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Im absolutely livid...thinking about sending a strongly worded email...

320 replies

Twdfn123 · 11/12/2022 12:45

Hi,

So my partner and I were at our local peacocks browsing the clothes and we had our 1 year old son with us. I usually push the pram as i look at baby clothes but my partner took him to go to the mens. thank god! Because as i was browsing a bit of the roof fell down about 2 ft in front of me!

Now if I had been pushing my son, that would have caved in over his pram and he could have been injured! I just sort of stood there frozen and the woman at the till noticed and came over. She said did that just happen and said yes. All she said is they should have fixed it months ago as there is a massive leak up there. Then that was it and she turned around and went about her business.

I get its not her fault, but 1) to not even ask if i was okay (i am just a bit shocked and grateful at the same time my son was with his dad) 2) for the store to not even cordon that corner off if they knew it was dangerous because of the 'bad leak'.
After the lady said that I looked at the ceiling and there was lots of brown patches and drips down the wall as well.

I feel like contacting customer service as i find this all quite appaling to be honest.

OP posts:
Eyerollcentral · 12/12/2022 18:11

That’s an amazingly quick turnaround from the council. I’m surprised they said it is classified as unsafe without seeing as much as a picture and on the basis of one email. Did they say it could be unsafe or definitely is? Usually they would investigate before saying anything so definitive.
No one said ignore it though did they, I think everyone pointed out you had already reported it in store

junglie · 12/12/2022 18:14

Our peacocks burnt down last year. Apparently staff had been complaining for years about dodgy electrics. No surprise then that a spark set fire to menswear and burnt the building almost to the ground. Luckily before they opened one morning.

Mumof2amazingasdkiddos · 12/12/2022 18:19

I literally cannot believe the abuse and nastiness of some of these replies! Fair play OP as you've handled the trolls with a calmness I couldn't have managed. For what its worth my 2 cents would be yes absolutely report it as its clearly a near miss and a further accident waiting to happen, I haven't read it all but I've seen you've contacted the relevant people so good for you for looking out for the safety of others. I suspect a lot of the nasty ones on here are just gutted it didn't happen to them so they could fake an injury and demand compensation!

sunshinemode · 12/12/2022 18:21

I think people asking why OP is livid are missing the point. This is not an accident, whoever is responsible for the building has neglected their responsibility and put people potentially at risk. Near miss is the term used by HSE and definitely should be reported along with what measures are in place to prevent it happening as this was an entirely preventable incident. The least we can except when we shop is surely that the ceiling won’t fall in on us particularly if it is a known issue.

Isinglass20 · 12/12/2022 18:21

For goodness sake. This needs to be reported to Head Office of Peacocks to prevent a future injury or death to someone else. It’s not about personal compensation. It’s altruism. How many serious incidents might have been avoided if there had been earlier reports?

MMUmum · 12/12/2022 18:22

Email head office to make sure it's been reported, and make them aware of staff attitude

Lulibee · 12/12/2022 18:28

This needs to be recorded as a ‘near miss’. It should have been recorded in the incident book, your details should have been taken. Someone on the store must be responsible for flagging this to HO.

I would send a formal complaint to head office and health and safety. Request an acknowledgment of your formal complaint and request details of their formal complaint procedure. You will then know the timelines for them responding to you with an outcome.

You have every right to be livid. You or your baby could have been badly hurt. Their attitude suggests they did not take this seriously, so this could have a far worse outcome if/when it happens again.

RavenhairedRachel · 12/12/2022 18:38

I think you have every right to be absolutely livid. It was an accident waiting to happen and the store should have taken responsibility. A similar thing happened to me many years ago now I was in a popular store which sells DIY products among other things. A clumsy assistant was putting some wood dye on the shelf and dropped the bottle thankfully it was plastic but it split covering my Daughter in brown wood dye. I complained to the manager who said 'its water based and should wash out' Hence strongly worded letter to head office .

Vynalbob · 12/12/2022 18:39

I think some responders are bonkers.
It's perfectly normal to be peed off that customer safety wasn't dealt with when a problem was apparently known.
I'd lean towards reporting it to your local health & safety dept. at your council.
This is about correcting a wrong not claiming ££s....posters jumping to that conclusion probably are the person who'd rush to a claim.
Incidentally if you contacted customer service and I was the manager I'd apologise and appreciate being able to correct the issue without anyone being hurt.

mrbreezeet1 · 12/12/2022 18:42

No! YABU!
It's not her fault the roof fell in. Shop somewhere else if you don't like it!

mam0918 · 12/12/2022 18:43

What are you livid about?

You will look insane writing that you're 'livid' that something could have happened but didn't (wasnt even a near miss as your child was nowhere near).

