My coworker might tell on me, could I get in trouble?

There's an older woman maybe in her 80s that always comes into the store I work at. We sell hair and beauty items and I've helped her many times. Today I was showing her a new lipstick we just got in and she asked if she could try the tester on. So I cleaned it off for her and she tried it on. She ended up spending over $100 on new makeup and the whole time I was helping her, she was holding on to tissues bunched in her hands. I guess she still had the lipstick tester in her hand but I didn't realize this, my coworker did. The customer walked out the door and my coworker explained how she walked out with a tester and was telling me to hurry up and call security now. My coworker kept demanding I call the security guard but I told her let's forget about it , this lady has been shopping at our store for years, and I can tell she clearly didn't mean to steal it. The lipstick was basically done anyway, and she purchased the same color, I think she just had so many tissues in her hand and she was clenching onto the lipstick that she forgot it was in her hand. My coworker is very over dramatic and said I made a huge mistake not calling security. My coworker is known for telling on people and I have a feeling she's going to tell the manager on me. Could I get in trouble or fired for this? If the customer was still in the store when I found out I would've walked up to her and asked for it back but she was already out the door

Answers

Erin

I don't feel you should get in trouble for this. Your coworker should have stepped in and asked for the tester back before she left the store. Besides, chances are your store doesn't accept returns on health and beauty products once they leave the store, for customer safety reasons. The same policy should apply for a tester lipstick that accidentally left the store. Also, if your customer was holding it in a handful of (presumably) used tissues, it would be a real health risk to ever use that again anyway.

Abby

No, you won't get in trouble. You did the right thing. If she tells the manager, he/she will be very happy with the way you handled the situation.

Pearl

hopefully you wont, that lady couldve had dennentia and just forgot to put it back

Med 10

Well your co- worker seemed to know for a fact she took something so the co-worker should have been the one to call security. If you did, and you were wrong you may have been fired on the spot, and possibility sued for making false allegations.

Linda

Your co-worker is an IDIOT! The 80-year old lady probably just forget she had the tester in her hand. The next time she comes in, and you wait on her, just ask her if she has it.

Anonymous

No. You did the right thing.

Onlooker

Your coworker sounds obnoxious and if you sent security after an 80 year old you would be obnoxious, too. If you get in trouble, then the place you work doesn't deserve you. My guess is your coworker would get in more trouble than you if she reported this.

drip

There was nothing stopping your co worker from calling security themself. Did you physically stop her, did you hide the phone. Stick up for your decision if confronted by your boss. You thought it was an accident and you felt it best not to embarrass a regular customer. Or better year tell your boss yourself before your co worker does. Hey I am not sure what I did was protocol, but I felt it best to let it go. And explained the incident.

Why didn't the co-worker call the police? So, if she tells on you, then SHE ALSO could get into trouble. She failed the store also. By the way, I think you did the correct thing, or at the very least you could pay for the lipstick tester yourself, and if she does tell, state the situation to your boss and tell them that you covered the cost out of your own pocket.

hillbilly

She more than paid for the sample, with spending over $100 for stuff, didn't she? She was forgetful at her age, too, so she didn't steal it, she merely forgot she still held it, IF SHE ACTUALY WALKED OUT WITH IT.

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