No,your shop does not offer footlicking or human horse races.

[Kit-Ginevra]

Straight out of this year's weird news.This actually happened.In our county.No,it's not April Fool's Day.

The Pound World store in Barnstaple received a call from someone at Head Office informing it the shop needed to be shut for a 'training exercise.'Two customers were taken into the stockroom and told they needed to do tasks to win store vouchers.After staff had doodled on their faces and attached string to their ears,they had to ride each other like a horse around the aisles of the shop.When they licked the staff member's feet,they would pull the string for them to go round corners. Other staff were chucking buckets of water over them.
After customers rang Head Office to ask why the store was closed,they rang to find out what was going on.Head Office had no idea about this caller and informed them it was probably a hoax and there were no prizes being offered.
What a surprise...

[Pixelated]

I ... seriously have no idea what to say about this.

I guess I'm particularly startled that (from the sound of your post) the staff actually fell for this??

[notalwaysright]

To be honest, it doesn't surprise me that the staff believed it. After all, corporate has probably trained them for YEARS so that they don't question anything. Nothing corporate does makes sense, so you just turn common sense off. It's the only way to survive.

I'm shocked that the customers went along with it, actually.

[Blue Ginger]

I'm having flashes of something like this happening some where else. Possibly the states?

A few years ago, a young staff member at a fast food place was accused of stealing by a phone call from 'cops' and they were instructed to do basically a strip search. Turns out it wasn't the cops but some dodgy arsehole. Anyone else remember this?

If it seems unlikely, QUESTION IT! Don't just blindly obey.

[An Haddock]

Well I hope someone gave them a consolation prize. Shit, I'd have bought them a pizza or something at the very least.

[Minflick]

Foot licking? Oh, FUCK no! Ewwww, ewwww, eeeewwwwww.

[Silent-Hunter]

My guess is the customers were in on the prank.

[catcul]

That sounds like a great Saturday night with the local kink club.

That's not something you would expect to see at the UK's version of the dollar store. The manager on duty should be punished.

[Cia]

I'm having flashes of something like this happening some where else. Possibly the states?

A few years ago, a young staff member at a fast food place was accused of stealing by a phone call from 'cops' and they were instructed to do basically a strip search. Turns out it wasn't the cops but some dodgy arsehole. Anyone else remember this?

If it seems unlikely, QUESTION IT! Don't just blindly obey.

This happened in my State in a fast food joint I'd worked for previously. Sexual assault charges were filed by the employee against the manager who was stupid enough to believe the voice on the phone and couldn't be bothered to call the local cop shop.

What's really stupid about it is the police station is within sight of the fast food place.

[Food Lady]

Yes, I remember that. I'm still horrified.

[SmivMoc]

They made a movie based on the incident called Compliance, with Dreama Walker.