In The News

[Converse]

Pretty much.
My brother works at a Coles Express, and he isn't allowed to touch a customer.
If someone shoplifts, he can ask them if they are going to pay for that, and some will throw it back in embarrassment, but if they are brazen enough to go through with it then they get away with it.
He can refuse them service the next time he sees them, but that often causes more trouble than it's worth.

Here's a story on the flipside, I am a regular customer at this Coles store and I do sometimes go back to the service desk when there is an error on my receipt as in a certain item was overpriced or that wasn't scanned at the special ticketed price etc. Like I said I do my weekly shop at this place and it's usually around $100 and these people that work there know i'm a regular customer. Anyway on this one ocassion I went to the car and started putting my items in the boot and I checked my receipt and noticed that I had been charged for 3 of the same items when I only purchased 2 items (scanning errors happen all the time) anyway this same lady that works at the service desk for some unknown reason on this occasion basically accused me of lying and that I could have actually purchased 3 items and went back to just claim some money from them. I seriously can't believe she could treat a loyal regular customer like that I wasn't happy at all and I returned serve and basically said "I don't steal it was a scanning error from your worker over there". Anyway she sort of huffed and didn't really believe me and gave me the refund (which was something like a measly $2.50 when she knows I spend around $100 each week there on my regular shop). Anyway after that I mentioned this to the actual register operator which also knows me I said the truth to him about that lady over at the service desk. I told him that you accidently over scanned on some items I bought from you last week and that the service desk lady accused me of lying and that it wasn't a scanning error but me being a theif and going back to claim some spare change. The register operator wasn't too happy when I told him about what happened and I have noticed now that he doesn't make as many scanning errors as he used to.

Back to the lady that accused me of stealing, she said things like, next time you shop and you have a supposed scanning error, to not leave the supermarket and check your receipt right after you have done your shop so we can basically believe you next time you come back here and say there has been a scanning error. I was like yep no worries i'll make sure that you and any other service desk workers can actually see me checking my receipt with my fully loaded trolley right at the front of the service desk next time. Thanks for the great customer service Coles...

*Edit* Also forgot to mention, I do tend to avoid this particular worker when i'm shopping at this Coles I will not go through a register where she is working at. I have also noticed that she also avoids me and basically tries to avoid serving me if she possibly can. It's funny I did go back to the service desk again after this happened and I did notice when she saw me standing at the service desk again with my trolley and a receipt she whispered something into a co-workers ear then the other worker walked over and served me instead of her. I was thinking in my head oh here we go again am I going to get accused of lying again by this other worker now? Nope amazingly she was ever so polite and apologetic and handed me my refund and said "have a lovely day sir"...lol.

 

[up_all_night]

Pretty much.
My brother works at a Coles Express, and he isn't allowed to touch a customer.
If someone shoplifts, he can ask them if they are going to pay for that, and some will throw it back in embarrassment, but if they are brazen enough to go through with it then they get away with it.
He can refuse them service the next time he sees them, but that often causes more trouble than it's worth.

Once at Liquorland the staff seemed super attentive to some "customers." It looked like they were going ridiculously out of thier way to help them find what they wanted. It looked and sounded so strange.

The "customers" then left. I asked, "what was that about?"

They explained that it was shop lifters and the policy was to just get them out of the store as quickly as possible. Not to get the items back. Not to call security. Just to annoy the fuck out of them so they leave and don't steal any more.

An interesting insight to the type of area you're in is whether the bottleshop has the spirits behind glass or not.

 

[Sweetgeek]

Here's a story on the flipside, I am a regular customer at this Coles store and I do sometimes go back to the service desk when there is an error on my receipt as in a certain item was overpriced or that wasn't scanned at the special ticketed price etc. Like I said I do my weekly shop at this place and it's usually around $100 and these people that work there know i'm a regular customer. Anyway on this one ocassion I went to the car and started putting my items in the boot and I checked my receipt and noticed that I had been charged for 3 of the same items when I only purchased 2 items (scanning errors happen all the time) anyway this same lady that works at the service desk for some unknown reason on this occasion basically accused me of lying and that I could have actually purchased 3 items and went back to just claim some money from them. I seriously can't believe she could treat a loyal regular customer like that I wasn't happy at all and I returned serve and basically said "I don't steal it was a scanning error from your worker over there". Anyway she sort of huffed and didn't really believe me and gave me the refund (which was something like a measly $2.50 when she knows I spend around $100 each week there on my regular shop). Anyway after that I mentioned this to the actual register operator which also knows me I said the truth to him about that lady over at the service desk. I told him that you accidently over scanned on some items I bought from you last week and that the service desk lady accused me of lying and that it wasn't a scanning error but me being a theif and going back to claim some spare change. The register operator wasn't too happy when I told him about what happened and I have noticed now that he doesn't make as many scanning errors as he used to.

