I meant to post this over the weekend but its been mad here.
On friday night DH and I went to ASDA ( WALMART) to buy some salad, it was late ( about 10pm). I needed a shopping scooter but was told that they cnt give them out after 10pm as the store greeter has the key and he goes home at 10pm. I wasnt very happy and caused a bit of a stir telling the customer services that they were discriminating against disabled people shopping at night time.I told them i wasnt shopping there ever again.They were so rude.
I wrote an email to head office and got a reply back today, they are investigating my complaint and will be in touch soon. They offered me a gesture of goodwill but told them i couldnt use it as i wont go there no more.....That on behalf of every disabled person it was insulting and belittling especially as half the store was listening to me rant
I am sorry that happened to you. Why would the greeter take that stupid key?
I think it is because not very businesses care about customer service anymore. It is too costly to hire and train nice friendly people at low rates to help people. The only ones they hire are surly teenagers or people who can't speak english.
Our country is becoming too incompassionate. All we get are mechanized voices and mechanized people who are suppossedly paid to help, but don't because that would cause an inconvenience to them, and then when the store is called on this insensitivity, they try to placate us by some small token freebie that is useless to us anyway.
Society is teaching us that we should just watch out for ourselves until we get caught. I know that there are nice customer service people out there, but they seem to be the ones that are on commission. Sorry for the vent.
AWWW Im soo sorry that you were treated that way. You shouldnt have to choose to go grocery shopping when the greeter is there w/ the keys. How crazy!!!!
The big grocery chain here in IL is really good about asking if you need help bringing your bags to the car.
I don't "big" shop but about once a month and when I do I have a huge buggy full of groceries. Nothing ticks me off more than, 1)not even being asked if I need help carrying out, and 2) seeing how I just spent over 0.00 on groceries, they have the nerve to ask if I need help, and 3) I have to ask for a bagboy!
Sorry you were treated so rudely Lisa
So Sorry you were treated badly at Asda. You'd think they'd be more understanding and certainly worried about their reputation of being indiscriminatory. It upsets me to think that people can be so thoughtless when it's often an ordeal in itself to go shopping with mobility problems. I am sure the people who heard you would be on your side and also think it foolish that the greeter goes home wth the key for shopping scooters. A customer services manager or a senior staff member should have that with them all the time. Hope you have better luck with Tesco or Morrisons or Safeway. I use Tesco all the time as it is a really big store near us and it's not as rushed or crowded. I use a stick to walk with,but haven't used a scooter as yet. I just slowly amble whilst my hubby goes up and down the aisles. It may be a good idea to ask Customer Services at whichever store you decide to use and tell them of your bad experience. that way they would ensure that they got their act together and the scooters were available at all times the store is open. I hope you get a good apology in your letter although it does not compensate for the way you were treated.
Joolie x
That's horrible they couldn't offer you a scooter, but really are they obligated to do so by law? I see so many people that DO NOT need to use them using them and it really makes me mad. Again, I am sorry that happened and I'm sure you legitimately need it, but I thought those were merely "nice to have" and not required by the stores. Do you have the option of travelling with a wheelchair in case a scooter is not available?
Customer service has been on the missing list for years, in fact other services are disappearing as well. We have been warned that if we become an inpatient that we should have a family member or responsible person with us at all times, as there are just not enough nurses to do the job.
So sorry Pin...I would have been angry as well, in fact I was at a concert and was on crutches with my knee all wrapped. We found a scooter, and two blue hairs(perfectly good condition) said...we were here first and you will just have to walk. Loved it...I did try to walk...crying and walking. I am so sorry that the world now-a-days will NOT take care of the people who really need it. I know that at some point I will need help, and I just hope my kids are still around..'cause I know the general public will not.
Sad really, cause they will get old, and you still reap what you sow!!!
Lisa, I am so sorry you had to go through that. You don't seem to be the kind of person who would make a scene over anything unless it was something like this. And I certainly agree with you.
In the U.S. we have a law that covers access to stores and actually any public place. It's called the Americans with Disabilities Act. I don't think it requires stores to have scooters or wheelchairs available, but I'm not really sure about that. But they must have handicapped parking, ramps, doors wide enought to accomodate a wheelchair, and that sort of thing. Is there a similar law in U.K.?
I have actually encountered very helpful people in stores, banks and other places I go. If they don't have bagpersons, I will ask for someone to help me out. I am in my own electric scooter any time I shop, though. It doesn't have a basket, so if I go to Walmart, I try to use one of theirs, if I need more than a few things. I would have become every bit as irate as you were. That is ridiculous, to have the Greeter take home the only key! Where's the logic in that?
