Opinions please!

[keith]

Completely off topic apart from as a result of the events that took place my car (DS3) was broken into.
Visiting Asda store in Wembley, I was accused of shop lifting and physically assaulted by the security guard. His reason for suspecting me was because I was leaving the store via the entrance door I/O the exit door!
He asked for my receipt, which I had lost, he then told me to prove I had purchased the goods by showing him the transaction on my phone.
I told him to be careful not to accuse me of shop lifting, and he kept on assisting I showed him my phone. I refused and asked him to get the store manager, and at that point I asked for his name, and told him I would write it down at his desk. He began shouting to get away from his desk, and he physically assaulted me almost knocking me to the floor! At this point his colleague appeared, and I said to his colleague that he would be witness to what had unfolded. The guard accused me of assaulting him, and I asked for the CCTV footage to be reviewed.
The acting store manager arrived, and asked if he could buy me a coffee at the attached McDonald's. The manager straight away said he could see I wasn't a shoplifter.
I explained the events and asked what compensation I can expect. He offered me £5.00, which I explained having been assaulted, shouted at, and accused of theft with no valid grounds was completly unacceptable and the matter will need to be referred to the regional manager or Asda h/o.
Whilst this unfolded over the course of an hour, as I said above, some 'low life' decided to break into my car, looking for anything of value.
Whilst the break-in is not directly attributable to ASDA, I would be interested in other contributors thoughts on what would be fair recompense for the security guards outrageous behaviour.

 

[allandwf]

How can you lose a receipt within , possibly , 10 meters? I'd forget it and concentrate on your car. Recompense? everyone makes mistakes, and maybe they were on high alert at this time of year.

 

[gb-gta]

That does sound like a bad shopping trip, and I hate shopping even when I don’t get beaten up or have my car broken into.
Did you get the Mac Donald’s coffee?

 

[keith]

How can you lose a receipt within , possibly , 10 meters? I'd forget it and concentrate on your car. Recompense? everyone makes mistakes, and maybe they were on high alert at this time of year.

I have now found the receipt at the bottom of my carrier bag. When he stopped me I had not a clue where I had put it.
The point is, his assertion that I had stolen goods was not based on any evidence that I had been identified as doing so, but by his own admission 'I was leaving the stoor via the entry doors'.
In no world is it acceptable to be accused of theft on that basis, let alone be physically attacked because the staff member didn't like me asking for his name!
Without meaning to sound like Victor Meldrew, standards of service have dropped through the floor!!

 

[keith]

That does sound like a bad shopping trip, and I hate shopping even when I don’t get beaten up or have my car broken into.
Did you get the Mac Donald’s coffee?

Yep...and without meaning to sound like a money grabber, that's not where it will end. Outrageous!

 

[Nibby]

That does sound a bad day Keith
I went into Tescos in St Neots yesterday morning, bought loaf of bread, rolls, etc, came to £11.48. The lady at the checkout said “There’s your receipt” I said “sling it” She said “You better take it, they check quite often for shoplifting at the exit now”
I think there’s a big purge on shoplifting in supermarkets at the moment.
Don’t take a Asda pie for compensation, they’re horrible.

 

[midlifecrisis]

The simple thing to do is not go there again. Write a letter to Asda if it helps. Life's too short.

 

[Scaf]

I can imagine the whole experience was very embarrassing which is probably why you feel so strongly about it.

It is very probable that they find shoplifters exit by the entry door which means it’s perfectly acceptable for them to stop you and ask for your receipt in those circumstance, the shouting / abuse is not acceptable. As other have said shoplifting is a big problem and they are cracking down so mistakes will happen - move on ……………

And what is the connection to you car being broken into ?

 

[Oneball]

There’s two sides to every story. Sounds like a playground scuffle to me, with both being equally to blame. Move on. Or even better learn what you did wrong, you were almost certainly being rude/pompous/superior/aggressive to the guy. You’re probably going to get offended by me saying that but it’s true, we often react really badly when we’re embarrassed and we don’t know it.

 

[zagatoes30]

Sounds horrible but the longer you hang on to it the longer the impact, let it go, move on its a new year tomorrow start a fresh

 

[keith]

There’s two sides to every story. Sounds like a playground scuffle to me, with both being equally to blame. Move on. Or even better learn what you did wrong, you were almost certainly being rude/pompous/superior/aggressive to the guy. You’re probably going to get offended by me saying that but it’s true, we often react really badly when we’re embarrassed and we don’t know it.

If there were a vote for best reply, I think you would win!
I can imagine that I was many of what you describe, but and as I alluded to before with my Victor Meldrew comment, I perhaps remember a time when 'the customer is always right' and staff would treat them accordingly.
His manner from the start was accusatory with an aggressive undertone, by demanding to see my mobile phone. The store manager by contrast, immediately brought the situation under control. His opening words, 'of course I can see you are not a shop lifter' and 'can I buy you a cup of coffee, and you can explain what happened'.
My first point to the manager was, why if he could see that didnt the security guard have the same training. After all its tye job of security to assess and identify the honest from the dishonest shopper. Particularly when, and by his own admission, his sole reason for detaining me was that I was leaving through 'entrance door'.
This is not something I feel comfortable with, and as such I feel I must follow it up. And yes as you suggest, I could easily be described as pompous, but everyone will have their own definition of what is and isn't acceptable.

