# Retail Stupidity **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 9, 2019, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807 "2019-07-09T23:58:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/321 "2019-08-13T19:16:13Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > …When I worked at a huge chain of convenience stores, this was especially important with fuel prices. If someone was going to undercut us on fuel prices, they were going to have to at least drive by and look at the pump. Or take a glance at the [GasBuddy](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gasbuddy/id406719683) app. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/322 "2019-08-13T19:31:30Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > I actually know the answer to this one. > Reason 1)If you have to come into the store to price check, there’s a higher chance you’ll buy something; even if it’s not the item you wanted the price check on. True – if you actually come into the store in the first place. If you’re annoyed at not being able to find out the price, and therefore just go somewhere else that would answer the question, then not only are you not going to buy anything at the store that won’t answer the first time, chances are you’re not going to buy anything there another time, either. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/323 "2019-08-13T20:50:21Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > I see nothing wrong with this. Do you not have an opinion as to which product is better? You know, just to be helpful, and nice? 99% of the time it’s not a problem. The other 1 time out of 100 the person takes the product home, tries it, decides they DON’T like it, and it’s _all your fault!_ We’ve had people come back to bitch - use of foul language, _throwing_ things, just really having a melt-down tantrum. So… because some adults can’t behave as well as the average 6 year old, yeah, asking me “which is better” is not a question I look forward to. I am also unlikely to answer it for you. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/324 "2019-08-14T01:38:55Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > This morning work opened up with a customer rising out of a motorized scooter to engage one of the managers in actual physical combat. Personally, I consider the chosen manager a poor choice of opponent given her size and strength but whatever. Then the alleged customer is inspired to deploy the n-word, the c-word, and a reference to sexual intercourse in a juxtaposition of maximum emotional impact. It took not one, not two, but THREE men to pull the enraged manager off the alleged customer, and two more people to prevent the alleged customer from following the trio dragging the manager off her to continue the conflict. The police were called and the “customer” was removed in handcuffs as one of our security guys was prying unpaid-for-merchandise out of one of her fists and the police were reading her the Miranda rights. > > And there was muttering to the effect of “well, at least it wasn’t a shooter”. > > Hate my job? Sometimes I hate reality. I don’t know, but if I saw this at my work, I’d think it was a pretty awesome day 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/325 "2019-08-14T04:21:36Z")
Why can I never get multiquote to work? Anyway, someone earlier was saying about how wandering around the store looking at things repeatedly makes you an obvious shoplifter. It could also mean you’re a tourist. I LOVE going to normal retail stores on holiday, especially in less touristy areas. Even if I have no intent to buy cereal, I’ll go and look at that aisle. Fresh fruit and veg? I might only want to buy an apple but I’ll linger looking at the different types of food they have available. American cucumbers are weirdly different to English ones. My recent example of retail stupidity is with Amazon Prime Now, which delivers groceries to your door within a couple of hours. They decided to demand photo ID when delivering alcohol, no matter the apparent age of the recipient. They used to go by the rule for in-store purchases at real stores in the UK: ask for photo ID if the person answering the door appears under 25, otherwise tick the box. It’s not unreasonable to change the rule and I understand why. But they _really_ should have flagged it up to customers. The poor delivery drivers have been so grateful for me being understanding and being able to find my ID quickly that I think they must have had a lot of grief from pissed-off customers or people searching in their belongings for so long that they miss their delivery times. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/326 "2019-08-14T04:25:46Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > I don’t know, but if I saw this at my work, I’d think it was a pretty awesome day 🙂 Sorry, I have seen too many fights and too much violence in the real world, the sort of stuff that leaves blood on the floor and broken bones, to view a fist-fight as “awesome”. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/327 "2019-08-14T13:08:41Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > I actually know the answer to this one. > Reason 1)If you have to come into the store to price check, there’s a higher chance you’ll buy something; even if it’s not the item you wanted the price check on. > Reason 2)Some stores have this policy on exact items that can be sold at other stores, and it’s to curb another store from undercutting you. When I worked at a huge chain of convenience stores, this was especially important with fuel prices. If someone was going to undercut us on fuel prices, they were going to have to at least drive by and look at the pump. Reason #3, which was stated above: People will come into the store and say “Well, they told me on the phone that it was (insert cheaper price here).” Since we don’t give out prices, we know that person is lying. Re dumping items at the register: Is there any reason you can’t hand it to the cashier, with an explanation “I decided not the get this”? Dumping it just means more work, and it makes the cashier station look bad. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/328 "2019-08-14T13:17:01Z")
