An ordinary, everyday event can turn into a major problem for disabled people if there is social disregard which turns a manageable impairment into a disability.
Here’s a clear example. I sent this complaint to M&S today:
“I was in Lowestoft M&S this afternoon about 4pm. I collected my purchases and took them to the cash out. There was one cashier at the desk (which has three or four tills) who was dealing with a customer who obviously had a shipping order and was taking along time to serve. There was no-one else waiting.
I am disabled and while I can walk with a stick, standing for even a short time causes pain. After waiting for some minutes in increasing pain, I moved to the vacant till next to the cashier who was still serving the same person in order to put my purchases on the counter so to use both hands to support myself.
At that point the cashier turned to me and said "the queue is the other side sir". When I looked where she was indicating, there was a lengthy queue.
I left my purchases on the counter and walked out.
Firstly and most importantly, you should have facilities for disabled people who are unable to stand for very long. Secondly, your management appears to be lax as, while this was happening, there were other shop assistants wandering around - one actually through the cash desk and none even looked as if they would attempt to relieve the queue.
I am copying this complaint to my blog.”
Here’s a clear example. I sent this complaint to M&S today:
“I was in Lowestoft M&S this afternoon about 4pm. I collected my purchases and took them to the cash out. There was one cashier at the desk (which has three or four tills) who was dealing with a customer who obviously had a shipping order and was taking along time to serve. There was no-one else waiting.
I am disabled and while I can walk with a stick, standing for even a short time causes pain. After waiting for some minutes in increasing pain, I moved to the vacant till next to the cashier who was still serving the same person in order to put my purchases on the counter so to use both hands to support myself.
At that point the cashier turned to me and said "the queue is the other side sir". When I looked where she was indicating, there was a lengthy queue.
I left my purchases on the counter and walked out.
Firstly and most importantly, you should have facilities for disabled people who are unable to stand for very long. Secondly, your management appears to be lax as, while this was happening, there were other shop assistants wandering around - one actually through the cash desk and none even looked as if they would attempt to relieve the queue.
I am copying this complaint to my blog.”
Comments
I have a personal customer complaint story to share.
Actually you putting yours up on your blog has made me think I should put mine up too.
I do on line shopping because my disabilities affect travel and environments that make me feel claustraphobic.
Anyway, story goes. In November Tescos had a buy one free offer on Christmas Yule Logs and because I can't afford a big food shop, I stock up over a couple of months before hand.
So, comes to Christmas and I open up the box, cut the log and take a bite. It tasted like even mouldier blue vein cheese. I thought it was just me, because I am a funny old bird. And took another bite and that was the same.
so I checked the sell by date on the side of the packet. It said 15 November. DOH!
I have written a couple of times to the Customer Services Department at Tescos and they said that there might have been a problem with staff getting rid of old stock first.
Not a sorry and we will replace the goods with another item to the cost of. Not even an acknowledgement that what it actually was was advertising undo false premises.
When I wrote back saying I was not satisfied with their response or the quality of the service they provided and wanted contact details of the manager so I could communicate with them, I was told that staff pick the items in good faith and are not responsible if the customer retains the goods after the sell by date. Believe me Mike, if I knew Tescos were selling Christmas Yule Logs that weren't actually edible for Christmas I wouldn't have bothered.
I have informed the Customer Service Department that I am contacting The Trading Standards Department because I think the product information on the Tesco website was misleading.
I have now been notified by Tescos that they can longer communicate with me until a Trading Standards investigation has taken place.
It is disgusting how companies won't accept responsibility nor try and rectify situations.
I have the number for Trading Standards and will be ringing them but am going to do the most powerful thing I can do and that is take my custom elsewhere and inform others of how Tesco Customer Services have behaved.