Tesco's security policy for visitors

[clockworks]

For the last 8 years, as part of my job as a field engineer, I've had to go to the Tesco stores in my area. Normally I just have to sign in the visitor's book, and tell them where I'm going. Sometimes they call a supervisor, mostly I'm left to my own devices.

Today I went to a store that I haven't been to for a while. It's just been turned into an Extra store, complete with new staff & visitor reception, manned by an outside security company. After signing in (I wasn't asked to show my ID), they called a supervisor. Just as I was about to follow her onto the shop floor, the security man asked if I had a wallet. I thought that it was a strange question, but answered "yes". He told me that I wasn't allowed into the store if I was carrying a wallet - I would have to leave it at reception, or leave it in my car! He assured me that it was Tesco's policy - new one on me.

I said that I would phone my office. If they confirmed that this was correct, I would comply. Both my office supervisor, and the account manager, knew nothing about this, so I told security that I wouldn't leave my wallet - instead I would leave site, without fixing their equipment. And, I left.

Now, bear in mind that I was carrying a very large tool bag, and several spare parts, why on earth are they concerned about my wallet? If I was going to steal something, what could I conceal in my wallet? I have no unsupervised access to their cash, and they already have a random search procedure for visitors and staff.

I regularly fix equipment in banks, government offices, schools, shops, even military bases, and have never been asked to leave my wallet with security. Some customers require visitors to leave their car keys (if you are using their carpark), and military bases don't allow mobiles or pagers in the comms room, but what's Tesco's problem with a few quid and some cards?
What planet are these people on?

 

[benjo]

I work in ASDA and they have a similar policy. No collegue is to cary money on the shop floor, but this is because some staff work on checkouts and it works in the collegues favour if he/she doesnt have any money on them and there happens to be money missing from a till.

 

[clockworks]

I work in ASDA and they have a similar policy. No collegue is to cary money on the shop floor, but this is because some staff work on checkouts and it works in the collegues favour if he/she doesnt have any money on them and there happens to be money missing from a till.

I can see the point for checkout staff, and agree that it's for their protection. Most shops do this, and they normally supply lockers for the staff to store their personal belongings.

I was in an ASDA last week, and spotted a sign saying that visitors are not allowed to take bags onto the shop floor. I bet that makes life interesting for the engineer fixing the tills.

 

[benjo]

I bet that makes life interesting for the engineer fixing the tills.

ASDA are uber so that never happens

 

[Mekrel]

I visit tescos as a Sales rep, never had this problem

 

[thedazman67]

Our extra store also employs this policy i don't understand why it is for external contractors such as yourself.

thedazman

 

[AS_Platinum]

Our extra store also employs this policy i don't understand why it is for external contractors such as yourself.

You'll probably find its not for external contractors, and its probably been interperated wrongly by themselves.

Never had this problem with Tesco's myself either, and theres no way I would leave my wallet with the staff or put it into my car.

 

[Vulcan]

You must understand that supermarkets are run by complete ******* idiots.

The security around these places are just an inconvenicence to customers and staff, and usually prevent nothing.

 

[Aliboy]

Imagain if they applied that same policy to customers

 

[doran1801]

For the last 8 years, as part of my job as a field engineer, I've had to go to the Tesco stores in my area. Normally I just have to sign in the visitor's book, and tell them where I'm going. Sometimes they call a supervisor, mostly I'm left to my own devices.

Today I went to a store that I haven't been to for a while. It's just been turned into an Extra store, complete with new staff & visitor reception, manned by an outside security company. After signing in (I wasn't asked to show my ID), they called a supervisor. Just as I was about to follow her onto the shop floor, the security man asked if I had a wallet. I thought that it was a strange question, but answered "yes". He told me that I wasn't allowed into the store if I was carrying a wallet - I would have to leave it at reception, or leave it in my car! He assured me that it was Tesco's policy - new one on me.

I said that I would phone my office. If they confirmed that this was correct, I would comply. Both my office supervisor, and the account manager, knew nothing about this, so I told security that I wouldn't leave my wallet - instead I would leave site, without fixing their equipment. And, I left.

Now, bear in mind that I was carrying a very large tool bag, and several spare parts, why on earth are they concerned about my wallet? If I was going to steal something, what could I conceal in my wallet? I have no unsupervised access to their cash, and they already have a random search procedure for visitors and staff.

I regularly fix equipment in banks, government offices, schools, shops, even military bases, and have never been asked to leave my wallet with security. Some customers require visitors to leave their car keys (if you are using their carpark), and military bases don't allow mobiles or pagers in the comms room, but what's Tesco's problem with a few quid and some cards?
What planet are these people on?

do you work for siemens?