Back to the lady that accused me of stealing, she said things like, next time you shop and you have a supposed scanning error, to not leave the supermarket and check your receipt right after you have done your shop so we can basically believe you next time you come back here and say there has been a scanning error. I was like yep no worries i'll make sure that you and any other service desk workers can actually see me checking my receipt with my fully loaded trolley right at the front of the service desk next time. Thanks for the great customer service Coles...

*Edit* Also forgot to mention, I do tend to avoid this particular worker when i'm shopping at this Coles I will not go through a register where she is working at. I have also noticed that she also avoids me and basically tries to avoid serving me if she possibly can. It's funny I did go back to the service desk again after this happened and I did notice when she saw me standing at the service desk again with my trolley and a receipt she whispered something into a co-workers ear then the other worker walked over and served me instead of her. I was thinking in my head oh here we go again am I going to get accused of lying again by this other worker now? Nope amazingly she was ever so polite and apologetic and handed me my refund and said "have a lovely day sir"...lol.

My big mouth could never be so self controlled.

In saying that I have this belief that people who try to impose power on others must lack it in other parts of their life, so I guess they are trying to release tension. I guess you were her target that day unfortunately. But how rude and awkward. It’s lucky you aren’t the petty type and purposely go into her line at any given chance.

 

[Sweetgeek]

So here’s a story from when I used to do registers at big w. For whatever reason I was sometimes asked to stand at the entry to greet customers and check their bags on the way out. we had “regulars” who were known for stealing. I’m talking they came in with their dirty pair of shoes, walking out with clean fresh of the hook shoes. Floor manager used to say don’t bother with them and let them go because he knew the outcome was worse. Just as I was about to start a shift at the doors, the store had to be shut instantly because the prior girl doing the doors was stabbbed with a needle for questioning the guy on his robe he was walking out of the store with. I now understood why my floor manager used to say it’s really not worth questioning them. It really isn’t most times. regardless if the registers are at front or in middle of the store, most times managers tell their staff not to put themselves in danger so stealing will happen regardless.

 

[Converse]

Once at Liquorland the staff seemed super attentive to some "customers." It looked like they were going ridiculously out of thier way to help them find what they wanted. It looked and sounded so strange.

The "customers" then left. I asked, "what was that about?"

They explained that it was shop lifters and the policy was to just get them out of the store as quickly as possible. Not to get the items back. Not to call security. Just to annoy the fuck out of them so they leave and don't steal any more.

An interesting insight to the type of area you're in is whether the bottleshop has the spirits behind glass or not.

I was driving past a Liquorland down the road here one night some years ago now and no joke it looked like some teenager had just grabbed some bottle of alcohol from the shop and was getting chased out onto the road by the store employee! I saw this closely because I actually had to slow my car down and do a little swerve as the guy was running really fast onto the road trying to evade the store employee who was running closely behind him. I looked in my rear vision mirror and in the end the guy that stole the bottle of liquor actually looked like he got away as the store employee stopped and looked like he was gasping for air down the road! I tell you I actually got scared because I thought he was going to run into my car it was late at night just luckily nothing happened!

I seriously can't believe that the store employee took chase of the guy outside the shopping centre and ran down the road? Anyway seriously these guys were running so fast it looked like they were qualifying for the Olympic games! No joke! lol

 

[Converse]

My big mouth could never be so self controlled.

In saying that I have this belief that people who try to impose power on others must lack it in other parts of their life, so I guess they are trying to release tension. I guess you were her target that day unfortunately. But how rude and awkward. It’s lucky you aren’t the petty type and purposely go into her line at any given chance.

