waitrose wrongly accused shoplifter. please help.

[Slightlyinsane]

I'll give you a similar story from the side of the staff who banned your mother.

 

In the past I worked in retail, I dealt with a lot of shoplifters.

 

One day a person came in and caught my attention because he was acting slightly oddly.

Watching him progress around the shop he helped himself to numerous things to eat, stumbling as he went.

He filled his pockets and left the shop.

He was arrested 2 minutes later.

 

He acted no differently from 80% of the shoplifters we had in,

made no more sense than 80% of the shoplifters we had in.

 

A while after he'd been arrested the police returned to explain that he was diabetic

and was going into hypoglycaemic shock and needed to eat.

 

The person I was working with at the time worked with diabetics in a former life and didn't notice the signs.

 

I completely understand that you feel your mother was treated badly

but I do think you need to take a step back and understand that these things really do happen,

not everyone, even those trained to, Can spot the signs they need to.

 

Once your mums well, phone the store and explain the situation calmly,

I doubt they'd be unwilling to lift the ban.

[mikeymack2002]

Have a look at this this another way. I was shopping in boots, there was a chair next to the No7 range, items we were interested in purchasing. I was weary and needed a seat, I sat down. Some time later about 30 minutes or so my daughter and I bought what we wanted and I then headed for a different dept. Low and behold the plain clothed security officer stood next to me and was looking into the shopping bag that I had at my side. Feeling uncomfortable I glanced at him and noticed he was looking inside my bag.

 

 

I promptly without purpose began to put all of the contents on the floor and shake the bag to show nothing else was in there. My daughter came along and said "Dad what are you doing that for?". I turned to her and the Officer and said " this man thinks I have stolen some items from the store" with this he turned bright red and stammered I wasn't. Why was this like so, well I was handling items from the shelf asking my daughter if this is what she was looking for (a present for her birthday no less) We packed my bag and walked out with him walking just behind again, I stopped suddenly and asked him to get the manager. They turn up we talked they listened I complained.

 

 

The next day we were passing the same Boots not only had the chair been moved the stock had too. At no time was I guilty of anything. I had purchased goods already using the vouchers to gain more discounts for more items. So not only were they wrong in assuming I was a thief and my daughter was involved they have lost a customer in the deal..... I am going to complain to HO about this incident....

 

 

I too am disabled diabetic and epileptic, so my next thing to pursue is that Boots supply a chair for any customer taking ill or feeling ill. If they fail to do so then other action will follow.... If the Officer had approached me I would have created merry hell. I would have remained in public and created a scene too. I would have emptied my bags on the floor and again for all to see that security guards get it wrong and often. All of this even if the Police were called. I hate them with a vengeance security that is.

 

 

As far as thinking what the poster did above goes to show how little you know about disabled people. In which they said 'The person I was working with at the time worked with diabetics in a former life and didn't notice the signs'. I suggest you get your company to run an awareness day....

 

This happens far too often tbh....

[BazzaS]

 

Low and behold the plain clothed security officer stood next to me and was looking into the shopping bag that I had at my side. Feeling uncomfortable I glanced at him and noticed he was looking inside my bag.

 

 

 

The next day we were passing the same Boots not only had the chair been moved the stock had too

..

 

Well done you!

 

I mean, if the security guard had wanted to catch you shoplifting :

SCONE

Select item

Conceal item

Observed to leave store, with

No Effort to pay.

 

So, they wouldn't have taken any action until you'd left the store, as there is no theft until they can show "intent to permanently deprive"

 

Not only that (that they weren't going to stop you for shoplifting, anyway) but there now isn't a chair there for people to use : So, well done for getting the chair removed!

[mikeymack2002]

Well done you!

 

I mean, if the security guard had wanted to catch you shoplifting :

SCONE

Select item

Conceal item

Observed to leave store, with

No Effort to pay.

 

So, they wouldn't have taken any action until you'd left the store, as there is no theft until they can show "intent to permanently deprive"

 

Not only that (that they weren't going to stop you for shoplifting, anyway) but there now isn't a chair there for people to use : So, well done for getting the chair removed!

 

 

If you had read my post correctly BTW you would have seen that I said the chair had been MOVED not REMOVED, easy mistake, I do it all the time... Also why does your post make me feel guilty for trying to find a present and get the right item, guys often get this wrong anyways, so I asked her to come with me for the right reasons.

 

 

I had no intention of removing any stock whatsoever. Unless paid for. Also thanks for pointing out where I do not read what is written this now makes much more sense when reading other threads, Forgive me for that error as I do you too!!

[porrohman65]

 

 

Low and behold the plain clothed security officer stood next to me and was looking into the shopping bag that I had at my side. Feeling uncomfortable I glanced at him and noticed he was looking inside my bag.

 

 

with this he turned bright red and stammered I wasn't. Why was this like so, well I was handling items from the shelf asking my daughter if this is what she was looking for ...

 

 

I work on self scans, and this is a major problem, but both parties need to understand why we have to look in your bags; and the number of times, I get told, its none of my business, and have no right to look in their bags is unbelievable

 

 

Most times it down to a self scan error, which means the customer hasn't scanned that item, now I have to check their bags to see what hasn't been scanned; now I'm only doing my job, but before I check there bags, I tell the customer what I'm about to do and why

 

 

As for the store detective, I think he should have explained him self, and would say even my self going into other shops, like superdrug, its easy for me to see the security guard is following me round the shop, WHY?, and I asked him, "are you following me" to which he said no, clearly to me he was

[Slightlyinsane]

As far as thinking what the poster did above goes to show how little you know about disabled people. In which they said 'The person I was working with at the time worked with diabetics in a former life and didn't notice the signs'. I suggest you get your company to run an awareness day....

