Retail assault

GT89 wrote: »

Serving booze to a minor is a sackable offence. Most shops it's challenge 25 or challenge 23.

Where did op mention a minor?

antix80 wrote: »

Where did op mention a minor?

They didn't, this poster just likes to jump to bizarre conclusions like you can end up with a criminal record for selling alcohol to a minor at work. Probably the type who calls weed smokers junkies.

The DayDream wrote: »

I also work in 'essential' retail (though we dont sell food or medicine and could easily be emergency only).

IME you will get no support from management, they only care about the bottom line. And people saying call the gardai have obviously never tried doing that. It's beyond useless for anti social behaviour like this.

.

If you don't get reasonable support from management, you could put a report in to the Health and Safety Authority

https://www.hsa.ie/eng/contact_us/workplace_contact_unit/

It might just make it harder for management to treat others in the same way in future.

I work in retail myself hence the anon reply. I have had my fair share of unruly customers and believe me, you have more rights than you think but it's how you portray yourself while maintaining the customer to believe they have "won" as such.
Diversity being one thing, being respectable is another and that goes for both yourself and the customer. The saying " we treat everyone with respect" rings true and I will say holding your own shows more respect than you realise

1) You have a right to refuse service (to a point) - I state this lightly because technically we can't turn someone away or tell someone at the front door we aren't going to serve them on the first instance but what I will say is, during a transaction if you feel threatened or uncomfortable you are within your rights to stop, explain you're going to get a supervisor/management and you're going to let them carry on. I've done this on many occasions throughout the 12 plus years of working in retail. I've had customers scream and shout and throw things so my first instance is too state clearly that I won't be continuing the transaction but I will have someone else carry on and walk away (usually this calms them down and they've snapped out of the attitude they arrived in with) You're not refusing them a service and you're removing yourself away from a situation. You both win. How they react is different and that is what a supervisor and management is there for - to take over when a staff member is in a difficult situation

2) After the situation, go to your HR office, regardless if they are useless or not and explain everything and write it all down and tell them you want this on file. Why? Customers like the ones you've explained, go into a store with an attitude like that for a reason. Whether you agree or not is not the case but you're showing that you've raised this concern and this wouldn't be the first instance of a situation. What happens after that is also none of your concern but you've explained your actions and reasons. I've done this once over the 12 years and its saved myself the hastle of the customer returning with guns blazing and my HR know that although I am employed to a role I've been assigned too, I am not being paid to take on customers crap either. Respect goes both ways. This in turn can depend on your HR and they might tell you to just ignore it and move on which is fine but you've raised a certain concern.

(I don't mean report every single customer that didn't say hello or thank you but it's the ones who you felt put your health and safety at risk. I also want to state that this doesn't mean report every single person that made you feel the transaction didn't go well, you get what I mean)

3) Remember calm and collective goes further than you think. It's not easy believe me. I've had customers scream hurry up as soon as they've arrived to the tills but remaining calm and give that sly but not sly smile to say that you've heard them, but you're not going to bow down because they are having a rubbish day. Smile, serve, wish them a good day and off they go. Next please....

4) Let security know. They are there for a reason and your situation was valid enough for them to decided what the next step is. Usually they wave their hands and say it's fine and allow them in again but you've told them what has happened.

5) If the issue has not be dealt with by the proper authorities and the people who are supposed to have your health and safety at their best interest then you can take it further to the Health and Safety Authority who can give direct advice on how to best deal with a situation like this and prevent it from happening again. This I think will be going a step further to an issue that won't be resolved as quick as you think. Like previous posters have said, most if not all, retail companies mainly care about their profits than their staffs well-being. If there was a simple solution, it's leave and you won't have to deal with customers and some of their a**holyness.

I am a believer in standing your ground and working in retail can test the patience of a saint but I hold true when I say be Calm and Collective and before you know it, the situation wasn't as bad as it seemed. On the first instance of any transaction and you feel the customer is already making you feel awkward, start the most random conversation. My go to is to point out an item I pretend I never used and it gets them going, we both know they are talking absolute sh*te. If you're on the self service till and notice the customer has added an item that hasn't been scanned..."Whoops I'll put that in for you now there"...Their reaction towards this action to the fact that you didn't allow them rob basically is just their defence mechanism to not being able to get away with what they want. Their civil status doesn't come into equation but who know the ones who abuse it. Let them think that they are bigger than they let on and all will be fine. You just keep going about your job and day and before you know it, you've forgotten what even happened.

TL;DR smile, think to yourself "you're a cnut" and bid them a lovely day

punisher5112 wrote: »

And then unfair dismissal or constructive dismissal....

Jaysus the op done their job, done as training tells them, they didn't look to be assaulted.

Nobody in any job or as an ordinary citizen should be subject to such or any abuse, threats or harm.

The employer has a duty of care and is held in much higher account to do so. Protect their employees and customers to a legal standard.

its not called 'precarious employment' for nothing

Ring Gardai, don't mention travellers, just say customers coughing on you and not wearing masks. I've seen this once or twice and in fairness the Gardai arrived quick enough

Samantha0 wrote: »

Supervalu indeed, terrible place

Same basic local Tesco staff since they were quinsworth. Lads I remember seeing stacking shelves are management now.

Supervalue have different staff every time I go in.
That's how you know.

I know it’s all very well in hindsight and this is NOT a criticism...I’d have probably like you tried to be proactive and what not in the heat of the moment but..

You were coughed on, during a pandemic, deliberately, by a customer...

At that point I’d have not lifted a finger for them, I’d walk away, stop assisting them, report them and the incident in detail to a manager...

What the manager should do is inform security, who should inform them their custom is no longer desired and they are to exit the store immediately, a simple hesitation to comply with the instruction call the Gardai..

IF the manager attempted to return you to assist them or admonish / discipline you over not continuing to assist them... walk, there and then, simply wouldn’t work in those conditions, I’d also report your employer and the incident to the HSE.

How do you know they are travellers? Coughing on someone is disgusting (especially at the moment).

poisonated wrote: »

How do you know they are travellers? Coughing on someone is disgusting (especially at the moment).

Very easily

Mod:
Darc19 is taking an very extended break from the forum for this post.

JJayoo wrote: »

Some off the advice... imagine ringing the guards because someone coughed at you, then what?ask the assholes to hang around until the cops show up?

Ok no worries I'll come around yours cough on you...

The Gardai have the power to investigate, it's how they can end up getting those that done it... They can request the footage and if it's a group as such of they don't know them then they ain't doing their job.

Silly comments to make.

antix80 wrote: »

Op, this was a problem of your making.

Not so, although I understand what you are getting at.

You knew what you were dealing with and you're talking about politely asking them this and that. Hit approve and if you think they're robbing tell security.

Absolutely. But of course we don't know what instructions management have given for this type of situation. And not all managers are sympathetic.

I wonder is the place unionised? Probably not ...