I swung by the “end of shelf life” section and picked up a couple of quiches on the way to the wine section, and chose a bottle of Lanson then carrying my shopping to one of the Quick Sale tills at the end of the row of checkouts. Paid for my stuff with my cash-point card, shoved the Sainsbury’s plastic bag into my rucksack and headed out back to work.
Our local Sainsbury's Store Horsham
When I went out through the exit, there were about ½ dozen people milling around going in and out (Is Thursday still pension day? They all seemed to be quite elderly), and I walked out hearing a beep-beep sound and glancing behind saw the lights flashing on the sensor barriers but kept walking (I really did have to get back to work, and didn’t want to get involved in a fight with a shoplifter). I got out into the car park intending to walk through the car park and back home when I was grabbed by my wrist having my arm and shoulder twisted and jerked back. There was a member of Sainsbury’s security staff yelling at me “Oi! Come back inside”. ??WTF??
Where I was assaulted by their staff under the porch
There were a number of things he could have done such as approach me quietly saying something like “Excuse me sir. I think we’ve left a security tag on your shopping, would you mind coming back in so it can be deactivated?”. Instead he chose to assault me, in public, in a humiliating way.
Naturally I resisted this ‘approach’ and was yelling “Get off me you little shit” (well he was only about 5’4”) he just kept trying to drag me by my wrist back into the store yelling at me “Little shit? You think I’m a little shit? You’re a big shit!” and threatening me “Go on, hit me so I can punch you. Big shit”. Is this REALLY how Sainsbury’s train their staff to address a member of their clientele?
Eventually, an off duty copper came along and broke up the fight, and reluctantly I went along inside the store with him and a couple of other staff. The security guard was continuing to insult me (“Big shit” etc).
From where I was assaulted looking into the store
When I asked “is this an acceptable way for your staff to address a customer?”.
A couple of the other staff looked at each other “I didn’t hear anything. Did you?
“No, I didn’t hear a thing”.
What a disgusting attitude for Sainsbury’s staff to take. Of course they heard.
I attempted to leave the store a couple of times and the security guard and a couple of other staff moved to block my exit and prevented me from leaving (unlawful arrest and detention?). Eventually – when the mouthy security bod wandered off – I went with the assistant manager to a small office and threw the receipt at him showing I had paid for the goods.
I was then allowed to leave the store and the mouthy security guard was STILL insulting me as I left.
I examined my shopping later in the day, and there was indeed one of these coiled security tags stuck to the bottle of champagne that the till operator had (I guess) not deactivated. The entire incident smacks of lack of staff training.
Not only was I assaulted both verbally and physically for helping to increase Sainsbury’s already vast profits (no, not really – and there is no wonder their profits are so small) but the entire incident was because of Sainsbury’s cock-up in the first place. None of this should ever have happened.
I’ll spend my hard-earned money in Waitrose from now on I think, even if it is the other side of town. I have never had anything but first-class service from them, wonderfully polite staff, and staff who know what they are selling. Oh, and as a bonus, I’ve never had more than one person in front of me in the queues for the tills either.
The only reason I used Sainsbury’s in the first place is that it’s a 5 minute walk from where I live, now I'll get more exercise at least.
16 comments:
My girlfriend works there. It sucks. I would have gone absolutely mental if that had happened to me!
I did lol hence the fight in their car park.
Who the hell do they think they are that a goon can come rushing out of the store at you just because the barrier alarm goes off. There was no way I was going to stop just because their security systems don't work. I'm not there to test it for them.
Thanks for your comments.
I try to avoid them as much as possible. I feel like a criminal everytime I walk past their goons.
I few weekends ago I'd had a really long saturday working and there's two goons fighting with a young, pregnant, skinny girl. She was shouting "all I've got is this milk (in her sainsbury bag) leave me alone" One put her in a neck lock and started to try and drag her back to the store and me and my partner intervened and made them let go. She had all her neck bruised and I told her to go to the police and report them for assault.
Then they tried to stop us from going into the store to get a pizza at 15 mins to closing time. I basically told him to bugger off and got my food. Then the 'tanoy' goes out "Can the duty manager go to the customer service desk". didn't get stopped on the way out, just glared at.
I usually go to Tesco at their out of town store or Waitrose now, but what can you do at times it's just too easy.
Sainsbury's Horsham is just awful! I have the misfortune to work there and absolutely no-one has a clue what they're doing.
I'm off sick today, called in and spoke to a duty manager two hours before I started and still had my department manager calling me up asking where I was. When I explained it to him he said that I 'sounded fine' (which isn't his bloody call really) and that I was seriously risking my job by not showing up, which is odd considering I haven't been off sick in over a year.