And I want to add bad customers are the exception, not the rule, even at a discount store. 80 percent of the customers are routine, 10% are truly awesome, and my posts are about the bottom 10%. The ones who make my job harder, who think it should be all about them and they can do it their way, and the really bad 1% who end up being banned from the store. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/329 "2019-08-14T14:28:59Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Had the person in my previous post made any move, all I’d have to say in my defense is “I thought my right (only good) hand was being threatened.” Since she was on my right side, nobody would have questioned it. Yeah, I don’t think it works that way. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/330 "2019-08-14T17:16:50Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > If they had fired the manager, a good lawsuit would have resulted. Self-defense defends and supersedes everything. > > Had the person in my previous post made any move, all I’d have to say in my defense is “I thought my right (only good) hand was being threatened.” Since she was on my right side, nobody would have questioned it. Since you’ve already stated that your intent was to guard the cash drawer your strategy in the event of trouble seems to be to file a false police report followed by perjury if court testimony is required. It’s good to have a plan, but it might be better to be a little more circumspect about it. ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Nonesutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@Royal\_Nonesutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royal_Nonesutch)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/331 "2019-08-14T17:22:22Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > Since you’ve already stated that your intent was to guard the cash drawer your strategy in the event of trouble seems to be to file a false police report followed by perjury if court testimony is required. It’s good to have a plan, but it might be better to be a little more circumspect about it. Perhaps you have missed that she has mentioned several times that she used to “go with” a member of New Jersey state law enforcement, which apparently gives her unparalleled status within the criminal justice system there. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/332 "2019-08-15T02:50:20Z")
EVERY place I’ve ever worked has stated that if you’re threatened with a robbery, that you’re supposed to give in. If I had attempted to fight back, or assault a robber, I would have lost my job. We were told it’s not worth our lives. My sister works at a BANK, and she’s told that you comply any threat. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/333 "2019-08-15T04:48:28Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > If they had fired the manager, a good lawsuit would have resulted. Self-defense defends and supersedes everything. > > Had the person in my previous post made any move, all I’d have to say in my defense is “I thought my right (only good) hand was being threatened.” Since she was on my right side, nobody would have questioned it. I’m not sure it’s that easy to avoid an assault charge based on past injuries. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/334 "2019-08-15T15:50:36Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > EVERY place I’ve ever worked has stated that if you’re threatened with a robbery, that you’re supposed to give in. If I had attempted to fight back, or assault a robber, I would have lost my job. > > We were told it’s not worth our lives. My sister works at a BANK, and she’s told that you comply any threat. Yeah, when I took my current job working in the cash office I was told that if someone pulled a gun on me while outside the office to just give them the key and tell there where the money is, don’t resist, don’t stop them. No amount of money in the safe is worth my life. That said - in the incident I related it wasn’t an armed robbery. The offender first _ran over_ the manager’s foot with a motorized scooter, then _physically hit her_. That’s not a robbery, that’s an assault. From my viewpoint you should have a right to defend your physical person and apparently my current employer is in agreement. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/335 "2019-08-15T16:19:28Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Sorry, I have seen too many fights and too much violence in the real world, the sort of stuff that leaves blood on the floor and broken bones, to view a fist-fight as “awesome”. But that was no ordinary fist-fight. It had motorized carts, numerous people, merchandise prying, cops, miranda rights, handcuffs, people dragging. Seems pretty entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/336 "2019-08-15T17:26:17Z")
And at the end, the whole audience stood up and cheered in unison. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/337 "2019-08-15T18:18:07Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > But that was no ordinary fist-fight. It had motorized carts, numerous people, merchandise prying, cops, miranda rights, handcuffs, people dragging. Seems pretty entertaining. Yeah, that’s not your typical robbery. :dubious: However… I once got taken in by a [quick-change scam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_confidence_tricks#Change_raising), about a month after I started my first job. I had never heard of such a thing, and the guy ended up robbing me of 60 bucks. After that I was told if someone wanted a large amount of change, more than they got from sale, I was to send them to the service desk. But if someone had come up to me while I was counting my drawer, and I made a fist at them? You better believe I’d have been fired, no amount of claiming, “well, I have a bad arm” would’ve justified it. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/338 "2019-08-15T18:23:22Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > But that was no ordinary fist-fight. It had motorized carts, numerous people, merchandise prying, cops, miranda rights, handcuffs, people dragging. Seems pretty entertaining. Good lord. No, it’s not “entertaining” when real people get really hurt. I’m not opposed to actions films with fights and such - in fact, I really enjoy them. I DO NOT find it “awesome” or “entertaining” to see people actually get hurt in real life. And, really, to be honest, that was NOT an unusual fist-fight in the context of a public space, especially when the cops are called out. What a bizarre and horrifying attitude you have. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/339 "2019-08-15T19:50:25Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > And, really, to be honest, that was NOT an unusual fist-fight in the context of a public space, especially when the cops are called out. What a bizarre and horrifying attitude you have. Meh. People fight all the time. You can watch it on pay-per-view. I’m more amazed that a person jumping out of a motorized cart to fight is NOT an unusual fist-fight to you. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807/340 "2019-08-15T19:56:49Z")
I grew up in the Detroit area in the 1970’s. Lots of violence then, which is why the I got the hell out of Dodge as soon as I could and why I don’t like real life violence. Yes, people fight all the time. That does not make it OK. Lots of rape and murder all the time, those aren’t OK either. You can purchase kiddie porn, that does not make it OK. Have I mentioned you are one of the most amoral/ethically impaired people I have encountered? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-stupidity/836807.md?page=18)