Yes I think your right, I guess on that day who knows what she had been through and I was her target. The only thing I did do after that altercation as I always do my weekly shop at this Coles is I purchased a packet of Smiths thinly sliced chips with my weekly shop and anyway here's how the story goes...lol

After I finished my shopping as usual I always check my receipt in close proximity to the service desk as I was told by that employee. Anyway this was perfect as I found out that the chips had scanned at a higher price than what the ticketed price was in the store. These chips were ticketed at a price of $2 but they were scanning at a price of $2.20. Well you know what that means folks? Yes welcome to Coles "'Promise on Price Scanning' policy! Where if your item scans at above the ticketed price it's free! Guess who had to serve me when I went back with the chips? Yep you guessed it my favourite store employee who accused me of stealing! She immediately got a store attendant to go down to the chip aisle and check the ticketed price of those chips. Oops looks like Coles didn't update there instore tickets. Yipee free packet of chips! She wasn't too impressed and handed me the $2.20 and there was no politeness or anything from her, but I don't care I knew that was expected from her anyway after what she said to me the week earlier about the stealing.

Ok guys your going to love this because at this particular Coles I don't know why maybe they are lazy or just don't give a stuff but as I was shopping there the week later guess what? Yep they still hadn't updated the price on those chips, so yes you know exactly what I bought again? Another (free) packet of Smiths thinly cut potato chips! LOL! I went back to her yet again and the look on her face was priceless and she could see the same packet of chips again sitting on the counter and my receipt was ready yet again! There was no greeting or any politeness just a "I can't believe they still haven't updated the tickets on these chips yet!". So yet again she sends off a guy to check the price and well it was the same as the previous week and I got my money back again and another free packet of chips! LOL!

Now on the third week I did my usual weekly shop and I couldn't believe it the prices on those chips were still UNCHANGED! I am thinking this can't be happening! So this time I really went full on and I actually bought one of all the flavours of these Smiths thinly cut chips thinking that I would be getting them all for free yet again! Anyway this time around it would seem I was not offered all the chips for free, even though they were all at the wrong ticketed price, she said she could only give me one packet for free and that I would have to pay the correct price for all the others. I was like but hang on your scanning policy states that if it scans at the wrong price it's free. She was like nope not on these because they are all the same. I said no they are not they are all different flavours which all have the wrong ticketed price! Anyway I said sorry I would like to speak to the manager I think they should all be free! She quickly went over and 'supposedly' spoke to a 'manager' who looked like he was re-stacking the soft drinks then she came back and said "nope he said you only get one for free and the rest you have to pay the normal price". I said hmmm ok i'll just be getting the one packet for free then and you can take back all of the others I no longer want them I changed my mind. She quickly snatches all the packets of chips off the counter and throws them in some basket angrily as you'd expect. I do then recall I said quite loudly so she and her 'manager' in the background could hear me saying "WHY DON'T YA FIX YOUR DAMN PRICES!". LOL!

Well yes I think that would have been the last time I spoke to that employee that accused me of being a thief. Oh I had some fun for those three weeks with their wrongly priced chips and I also enjoyed having some free chips on my weekly shop...LOL! Thanks Coles for your laziness it's great! LOL! Yes after that week ALL the tickets on those chips were changed over to the correct price! It only took this Coles three weeks to fix the ticketed prices! LOL!

So there you go everyone, always check your receipts after you shop and also if you think something has scanned at a higher wrong price first walk back into the store and check what the ticketed price is on the shelf and if it's wrong head over to the service desk for your refund and enjoy your 'free' item! I think Woolworths also has the same scanning policy also.

Cheers!

 

[Meglos]

Lawyer reveals why you should never use self-serve checkouts

The legal expert has gone viral with her stern advice - and it just might change the way you shop.

7news.com.au

 

[up_all_night]

If that was such a worry here, all those people who select a cheaper produce item than they are buying would be getting in trouble.

I do use a card with them so there's a record. I do the same with petrol. If the petrol is tainted and wrecks my car, I don't want to be fighting over if I filled the car up there. I know someone who had that happen.

