I Hate Scammers (Tad Violent/Language and Long)

[ViolaPlayer]

Why is it that scammers think we don't remember them? As if working in a grocery store rots your brain and memory.

I'm a FES and our Asst. Drug Manager saw a customer she KNEW to be a coupon scammer come in. This customer had been banned from the store about a year prior. Basically, she takes the mark down coupons off of all the meat and scans a bunch of them through self checkout. She knows how to do it without tripping the approval process and tends to get a bunch of stuff free. (Not the least of which is some meat)

The manager told me to make sure she didn't scam. I told her I would make sure she went through a cashier. I had my most by-the-book, rules oriented cashier close off and told her I would bring her this customer.

So I waited at SCOT for her to walk up. I said, "Hello, ma'am. This certainly is a big purchase. I have a cashier ready for you right over here." She told me she liked using SCOT. I told her, "I'm sorry but I have to ask you to use a cashier."

I remain calm and polite as we go around and around. She then starts taking items out of her cart. "Well, then! I'm just not buying anything! And I want your name so I can email all my church and tell them not to shop here!"

She continues to rant and rave (I'm a b*tch, Ho, Slut, etc) as I "help" her remove the items from her cart. She then takes a 12 pack of Coke and throws it at me. It hit my foot and then the floor. Fortunately, only the box broke and not the cans! (Or my foot). I reminded her that deliberately making items unsaleable is a form of theft, as such, she is no longer welcome at this store.

So finally she starts walking away, and I had to stop her again since she had some items at the bottom of the cart! (Dang thieves) So I get the items as she is cursing me and making some cutting personal remarks about my appearance. (Yeah yeah, I'm ugly, so?)

I smiled and said, "Jesus loves you too, have a nice day!"

Scammers! Gotta love em! And for heaven's sake, if you know we have caught on and banned you, don't come back! That's what ticked off our Asst. Drug Manager and started this whole episode. (Our ADM was REALLY mad she came back after getting kicked out - she didn't care what I did to this scammer to punish her)

The worst part? This scammer has been teaching her daughters to do this stuff. They look to be about 5 and 8 years old! I'm sure one of us here on this board will be kicking them out of our store in about 10 years or so. I'm sure they will be rampaging Christians as well.

[DataJager]

That's really awful, I remember working at CVS and having your standard "I can't read the coupon because I'm from a different (sub)continent, but I want the merchandise for free anyway" scammers but nothing like what you had. Seriously, next time you see the woman you should detain her in the same way you detain shoplifters and bring around the local policeman. Her throwing a 12 pack of coke at you is assault and breaking it is shoplifting. I'd do it just to see her ass dumped in the paddy wagon. If you do, get pictures!

[Anriana]

You should send her church a copy of a videotape showing her doing that.

[Victoria J]

She then takes a 12 pack of Coke and throws it at me. It hit my foot and then the floor. Fortunately, only the box broke and not the cans! (Or my foot). I reminded her that deliberately making items unsaleable is a form of theft, as such, she is no longer welcome at this store.

I don't get this. She was banned and comes back - and you just try to make her go through a cashier. Why not just tell her to leave ?

And the above is not theft because she damaged the item it is assault because she hit you !

Given that the customer had already been banned so it is clear you store does not want her "custom", and that she does not follow the banning and trespassed in your store and behaved abusively and assaulted you that seems like the time to call in the police.

You could have left her explaining away an assault charge to her church.

I'm sorry about what you went through, and no one deserves to be treated like that in their workplace.

But I do think that as long as people like her get away with behaving like this they will behave like this. This women stole from you, and all that happened to her was being told she couldn't do it anymore ! She still tries again and this time damages goods, abuses staff and throws things at someone, and was just told to leave ! I can't help thinking she'll be back, and she'll be trying it in other stores - because apparently there is no risk to her from her behaviour. Grrr.

I'm annoyed about this issue at the moment - and may post in Morons in Management over the weekend - about a somewhat less serious incident at my workplace (no actual violence) and how management seems to be actively encouraging mistreatment of the staff.