 

[Oneball]

The sore manager was lying to you to defuse the situation. I used to work in Sainsbury’s in Selly Oak and you fit the “look” of a shoplifter to a T. In that there is no look. We had everyone from 16 year old youths in shell suits (this was the 90s) to little old ladies with tartan shopping wheelies and blue rinses nicking stuff.

Very few actually do a runner, I do remember one guy running back into the store though, not a smart move. Their actions were what made them stand out and in most cases it went like this:

1. Try to get out un-noticed avoiding the tills.

2. Claimed they’d lost their receipt.

3. Got angry or offended or upset about being stopped “do I look like a shoplifter to you?”

In the eyes of the security guard you did pretty much exactly what every other shoplifter does.

 

[philw696]

Having recently shopped in the UK at Waitrose in Malvern Ms French had put her bag down whilst looking at Garlic forgot to pick it up ten minutes later we go to the customer service counter and there it is.
All very friendly and easy.

 

[Scaf]

Having recently shopped in the UK at Waitrose in Malvern Ms French had put her bag down whilst looking at Garlic forgot to pick it up ten minutes later we go to the customer service counter and there it is.
All very friendly and easy.

Asda v Waitrose

 

[DLax69]

In the U.S. some ambulance chaser would take your suit on spec and try and turn it into a class action.

Please don't do that.

I hate you experienced that...but if I had a dollar for every interaction like that I've ever had with a cop, security guard, etc. then I'd be able to buy Twitter back.

 

[RodTungsten]

Asda v Waitrose

Waitrose Christmas weekend: the Wee Woman left in disgust after being constantly hindered by men in coloured trousers pushing trolleys about with Norfolk idea how to operate.

 

[keith]

The sore manager was lying to you to defuse the situation. I used to work in Sainsbury’s in Selly Oak and you fit the “look” of a shoplifter to a T. In that there is no look. We had everyone from 16 year old youths in shell suits (this was the 90s) to little old ladies with tartan shopping wheelies and blue rinses nicking stuff.

Very few actually do a runner, I do remember one guy running back into the store though, not a smart move. Their actions were what made them stand out and in most cases it went like this:

1. Try to get out un-noticed avoiding the tills.

2. Claimed they’d lost their receipt.

3. Got angry or offended or upset about being stopped “do I look like a shoplifter to you?”

In the eyes of the security guard you did pretty much exactly what every other shoplifter does.

So the basis of making an accusation of shop lifting is - a customer who leaves from the wrong door!!!!!
Then said customer asking to speak to the manager, and asking for the security guards name!!!!
Well if I was clearly identified as a shop lifter, what was the point of assaulting me, when I had no intention of leaving the store, and furthermore why , if they are so desperate to stop me for shop lifting, which would afterall prove their actions to be correct, and absolve them from any future actions on my part, did the manager not try at any point to ascertain whether I did indeed pay for my shopping.
Whilst it's clearly your right to have an opinion, I think its also fair to say IMO your speaking a load of rubbish. PLEASE DONT TAKE OFFENCE, but when you look at the facts, the incident yesterday did not fall within what you describe.

 

[sionie1]

Having worked in retail for more years than I care to remember, you had a poor experience with the guard, but ultimately did fit a profile as Oneball posted. And it's Asda. There is no 'look' to a shoplifter but they do often do things that raises an eyebrow, like mooching out of the 'wrong door'. If it went as you say it did then it's not the best shopper experience, so draft a letter to Asda HQ, delete it, draft again, delete and then draft one last time which will most likely have far less emotion in it and send that one. Bearing in mind it's Asda, what are you hoping to get? Flowers? £100 £1000? Ask for the Regional Manager to respond and then don't shop in Asda again.

 

[Scaf]

So the basis of making an accusation of shop lifting is - a customer who leaves from the wrong door!!!!!
Then said customer asking to speak to the manager, and asking for the security guards name!!!!
Well if I was clearly identified as a shop lifter, what was the point of assaulting me, when I had no intention of leaving the store, and furthermore why , if they are so desperate to stop me for shop lifting, which would afterall prove their actions to be correct, and absolve them from any future actions on my part, did the manager not try at any point to ascertain whether I did indeed pay for my shopping.
Whilst it's clearly your right to have an opinion, I think its also fair to say IMO your speaking a load of rubbish. PLEASE DONT TAKE OFFENCE, but when you look at the facts, the incident yesterday did not fall within what you describe.

Come on Keith, you posted on a public forum asking for opinions ………… therefore can expect to get them, and they won’t all be the same as yours

 

[Oneball]

So the basis of making an accusation of shop lifting is - a customer who leaves from the wrong door!!!!!

Yes. Most stores know how they get ripped off. Unfortunately you fitted the profile at Asda in Wembley.

Back when I was at Sainsbury’s, the other tell apart from sneaking out was bringing a Sainsbury’s carrier bag in with you, seems outrageous now but it wasn’t in 1995.