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. ”
Still trying to rub it in after eliminating us in Omaha, I see.
Only that it's part of the membership agreement, and people choose to become members there, agreeing ahead of time to the terms (such as participating in the verification process at the door.)
That said, the employee violated probably every rule in the book by touching the customer, and should have simply notified store management or security to handle the matter.
:o)
Laid a trap. We'll see Who mangages to fell in.
And customers need to learn to stop cutting in line!!
It’s this attitude that lead to stampedes during Black Friday.
Costco loses millions every year with shoplifting and miscellaneous fraud. So their security is understandable, and I’m not sure this was handled properly or improperly. Those receipt checks take about 5 seconds each. So with 8 in line the writer would have had to wait a whole minute, maybe two!
BUT the writer was in too much of a hurry to wait in line, because OBVIOUSLY her time was more important than everyone else’s. She DID have that 5 minutes to sit in her car to calm down .. she’d have been thru the line faster than that. I’m not too sympathetic. I’d bet dollars to donuts this writer drives an SUV while talking on her cell, and paying no attention to anyone else on the road.
I concur wholeheartedly! If someone grabs my purse with both hands, they just may get shot!
Of course, I always try to follow the rules—and after I learned these were the rules at both Sam’s and Costco’s, I no longer shopped there.
I hate queuing in lines as much as anybody, but wouldn’t dream of behaving as this woman did. (And I speak as one with a preternatural ability to pick the slowest line.)
Having said that, the employee should not have touched her, and I imagine she’s been advised accordingly— if she’s still employed there.
I haven't been to either of those places, but the last time I went to Walmart, they had a receipt checker. I paid for the merchandise, it was mine, and I refuse to be held hostage by some store bureaucrat. She attempted to get my attention, to no avail. I haven't gone back.
As for the receipt check "policy", it's just that, a store policy not a state or federal law. She had every right to go out another exit or go around the receipt check line and walk out the door. If in a hurry, I would have done the same thing, just like I will not stop if I set of the door alarm at Wal-Mart because the stupid cashier forgot to disable the security tag on one of products. A couple times somebody has followed me out, at which time I will show them my receipt, most of the time they will ignore it. But it is not my responsibility to stop because a beep goes off when I walk out the door.
Interesting. Queen Diva doesn’t think the rules apply to her. And of course, after her hissy fit, she definitely wasted way more time than if she had exited properly.
And my Costco receipt always has had the store’s phone number. Fishy story, on several levels.
“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.”
I guess she wasn’t in THAT much of a hurry.
Actually in Florida this lady could be charged with Resisting a Merchant. I’m not sure how many states have this statute.
“I guess she wasn’t in THAT much of a hurry.”
Maybe she thought she had to poop?
Maybe so, but anyone who goes into a Costco thinking theyll get out in two minutes must have $hit for brains.
Secondly, , you cant go OUT the IN just because youre running late. What the checker should have done was called Security who would have the right to detain her in the parking lot until the Police came. Then she could explain her way out of the "jam". Would have taken a lot longer then it ended up taking her.
I have a hard time seeing its relevance.
Not even close to assault.
Agreed.
I'm surprised no one called the cops on this customer; however, I agree with others who state it was absolutely totally inappropriate for the Door Lady to grab the woman's purse.
I was trying to escape a Costco once. I ducked into the executive offices, stepped on a postal scale that a boss had accidentally swallowed, and got a weigh in a manger.
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