Can't Believe This

[Loobylou_82]

Conversation I had in Asda on Friday with the lady working on the fresh fish counter. I wanted a large piece of fresh salmon, there was one small tail piece out on the ice. This is how the conversation went
Me: Have you got a larger piece of fresh salmon please?
Lady: Yes
To which she turned round and went in the fridge behind her and took out a sealed tray with 2 sides of salmon on.
Me: Great. I'll have 3/4 of that one side please.
Lady: Sorry I can't sell you this.
Me: Why's that?
Lady: Because this salmon has a different date on to the piece that is already out. I will get into trouble if I sell this salmon before that salmon on the counter.
Me: I don't want that piece , it is to small,I want to buy that larger piece.
Lady: I have to sell that piece first before this piece.
Me: So let me get this straight. I am in a supermarket, you have in your hands a large piece of salmon that I wish to purchase with my husband's hard earned money and you won't sell it me because that small piece of salmon hasn't been sold?
Lady: Correct
I have decided by this time that I can't believe I am having this conversation about a piece of fish ! Should I get a manager?
Me: What happens if you sell that small fish soon and you have lost the sale now on your large fish would your manager be happy about that.?
She just looked at me and put the large fish on the slab , cut the size off I wanted , sealed it in a bag and as she handed it to me she said : If they do a check on me and see i have sold a newer date fish before i have sold that fish it will be me that gets into trouble not you.
Never had this problem before, other members of staff have got fish out the fridge and cut me a bigger piece with out the daft conversation about they can't let me have it. Sometimes i think the world has gone bonkers.

[Puddle5]

Great customer service there!

And Yes the world has definitely gone mad!

[mickey house]

The asda worker clearly is out of her depth being on the fish counter (did you like the pun).

She was talking complete and utter rubbish and beggars belief that she actually believes what she said to you. I would have asked to see the manager as this staff member needs some basic training.

Many years ago I worked with a guy who went into a supermarket and asked the assistant behind the meat counter for 5 quarters of ham. The shop assistant said he couldn't do that and he would have to have a pound and a quarter in the same bag. My colleague than asked if he could just have a quarter of ham then keep coming back for the other quarters of ham, and the assistant said he couldn't stop him from doing that. My colleague involved the store manager who told the assistant that if a customer wants 5 quarters of ham in separate bags, then he will serve them 5 quarters of ham in 5 seperate bags (which he did)😀.

[klr15]

To be fair to the woman behind the counter she might have believed that to be true and could have been worried about her job.

I get asked to do a lot of things in my job and customers get really upset when I refuse, but I have a mortgage to pay and I can’t just break the rules.

I remember when I used to work in McDonald’s and they got really funny over only giving one sauce per meal, a woman was screaming in my face because I wouldn’t give her another, but my manager was around and I was scared to get in trouble and my managers there were horrible.

Not saying you’re wrong, just putting in an other view.

[I love walmart]

Having worked the same department in a big supermarket, I can safely say she was telling the truth.
The management put the fear of god into the staff, especially younger inexperienced staff. She had probably been warned about dates and was being super cautious. I’m not saying her behaviour is right, I’d have been annoyed too.
I’m just saying her manager is probably a complete idiot on a power trip who has scared her.

[Lindaelaine]

How about common sense and instead of having just one small piece of salmon on display which to me would not look at all appealing sat on it's lonesome, cut up the larger piece to make the display look so much better and at the end of shift move the small piece to the reduced counter, it's more likely to get sold there .
Common sense usually works well.

[Sandra & co]

She was probably told this by a manager and was worried about getting In trouble. My son works at Asda and has a big long list of dos and donts, it does seem ridiculous though. We went to TGI fridays in Wembley a few years back for ds birthday, we were told there were no tables. The restaurant was empty, I said what about all these tables and was told they were reserved. I called the manager over and he got us a table no probs, I wonder what people are thinking sometimes!

[I love walmart]

Originally Posted by Lindaelaine

How about common sense and instead of having just one small piece of salmon on display which to me would not look at all appealing sat on it's lonesome, cut up the larger piece to make the display look so much better and at the end of shift move the small piece to the reduced counter, it's more likely to get sold there .
Common sense usually works well.

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I totally agree with this. If I were in that assistants position, I’d have sold the Dibber her fish she wanted. Put out the remainder of the opened fish. Scrappy tail bit (which nobody ever wants) would have been offered at a reduced price. It would have been fine. And if idiot manager had a go at me for this I would give him a lesson in retail business.
Unfortunately these supermarkets are employing staff who aren’t then sufficiently trained, and who are taught to value the stores £ more than the customer. The silly thing is this assistants actions weren’t saving anyone money. The fish is never going to sell while it’s stuck in its box in the fridge.
As a side note my son who works in a bakery department of a supermarket was told off by his department manager the other day. His crime? He was seen “talking to a customer for a couple of minutes” 🙄

[mickey house]

Originally Posted by Sandra & co

She was probably told this by a manager and was worried about getting In trouble. My son works at Asda and has a big long list of dos and donts, it does seem ridiculous though. We went to TGI fridays in Wembley a few years back for ds birthday, we were told there were no tables. The restaurant was empty, I said what about all these tables and was told they were reserved. I called the manager over and he got us a table no probs, I wonder what people are thinking sometimes!

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In fairness to the TGi staff in Wembley they have had alot of issues with dodgy people eating everything on the menu (especially the desserts) and then doing a runner without paying. Perhaps you fitted the description of someone who has previously done that

[SussexFamily]

Bound by regulation/rules/SOPs?

Removes individual common sense approach?
Glad you got it sorted