Anyway, hope next time she throws a tantrum she throws out her back. Or at least strains her whiny voice.

Victoria J

[ViolaPlayer]

It always seems like folks get un-banned everytime we get a new store director. And the SD we have now has been at the store for, you guessed it, just shy of a year.

I think we all like to hope, that deep down inside, people will eventually change. Even though experience tells us that people are b*stard covered b*stards, with b*stard filling. (Thank you Dr. Cox and Scrubs) That and the paperwork gets "lost."

And as to calling the cops, honestly, this whole thing made me laugh at this silly woman more then anything else. Although, I did turn over the surveillance footage to the police and filed a report. I must say, doing this at self checkout has got to be the dumbest place in the entire store. There is a dedicated camera on each SCOT (4) and another 2 cameras wide on the area. Which means there were several good angles to choose from!

[friendofjimmyk]

"Well, then! I'm just not buying anything! And I want your name so I can email all my church and tell them not to shop here!"

She continues to rant and rave (I'm a b*tch, Ho, Slut, etc)

She then takes a 12 pack of Coke and throws it at me.

So finally she starts walking away, and I had to stop her again since she had some items at the bottom of the cart! (Dang thieves) So I get the items as she is cursing me and making some cutting personal remarks about my appearance.

What would Jesus do?

[flybye023]

When I worked in a department store we had this one woman come in regularly who was a prolific thief but we could never catch her at it. She always managed to find the blind spots in the security cameras, distract the employees, play the shell game at the register, etc. She would actually buy stuff, bring the receipt back another day and steal the exact same items so we could never prove that she didn't come in with the stuff. Very, very frustrating.

Then I found out that she was a fellow church member because one of my co-workers was in the same congregation. She said this woman would regularly brag about the good deals she got while shopping. Didn't call it stealing, mind you, so the other people at church never caught on but my co-worker was doubly frustrated 'cause she would see it at work then hear about it at church on a regular basis. She said the saddest thing was, though, that the woman genuinely seemed to think there was nothing wrong with her actions.

[candyshopgirl]

See it makes me very angry when people use christanity to do their evil deeds.They think as long as they say they are christian and go to church they can lie cheat and steal. As a christian I am very offended. I don't lie,steal or cheat. So of the worst people claim to be christian and show up every sunday at church,as if thats somehow washes away their asshatery

[PepperElf]

You should send her church a copy of a videotape showing her doing that.

Oooh good one! Cos I was thinking... "Will you also tell your church how obscene your language is?"

It makes me laugh and die a little inside... every time someone threatens with "my church"... while they're attempting to make sailors blush.

[Sliceanddice]

why didnt you just shut down self checkout?

[depechemodefan]

And I want your name so I can email all my church and tell them not to shop here!"

There's this one customer who hates me, mostly because I tell her to get off the computer, she had her 30 min (back when computer use was 30 min) and other people are waiting. She was always rude to me. Anyway, one day I walked behind her and she was telling her friend "I hate her," then when I walked back the other way, she said, "I'm a Christian."

I also think you shoulnd't have put up wit the abuse. I guess the manager was thinking about humiliating her by having her try to make a purchase, but I think she shouldn't have been let in in the first place. Granted, she threw the coke at you, so even if you called the cops she probably run out before they arrived. Hope your foot is ok.

[QASlave]

Going to chuch every Sunday to claim you're a Christian, is like walking into your garage and claiming you're a Ferrari.

[Evil Queen]

Does your bannings have a time limit? I, too, am curious as to why this peron wasn't told to leave once she entered the property.

Of coruse, I've only ever had to ban one person, so I really don't know. (Which he accepted and agreed to never return)

[taxguykarl]

The worst part? This scammer has been teaching her daughters to do this stuff. They look to be about 5 and 8 years old! I'm sure one of us here on this board will be kicking them out of our store in about 10 years or so. I'm sure they will be rampaging Christians as well.

As the Animal House dean sarcastically put it: "A fine example you set!"

[powerboy]

Lets just stay on topic of the post and not put down anyone's beliefs. That woman probably is just saying that she went to church too try and get you too trust that she was not stealing.