Would you steal from a supermarket?

Discussion in 'Living Room' started by Perthguy, 30th Sep, 2016.

Join Australia's most dynamic and respected property investment community
  1. Chrispy

    Chrispy Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    21st Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    394
    Location:
    Melbourne
    In Aldi recently I purchased two bathmats at $16.99 each. I saw the till operator put in2 x bathmats and I entered my code for the payment.
    When I walked away I checked the ticket and |I had only been charged for one. So I immediately went back and showed the till operator. Honestly her reaction was amazing. Her whole face lit up and she kept saying, thankyou, thankyou for coming back. No one ever does.
    I found that so hard to believe, I always check and go back if I have been given too much change etc.
    Its just plain honesty
     
  2. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    15th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    11,655
    Location:
    Newcastle
    The smoke break had another purpose. It became a clique without class. The CEO and the tea lady were a part of this tight knit social group, and sometimes used their discuss time against co-workers.

    I don't know if it still exists.
     
    Perthguy likes this.
  3. Perthguy

    Perthguy Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    22nd Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    11,767
    Location:
    Perth
    Friday arvo drinks
     
  4. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    15th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    11,655
    Location:
    Newcastle
    Xenia, Marg4000 and Perthguy like this.
  5. Nadine Cross

    Nadine Cross Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    17th Feb, 2018
    Posts:
    131
    Location:
    Aus
    Nope. It ultimately costs us all in the long run...the Business will have to cover it's theft costs (and a decent chunk of the theft is from their own employees) where possible which will mean either an increase in pricing, and/or a reduction of costs (wages and jobs) and worse; loss of Business choices in your area if the Business cannot cover theft costs and is forced to close down...I try to look at these things from the Business owner's point of view and not the customers' (or employees') points of view....many customers (and employees) simply don't care, and/or many have a chip on their shoulder about Business owners being rich and can afford it, and all that sort of thing. Plus; for me it is a moral decision as well as a business related decision.
     
    Jacque, Xenia and Perthguy like this.
  6. Xenia

    Xenia Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    16th Oct, 2015
    Posts:
    3,863
    Coles does not owe anyone a job, it’s a business that exists to provide a service and make a profit.

    The inventory belongs to coles, it’s not there to be stolen.

    Only Coles gets to make the descision on the amount of staff they require.

    Having less staff than people expect does not make it ok to steal. It’s not yours don’t take it.
     
    House, Nadine Cross and Perthguy like this.
  7. Joynz

    Joynz Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    5th Apr, 2016
    Posts:
    5,751
    Location:
    Melbourne
    I agree, or all those people who just 'pop out for a coffee' (25 minutes by the time they get in the lift get the coffee and come back).

    On the other hand, for 'ideas' people, think it is often good for the rest of the day's productivity to get up, move around and do something different. That 25 minutes might spark a new idea or thought that more than pays off for the short break.
     
  8. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    14,742
    Location:
    Sydney
    Absolutely. My job is all problem solving. And at time requires a lot of focus and concentration. If I'm stuck on something a break can really help refresh the thinking.
     
  9. D.T.

    D.T. Specialist Property Manager Business Member

    Joined:
    3rd Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    9,189
    Location:
    Adelaide and Gold Coast
    Yep. Coles (and any other shop) are not a charity.
     
  10. Nadine Cross

    Nadine Cross Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    17th Feb, 2018
    Posts:
    131
    Location:
    Aus
    And yet; I often hear how Coles/Woolworths etc are "so expensive" when compared to Aldi and various local markets....if you are down the tubes to the tune of a BILLION per year, it gets hard to keep prices down I would think.
     
    Xenia likes this.
  11. Redwing

    Redwing Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    7,438
    Location:
    WA
    Apparently condoned at Ikea

    [​IMG]
     
  12. Xenia

    Xenia Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    16th Oct, 2015
    Posts:
    3,863
    The Coles business model is different compared to Aldi. Coles focuses on specific and regular brands whereas Aldi would vary their brands depending on the cheapest options available at that time.
    However, you are right, theft would not help it’s profits that’s for sure.
     