You are totally right, the security guards are essentially told to do whatever they want, they skulk around any worker who goes near a till and have a field day if the alarm goes off for a worker.
All the managers are jumped up little morons that left school at 16, haven't worked anywhere else since and get confused by the word 'exacerbate' (used when i explained my reasons for being off sick and then having to explain it's meaning to a man twice my age)
Though I started working there a year after your incident occured (though with the shaving gel thing I might've been around) I can only apologize on behalf of Sainsburys (cos they ain't gonna do it) though the security guards seem to change monthly so maybe there violence is being noticed, if not prevented, by the management.
happened to a mate of mine as well and she was DRAGGED back into the shop. As for the statement about being low profitable i can assure u they are doing more than ok!!! And yes you are right training there is completely below par- dont ask me how i know i just do :)
There appears to be something rotten at the very core of the Sainsbury's brand, the treatment of staff and customers a like is farcical and it surprises me that their employment standards and practices have not been called into question sooner.
Unfortunately the mantra of the company is to employ the lowest grade of person possible while using a crack team of lawyers to deal with ANY issues that may arise.
I for one would rather go hungry than shop at their store.
I think everyone is missing one very important point, and all "so-called" Sainsburys employees should have mentioned this. I know this as I am a department manager at Sainsburys Sainsburys security guards are subcontracted, i.e. we get another company to do it for us. Just look at their shoulders "Chupp (for example) working with Sainsburys" not Sainsburys!!!!! So if they muck up, you need to write your complaint or what ever you are doing to them not us. Of course if someone is out of order Sainsburys will ask for another guard to replace him, but we do not control them, as we wouldn't call for a DM just because their is a fight in the car park
To be fair Sainsbury subcontracts there security staff and being called a little shit is not a partically nice thing to be called. Im not at all surprised he mouthed off at you plus you setting off the security gates and then carrying on walking is going to arouse suspicion . You talk about hard earned cash(dont make me laugh you work in IT bunch of bodgers ) , Well you mustn't work that hard if you have time to right this sob story i think you need a hobby mate rather than telling every little minor issue in your life to strangers
plus Martin i think your fantasizing about head locks and Ben sainsbury dosent treat there customer like shit i have shopped at morrison ( pikey shithole ) on a few occasions and found most of the staff mentally retard and socially inadequate. Ben you should check when the store is closing to avoid such problems. Ben why not get the pound back from your trolley when you get outside surely if you had a trolley full of shoppping your wife would of had to carry something as no man alone can carry a full load of shopping and sure you a very strong boy Ben but with only the two hands its not that easy . ANYWAY IF YOU DONT LIKE SHOPPING AT SAINSBURY SHOP WITH THE SS SORRY I MEAN TESCO
Anonymous said...
I think everyone is missing one very important point, and all "so-called" Sainsburys employees should have mentioned this. I know this as I am a department manager at Sainsburys Sainsburys security guards are subcontracted, i.e. we get another company to do it for us. Just look at their shoulders "Chupp (for example) working with Sainsburys"
Well if that the attitude of a department manager, need i say more. Sub contractors or not you are responsible for what goes on in your store.
I have worked at sainsburys unfortunately, the management are always institutionalised retards who can not think for themselves and follow every rule as so their life depends on it.
they need to realise they are working in a shop and are not that important. they seem to get off on the little bit of authority they have. They are always the same sort, must have been bullied at school and need to get a life.
sainsburys sonds like an NZ Supermarket chain called Pak N Save - NEVER WORK THERE, The managers think there so high n mighty and scream at you - even in front of 40-50 customers, if you make the slightest mistake, needless to say i worked as a securty guard at one of these Pak N Saves for almost 3 years and had enough of the mistreatment and "he-man" antics from these bitches, Once i tried to stop a shoplifter but was forced to back down as he was in possession of a knife, the security manager (bitch ass mofo) came down and screamed at me in front of 20 customers, humiliated me and called me up to the office and now rather than talking to me calmly about it delivered the riot act for 20 minutes, his rantings and ravings got to me in the end, "ok you little fuck security guards in supermarkets dont carry guns or tasers and if they have a knife you have to back down for your own safety" i couldhave argued with him but he probably would have gone to the store owner and reaulted in my dismissal for "defiance" but this prick wasnt even the actual security manager (the real security manager had finished for the day), soley because of thsi bitchass fuck i handed in my notice not long after and work in a far more civilised environment.
I have the misfortune of working for them. They're one step away from a Nazi labour camp, you're only allowed your holidays off in weeks not individual days, you get told you'll get a 3% bonus which by the time it arrives has become 1.5%... I could go on...
