Please don't bring your basket here

You are much too nice. I would have stopped everything right then and there, and yelled for the supervisor if I had to.
The cashier would have had to explain her actions and words to me and the store supervisor first and the manager second. I would have had a fit.
There is no call for that kind of conduct and I would make ruddy sure that the staff of that store had a bit of respect for me. I do not expect or accept that kind of rudeness for any customer service personnel.

I would have kicked off big style I dont care if that is her preference it wasnt store policy so she can go jump, you are just far to polite..

Good for you for standing your ground. What a silly, lazy woman! No sense of customer service there whatsoever. I'd be tempted to speak to her manager anyway.

In your case, I'd have spoken to the manager regardless, especially since your cashier continued to grumble about it anyway.
Yes, I have been grumbled about, and even had one man fired for it! I walked in to WalMart (just one more reason I hate shopping there), there were no carts inside where they usually are. It was FREEZING outside, and I had my boy with me, about 18 months old at the time. I asked the man if there were any more carts in the rack on the other side of the store, and he told me "It's best to bring your own cart in from outside. You can go back out and get one for yourself and your friend." (I was shopping with my sister-in-law.) I let that slide, and wound up getting one from a passing lady who was leaving. When I was finished with my shopping and getting ready to leave, the same man walked up and told me that it was awfully cold outside, and didn't I think my son needed a hat on?, and then he TOUCHED MY KID'S FACE! What the hell?! I let it fly then, and started screaming at him not to touch my kid, that he didn't care about it being cold on my son when he told me to go back out and get my own buggy, that he didn't know if my kid was a good kid or not, he's never even met him before, and for him to get his manager. He tried to "calm" me then, saying "Noo, we don't need to get the manager involved! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" So I just started screaming at the cashiers to get the g-damn manager over here RIGHT NOW before I decided to file a lawsuit. I told the manager off up one side and down the other about both instances concerning the man (i.e. "If that's how you permit your employees to treat your customers, blah, blah.."), and I've only seen that buggy-guy one time since then. I didn't really file suit, but the threat sure got those people moving! I'm really good at making a scene in public... Yay me!
^_^

Never have I ever had an employee of any store treat me like they did you.. I would still go to the supervisor & say something about this employee, Maybe they were having a bad day, but that's NO reason to treat you like she did...Lori

I agree with the other responses, way too nice, but like you say a bit taken back by the situation, but I would have called a supervisor and asked the shop assistant to explain why she didn't want to serve me to her. Tesco annoy me anyway, I remember one time they put my card through three times saying it hadn't gone through the first two times and when I went to cashpoint outside they had charged me for my shopping three times and each time as they had authorisation from my bank I couldn't get back from bank, went back in with mini statement which showed this and they said I would have to give a proper statement. Took from the Thursday til the Tuesday to sort which was done by my bank contacting Tesco themselves about it. I had paid for groceries 3 times leaving me no money left for other things and after numerous letters of complaint they did eventually send my a £10 Tesco gift card as way of apology. Ridiculous. I have to shop at Tesco as they have the monopoly in the town I live but wouldn't if there was a choice. Like you say though a bit late to complain too loudly now it should have been down at the time. I hope your next shopping trip goes well. Ellie:D

well we can check out where ever we want except if yuo have a cart with more than 10 or 12 items you can use the express lane, or any lane you want. Im glad i live in the US. But I do like the UK>

"She said no, just her preference."

*chin hits the floor* ARE YOU KIDDING ME? LOL oh I would NOT have taken kindly to that at all..


"I asked her would she prefer that I spoke to her supervisor as I felt that if individual assistants are gong to make store policy, then the customers should know, so that we could prepare ourselves perhaps by shopping elsewhere"

LOL BRAVO! My husband would have handled it politely like you did...me? I would have done that then gone to the supervisor regardless and not been so pleasant about it...When you work with the public IMO you have to hold a certain standard of behaviour..which is EXACTLY why I COULDNT work with the public in that type of work..serving ppl in any fashion other than in a bar scene is NOT something I'd be good at..LOL

I like your response to her. I on the other hand would of got all fired up and actually asked for the manager. Good for you for handling it so nicely. She's lucky she has once less warning on her record LOL

Preference or not she has no right to deny a customer in such a way. I can understand the 10 items or less rule, since the registers in those lanes are much smaller than the rest. I would have discussed the issue with the manager first, if nothing was to happen after this, then I would consider going elsewhere.