I was mum-shamed by Tesco staff for letting my child snack as we went around the supermarket – everyone says I’m wrong
A MUM has been left devastated after she was mum-shamed by a Tesco employee for letting her child eat a snack before she had paid for it.
The shopper claims the staff member was rude and judgemental but people are saying she’s in the wrong.
Samantha shared her story in a TikTok video online.
She said: “I cannot tell you what a bad experience I have just had in our local Tesco.”
“And I feel a mix of both really cross and really upset. The way I’ve been spoken to by one of the customer service, representatives on the till that just served us.”
“And I’ve never felt in in one moment, so judged by somebody. And I’ll be honest, I snapped, and I very rarely snap back at anybody, but.
Samantha explained: “So basically we went to Tesco to get a few bits. Jack’s (her son) has not been very well. He’s not eating for basically a week, pretty much properly.”
“And on the way round the food shop, I bring snacks with us. He wasn’t interested in any of the snacks that I bought. He took a shine to one of these baby pouches that I put in the trolley.”
Samantha explained because he son had not been eating much she was delighted when he took to one of the snacks had placed in their trolley.
The mum said: “I let him eat the yoghurt, put it in the trolley and when we got to the till, I saved those things by and put them at the front.”
“When it was our turn, I said to the lady serving us, ‘I just want to let you know, Jack’s eating these two on the way around here. Here they are so that you can scan them. I didn’t want to just leave them amongst the shopping.’”
But it seemed the Tesco employee was not impressed Samantha said: “She literally gave me the most disgusted look. Didn’t say a word. Scan them through them in the bin.
“They weren’t actually finished. I hadn’t passed them to her to have them put in the bin. I passed them to her to try and be polite so they could be scanned.”
“So I said to her, ‘ I’m really sorry, but we haven’t finished with them. I just wanted to pass them to you so that you could make sure they were scanned.
The mum added: “So she tutted, huffed at me, got them out the bin, put them on the side anyway and carried on scanning.”
“At this point, she’s never at this point said, hello, do you want any help? Anything like that? Not said a word to me other than just awful looks.”
Samantha felt herself growin angry she said: “I’m putting the shopping together and inside, I’m feeling more and more cross.”
“And I said to. Hello, I’m really sorry. I haven’t meant to upset you or put you out. I just passed them to you because I wanted to make sure you could scan them, and I just wanted to let you know that we’d had them on the way around so that you understood.”
The cashier then finally responded: “I just don’t think it’s right that people let their kids eat stuff from the food shop on the way around the shop.”
Samantha responded: “And I said to her, ‘I don’t really think it is your job to be giving your opinion on what you think. My child is really unwell.”
“He’s basically not eating properly for a week. He wanted something in the shop, so I jumped on that opportunity for him to have something to eat.”
“There was absolutely nothing wrong with that. I passed it to you to be polite so that you can make sure to scan that I was paying for the thing that he’d already eaten.
Samantha said: “ I ended up in tears in the middle of Tesco.
“And at that point she kind of gave a half-apology and said, well, I’m sorry he’s ill we’ve all been there.”
Samantha said she was so outraged she wanted to take further action: “And if we not needed to be going to the doctor half an hour later, I would have made a complaint there and then to somebody, but we were in a rush.
“Jack’s not well. I didn’t wanna put him through hanging around trying to find somebody, so we left.
The mum added she planned the report the incident later on.
“On Reflection. I’m wondering whether there is any way with my receipt I can contact them and whether it was specifically linked to her.”
“But I just cannot believe in that moment. No. 1, how rude. And No. 2. how judgemental. As a customer service representative, it’s not your job to be giving your opinion or being rude to people.”
“It’s your job to be polite and to serve. And if you don’t believe in something they’re being done, it’s nothing to do with you. It’s not your business. I’m honestly still furious at the whole situation.”
Samantha’s video racked up over 645,000 views with many TikTok viewers debating whether she or the customer service rep was in the wrong.
The Sun has contacted Tesco for comment.