Sainsbury's apologises to mobile customer refused service

Sainsbury's has said that it is not company policy to refuse to serve customers using mobile phones

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Sainsbury's has apologised to a customer who was refused service by a checkout worker until she had ended her mobile phone call.

The customer, Jo Clarke, was told her shopping would not be processed until she had finished talking on her phone.

Ms Clarke was shopping at the chain's branch in Crayford, south east London.

Sainsbury's said in a statement to the BBC: "We have apologised to Ms Clarke. It isn't our policy to not serve customers who are using a mobile."

Ms Clarke said: "I ended my call swiftly and said to the lady on the checkout 'Apologies, I didn't realise that it was Sainsbury's policy that you are unable to use your phone at the checkout', and she said 'Well, you learn something new every day'."

She spoke to the customer service desk at the store and was told then the move was not company policy.

Ms Clarke said she would be transferring her custom to a nearby branch of the rival supermarket Waitrose.

Sainsbury's is trying to offer her a £10 shopping voucher by way of redress for the incident which it said took place this Monday, but it needed her to contact the company.

It said: "We offered a £10 voucher at the time. Ms Clarke hasn't responded to date with her address which we need so we can send it to her."