Store Employee Confrontation (conversation, business, appropriate, feel)

[tassity22]

I've worked in retail. I wouldn't have had the time or inclination to follow customers out of the store and take pictures of their car, especially if they weren't stealing anything.

Sometimes people who work in low paid, customer service jobs start resenting customers and even hating them; they will look for any opportunity to point out something the customer has done wrong. It would have been okay for this person to say something while you were still in the store (i.e. "can you please put those back), but following you out to your car was threatening and harassing behavior. Complaining to managers gets nowhere, you need to write a letter to their corporate office (if this is part of a chain of stores) and send it certified mail to their legal department. This was totally unacceptable. This was a minimum wage worker who hates his job and hates customers.

[The Dissenter]

This is a lot of action by the store for simply putting a product back in the wrong place. Working retail, that is the cost of doing business. Why you have a stock team in the first place.

[SFBayBoomer]

Were the "samples" you tried actually set up as sample products, totally separate from new products in packages? (Not all packages are sealed, unfortunately.)

I have observed so many young women opening up new products and trying them (and sometimes using the lipstick because they just need some lipstick-freshening, same with nail polish, etc., and I speak up.

What is it with the younger generation? I have never observed women of my generation doing this.

[runswithscissors]

Originally Posted by IheartWA

Actually the same thing happened to me years ago in downtown Seattle near the Pike Place Market. I was looking at some merchandise, with the shopkeeper right by me. Then I said "Well, thanks for your help." He then told me to put back the merchandise. I said I did, it's right there, and showed him.

He then demanded I empty my pockets and threatened to call the police. I needed to catch my bus, I was dressed like a commuter and not a bum. Finally I said I was going to call the police myself and tell them I was being unlawfully detained and threatened.

The shopkeeper let me go, and I never went in that place again.

So I can see how a misunderstanding can happen.

That's different. The OP claims they followed her to her CAR because she didn't return the item to it's exact assigned spot. There was no question about theft.

[runswithscissors]

I can say with 100% confidence that in my entire life for many decades shopping, working in, and owning retail stores that I've never ever heard of that. Or even CLOSE to that.

Or even SEEN an employee confront a shopper because they put the concealer back in the "wrong spot".

Or even heard of a manager agree that you might not be "allowed back in the store" for that horrific behavior.

[silibran]

I am interpreting this as an accusation of theft. I can't understand the actions of the store employee any other way. And, in a department store, the cosmetics people are usually employed by the cosmetics manufacturers, not the store. So, the call to the store manager, might have been pointless.

The OP says she was accused of not putting the sample back, which I interpret to mean, she was suspected of stealing the sample. The OP does not directly state that she did not take the sample.

I do think she should be concerned about the pic of her license. I think the store employee was trying to intimidate her. I also think it possible that the employee was going to be held responsible for the missing sample.

Whether or not she did, I think she should watch her bank account and any other sensitive records for irregularities. But I imagine, this will come to naught. If you ever find out that the employee posted the license on social media, I think she should look into legal redress, because I think the post would be a violation of her privacy.

[coschristi]

Originally Posted by Mid America Lifer

Sometimes, I wonder if store employees aren't programmed or taught to behave the way they do.

It bugs me when a store takes away my shopping cart when making a small purchase.

ME TOO! It's like "Maybe thats not heavy for YOU but I could steer it with my elbows & still hold on to my disabled son (who likes to suddenly bolt from me in parking lots)!"

And sometimes, when my Anemia gets really bad; I might be using that cart as a "rolling walker"!

If I made it to the checkout line with the cart; I want to use that cart to make it to my car.

[longneckone]

OP Why would you even want to return to that store???

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by helloaloha

Thanks for your words. Yes, Ive never been expose to something like that before. What I don't understand is why the store employee would followed me to my car to yell and take pictures of my car tag, is this something I should be concerned of? All my personal information is linked to my car tag. Sorry for the dumb question .. I feel like our personal information is not safe anymore

It does sound like he thought you were shoplifting, which is weird. There's no other reason to take a pic of your license plate. And yelling was unnecessary, too. And if he was concerned about how/where you placed the sample containers, why didn't he stop you on your way out of the store?

It sounds like one employee who's over-the-top. Shocking that the manager would side with him, though. She could have been more neutral about it, and just said she'd look into it.

Another reason for photo-ing your plate is to intimidate you. To let you know they'll be watching you in the future, and they can ID you if need be in the future. Crazy. Much ado over nothing.

[Delahanty]

Originally Posted by grampaTom

there are always at least 2 sides to every story

And you think the actions of that SA could in ANY way be construed to be appropriate after hearing the "other side?"

I see.