 

[Sweetgeek]

Yes I think your right, I guess on that day who knows what she had been through and I was her target. The only thing I did do after that altercation as I always do my weekly shop at this Coles is I purchased a packet of Smiths thinly sliced chips with my weekly shop and anyway here's how the story goes...lol

After I finished my shopping as usual I always check my receipt in close proximity to the service desk as I was told by that employee. Anyway this was perfect as I found out that the chips had scanned at a higher price than what the ticketed price was in the store. These chips were ticketed at a price of $2 but they were scanning at a price of $2.20. Well you know what that means folks? Yes welcome to Coles "'Promise on Price Scanning' policy! Where if your item scans at above the ticketed price it's free! Guess who had to serve me when I went back with the chips? Yep you guessed it my favourite store employee who accused me of stealing! She immediately got a store attendant to go down to the chip aisle and check the ticketed price of those chips. Oops looks like Coles didn't update there instore tickets. Yipee free packet of chips! She wasn't too impressed and handed me the $2.20 and there was no politeness or anything from her, but I don't care I knew that was expected from her anyway after what she said to me the week earlier about the stealing.

Ok guys your going to love this because at this particular Coles I don't know why maybe they are lazy or just don't give a stuff but as I was shopping there the week later guess what? Yep they still hadn't updated the price on those chips, so yes you know exactly what I bought again? Another (free) packet of Smiths thinly cut potato chips! LOL! I went back to her yet again and the look on her face was priceless and she could see the same packet of chips again sitting on the counter and my receipt was ready yet again! There was no greeting or any politeness just a "I can't believe they still haven't updated the tickets on these chips yet!". So yet again she sends off a guy to check the price and well it was the same as the previous week and I got my money back again and another free packet of chips! LOL!

Now on the third week I did my usual weekly shop and I couldn't believe it the prices on those chips were still UNCHANGED! I am thinking this can't be happening! So this time I really went full on and I actually bought one of all the flavours of these Smiths thinly cut chips thinking that I would be getting them all for free yet again! Anyway this time around it would seem I was not offered all the chips for free, even though they were all at the wrong ticketed price, she said she could only give me one packet for free and that I would have to pay the correct price for all the others. I was like but hang on your scanning policy states that if it scans at the wrong price it's free. She was like nope not on these because they are all the same. I said no they are not they are all different flavours which all have the wrong ticketed price! Anyway I said sorry I would like to speak to the manager I think they should all be free! She quickly went over and 'supposedly' spoke to a 'manager' who looked like he was re-stacking the soft drinks then she came back and said "nope he said you only get one for free and the rest you have to pay the normal price". I said hmmm ok i'll just be getting the one packet for free then and you can take back all of the others I no longer want them I changed my mind. She quickly snatches all the packets of chips off the counter and throws them in some basket angrily as you'd expect. I do then recall I said quite loudly so she and her 'manager' in the background could hear me saying "WHY DON'T YA FIX YOUR DAMN PRICES!". LOL!

Well yes I think that would have been the last time I spoke to that employee that accused me of being a thief. Oh I had some fun for those three weeks with their wrongly priced chips and I also enjoyed having some free chips on my weekly shop...LOL! Thanks Coles for your laziness it's great! LOL! Yes after that week ALL the tickets on those chips were changed over to the correct price! It only took this Coles three weeks to fix the ticketed prices! LOL!

So there you go everyone, always check your receipts after you shop and also if you think something has scanned at a higher wrong price first walk back into the store and check what the ticketed price is on the shelf and if it's wrong head over to the service desk for your refund and enjoy your 'free' item! I think Woolworths also has the same scanning policy also.

Cheers!

I’m feeling your satisfaction!

I didn’t know about that rule with coles. I’ll be paying attention now that I know though.

 

[Converse]

Lawyer reveals why you should never use self-serve checkouts

The legal expert has gone viral with her stern advice - and it just might change the way you shop.

7news.com.au

Interesting, but I was thinking about how she was saying they can go back and review CCTV footage from a while ago to see who bought what item that have gone missing. If I used cash when I used the self serve then there is no way they can track me down apart from having my face on the CCTV footage? LOL!

If that was such a worry here, all those people who select a cheaper produce item than they are buying would be getting in trouble.

I do use a card with them so there's a record. I do the same with petrol. If the petrol is tainted and wrecks my car, I don't want to be fighting over if I filled the car up there. I know someone who had that happen.

