Ok, I really need an answer to this before tackling the 'big boys'. My two teenage boys attend the local secondary school (Ireland). At lunch time a lot of the students go to tesco to buy their lunch. It is shop policy that the kids are only allowed to use the three self service checkouts. I presume to keep an eye on them and so they don't annoy their adult consumers. They only have 3/4 hour for lunch and this delays them a lot. If they attempt to use another checkout, even if there is no one queueing at it. they are rudely told to go to the designated checkouts. I think this is attrocious! These kids are consumers aswell and surely have rights. Tesco also make a small fortune out of them. All opinions greatly appreciated. And anyone who knows the legal stance on this.
2007-09-07 11:42:17 · 23 answers · asked by irish_glen 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Ok, just to set the record straight. I don't believe that they are doing this because of rowdy kids. I am regularly in the shop during lunch time and have NEVER seen any problems. They all queue in an orderly manner. Maybe your areas are not quite so pleasant as where I live. It is purely to accomodate their adult customers. To all the people giving their advice about what I should give my kids for their lunch. Thank you, but that wasn't the question and entirely irrelevant! They have a treat a couple of times a week! Jesus some people are so opinionated!!!!
2007-09-08 02:12:01 · update #1
Similar things happen to me everyday, when I leave my secondary school(Scotland) each day to get lunch. Once there was a man who insisted he get to the front of the queue that was full of school pupils because he was on his lunch break and he only had an hour, but we only get 45 minutes, so surely, if anything he should have been sent to the back instead of being allowed to skip just because he was complaining?(this is not in tesco btw)
2007-09-07 11:56:57 · answer #1 · answered by Hehe 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They are lucky to be allowed out at lunch, many schools here (England) don't allow students out at lunch except in exceptional circumstances, my son's secondary doesn't. Many small shops do not allow more than three school children in at a time as they can't watch them easily. Shops generally do discriminate against various people especially children and can refuse to serve anyone.
I personally think that it would be better for your sons to take a pack lunch, at least you know what they are eating then.
Before complaining to the shop do you know what the teenagers who shop there at lunchtime act like? There may be some who are a bit rowdy or impolite etc, in a pack, hence the shops stance on the matter, two sides to every story. Teenagers can appear intimidating to some people especially the old and some of them might annoy the staff of the shop.
If you talk to the manager of Tesco's, who should be aware of the problem, you should be able to work out a solution.
Probably the best idea is that they ban the real troublemakers that caused the problem in the first place, then it should calm the situation down.
Andy
2007-09-07 12:35:22 · answer #2 · answered by randyandy_uk 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I do believe this is very bad discrimination of young people and you should take it up.
Children buying lunch are still customers and most parents in fact buy a a large slice of the family's groceries at Tesco. I know I do.
I suggest first off that a complaint is raised by several parents of children being victimised. A letter should be sent to Tesco head office if the local manager is obstructive.
If all else fails get all the parents at school to buy at another supermarket for two days a week, then three days. Apply pressure as a group, it works.
There must be an understanding that if a child misbehaves in Tesco the child is banned not every child discriminated against.
2007-09-07 11:56:21 · answer #3 · answered by Angel 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
they do have a right to refuse to serve who they want the contract takes place at the till (contract to do business that is) their is no legal obligation until the cashier or in this case auto checkout has stated the price and the customer has accepted it it is called in law "invitation to treat" under this law the price can even be different at the till than it is on the shelf there are many shops around the areas that I visit that either do not allow school children into the building or put various restrictions on them i.e. amount of children in the shop at any one time or clothes they are wearing hope this helps
EDIT:
why has no one else researched their answer to such a good and serious question
2007-09-12 07:51:27 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It does seem really silly that they have to use certain check-outs even when others are free. Especially when, as you say, they are earning a lot of money from these kids. Why should they have to queue for ages, when other people can just stroll past and get served right away.
Unfair age discrimination? Unless, of course, other customers have complaigned about disruptive kids or something, when you could see why they have done it. I would talk to the manager first off, though.
2007-09-07 19:48:31 · answer #5 · answered by Kit Fang 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
OK personaly I find it a bit on the ageist law
however under United Kingdom Common Law
[1] The vendor (Tesco) don't have to sell you anything
[2] All of Tesco's stores are Private property
I've emailed all of this to Tesco HO
interesting
2007-09-07 12:48:07 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
They should get a basket and put all their grub in it.If they refuse to take it.They should make an official complaint of discrimination of minors.Local and national news.If they say there has been problems in the past.Let them produce the evidence or apologise.Our local is the opposite.We have packs
of foreign students standing around and they can't speak.They
shout.They block the outside door and aisles.The big fat bald
squeaky security guy.Stands behind he's little desk and does
nothing.They are losing a small fortune because people are going back to Somerfields.
2007-09-07 11:57:02 · answer #7 · answered by angler 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Why not simply exercise your consumer power and shop elsewhere? If you can convince all the school kids to do the same then it's likely that Tesco will want to entice them back if they're spending the sort of money you say that they are.
I suspect that just moaning at Tesco customer service will result in an answer such as "this is our store policy, there's nothing we can do, please go away."
2007-09-07 11:56:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
i think technically tesco reserve the right to refuse admission to anyone they please. it does seem a really rude way of dealing with customers tho, after all they may be future adult customers, altho i wouldnt be if i was being treated like that. i'm not sure thats just in ireland either cos thinking about it i've seen that happen in other tesco's, i always just presumed they liked putting it through the machine themselves. surely it would be quicker to just serve them at any till. their recent advertising promises that if there is one customer in front of you then they will open another till. why should this apply just for adults. not sure what you can do tho, but there is no need for rudeness. i simply wouldnt shop there.
2007-09-07 11:52:00 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Well as a US citizen, I don't know a lot about Irish law specifically but our shared common law history says: tough luck.
A shop keeper can refuse service, limit the terms of service, decide hours, locations, whatever. There is no "right" to shop there or "right" to a speedy checkout.
Sure, lots of kids go there and Tesco probably does make moola from them. But adults go there too, on their own limited lunch breaks, and Tesco has the right to decide that adult customers do not have to wait behind hordes of hungry teens for service. Adult customers, with their greater incomes and spending power, are simply more valued than your sons and their friends.
2007-09-07 11:53:30 · answer #10 · answered by raichasays 7 · 3⤊ 3⤋