I would bet that you haven't heard the last from the main office. I'm sure they will do their best to encourage you to return as a customer.
By the way, how have you been feeling, lately? Hope you are doing well.
Take care, Lisa
Hugs, Nini
So sorry, Know how it feels been there. about 2 years ago I broke my foot in 4 places, very painful, along with the RA. no way I could walk. went to Walmart, husband went got cart and brough it back to car and helped me in it. Before we got to the front door the greeter stop us and wanted me to get out of the chair, I kid you not he wanted me to get out and let some man have it. It made me mad I kinda blew up at him and said no. When we got to the door I looked at the man and he needed the chair more then me, I just wished the greeter had ask in a different way. I ask my husband to let the man have the chair and he could push me in a wheelchair. He said no way, let the greeter push him. In most stores, like Pennys and Mervyn a chair is of no use you can't get thur the racks, I fould that out a few years ago, Had to go to Walmart and K-Mart.
The scooter are so nice, most of the time I can't shop without one unless its just a few items.
How rude of them. But glad to hear you made a stink about it.
That is just so dumb. So if you need a scooter your butt best be shopping during the day. Someone should have a key for those at all times. Especially if they are open all hours.
Hey Pinnie - did Asda go to the trash after Wal-Mart and them merged??? I always wondered that!I had foot surgery in August and cannot shop without a wheelchair or a scooter. Fortunately, one was available at the local super Wal-Mart. The downside was I COULDN'T GET IN THE BATHROOM IN THE SCOOTER! Really! How much sense does that make. It would not go in the door. Also, there were signs to not take the scooter out of the store. Like we are going to throw it in the car- I doubt it! My hubby told them at the service desk that I was going to ride it to my handicapped spot in the parking lot, because I we didn't want to get the wheelchair out of the car just to go a few feet.
I guess that the scooters are just for people who are able to walk in on their own. That doesn't make sense either.
I could rant more.
Now for the good story- I was in my wheelchair having supper at Panera and everyone in there was really nice and helpful. Even the customers helped move some chairs for me and a lady in the bathroom asked if she could help me.
Lynne
Oh well I suppose I have to share now.......Katie- thats what I have always dreaded about them wheelchair trolleys
Lynne- They never make the toilets wide enough for the scooters.
Jas- My dad would have been the same
Nini- I am ok thanks, We do have a discrimination law here, its a very serious offence to treat disabled people with discrimination. I will wait to see what asda head office come up with now. I really just want an explanation and a promise never to treat anyone else like that.
Hi Lisa,
GRRRRRRRR I also had a row with ASDA! At my local store they did a bit of a re-vamp about 2 years ago at the entrance and got rid of the trolley bay by the door where they used to keep the small shallow trolleys. Since then whenever I went in I couldn't find a small trolley - I can't push the big ones and even if I could I can't bend over enough to reach things in the bottom of them! Every time I went in I had to ask the Greeter (if there was one) or at the service desk for someone to get me one. They would look at me funny (I reckon they were thinking "you don't look disabled"). Eventually I started asking to see a Manager every time I went in and I wrote to Head Office. The problem was the trolley porters were leaving the small trolleys in the bays around the car park instead of bringing them to near the door (because the special bay had gone when they did the re-vamp) . Now they have a new special bay for small trolleys by the door. It's taken me about a year to get this done but it's the nearest and cheapest supermarket to me...
I think I must sound like some wierd old woman telling this story but I get so mad with things like this and I just can't stop myself!
KT
KT - No weirder than meMatthewF: I'm sure there are people that use the scooters who don't have to but how do you or I know that? After I had my knee replacement I used the scooter. I had a skirt that covered the dressing and I didn't look disabled. I'm sure that people may have looked at me and thought that I shouldn't be using the scooter when in fact I could only walk about 50 feet comfortably but had prescriptions and dressing materials to pick up. Plus I needed to get out of the house. I never presume that someone isn't disabled. Even though I have a disabled plaque for my vehicle I hardly ever use it. I have it for those RA days when it's painful to walk.
The baggers in the store where I shop almost always ask if we need help. At the commissary it's standard practice for the bagger to bag your groceries, push the cart to your vehicle, and then unload the groceries into your car. I've encountered rudeness very seldom and when I do I confront the person and I hope that they'll stop and think before they're rude to another person. The last time that I had to talk with someone about being rude was in my orthopedic doctor's office. That's the one place that you'd expect politeness. Not always so. She's been very nice to me since the encounter. It may be a false nice but I don't care. I don't particularly like her but I'm always nice to her. Lindy