I heard stories some years ago about people that were going through self serve and basically buying expensive packaged meat products and putting them through the self serve checkout as "watermelon" or something like that, as it's alot cheaper per kilogram for watermelon than it is for expensive meats as you know some lamb cutlets these days can be up around $30 a kilogram. I guess that's why they have an employee that watches over and they constantly walk behind you as you are scanning your items to see what you are buying and what's being shown on the screen? But in all honesty what do these supermarkets want? To have their cake and eat it to? If they are so worried about theft in the self serves then here's a great idea for all of them! Ditch all those damn self serve checkouts that have to be constantly monitored by so many paid employees and just get them to go back to working the registers like they used to. Stop being cheap and trying to cut costs as it looks like in the end with all the supposed extra thefts happening the retailers are probably just breaking even anyway!

Hey i'd like to hear more about that person that you know that got tainted petrol, how would you prove that the petrol that he bought wrecked the car? Gees that would be a tricky one to get around?

 

[timmy]

If that was such a worry here, all those people who select a cheaper produce item than they are buying would be getting in trouble.

Supermarkets should just hire a couple of staff in the fruit/veg area to weigh and label those purchases, like they do at the deli counter. It speeds up the checkout process whether you use a staffed checkout or a self one. And ofc would cut down theft from weighing lettuce as potatoes or whatever. The fact they don't do this just goes to show they accept a certain amount of leakage to save on staffing costs.

 

[timmy]

O NOES I'll never got on Big Brother now!

Global confectionary giant axes lolly brand​

A leading confectionary manufacturer has devastated Australian sweet-tooths, after quietly killing off a cult favourite lolly brand.

The alert was raised only after deprived shoppers took to social media to complain about empty supermarket shelves where their favourite Starbursts were once stocked.

Confectionary giant Mars Wrigley revealed on Wednesday the brand had been discontinued in Australia since June.

But the dumping was kept quiet, and revealed only when shoppers took to social media to swap theories about why they couldn’t buy Starbursts in their local shops any more.

Global confectionery giant axes lolly brand in Australia

Mars Wrigley announced it has quietly killed-off a cult favourite confectionery brand after shoppers took to social media to question empty store shelves.

thenewdaily.com.au

 

[Meglos]

Are Starburst big in Australia?
I've never bought or tasted one of their products.

 

[Converse]

O NOES I'll never got on Big Brother now!

Global confectionary giant axes lolly brand​

A leading confectionary manufacturer has devastated Australian sweet-tooths, after quietly killing off a cult favourite lolly brand.

The alert was raised only after deprived shoppers took to social media to complain about empty supermarket shelves where their favourite Starbursts were once stocked.

Confectionary giant Mars Wrigley revealed on Wednesday the brand had been discontinued in Australia since June.

But the dumping was kept quiet, and revealed only when shoppers took to social media to swap theories about why they couldn’t buy Starbursts in their local shops any more.

Global confectionery giant axes lolly brand in Australia

Mars Wrigley announced it has quietly killed-off a cult favourite confectionery brand after shoppers took to social media to question empty store shelves.

thenewdaily.com.au

It's funny you mention the old "Starburst Winner Housemate" who entered the Big Brother house all those years ago because he won some competition back then run by Starburst lollies.

I mention this because there is pretty much no information at all about this on the internet if you do a search, it's not even mentioned on the Big Brother Wiki files either. I don't know the exact details of this Starburst winner, I vaguely remember what he looked like he was from Melbourne I can't remember his name now or what year he entered but it was possibly back around 2005 or 2006?

Anyway hopefully if someone's knows more about this then maybe they could update the online Big Brother Australia Wiki files as this is certainly a part of BBAU history as i'm not the only one here who remembers it.

Cheers!

Edit: From out of the blue I have just remembered his name was "Nick"? Also was his occupation a nurse?

Edit again: Ok after remembering his name I did an online search for "Nick Big Brother Australia Starburst" and I have found a couple of pictures of him online. Well at least I got his name right and it looks like he entered the house back in 2007, so I was one year off in my earlier guess of what year he entered the BB house...lol.