 

[Lagmeister]

do you work for siemens?

I do, but you wouldnt be refering to the scandals in germany would ye?

Anyway that seems a tad strange and it does sound a lot like an ignorant LANGUAGE tard being over zealous rather than company rules though.

 

[stoofa]

I'm actually going to side with Tesco on this one and also think you should just for a second consider the larger picture.
It is extremely difficult to have a policy if you don't get everyone to stick to it.
Tesco I expect are ISO certified which means they have to have certain policies in place for certain things and having a massive security policy that says "If they are from here do this" and "If they are from there do that" etc.
Have a blanket policy in place which in 99% of cases inconvenients nobody is the best way forward.

Tesco are dealing with money - a lot of it.
You are going on to the shop floor in a position which is above normal visitor status.
Normal visitors are what I would consider shoppers - you are above this status.
Left to your own devices (as you probably would be) you'd have access to tills and you wouldn't be questioned by staff.
You're a legitimate person I'm sure, but there is potential for somebody in your position not being.
By not allowing wallets (or more importantly money) on the shop floor for both staff and any visitor with a higher status than "shopper" you are the protected one.
Simply put, if they decide to do a security check on you (which I believe they would be entiled to do) and you've got cash on you then it can only have come from one place.
If there is a blanket no wallet, no money rule there is no room for arguments from either side, you cannot be accused of anything and you don't need to defend yourself - money located on your person it's a pretty open & shut case.

Companies don't do things to be awkward - there is a reason and in this case it protects both the store and the visitor from any kind of awkwardness.

 

[Vixen]

I'm actually going to side with Tesco on this one and also think you should just for a second consider the larger picture.
It is extremely difficult to have a policy if you don't get everyone to stick to it.
Tesco I expect are ISO certified which means they have to have certain policies in place for certain things and having a massive security policy that says "If they are from here do this" and "If they are from there do that" etc.
Have a blanket policy in place which in 99% of cases inconvenients nobody is the best way forward.

Tesco are dealing with money - a lot of it.
You are going on to the shop floor in a position which is above normal visitor status.
Normal visitors are what I would consider shoppers - you are above this status.
Left to your own devices (as you probably would be) you'd have access to tills and you wouldn't be questioned by staff.
You're a legitimate person I'm sure, but there is potential for somebody in your position not being.
By not allowing wallets (or more importantly money) on the shop floor for both staff and any visitor with a higher status than "shopper" you are the protected one.
Simply put, if they decide to do a security check on you (which I believe they would be entiled to do) and you've got cash on you then it can only have come from one place.
If there is a blanket no wallet, no money rule there is no room for arguments from either side, you cannot be accused of anything and you don't need to defend yourself - money located on your person it's a pretty open & shut case.

Companies don't do things to be awkward - there is a reason and in this case it protects both the store and the visitor from any kind of awkwardness.

I agree with this. It would be irresponsible to have one rule for staff and another for working visitors, as it would make it possible for staff to steal and just hand the money over to the person who is allowed to have a wallet on them.

 

[clockworks]

I'm actually going to side with Tesco on this one and also think you should just for a second consider the larger picture.
It is extremely difficult to have a policy if you don't get everyone to stick to it.
Tesco I expect are ISO certified which means they have to have certain policies in place for certain things and having a massive security policy that says "If they are from here do this" and "If they are from there do that" etc.
Have a blanket policy in place which in 99% of cases inconvenients nobody is the best way forward.

Tesco are dealing with money - a lot of it.
You are going on to the shop floor in a position which is above normal visitor status.
Normal visitors are what I would consider shoppers - you are above this status.
Left to your own devices (as you probably would be) you'd have access to tills and you wouldn't be questioned by staff.
You're a legitimate person I'm sure, but there is potential for somebody in your position not being.
By not allowing wallets (or more importantly money) on the shop floor for both staff and any visitor with a higher status than "shopper" you are the protected one.
Simply put, if they decide to do a security check on you (which I believe they would be entiled to do) and you've got cash on you then it can only have come from one place.
If there is a blanket no wallet, no money rule there is no room for arguments from either side, you cannot be accused of anything and you don't need to defend yourself - money located on your person it's a pretty open & shut case.

Companies don't do things to be awkward - there is a reason and in this case it protects both the store and the visitor from any kind of awkwardness.

I can see your point, but:
This was the first time in thousands of visits to a Tesco store.
I had never seen the security men (or the supervisor) before, and my ID wasn't checked.
If I was going to steal, I had plenty of other places to hide things. I assume that they have the right to search bags, but not to do a full body search.
I don't have access to the cash, as I don't have a sign-on for the tills.

