"I'm never shopping THERE again!" Share your story!

[Twik]

We had a number of patrons who seemed unclear on the use of a toilet.  In their defense, some of them may have come from countries with different styles of toilets who weren't sure how ours worked--I know I've heard stories about how much difficulty Americans have figuring out Japanese toilets.  That was the main issue, although it was really the vandalism that made the bathrooms require renovations.

I read in a health and safety magazine a story about how a company with a lot of new immigrant employees was having serious damage to the toilets, which progressed to someone actually being injured while trying to balance on one. So, the female H&S specialist had to run "how to use the toilets" training sessions. She said it was *not* something mentioned in her university courses.

[mumma to KMC]

If I could avoid the USPS forever, I would.

I was expecting a package yesterday, nothing important, but I was was looking forward to it.  We were out on errands yesterday and came home at 3. I checked the mail then, nothing, not unusual, the mail usually arrives between 2 and 4.  I checked the tracking online and it said that the pkg was out for delivery, so I kept an eye out for the delivery person to come to our door. By 530 there was no delivery to the door, so I went out to the box and saw that we had some mail, but no pkg for me.

I went back in, refreshed the tracking screen and saw that a notice was left. Where, I'm not sure, because there was not one in my box or on my door. We were also home after 3 and my dh was working near the front door, so there was no way we would have missed a knock.

I called the PO this morning and let them know what happened, the man who answered said the box would get pulled and sent over. Okay fine. I didn't push the issue of the notice not being left.

I then remembered there was another package that should have been delivered yesterday as well, so I looked up that tracking # and when I entered it, I found that it had been delivered this morning. I checked the front porch and there is was on a chair, but the pkg I originally called for was not around. I decided to call the PO back and let them know that I still missing the other pkg.

The same man answered the phone and this time he asked for the tracking # on the pkg I was looking for. He looked it up and that she should have it and he'd give her a call. At this point I'm feeling like a nag, until he said something along the lines of it must have been missed like it was yesterday because she was having car troubles. Because of those car troubles, she "cut corners" (his words).

That just bugged the heck out of me, because really, it's her job to deliver packages. When I have one that is too big for the box, she pulls into the yard and honks. I go out and meet her to get it. It's not that hard, it doesn't take that much extra time. What if those packages had been time sensitive?

[SCMagnolia]

mumma, I feel your pain about the USPS.

On several occasions, our mail carrier has left packages sit in our driveway.  One was a box containing a something I'd ordered as a gift for my BIL.  I came home to find the box sitting right smack in the middle of the driveway.  It was in the middle of winter and dark when I got home, so it was only a matter of luck that my headlights caught the package otherwise I'd have run right over it (and destroyed the contents.)   I called the postmaster and complained, explaining that once the carrier had gone to the trouble of coming up the driveway, it was only a matter of a couple of feet to have left the package under the carport where it would have been safe.

Just a few weeks ago,  something I'd ordered was left ** JUST ** outside of the carport.  I actually hit that package - luckily I stopped when I felt the impact and didn't run over the box.  I found that the carrier had left our mail sitting right on top of the box, right out in the open where the wind could have blown it away.  My credit card statement was included in this mail, so I was LIVID when I called the postmaster to complain again.  Where the package had been left, the carrier absolutely had no choice but to get out of the car and set it there, so I was not happy that she couldn't walk a couple more feet to put that package under the cover of the carport (and to take better care with securing mail that contained confidential information.)

Both times after I made the complaints, I've found my mail literally THROWN into my box and some things (magazine covers, catalogs, etc) torn.  I get that the USPS has issues, but those issues are not my fault, and they certainly are no excuse for lousy service.

[jedikaiti]

I hope you also complained about the retaliation.

[mumma to KMC]

mumma, I feel your pain about the USPS.

On several occasions, our mail carrier has left packages sit in our driveway.  One was a box containing a something I'd ordered as a gift for my BIL.  I came home to find the box sitting right smack in the middle of the driveway.  It was in the middle of winter and dark when I got home, so it was only a matter of luck that my headlights caught the package otherwise I'd have run right over it (and destroyed the contents.)   I called the postmaster and complained, explaining that once the carrier had gone to the trouble of coming up the driveway, it was only a matter of a couple of feet to have left the package under the carport where it would have been safe.

Just a few weeks ago,  something I'd ordered was left ** JUST ** outside of the carport.  I actually hit that package - luckily I stopped when I felt the impact and didn't run over the box.  I found that the carrier had left our mail sitting right on top of the box, right out in the open where the wind could have blown it away.  My credit card statement was included in this mail, so I was LIVID when I called the postmaster to complain again.  Where the package had been left, the carrier absolutely had no choice but to get out of the car and set it there, so I was not happy that she couldn't walk a couple more feet to put that package under the cover of the carport (and to take better care with securing mail that contained confidential information.)

Both times after I made the complaints, I've found my mail literally THROWN into my box and some things (magazine covers, catalogs, etc) torn.  I get that the USPS has issues, but those issues are not my fault, and they certainly are no excuse for lousy service.

And that is a big part of the reason I don't want to complain. The package I was waiting for, that obviously was too big to fit in the box, so a notice had to be left? Would you believe it was able to fit in the mailbox after all, because that's where she left it? (Note, it was diaper covers, soft, smooshable, and sent in one of the soft envelopes.)

[Jocelyn]

I have IBS, and any store or restaurant that refuses to let me use their bathroom, even if I've bought something, will lose my business forever.

Why does your chronic disease trump corporate or store policies?

I'll answer this. It's my policy not to have accidents in my pants while out in public. There have been many, many times where, if a store refused to let me use their bathroom, they would force me to violate my policy. And yes, complying with a store policy is quite a bit lower on my list of priorities than complying with MY policy. For that matter, a store that would tell a customer (or potential customer) 'We'd rather have you have an accident than let you use our loo', is not a store that I'd like to give my hard-earned money to.