Here are the picture's of Nick the winner of the Starburst lollies BB competition who entered the BBAU house back in 2007. Cheers!

 

[Converse]

Are Starburst big in Australia?
I've never bought or tasted one of their products.

I'm guessing they were pretty big when they were released all those years ago. I probably last had some Starburst lollies back in the days when that guy won the Starburst competition to enter the BB house...lol

Cheers!

 

[jessy_girl]

Aw they were one of my many faves!

 

[Thing]

Lawyer reveals why you should never use self-serve checkouts

The legal expert has gone viral with her stern advice - and it just might change the way you shop.

7news.com.au

I was shopping in Coles one day when I was about to go into the self serve area I received an important phone call. I was so distracted that I put my basket of goods on the tray thing and proceeded to then simply move the contents one by one straight into my bags (didn't scan anything) then walked out. No one said or did anything.
When I got home I couldn't recall paying & looked up my transaction on internet banking.
Nope - no transaction... So I called Coles and told them what happened, then went down to pay for the goods the manager said she'd never heard of this happening before and because of my honesty she gave me a free block of chocolate... I wonder what she gave the self checkout staff member

 

[timmy]

It's funny you mention the old "Starburst Winner Housemate" who entered the Big Brother house all those years ago because he won some competition back then run by Starburst lollies.

I mention this because there is pretty much no information at all about this on the internet if you do a search, it's not even mentioned on the Big Brother Wiki files either. I don't know the exact details of this Starburst winner, I vaguely remember what he looked like he was from Melbourne I can't remember his name now or what year he entered but it was possibly back around 2005 or 2006?

Anyway hopefully if someone's knows more about this then maybe they could update the online Big Brother Australia Wiki files as this is certainly a part of BBAU history as i'm not the only one here who remembers it.

Cheers!

Edit: From out of the blue I have just remembered his name was "Nick"? Also was his occupation a nurse?

Edit again: Ok after remembering his name I did an online search for "Nick Big Brother Australia Starburst" and I have found a couple of pictures of him online. Well at least I got his name right and it looks like he entered the house back in 2007, so I was one year off in my earlier guess of what year he entered the BB house...lol.

Here are the picture's of Nick the winner of the Starburst lollies BB competition who entered the BBAU house back in 2007. Cheers!

View attachment 59217View attachment 59218

Oh yes, that was the only reason I bothered to bring it up. I remembered that Nick had won it, and I could still picture him in my mind.

Beyond that though... he was a bit of a non entity. By contrast, BBUK's golden winner Susie was set up with the following: She had her own private Golden Quarters. She slept in a Golden Bedroom, used a Golden Toilet had to take a Golden Shower every day. She had to wear gold at all times. She was handed a golden, off-the-shoulder outfit to wear and, after changing, told Big Brother: "I feel like a Christmas tree." Best the best part ofc was Nikki's "Who is she? Who is she?" moment.

But Nick. Well it really says it all that the wiki found him forgettable as well lol. Or perhaps he quietly edited himself out.

Anyway I bought dozens of packets of Starburst at the time. Not because I wanted to go on the show, but just to see if I could find a winning one. Not sure what I would have done had I found one. Auctioned it on Ebay perhaps?

 

[timmy]

I called Coles and told them what happened, then went down to pay for the goods the manager said she'd never heard of this happening before and because of my honesty she gave me a free block of chocolate

Wow, what an honest wee Thing you are! But I suppose the alternative would have been never setting foot in there again in case you saw security photos of you plastered everywhere.

 

[Sweetgeek]

I was shopping in Coles one day when I was about to go into the self serve area I received an important phone call. I was so distracted that I put my basket of goods on the tray thing and proceeded to then simply move the contents one by one straight into my bags (didn't scan anything) then walked out. No one said or did anything.
When I got home I couldn't recall paying & looked up my transaction on internet banking.
Nope - no transaction... So I called Coles and told them what happened, then went down to pay for the goods the manager said she'd never heard of this happening before and because of my honesty she gave me a free block of chocolate... I wonder what she gave the self checkout staff member

Haha. I’m really not surprised. I have thought to myself how easy it would be because no one really pays attention, but I would never donor. More I can see how easy it would be to do. That’s really honest of you to go back and pay though. I don’t think many would actually do that.