It's an atrocious place to work and I work there out of necessity - I have an f ing Degree! for all it's worth. And the customers treat the staff like shit too, don't forget. 9 hours of abuse isn't much fun. Last week a dodgy couple walked off with their trolley full of shopping without paying (came to about 49 quid) so muggins here has to get up and fucking run after them. Not really my job but hey, I just go with the flow. So I dragged (metaphorically may I add) them back and got them to insert their credit card in the machine and enter their PIN like a law abiding citizen. They just casually strolled off, the bastards.
Oh yeah and if the alarm goes off no one takes any notice!
I'm surprised this is still going :) It must have struck a nerve.
Good on you anon, I have three degrees now (I hope - last one not awarded as of now) I know how you feel. I almost ended up working there myself - thanks to the fuckwits in the job centre.
I accidentally stole a packet of sausages from one of the stores in North Heath and realized when I got home and bought a packet the next time I was in. The person on the till was unable to grok they actually belonged to her and not me and all I wanted to do was to pay for the stupid things.
I've no idea what happened to them when I left them on her counter and walked out after paying for them.
Good luck - and I hope you get a more worthwhile job. I'd kind of like working there so long as I felt free to insult the customers.
Credit where it's due, the old guy who works in the beer and spirits section is brilliant. He went above and beyond to help me find stuff when they had a move-round. I never did thank him properly by reporting him to management. I need to do that. A complete asset to the store and I now hunt him out if I need something that has been hidden. I need to report him. I will.
SOZ DONT MY SPELLING ANT RIGHT BUT YOU GET THE IDEA HOPEFULLY HI THERE SECURITY OFFICER ,WE HAVE A HARD JOB WORKING IN A SUB CONTRACT COMPANYS I WORKED 10 YEARS AS A FRONT LINE OFFICER AND WE HAVE HAD OUR ON PROBLEMS CHAGENING COMPANYS 5 TIMES AND LOSEING OUR WORK RIGHTS IN THAT TIME... IS A U.S,A THING ....2ND OF ALL WE WORK MANY HOURS 45-80 HRS AT A TIME FOR STORES IN THE UK AND SPAIN 3RD OF ALL ,LOOK SOME TIMES THERE ARE SOME OF FRONT LINE OFFICERS MAY GET IT WRONG ,, BUT MOST OF US ANT THAT BAD AND IF YOU NO HOW SUB-CONTRACTERS WORK U ANT GOT A CLUE WHAT GOING ON ,,BUT THEASE DAYS SIA LICENCEING DOES DO TRAINING TO CONFLICT MANAGEMENT TRANING AT A HI STANDARED PLUS SITO TRANING AND POLICYS UNDER P.A.C.E. POWERS of ARESST ACT,,, BUT HOW IS IT DOOR STAFF HAVE MORE RIGHTS WORKING THE DOOR AT A BAR AND HAVE LESS TRAINING ??? 4 TH ,BUT OK THIS MAY BE A ONE OFF SO DONT SAY WE ARE LIKE A NZ FOURCE AS YOU MAY NO WE GET PEOPLE THAT ARE ABBUSIVE AND THEY ARE DRUNK OR TAKE DRUGS WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH KINFES, NEEDLES, SPAT AT, BITTEN, KIC/K AT, PUNCH, BLEED ON AND GUNS IN YOUR FACE PLUS BASEBALL BATES SO DONT GIVE US A HARD TIME ....BECAUSE THEY THINK ITS COOL AND WELL LETS SEE ONE PERSON PUT HIS HANDS AROUND MY THROAT AND TRYED STRANGING ME SO SOZ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????.... DO U THINK YOU CAN DO OUR JOB???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? BUT HOW WE SPOSE TO DEAL WITH HOW THE UK WORKS SO SOME TIMES WE DO GET IT WRONG BUT UNLIKE THE POLICE WE HAVE SOME POWERS UNDER THE P.A.C.E. ACT POLICE ACT of CRIMEABLE EVEDENCE ACT.
SIT AT YOUR DESK BUT COMETO THE REAL PLACE AND TRY DOING OUR JOB YOUR JOB IS TYPEING AWAY IN YOUR BOTH U NOT GOT NO WHATS GOING ON IN THE REAL PLACE AND WELL TRY OUR JOB IF YOU THINK YOU CAN DO IT AS WELL THSES DAYS POLICE DO LESS THEN WE DO ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,LOL
A monkey can do a security guard job, the majority of a guards job in sainsburys consists of wandering around looking blank.
The number of violent shoplifters is pretty low, and even when you do get one you will / should have the support of the colleges that work there. Your job is no more 'real' than any other job, get over it.
Living proof that security guards are feckless monkeys.
got abused at sainsburys 3 times in a month by the same guard, the manager just says he would talk to him. wen i spoke to the manager later the lies that came out would make Boron munchauson blush. i go to tesco now sainsburys can fk them selves.
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