[Mental Magpie]

I have IBS, and any store or restaurant that refuses to let me use their bathroom, even if I've bought something, will lose my business forever.

Why does your chronic disease trump corporate or store policies?

I'll answer this. It's my policy not to have accidents in my pants while out in public. There have been many, many times where, if a store refused to let me use their bathroom, they would force me to violate my policy. And yes, complying with a store policy is quite a bit lower on my list of priorities than complying with MY policy. For that matter, a store that would tell a customer (or potential customer) 'We'd rather have you have an accident than let you use our loo', is not a store that I'd like to give my hard-earned money to.

From the POV of a both a once retail manager and a sufferer of IBS...I am not losing my job because of your chronic illness but I will tell you where the closest public restroom is and hope you make it. The staff restroom is in the back where my employees keep their personal belonging and we keep inventory. Further, I am not taking staff off the floor to stand back there while you do your thing then have that staff check the restroom to make sure nothing is missing.

That being said, if it was simply a "you have to be a customer" policy, I'd easily violate it so you could use the restroom.

[ladyknight1]

In my area, retail stores are required to have a publicly accessible bathroom and the person can't be required to make a purchase.

[Shoo]

I have IBS, and any store or restaurant that refuses to let me use their bathroom, even if I've bought something, will lose my business forever.

Why does your chronic disease trump corporate or store policies?

I'll answer this. It's my policy not to have accidents in my pants while out in public. There have been many, many times where, if a store refused to let me use their bathroom, they would force me to violate my policy. And yes, complying with a store policy is quite a bit lower on my list of priorities than complying with MY policy. For that matter, a store that would tell a customer (or potential customer) 'We'd rather have you have an accident than let you use our loo', is not a store that I'd like to give my hard-earned money to.

From the POV of a both a once retail manager and a sufferer of IBS...I am not losing my job because of your chronic illness but I will tell you where the closest public restroom is and hope you make it. The staff restroom is in the back where my employees keep their personal belonging and we keep inventory. Further, I am not taking staff off the floor to stand back there while you do your thing then have that staff check the restroom to make sure nothing is missing.

That being said, if it was simply a "you have to be a customer" policy, I'd easily violate it so you could use the restroom.

No one has said they expect the retailer to break their policy, only that they reserve the right to not give them their business if their policy won't allow them to use their restroom.

[Shalamar]

One thing that always puzzles me about the "you can't use our bathroom" policy is when the store says "We don't have a bathroom."  Not "We don't have a bathroom for customers", but a lack of bathroom, period.  That can't be right, can it?

[PeterM]

One thing that always puzzles me about the "you can't use our bathroom" policy is when the store says "We don't have a bathroom."  Not "We don't have a bathroom for customers", but a lack of bathroom, period.  That can't be right, can it?

For small stores, sure. Or even larger stores in a mall or other area with public restrooms, though in those cases I'd expect the employees to point the customer towards the public facilities.

[Wulfie]

One thing that always puzzles me about the "you can't use our bathroom" policy is when the store says "We don't have a bathroom."  Not "We don't have a bathroom for customers", but a lack of bathroom, period.  That can't be right, can it?

Yes it can. Some business centers do not have bathrooms at all. It stinks for employees who have to figure out somewhere else to go if nature calls especially if it is a small store and you are the only employee. I have watched the store for the owner of a bookstore we go to a lot so she can run across the parking lot to the fast food joint to use theirs.

[VorFemme]

I stopped by a fabric (chain) store yesterday - needing to use the bathroom before I started shopping.....the only thing working was the sink....I felt sorry for the employees - but headed out to find a working bathroom elsewhere....

It wasn't that I didn't want to shop - it was that I had about five minutes to spare before embarrassing myself - I did pick up a small roll of ribbon (went by the display on the way from the bathroom at the back to the cash register/exit at the front). 

But leisurely shopping....was not happening.

[Mental Magpie]

I have IBS, and any store or restaurant that refuses to let me use their bathroom, even if I've bought something, will lose my business forever.

Why does your chronic disease trump corporate or store policies?

I'll answer this. It's my policy not to have accidents in my pants while out in public. There have been many, many times where, if a store refused to let me use their bathroom, they would force me to violate my policy. And yes, complying with a store policy is quite a bit lower on my list of priorities than complying with MY policy. For that matter, a store that would tell a customer (or potential customer) 'We'd rather have you have an accident than let you use our loo', is not a store that I'd like to give my hard-earned money to.

From the POV of a both a once retail manager and a sufferer of IBS...I am not losing my job because of your chronic illness but I will tell you where the closest public restroom is and hope you make it. The staff restroom is in the back where my employees keep their personal belonging and we keep inventory. Further, I am not taking staff off the floor to stand back there while you do your thing then have that staff check the restroom to make sure nothing is missing.

That being said, if it was simply a "you have to be a customer" policy, I'd easily violate it so you could use the restroom.

No one has said they expect the retailer to break their policy, only that they reserve the right to not give them their business if their policy won't allow them to use their restroom.

I understand that and think it is absolutely your right to choose to not patronize the store.  All I was pointing out was my POV from the retail side of things.

[Xandraea]

One thing that always puzzles me about the "you can't use our bathroom" policy is when the store says "We don't have a bathroom."  Not "We don't have a bathroom for customers", but a lack of bathroom, period.  That can't be right, can it?

I worked in a small store in a dying mall that did not have an in-store restroom.  We had at tiny storage area and that was it.  I often worked open-to-close shifts and if I needed to go I had to put the gate down with a sign on it saying "Back in 10" and walk down the mall into one of those deserted-feeling hallways to use the mall's restroom.