Posted on 06/27/2010 1:57:46 PM PDT by Daffynition
Let's say you're in a rush after buying a fan at Costco. You look past the line packed with people and carts and spy a lone employee standing by the exit. Do you walk over and show your receipt? What's the worst that could happen? Let's ask Reader Shay.
“ On June 23, 2010 at the [redacted] Costco Center at around 11am I made a quick stop in to return a couple items and to pick a fan. Both the returns process and the checkout went wonderfully as usual. It only took me 2 minutes to get in line and pay for the one item I had.
However when I reached the exit door there was a line of 8 people with baskets of stuff waiting to get out the door. So I went to the other door which does have exit illuminated above it and showed the lady standing there my receipt and one item. She shook her head at me and pointed at the line. When I started to walk out the exit anyways she grabbed a hold of my arm and told me to go to the other line. I told her that I was already running late and the line was moving very slowly, so I continued out the exit. At this point her hand slipped off of my arm and she grabbed a hold of my purse. The first time I politely asked her to let go of me, to which she promptly ignored me. So I continued to walk out the door as she still held onto my purse, eventually grabbing onto it with a second hand and began tugging it. I finally started yelling at her to let go of me when we were in front of the exit area (directly center to both entrances). Even after people started stopping and staring at us, She continued to tug on my purse and would not let go no matter how loud I yelled. She finally let go when I knocked her hands off of my purse with pretty reasonable force.
I was honestly pretty shaken up over this. I really couldn’t believe someone would do this in a public place especially an employee of that store. I sat in my car for about 5 minutes and calmed down. Then I had to find the number for Costco, because no where on my receipt does it list a phone number. I finally got a hold of the stores assistant manger and explained what had happened. He was polite and apologetic and end up meeting me in front of the store so I could point out who had done this to me. He said that he would speak with this Employee and that the Store Manger would call me when he came in.
True to his word the store manger did give me a call a few hours later. He once again apologized for the situation. I explained to what had happened and he confirmed that the statement that the employee had to fill out stated exactly what I had told him.
I have also mailed a letter to the regional manger letting him know exactly what happen as well. This should have never happen to me and I will continue writing to members of Costco Management, to ensure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else. There should be a Zero Tolerance Policy for this type of employee behavior. ”
What depresses me most about all the Door Ladies that are starting to show up all over the place is that to me it shows that SHOPLIFTING has skyrocketed.....
I agree. I hate those stores. I hate getting in line behind someone with a pallet of stuff. I just avoid the places.
Crowds, lines, delays. It’s why I do all my shopping the moment the doors open. I am mostly alone in the store except for the employees, get my stuff and am oughta there in 5 or 10 minutes.
Who cares what you see as relevant?
“ANYONE laying a hand on me loses it. A Best Buy employee found that out the hard way.”
Good. I’d like to hear that story.
I haven’t joined Costco or Sam’s, but this is why I hate going in stores like Wal-Mart. It’s the store equivalent of a huge, centralized bureaucracy. I can never just dash in and get out in reasonable time. They’ll have 20 cash registers but only two or three open. I’m always very cordial to clerks. I know they don’t make the rules. Still, I always feel like cattle in a chute. There’s no excuse for chasing and manhandling someone who has shown a receipt. What if that lady had just received an emergency phone call and had to leave? What if she felt sick and just had to get out of there? They should all pattern after our local Publix stores—they treat you royally.
It is not a law that you must show your receipt at the door.
I won’t get in a line (again) to get out of the store.
If no one is stopped ahead of me, I will show my receipt, but I won’t let go of it and I won’t stop my progress towards my car.Otherwise, I walk past the line.
The stores doing this are saying they suspect you may be a thief.
It’s probably in the membership agreement somewhere...regardless, the employee should never touch a customer and should have contacted mgmt/security. Also, I would cancel this particular princess’ membership...sounds like a troublemaker...magritte
I don’t shop at either place but are you saying that after you’ve paid, they have to go thru all your stuff and check that you have paid for it? Not just the receipt check?
That’s crazy!
You don’t have to wait in line to leave the store.
She should have waited in line like a civilized person.
But unless she was suspected of a crime, neither a door jockey or a store dick can hold her. Since she wasn’t suspected of shoplifting, they couldn’t touch her (not waiting in line isn’t a crime AFTER merchandise is paid for).
In many places what the door jockey did would get her arrested for battery.
Either my keys or my cell phone always sets off embarrassingly loud alarms in our local mall stores. I feel like people glare at me like I’m a criminal. I go to the nearest clerk and explain myself. Sure wastes a lot of time.
Slightly off topic. Has anyone else noticed that the number of food sample ladies at Costco has declined?
I have never been in a Costco but I know Sam’s does not bag any items they go back into the cart just like when you take them out at the register. They have to at least make an effort at the exit door to check you went throught the check out process and paid.
So, you didn’t have time to wait on line like everybody else, but you had time to wait five minutes, look up the Costco number, call them, chew out the manager and point out the offending employee?
I think she was wrong to grab you and your purse, but I don’t have much sympathy for the rest of he anecdote. Sorry.
Next time wait in line like everyone else.
Agreed.
WHY?
Trap or tramp?
Door ladies are just another symptom of the bureaucratic, zero-tolerance, unthinking mindset of so-called managers that because one customer may steal all are guilty or at least suspicious.
What these retailers with their silly little locking hook displays and everything of value behind glass don’t realize (or won’t admit) is that the vast majority of their ‘shrink’ is due to employee theft (including abuse of discounts) and waste.
Being treated like a criminal when I am returning a DEFECTIVE PRODUCT is a particular annoyance. Those women are obsessed with their little pink stickers. Shame the store wasn’t so attentive when they put the defective item out for sale without any QA.
Not even close to assault.”
No, more like attempted purse snatching.
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