Boycott Hingham Stop and Shop Falsley Accusing Customers

[Innocent Customer]

2 days ago I used the self check out process at Stop and Shop. I needed the assistance of a manager as I purchased wine which requires an ID check. No problem - yet.
The man who allegedly came to assist started rummaging through my bags!!! I demanded he stop. he then went on to say random checks were to be expected. Oh? I saw no such posting, anticipated no such invasive rudeness.
I told him I'd be happy to empty my bags right there and leave it for him to put back on the shelves. He reluctantly agreed to confirm my ID and let me pay. I only had one small bag of items.
Tonight, a similar incident. This young, arrogant, sloppy looking clerk ( who was smoking at the front door when I began shopping) said a check was necessary and began going through my bag. I had maybe 6 items. I stopped her and said if she wanted anything from my bag she could ask me.
She was terribly rude, made me pull items from my bag for price checks. Naturally, all items were okay. Then she went on to say they had to do it, it could happen at any time and it was to be sure people didn't steal. Excuse me - she was accusing me of stealing!!!
I told her I wasn't shopping there anymore if random staff could rummage through my carefully packed bags. She cheerfully replied "OK, Have a nice day!"
Idiot.
Now, I understand loss prevention. If SNS were smart (what's that?) they would see the benefit/profit to manners. Approaching a customer with "Pardon me Maam, we need to conduct a random check of your items today. Would you kindly let me point to 4 items in your bag? If you will remove them for a quick price check, we'll be all set. Very much appreciate your cooperation with this as we perfect our new technology."
How hard is it to prevent loss, retain sales, build customer confidence? Not very. Although one must actually think about it for about 2 mintues (that's all it took me) Apparently SNS senior execs don't understand the power of PLEASE and THANK YOU.
I will go out of my way to shop at the Hannaford on the Hingham Norwell Line, possibly the Shaw's in Cohasset - any other grocer but SNS. Please join me and send complaints to sr. execs.

[blank]

Im pretty sure the people who did that to you were just doing there job. The checks are a part of the easy shop system and has nothing to do with you stealing. If you have a problem with the checks then dont use the easy shop its not that big of a deal to just gotoa cashier instead of being an arrogant asshole to the employee you are dealing with.

[customer supporter]

I would also be offended. Of course, I will never use the auto check-out anywhere. It has taken jobs, low paying at that, from ordinary people desperate to earn some money. If they are so worried about stealing, they should post signs with a warning. I'm sorry, I would consider it an affront, and I think that we all could learn to be more polite. The previous "blank" obviously is not successful at that yet!

[carol]

I shop there all the time, and have always found the employees to be friendly and helpful! I do not use auto check out, as it puts another person out of a job. Very often the help there go above and beyond to help find or order things I need.(Thanks Steve groc, Dan meat, Ted RX, Jodie RX,John prod ,Mary check out, and Fred liq.) I have not shopped anywhere else more once or twice (in a jam) since I started shopping there.

[Netman]

My experience also has been good at this store. On a very few occasions the self-checkout system has directed me to go to a cashier to have my order verified, which was a hassle, but not a big deal. I assume that some behavior on my part using the shopping buddy (returning too many items to the shelf, etc.) triggered the spot check. I have a bigger issue with allowing an employee to "randomly" decide who gets checked. That can result in conscious or subconscious biases against minority shoppers or other shoppers the employee views as suspicious. Better to leave it to the computer to tell the employee who to check. That also gives the employee the ability to say "sorry, ma'am, but the computer told me to randomly check your order..."

[winning side]

if I where innocent customer I would sue over trespassing private probity, and htis is a hate crime, this is how socialism is started, and we the people by the people dont stop this it will get out of hand, so pass the word around about this store, tell everyone who willl listen what happen to you and this willl stop this kind of harassment from continue, they would do this in China, Russia, but we live in the united states, it only takes one to change things around, and if you like your freedom to shop anywhere with out being targeted everytime you go in to a store then put your words to action, our future generation are counting on people who will stand up this is our country! not someone eles, and yet we are displaying other country behavior and policys, with our own people if you like your freedom, go on strike with this store and any other that have this practice,

[Netman]

Lighten up Winning Side. It's just a grocery store. If you don't like their customer service attitude you are free to shop elsewhere.

[Hingham Clerk]

Hi, I have been an employee at the Hingham Stop & Shop, for about four years now. I would just like to say, that, although I agree that the "quick checks" seem like an invasion of privacy, they are set up for customers using our ScanIt program. ScanIt, which allows customers to scan their own items as they shop, does have many flaws, and I don't think that it should be used at all. But the quick check is the only thing that allows the store to catch shop lifters. Thats all it was made for. It is supposed to be a random search that happens when customers have more that 10 or so items, but from time to time, the system will perform a quick check for every customer. I understand that it can seem as though the store is trying to weed out all possible shop lifters, but that is impossible. We are only trying to help, seeing as there is no supervision while using the ScanIt program. I know that the employees can sometimes seem mean, but that is only because, after doing hundreds of quickchecks, and having every person, who gets the feeling of being wrongfully accused, yell at them for rifling through their bags, they get tired of the same routine.

and just so you know, quickchecks ARE in fact posted on the device before you can check out. It says right on the screen, "Quick Check Required: Please wait for an employee to assist you...", or some similar message.

[Hingham Clerk]

I have to agree with Netman. You have to realize "Winning Side", that the groceries you have, although they are in your bag, are not yours until you pay for them, which you can only do after a quick check has finished. So all of this "private property" is bull. It's still the store's property until your receipt prints out. So thank you for your rant about socialism and hate crimes, but they do not belong in this post.

[Wake up please]

You missed the point.
Looking through the bags is understandable.
It's HOW you look.
Do you ask POLITELY to see a selection of items from a customer?
Do you POLITELY approach the customer, briefly explain the policy and that you need to do a check, ideally get the customer's reassurance?
No. Stop and Shop staff are often,arrogant, rude and insulting.
They come up to your cart, state "I am going to check your bags" start rummaging through carefully bagged items and are generally rude.
Customer is treated with the assumption that they are a criminal.
Stop and Shop you are rude, very simply rude. Ask your management for training in how to approach customers, do the random searches politely, and the complaints will stop.

[hinghamstorework er]

we wouldn't be rude if the customers of hingham didn't think they were above everyone in the world .. treat us like human beings first and then maybe would be polite. although this doesn't go for every customer because most of them are polite and don't have their head up there ass smelling their own shit. it's not like we come into your job and demand things what every happened to manners " excuse me ,please and thank you " not hello I need help and snap their fingers like we are dogs