If this really was company policy, I'd be OK about having my wallet checked, and the cash counted and logged, before entry.

If I left my wallet (or any other personal belongings) with security, what would the position be in the event that something happened to them? If there was a fire, or if an employee stole them, would Tesco compensate me?

The "no personal items on the shop floor" rule for employees is really for the store's benefit, as it saves them cashing-up the tills between shifts.

 

[clockworks]

...edit

 

[Geoff]

I agree with this. It would be irresponsible to have one rule for staff and another for working visitors, as it would make it possible for staff to steal and just hand the money over to the person who is allowed to have a wallet on them.

Staff either have faciities to leave possessions at home, or in lockers. Visitors don't. Staff are likely to be going direct to work, then home again. Engineers on call are out and about, and need to have money and/or credit cards with them.

Suggesting engineers leave wallets in their car (as this Tesco security numpty did) is one of the most ridiculous suggestions I've heard in a long time, in the light of police advice to NEVER leave valuables in cars.

.... Companies don't do things to be awkward - there is a reason and in this case it protects both the store and the visitor from any kind of awkwardness.

I agree they do things for a reason, but I don't agree it protects the visitor. It's all about how Tesco want it, and they are thoroughly used to getting things their own way.

Personally, there is NO WAY I'd leave my wallet in possession of Tesco staff, and nor would it get left in my car. If Tesco wanted me to comply with that, they can provide secure, locked facilities for leaving possessions, and a written assurance of full compensation if they were breached, or they can log any cash I'm carrying on the way in .... or they could fix their own tills.

You'll probably find its not for external contractors, and its probably been interperated wrongly by themselves.

Never had this problem with Tesco's myself either, and theres no way I would leave my wallet with the staff or put it into my car.

That wouldn't surprise me at all, and I completely agree with you.

.. The "no personal items on the shop floor" rule for employees is really for the store's benefit, as it saves them cashing-up the tills between shifts.

Certainly, some supermarkets do that anyway. They cash-up weekly, not daily, let alone between shifts. It saves a lot of time, and means that money only goes from cash drawer to a secure locked area in the checkout desk, other than week-end. There's a downside, and an element of risk to this, but there's an upside in cost savings and efficiency too. It's made possible by the ever-increasing reliance in electronic payments and ever-dwindling reliance on cash.

 

[GordyR]

You must understand that supermarkets are run by complete ******* idiots.

That is an absurd comment. Tesco's indesputible success in recent years is purely down to extremely good management at the higher levels. At a slightly lower level the store managers themselves essentially run their own business with annual turnovers that range in the hundreds of millions.

Retail isn't what it used to be. Just because any "Tom, Dick & Harry" can get a job filling shelves doesn't mean that just anybody has the aptitude to run a store.

The top level store managers are extremely well paid and for good reason. A high-level Tesco store manager can earn close to 100k per annum with bonuses that take their salary in to the 150+ range. Calling them idiots is extremely unfair.


/rant over

 

[Vulcan]

They earn a lot of money due to the turn over being so large; everyone's got to eat to everyone spends money there. It's not solely down to them.

The security checks certainly make no sense. Why would I steal money, then put it in my wallet, when I could get a bet more inventive and stick it down my shoes.

I've also been told possion of car keys means they have the right to search my car, because I could be wondering off during my shift to put stolen goods in my car.

 

[GordyR]

They earn a lot of money due to the turn over being so large; everyone's got to eat to everyone spends money there. It's not solely down to them.

Tesco aren't the only food retailers in the world so It's not quite that simple. Fantastic management is what has seperated Tesco from other food retailers. People can choose from many different supermarkets yet Tesco continues to dominate and expand at a frightful rate. They are definately doing something right mate.

Did you know - Tesco are currently looking in to building their own powerplants to cut on energy bills. This is an example of how forward thinking their current management is.

The security checks certainly make no sense. Why would I steal money, then put it in my wallet, when I could get a bet more inventive and stick it down my shoes.

I've also been told possion of car keys means they have the right to search my car, because I could be wondering off during my shift to put stolen goods in my car.

For the record I actually agree that in this case the security made little sense. My little rant was purely in response to your comment about "supermarkets being run by idiots". While it may be the case for certain other supermarkets, I really don't think it applies to Tesco.

However, having now given thought to the security issue it is possible that the particular store in question may have recently had some kind of security issue that involved a visitor with a wallet on the shopfloor and therefore they tightened the reins so to speak.

 

[AtreuS]

No it applies to morrisons though