can afford the loss sure, but where I work each store is judged on its own. so when someone open a 30 € item last night, it basically meant that we failed to hit our weekly target, this that customer damaging a product costs us bonuses. We aren't allowed charge customers for that, because it's bad customer service, but we get a small bolloxking from the area manager...If something breaks because you wouldn't control your child, pay for it and learn control over your child

Stock loss is calculated annually in large retailers, not weekly.

You are getting told off for not meeting sales targets, not stock loss.

Stock loss consists of

Damages
Theft
Shop soiled.

Unless you are doing weekly stock takes there is no way an area manager would know your overall stockloss.

jsms88

jsms88 wrote: »

Lots of anecdotes being presented here as evidence/ fact from many posters based on their own time in retail, etc.

Just because something was a particular way in your time or where you were doesn't mean it's that way here, be it in terms of how the tills work or in terms of expectations regarded paying for something you break in a large retailer.

Reasoning from the specific to the general doesn't work here.

Its still the same, trust me!

the_pen_turner

Deleted User wrote: »

Sales Assistants do not have authority to discount because its wide open to fraud.

my experience does not reflect this. everyday I see sales assistants giving discounts in hardware shops, tile shops, paint shops, electrical, plumbing, agri shops, car sales, motor factors, etc

Jeniflan

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

I work of a large retailer, the company can afford the loss sure, but where I work each store is judged on its own. so when someone open a 30 € item last night, it basically meant that we failed to hit our weekly target, this that customer damaging a product costs us bonuses. We aren't allowed charge customers for that, because it's bad customer service, but we get a small bolloxking from the area manager...If something breaks because you wouldn't control your child, pay for it and learn control over your child

Ok... I will seek clarification when I speak with the manager tomorrow on their policies etc.

I hardly think it's a great system that is in place where you work that you end up getting a bollicking from your manager when items break because us dreadful, negligent parents are allowing our children to run wild because we refuse to learn to control them.
Thanks

A_Sober_Paddy

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Stock loss is calculated annually in large retailers, not weekly.

You are getting told off for not meeting sales targets, not stock loss.

Stock loss consists of

Damages
Theft
Shop soiled.

Unless you are doing weekly stock takes there is no way an area manager would know your overall stockloss.

It's weekly and monthly for us. We do manual adjustments and stock counts weekly, out of date and damaged stock written off straight away and is reflected against sales. We get stock audits 2-4 times a year, depending on numerous factors. Retailer is small-medium stores. High value lines. Company's profits in Ireland last year between 7-10 million

grogi

grogi wrote: »

Sales Assistants are in position to steal already... Going through discounting is not only more cumbersome, it leaves more paper trail...

Anyway, if you don't trust them, don't hire them.

Till discounting makes theft far easier.

Friend comes into store, picks up jacket goes to till. Button claimed as missing. 10 euro discount.

Customer goes into store, rips off button goes to till, 10 euro discount.

Sales assistant gives 5 euro discount per week for faulty items. That works out as 260 euro per year of discounts unchecked. X by 10 workers =2,600 euro loss unchecked.

This is why sales assistants dont have authority to discount.

the_pen_turner

Deleted User wrote: »

Stock loss is calculated annually in large retailers, not weekly.

You are getting told off for not meeting sales targets, not stock loss.

Stock loss consists of

Damages
Theft
Shop soiled.

Unless you are doing weekly stock takes there is no way an area manager would know your overall stockloss.

my local co op (agri ,hardware type shop) does a stocktake of the meal store every morning. it opens at 8 but doesn't get much custom till 8 30 . I have often had to wait while the guy that loads you is doing his stock take. the manager knows down to the bag every item in that store

A_Sober_Paddy

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

It's weekly and monthly for us. We do manual adjustments and stock counts weekly, out of date and damaged stock written off straight away and is reflected against sales. We get stock audits 2-4 times a year, depending on numerous factors. Retailer is small-medium stores. High value lines. Company's profits in Ireland last year between 7-10 million

Ahh, not a large retailer then.

the_pen_turner

the_pen_turner wrote: »

my local co op (agri ,hardware type shop) does a stocktake of the meal store every morning. it opens at 8 but doesn't get much custom till 8 30 . I have often had to wait while the guy that loads you is doing his stock take. the manager knows down to the bag every item in that store

Ive done annual stock takes over 5 hours after hours with 40 staff in 1 store.

Thats a large retailer

sunny2004

Jeniflan wrote: »

Ok fair enough thanks, just wondering though if there is any official/legal stance on it....

Try this site, there is also a phone number at the top. You might get the legal stance sorted, that's really all that matters.

https://www.ccpc.ie/consumers/about/about-us/

hope that helps.

witzky

Everyone who has said they would pay the full amount of a damaged item... I'm guessing the answers would be different if the item was lets say a 3 grand tv.....

Just saying...

I'm with the OP.

A_Sober_Paddy

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Ahh, not a large retailer then.

In there market, second biggest in Europe I believe. Profits above are only for Irish wing of company.

Jeniflan

sunny2004 wrote: »

Try this site, there is also a phone number at the top. You might get the legal stance sorted, that's really all that matters.

https://www.ccpc.ie/consumers/about/about-us/

hope that helps.

Thank you so much, really appreciate it