The Seafood Department Is Not Self-Serve

[purplecat41877]

Yesterday, one of my coworkers at the service desk got a customer who had seafood with no sticker. It turned out that the customer had gotten the seafood herself which wasn't allowed. My coworker told me that the customer liked this particular seafood and had a hard time getting it and that the customer could've gotten it earlier when the seafood department was open. My coworker also mentioned that she went over to the seafood department and saw another customer helping himself to some loose shrimp. My coworker informed me that she told the customer that he wasn't allowed behind the seafood counter and mentioned that she would call the police if he didn't step away from the forbidden area. If I had gotten these customers, the conversation probably would've gone something like this.

LC-Lady Customer
MC-Man Customer
Me

(LC comes up with seafood package.)
Me: Hi.
LC: Hi, could you weigh this for me so I can buy it?
Me: I thought the seafood department was closed.
LC: It is. It's just that I really wanted this so I went behind the seafood counter and got it myself.
Me(shocked): That's not allowed!
LC: Is there any way I can get this?(with puppy eyes)Pleeeease.
Me: Sorry but you'll have to get it when the seafood department is open.
LC: But there's a guy helping himself to some seafood.
Me: Excuse me.(heads for seafood department and finds a customer helping himself to some seafood)Is there anything I can help you with?
MC: I want some shrimp and no one's here so I'm getting it myself.
Me: You're not allowed behind the counter if you don't work back there.
MC: I just want some shrimp.
Me: We have some in the freezer. Getting shrimp with bare hands can cause contamination.
MC: I don't want frozen shrimp. I want fresh shrimp.
Me: You need to step away from the counter before I call the police.
(MC turns red, puts the shrimp back, and quickly leaves the area.)

In reality, I didn't see the seafood incident. I was either doing a banking or counting out a till when it happened.

[gundam40]

The SC's are in the wrong, but I can slightly see the problem here.

Our stores here pack away all seafood when the seafood department closes, so this problem never occurs. I'm curious why your store would leave the seafood in the fridges, as I would've thought they weren't cold enough to keep the stuff from going bad?

[Becks]

Like Gundam40, at our store, when the seafood department is closed, everything in the cases are put away. We do, however, have a few self-serve items.

Of course, SCs must have what they want, when they want it, and if something goes wrong, why, it's the store's fault, of course.

[chainedbarista]

i'm also confused at that; most stores that i've seen put away meat, poultry and seafood when they close to clean the cases.

self serve at that counter, though? wtf? i'd like to say 'massive brain spasm,' but that would assume that they actually have brains.

[Phone Jockey]

I have customers who attempt to set up their cable boxes or modems & get completely confused & upset at ME about it. Hey, I didn't tell you to do it yourself, idiot.

[purplecat41877]

Where I work, only the steak in the seafood department is put away. The seafood stays in the case.

[Mixed Bag]

Getting shrimp with bare hands can cause contamination.

You gave an SC a REASON? Next time they'll bring their fishing poles and nets.