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We have many regular customers at work. They're some of the nicest, most polite and friendliest people I have ever met except for one guy. I will not describe him other than to say he has a slightly difficult-to-understand accent.
He comes up to my register and I scan and bag his items.
Me: May I check your backpack?
Guy: You want to check my bag?
M: Yes.
G: What for?
M: Store policy is to ask to check all bags larger than A4 size.
G: But what for?
M: In case you put something in your bag and didn't pay for it. (I was trying to explain this simply cos I don't think he understood me too well.)
He pulls out several containers that obviously held his lunch from earlier that day.
G: These are from here.
M: Yes but you didn't take those today.
G: How do you know?
M: You have a fork in one and the labels are worn.
He huffs and puts his (now paid-for) items into his bag, then puts it on his back.
G: What if I did this?
He walks a few metres back into the store, then back to my register.
G: Check again. I have this in my bag!
He opens his bag and indicates his recent purchases.
M: Yes but you just paid for them. I put your receipt in your (plastic) bag.
He huffs.
M: My supervisor is just over there. (I didn't want to deal with him anymore.)
I call over the sup and the guy goes to customer service (right behind my register).
The conversation goes on for about 10 minutes while I serve other customers. The sup was just trying to explain that it's store policy to check all bags larger than A4. The guy claims that we never check other people's backpacks or prams and things. (Which, of course, we always do.) He tried to say that his bag is his property, so we can't ask to check it.
Meanwhile, and older man comes through my line and I immediately ask to check his backpack. I then realize that he'd probably have difficulty taking it off (he seemed to have a limited range of motion) and anyway, he refused. I felt bad for asking anyway. He was very nice about it.
In the end, the other sup printed out the store policy or legal rights or something of the store for the guy. Basically, our right is to check bags larger than A4 if we display signs that we will (and we do have signs). His right is to not have smaller bags checked and we aren't allowed to touch his bag or dig around in it.
The guy was very upset and we all had a laugh about it after he left.
A co-worker later told me that, on a previous visit, he'd purchased a DVD. She didn't deactivate the sticker (by accident - we try to but we can't always do it). The sensor beeped and he yelled "I'm not a thief" and threw the DVD on the ground. What a jerk!
He comes up to my register and I scan and bag his items.
Me: May I check your backpack?
Guy: You want to check my bag?
M: Yes.
G: What for?
M: Store policy is to ask to check all bags larger than A4 size.
G: But what for?
M: In case you put something in your bag and didn't pay for it. (I was trying to explain this simply cos I don't think he understood me too well.)
He pulls out several containers that obviously held his lunch from earlier that day.
G: These are from here.
M: Yes but you didn't take those today.
G: How do you know?
M: You have a fork in one and the labels are worn.
He huffs and puts his (now paid-for) items into his bag, then puts it on his back.
G: What if I did this?
He walks a few metres back into the store, then back to my register.
G: Check again. I have this in my bag!
He opens his bag and indicates his recent purchases.
M: Yes but you just paid for them. I put your receipt in your (plastic) bag.
He huffs.
M: My supervisor is just over there. (I didn't want to deal with him anymore.)
I call over the sup and the guy goes to customer service (right behind my register).
The conversation goes on for about 10 minutes while I serve other customers. The sup was just trying to explain that it's store policy to check all bags larger than A4. The guy claims that we never check other people's backpacks or prams and things. (Which, of course, we always do.) He tried to say that his bag is his property, so we can't ask to check it.
Meanwhile, and older man comes through my line and I immediately ask to check his backpack. I then realize that he'd probably have difficulty taking it off (he seemed to have a limited range of motion) and anyway, he refused. I felt bad for asking anyway. He was very nice about it.
In the end, the other sup printed out the store policy or legal rights or something of the store for the guy. Basically, our right is to check bags larger than A4 if we display signs that we will (and we do have signs). His right is to not have smaller bags checked and we aren't allowed to touch his bag or dig around in it.
The guy was very upset and we all had a laugh about it after he left.
A co-worker later told me that, on a previous visit, he'd purchased a DVD. She didn't deactivate the sticker (by accident - we try to but we can't always do it). The sensor beeped and he yelled "I'm not a thief" and threw the DVD on the ground. What a jerk!
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