 

This happens far too often tbh....

 

WOW! Really???

I have extensive personal experience with different disabilities, what you appear to be lacking is experience with shoplifters.

The man I had arrested behaved no different from the 100's of shoplifters I'd had to deal with over the years. The ones who are drunk and think it was ok to feed themselves as they filled their pockets and without getting up close and personal the behaviours are exceptionally similar. There does come a point where the person becomes unwell enough to be identified as unwell and not another drunk person. Until that point I'd like to meet the person that can tell the difference.

A bit like people who suffer epilepsy, the signs of an oncoming fit can be hard to spot. With one customer I'd say it was 50/50 with the amount of times we caught him before he blacked out into the glass bottles.

[mikeymack2002]

Since you have a vast experience I will surmise.

 

A man walks into your store and starts shopping. He starts to swagger after some time. Starts to act slightly weird. Then staggers badly you approach him. He speaks. He slurs his words and doesn't make sense either! You think he is drunk... then the man demands to speak to the manager about your attitude. You take offence you chuck him out of the store. That person is me I stand at the door take out my phone and call your store I ask to be met by the management.

 

They arrive you give your story I give mine. Who are they going to believe?

 

That I will answer once you reply....

[Ganymede]

If they fail to do so then other action will follow....

 

Such as?

[Slightlyinsane]

Since you have a vast experience I will surmise.

 

A man walks into your store and starts shopping. He starts to swagger after some time. Starts to act slightly weird. Then staggers badly you approach him. He speaks. He slurs his words and doesn't make sense either! You think he is drunk... then the man demands to speak to the manager about your attitude. You take offence you chuck him out of the store. That person is me I stand at the door take out my phone and call your store I ask to be met by the management.

 

They arrive you give your story I give mine. Who are they going to believe?

 

That I will answer once you reply....

 

I'm happy to play this game.

you've been in the store a while shopping, you start staggering and "acting weird " I approach.

If I've approached you, talked to you and further down the conversation I've told you to leave the store, my manager would have spoken to you and come to the same conclusion you were drunk, because you would have been.

That's not what you are getting at though.

The situation you've described is not what would have happened with me.

If you've been in the store a while I would have already seen you, if you started staggering and I approached to talk to you, I would know you weren't drunk and the conversation you and I would have had would have been different to the one that, I'm guessing , you actually had in a store.

As the manager I would never just back up what a colleague told me, unless age restricted sales, I'd make my own decisions. The book stops with me not my employees

[mikeymack2002]

Very wrong answer I am a stroke survivor!!! I have mobility issues and that of balance, I stagger often, members of the public ask are you ok, only once have I ever been asked to leave the store and I did exactly what I said earlier. I was apologised too and offered a good will gesture, as it happens this was at my Waitrose store...

 

 

After that I would often be asked by the now very kind officer if I need help shopping, which I do at times. Secondly they have seen that I would just 'freeze' in an isle and now they know to get me a drink and or a chair. I love the store where I shop as the staff are so friendly and kind to me now. But only once they knew what was wrong. So with that in mind I actually approached all of the regular stores I use and have informed them of my position and now I feel safer in a way. After all I am a stroke survivor.. We slur we stagger we do many more things too... Just an input here nothing more

 

 

You should never assume someone is drunk because if you assume you could make ASS out of U and ME (ASSUME)

 

 

As far as the Self service thingy I was very confused as to why they wanted to check, believe it or not its normal for the system to pick on a customer for a random scan just to see if everything has been scanned. At 1st I thought I was being suspected but the cashier explained this to me and I now accept that this can happen to anyone, not just me, its a great trust thing between store and shopper and still a new idea.... But mistakes happen if the hand held unit bleeps and you think its scanned but hasn't then you may have a bit of explaining to do, perhaps a different tone maybe will help?

[mikeymack2002]

She is getting flashes of memory coming back, and thinks she remembers them taking her waitrose card and driving license from her purse.

She doesn't carry a diabetic card I'm afraid.

 

 

I have asked waitrose for their company protocol for dealing with shoplifters,

especially ones who are obviously not mentally aware enough to know what is happening.

 

 

To be honest, I am more disgusted that they threw her out of the store in a very bad state

when they should have been calling an ambulance. :/

 

Ill inform them about the relevent documentation. Thanks

 

 

After reading your thread for a third time, I would suggest that you pop in to the store and ask to speak to the Manager/duty and give them a full explanation. This could be helped by taking your mums repeat prescription form with you. As you can see from my post above Waitrose can and are very often more helpful once they know more information. It worked in my case. We have an emergency medical card that you can fill in and print off to give to your mum so if this happens again then they can take the correct measures with her. See here >> http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?424123-Medical-Alert-Wallet-Card-**Correct-as-at-Sept-2015**&highlight=medical+alert

 

 

Secondly it may pay you to get one of those rubber wrist medical alert bands for her to wear as well. These are available from many chemists, I paid just £4-00 for mine.

 

 

I now use one and has been very helpful.. I wish you all the best in trying to resolve this issue, but please take this chance to ask to speak to the Manager it MAY help...

[Slightlyinsane]

Very wrong answer I am a stroke survivor!!! I have mobility issues and that of balance, I stagger often, members of the public ask are you ok, only once have I ever been asked to leave the store and I did exactly what I said earlier. I was apologised too and offered a good will gesture, as it happens this was at my Waitrose store...

 

Please re read my post again.

I have said that I wouldn't have assumed you were drunk, if I'd of asked you to leave then it's because you would have been drunk.

I went on to explain that if I'd of approached you I would have known you weren't drunk and OUR conversation (not the one you actually had) would have been very different to what happened to you.