Secret Shopper Douchebag: Custy Told To Pay For Package Opened By Their Austic Child

Hey everyone!

Slave With No Name back again!

So this is going to be short and not so sweet. Tonight I was slaving away like usual when my boyfriend comes up and tells me that our secret security shopper informed him that a kid opened up some merchandise and the secret security shopper told the kid's mom she had to pay for it.

He told the cashiers so they would know. I didn't think anything of it except that they were probably going to buy it anyway, but obviously I wouldn't be writing to you if it wasn't that simple.

Now before I continue, a little background info. My store hires an outside company and their employees pretend to be customers and they watch both customers and employees to prevent theft. The particular person that worked tonight takes his job a little too seriously to the point where everyone in the store knows he's not a simple customer. His first day he grilled 3 employees and questioned a cashier as to whether those 3 employees paid for their things (they did, they all have worked for 5+ years in my store).

So I'm by myself when the secret shopper comes up and points out the child and mother who need to pay for merchandise.

I go from fine to fuming mad in 3 seconds.

The child he zeroed in on is severely autistic and they are regular customers who shop in our store.

The secret shopper walked away and I was so pissed.

Eventually they made their way up and rightfully asked to speak to my night manager. He came up and he was pissed what the secret shopper did and told her she didn't have to pay for whatever it was. He also talked to the secret shopper and told him he 1. Needs to learn some sensitivity and 2. Let him make a call like that. For the record, my night manager is a very kind hearted guy and would always make the right call like he did tonight.

I just couldn't believe the audacity that the shopper had in telling this woman she HAD to pay for it. She already deals with enough on a day to day basis. My cousin is also severely autistic so I have a little insight on what she has to face everyday. Being grilled by him is the last thing she needs. It just pissed me off. I hope this woman complains to corporate and they either get him some sort of sensitivity training or get him out of my store for good.

Thanks for letting me vent, be well!

--Slave With No Name

 

 

Comments

[Skittles]

I can see where this guy going around grilling crusties and staff is really bad for bussiness and kind of stupid. Obviously he has some sort of superiority complex or something. What I don't get is why autism should be a valid excuse not to have to pay for opened merchandise. Don't get me wrong unless the kid is acting malicously I would think it worth the loss of a few items to keep the customer returning, I just don't see as to how autism has anything to do with that.

[perky]

As a parent of an autistic child, anytime my child destroyed or opened something in a store I offered to pay for it. I never felt I should be treated any differently. But everyone is different and as you said, that should of been a call that the manager should have made.

[Pyros]

Yeeeaaah... what makes you think the guy had any idea that the kid was autistic? Also what makes you think that a kid being autistic should excuse the parent for paying for any damage they cause? Yes, the kid probably didn't know what they were doing was wrong, but it isn't fair to just say "Oh well, who cares, let the store take the hit it's not my fault." Because quite frankly, as little fault it is of the parents and the kid, the store is even less at fault. They should not under any circumstances have to pay for any damage caused by a customer.

[UnCooperative]

Um...How was the mystery shopper supposed to know that this child was autistic? Having classes with two autistic teens/ young adults [one severly, one mildly] I know you can't always tell just from meeting or seeing someone that they are autistic.
It does sound like he's a little enthusiastic with his job - but how many hellspawn do you get that open toys, without a [I hesitate to say valid excuse - arguably valid reason, purhapse?].
In fact, wouldn't it be positive-discrimination to not report this to you guys? Although it was a regular customer - if she and her child weren't known to your store personally, would you have been so quick to get angry at the mystery shopper?
I kinda think he did the right thing; parents, reguardless of if their children have a disability or behavioural problem, need to take responsability of their children just as much as the rest of us.

[Slave of Arch]

I think he definitely had a right to report it to the manager -Autistic child or not- but I think that's where his power should have ended. I don't think he had a right to confront the lady himself, since it seems they're only there to alert the store of potential (or not-so-potential) shoplifters.

[Spritzy]

If he's supposed to be a *secret* shopper...then what is he doing blowing his cover and confronting the employees and customers?
I'm guessing that it's not the idea whether or not the parent pay for the item,but rather that it was uncalled for that the guy confronted the parent and possibly spoke to them in a unprofessional manner, when it should have just been discreetly informed to the manager to be dealt with as they saw fit.

[Mollywobbles]

Exactly what Spritzy and some others are saying: a little tact goes a long way, and this guy obviously has little tact.

[trekkiebabe]

Yeah, I can see both sides but mainly my issue would be that the whole point of being "secret" security is to actually be secret. I know at B&N we're trained to when the door alarm goes off to just go over and nicely figure out why it did, we are NOT to accuse anyone of stealing! As far as the kid being autistic goes, I can understand why being confronted like that would freak him/her out, but I think it depends on what was opened. If it was a secured package that had to be ripped into, then the mom should pay for it, but if it can be closed up again, no worries, IMO.

[WMDKitty]

Dude's behavior was totally uncalled for, yes, but the mother of the child -- regardless of his disability -- SHOULD pay for anything her kid opens or destroys. It's absolutely disgusting that she's getting a free pass on that just because her kid's autistic and "doesn't understand".

(Hint: It's her job, as a parent, to teach the kid how to behave and to understand things like "don't open packages that don't belong to you".)

[The Last Archimedean]

That "secret" shopper doesn't seem to understand the meaning of the word SECRET. It means DON'T MAKE A SCENE AND BLOW YOUR COVER. He should have simply QUIETLY gone up to the manager and reported what he saw.

[MahiMahi713]

While I do agree the actions of the secret shopper were wrong, that doesn't excuse the mom from paying for something her child opened. If it was just a small child who didn't yet understand the concept of not opening things in stores if you have not yet paid for them, wouldn't they get a pass to not pay as well? If a baby grabbed and broke or opened something wouldn't they not have to pay? The parent is responsible for the kid and needs to take responsibility for their kid's actions.

[TimmieHoe]

wait, so this kid can get away with opening products without paying for it simply because he is autistic? I get that your secret shopper was being a dick by grilling employees and customers (that is not their job), but he had a point. If the kid was not autistic your manager would be wanting the parent to pay for the opened merchandise with no exceptions. So what gives this kid the power? What do you do with the things he opens or breaks? Jot it down as an accident? Any other kid would get in shit for it.

[Larry Berry]

I agree that the autism doesn't mean they are free from having to pay for it, as the store shouldn't have to pay for it. As stated it isn't their fault either.

However the bigger problem is it seems that beyond expecting them to pay for it, the "secret" security was an asshole about it. He should have merely pointed it out to the manager and left it at that.

I have seen his type of personality before. I worked at burger king some time ago. There was a guy who worked the lot security. Anybody familiar with the job knows that it is a lot like a playground supervisor at school. They aren't even like the mall cops who have some authority, but instead mostly just tell people you can't leave your car there. This guy though was way overzealous. We called him Barney Fife. The other "lot security" just wore black t-shirts with Burger King and Security printed on them, with jeans. He actually purchased a security guard uniform and strutted around, acting like he was in charge of everything. He eventually got fired after he threw one of the other employees (a 17 year old) onto the pavement and maced him.