Life on the Spot! Life and Leisure in Doha, Qatar

We have been loyal costumers of Lulu Hypermarket ever since we came here in Doha in 2005.  All of our appliances were acquired from there, even our latest buy, a plasma TV.  We also do our weekly shopping there.  Although I am a frequent visitor of The Villagio where they have CarreFour, I still save the bulk of my shopping for Lulu simply because I got used to shopping there plus it's close to us.  But all that changed yesterday just because of a piece of paper.

I was there yesterday morning for my usual weekly marketing.  I had my grocery list to make sure that I won’t forget anything and to make sure that I won’t get astray with my shopping.  It is easier to get more than what you need when you don’t have a list with you.  I was already halfway through my shopping when I recalled that my husband has asked me to get the prices of some items for our yearly list of the cost of commodities here in Qatar.  It has been our practice to list down some basic items like rice, milk, coffee, condiments, laundry and cleaning items, shampoos, soap, and baby products like diapers and formula milk.

It was our way of keeping track of the increases that the commodities have had year in and year out.  So I went back to aisles and checked on some items since I was already in the middle part of the grocery when I remembered the list.  There I was doing my own business, oblivious to what’s happening around me.  Little did I know that some of the guys, staff of Lulu were already keeping an eye on me.  I was unaware because I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong.  Then suddenly, this guy approaches me and asks me if I was getting prices of items to which I answered “YES”.  There was no reason for me to hide it or even deny it.  Then he asked if I asked permission from Customer Service, to which I said “NO” because I didn’t think it was necessary.  I’ve always believed that it is every consumer’s right to know the prices and writing them down is no big deal.

I was disgusted to find out that jotting down prices was not allowed in the supermarket.  For me it was just absurd and ridiculous.  But just the same, I stopped taking prices and proceeded with my shopping.  I called my husband to tell him that I had been told that writing down prices was prohibited.  Unfortunately, it didn’t stop there for the staff of Lulu.  One of the security guys came to me, bringing a walkie-talkie and he was after my list.  It made angry that they were trying to get the list that was personal and even have the prices since 2006.  I kept explaining that it was just for personal use to no avail.  At that point I was very adamant about giving them the list.  I even placed it in my pocket, they would have to search my body to get the list.  Then a lady staff came, they needed someone who can come close to me.  My anger has already escalated by this time because I just couldn’t see why they were making it such a big of a deal.  Then the lady and the guy asked me to follow them.  I left my cart and went with them, we met with another guy who I think was higher in rank among the security guys.  I kept talking and telling them that it was unbelievable what they’re doing.  I was taken in one office at the back. So there was me and three of them now, when another guy came and exaggerated that I was writing the prices of all the items.  I answered back, “You think every single item that you have here is on that list!”  I was saying how can I possibly do that.  This same guy even told the guy who was higher in rank that I told the staff who first talked to me that I have asked permission to write down the prices.  To this I answered that I never said I asked permission because I didn’t think it was necessary in the first place.  Then the same guy asked where I was working, as if implying that I was working or spying for someone.  I was bringing my and Tian’s passport since I was going to need it for QTEL.  I showed the RP on my passport which said “family”.  I told them I am not employed in any company because I am a stay-at-home mom.  But the security guy insisted on getting my ID, I took out my driver’s license but then I realized what they were up to, so I took it back. He was talking to this guy on the walkie-talkie after which he led us out of the office and they wanted me to with them to another office upstairs.  In all this commotion I kept my husband informed and we both decided that I didn’t have to go with them again in another office.  I told them that I was just going to leave and they can have the list that they were after.  But surprisingly, they were not about to let me leave.  They insisted that I go to the office with them upstairs.  This time I was so furious.  I kept shouting “No, I am not going with you, I don’t want to go with you, I am leaving!” Then the female staff who was assigned to get close to me kept holding my arm, so I shouted at her face to let go of my hand, not to touch me.  But she kept restraining me, sometimes my arm and at times the handles of my bag.  There were three of them trying to prevent me from leaving.  It was complete and utter harassment.  My only defense was to shout at the top of my lungs and let people know what was happening.

They stopped me from leaving from the middle part of the establishment up to the area near the exit.  But up until that point they didn’t want to let me go.  The female staff still held me tight but I was constantly shouting at her not to touch me and I was hitting her hands so that she’d let go.  I was shouting that I wasn’t committing any crime and I should not be restrained so they better let me go.  I was only allowed to leave after another guy talked to me on the phone.  The guy asked why I was nervous; he was telling me to calm down.  I told him I was furious and I cannot calm down.  How can you calm down when they’re ganging up on you and treating you like you stole something from them?  They got the list that they wanted and yet they were still forcing me to go to another office when I already agreed to go in one office earlier.  Who knows what kind of accusations they will start pinning on me once we get to the office. Can’t the manager or whoever wants to talk to me come down and settle the matter there?  I knew exactly what they were thinking that’s why I just decided to leave the place.  But no, they tried to restrain me, they would have dragged me there if they could and illegally detain me.  Then the guy on the phone asked if there was anything I’d like to buy from Lulu.  I answered “No way, I am never coming back to this place!”  Then he asked to talk to the guy again and then they finally let me go.  On my way out, “I shouted, you bunch of idiots!”  I called my husband and found out that he already got hold of the police. He was still actually talking to the police when I was able to talk to him but then we decided not to raise this issue to that level.  There are other ways to do it, first by letting this experience known by other people and most of all by boycotting Lulu for life.

I am never coming back to that damn place ever again.  Is this how you repay a loyal consumer?  You have humiliated me and treated me like a criminal just because of piece of paper.  You have been unfair and unjust, holding me against my will and forcing me to something against my will.  To the people of Lulu who ganged up on me, shame on you people when the first thing you should be concerned with is your customer’s satisfaction.  Apparently, it is not one of your priorities.  I guess the management has been all too smog because people go there anyway to shop.  I still remember your faces, especially the female staff who kept restraining me.  I am not a criminal, I am not a spy.  I am just a consumer who like any other consumer has the right to know the prices of commodities.  If you are so paranoid about people trying to spy on your prices, then that is not my problem anymore.  Is this also how you learn about your competitors’ prices that’s why you are so paranoid, you have to gang up on just one person?  You cannot just accuse people and treat them the way you have treated me.  I am disgusted and have no respect for those people who turned my normal shopping day into the most horrible day of my entire life.  “No to Lulu for life!”