  13. Cimbom

    Cimbom Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    19th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    1,568
    Location:
    Back in Canberra!
    Are you joking? I'm paid to use my skills and experience to achieve/exceed certain objectives for my employer. If I can do that while spending a few odd minutes reading the news or checking some random website then what's the problem? What is the employer losing exactly? Treating your employees with such contempt will likely mean you lose more than a few minutes of their labour in the longer term. No one wants to work somewhere where there's no mutual respect
     
  14. Wanttoretire

    Wanttoretire Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    23rd Feb, 2017
    Posts:
    97
    Location:
    Sydney
    My gripe.
    Woolies offers free fruit for kids. I regularly see lone adults putting this fruit into their handbags. Is this stealing.?
     
  15. Lemmy a fiver

    Lemmy a fiver Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    25th Dec, 2016
    Posts:
    243
    Location:
    Melbourne
    No I am not joking @Cimbom.
    My employees are well paid & understand that social media is for morning/afternoon/lunch breaks during working hours.
    There is plenty of mutual respect in my team, there is also no theft of paid working time for facebook etc.
    I have many employee's who have been with me for 15+ years, they are honest & hardworking guys & girls.
    Treating my employee's with such contempt? Funny.
    You are the one stealing paid working time from your employer, not me nor my long serving employee's.

    No doubt if your wallet/purse/car gets stolen you will show your same mutual respect excuse to the perpetrator & just forget about it.

    Pot....Kettle....Black.
     
  16. Cimbom

    Cimbom Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    19th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    1,568
    Location:
    Back in Canberra!
    I'm not at school and don't have designated recess breaks. If I'm spending a few minutes looking at something online before getting on with my next task, that is by definition a "break". I don't spend hours on Facebook. You are not taking the best approach to business if you acknowledge your workers by the amount of time they spend at their desk compared to what they actually achieve and contribute. It just seems like micro-managing.
     
  17. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    15th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    11,655
    Location:
    Newcastle
    Taking to an extreme. My wife worked in a place where private conversations during work hours were not permitted. This certainly didn't foster good working relationships. The bosses thought that they were squeezing productivity out of them by making them work every possible minute. I don't believe that was the case.

    There was a case study cited a lot of years ago in The Psychology of Computer Programming. The bosses saw a lot of time being spent around the water cooler, so they removed it. Productivity went down substantially. It turned out that people were discussing work related problems, amongst other things. By getting peer input they were solving their problems more quickly and more effectively.

    As a boss at a food outlet, I liked that people developed personal relationships at work. That came across to customers.

    In the workplace now, working at home, I spend a lot of work time on the internet solving problems and researching. I spend a lot of time thinking about work problems in my own time. I don't think it's unreasonable to have mini breaks checking headlines in work time. The boss gets good value from me overall, and I keep the private stuff to a minimum.
     
  18. Nadine Cross

    Nadine Cross Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    17th Feb, 2018
    Posts:
    131
    Location:
    Aus
    Technically, yes...my son works at our local Woolies part-time, and he told me the fruit is there for kids who are in the store. Maybe the parents are taking the fruit home for their kids, but that is not the point of the offer....they are taking advantage of free fruit.
     
  19. petewargent

    petewargent Buyer's Agent

    Joined:
    5th Jul, 2015
    Posts:
    300
    Location:
    Australia
    If you believe in property rights, you shouldn't steal (plus, you'll always know you're a thief!).
     
    Perthguy likes this.
  20. TMNT

    TMNT Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    23rd Jul, 2015
    Posts:
    5,572
    Location:
    Melbourne
    Years ago. My service provider stuffed up billing and didnt charge me for two months and then i got a bill the third month for just 1 month.

    I dont know what i was thinking but i called and told them they had forgotten to bill me for two months.

    They said thank you very much for youe honesty. Have another month for free!

    Win
     

PFI provide our clients with the opportunity to purchase an investment property, together with performing equity investments from a wide range of ASX listed securities some providing monthly income. This is the value of advice.