I mean if ANYONE that wasn't there had been and got hit then it would be an issue but wild 'what ifs' is not how complaints work.

Twdfn123 · 12/12/2022 18:51

LifesTooShortForYourNonsense · 12/12/2022 18:06

You need a compo-face pic for the local paper 😁

Yes, they should have a duty of care to customers, but there are a lot of what ifs here.

I'd rather not be in the paper!! 😬

OP posts:
Twdfn123 · 12/12/2022 18:52

PetuniaT · 12/12/2022 18:10

Sounds like "comp culture" is rearing its ugly head again

What's comp culture?

OP posts:
Cuppasoupmonster · 12/12/2022 18:52

Close shave and a bit of a ‘whew that was me nearly a goner’ moment, but not the staff’s fault - I can’t really think whose it would be really, maybe any contractors they had had out to fix it or the owner of the building whoever that is. Write if you want but it won’t ‘do’ anything.

Bethany7 · 12/12/2022 18:54

I'm with you O.P.
It doesn't bear thinking about if the ceiling had landed on your child. It's not acceptable at all.

Twdfn123 · 12/12/2022 18:54

junglie · 12/12/2022 18:14

Our peacocks burnt down last year. Apparently staff had been complaining for years about dodgy electrics. No surprise then that a spark set fire to menswear and burnt the building almost to the ground. Luckily before they opened one morning.

Thank goodness this was absolutely nowhere near as bad! And that no one was hurt at your peacocks. Sounds very dodgy!

OP posts:
Twdfn123 · 12/12/2022 18:55

Mumof2amazingasdkiddos · 12/12/2022 18:19

I literally cannot believe the abuse and nastiness of some of these replies! Fair play OP as you've handled the trolls with a calmness I couldn't have managed. For what its worth my 2 cents would be yes absolutely report it as its clearly a near miss and a further accident waiting to happen, I haven't read it all but I've seen you've contacted the relevant people so good for you for looking out for the safety of others. I suspect a lot of the nasty ones on here are just gutted it didn't happen to them so they could fake an injury and demand compensation!

Thank you for your kind words. It's been hard showing some restraint honestly.

Haven't received any compensation and don't wish to either. Sad thats what people think of others or assume these days 😓

OP posts:
Twdfn123 · 12/12/2022 18:57

sunshinemode · 12/12/2022 18:21

I think people asking why OP is livid are missing the point. This is not an accident, whoever is responsible for the building has neglected their responsibility and put people potentially at risk. Near miss is the term used by HSE and definitely should be reported along with what measures are in place to prevent it happening as this was an entirely preventable incident. The least we can except when we shop is surely that the ceiling won’t fall in on us particularly if it is a known issue.

Thank you! 🙌wish I could have said it as eloquently as you x

OP posts:
beatsin8s · 12/12/2022 19:00

What is wrong with people! Obviously it should be reported! And there is nothing wrong with 'what ifs' in this scenario, the whole point is 'what if next time someone is underneath it'.

And the PP saying if you don't like it shop somewhere else? WOW. You're the problem if you don't like ceiling on your head 🙄

Sorry you've had all these silly accusations of looking for compensation @Twdfn123. It's quite sad so many people wouldn't act on something unless they were getting something out of it x

Twdfn123 · 12/12/2022 19:00

mam0918 · 12/12/2022 18:43

What are you livid about?

You will look insane writing that you're 'livid' that something could have happened but didn't (wasnt even a near miss as your child was nowhere near).

I mean if ANYONE that wasn't there had been and got hit then it would be an issue but wild 'what ifs' is not how complaints work.

It was a near miss to me as the ceiling caved it in about 2ft in front of me and just missed my head. Thankfully it wasn't a near miss to my som but next person may not be so lucky. Near miss it was and so should be reported as I have done. Angry as this issue has been ignored for months.

OP posts:
beatsin8s · 12/12/2022 19:02

Should add, H and S measures are put in place for what ifs. They're designed to prevent an accident, not just hope one doesn't happen.

Mumof2amazingasdkiddos · 12/12/2022 19:02

Twdfn123 · 12/12/2022 18:55

Thank you for your kind words. It's been hard showing some restraint honestly.

Haven't received any compensation and don't wish to either. Sad thats what people think of others or assume these days 😓

I know you're not after compensation that was clear from your initial post so it's sad that so many immediately judged you wrongly that you were after some easy cash. Head high my love you've done the right thing and anyone that says otherwise can go boil their heads!

Twdfn123 · 12/12/2022 19:02

Cuppasoupmonster · 12/12/2022 18:52

Close shave and a bit of a ‘whew that was me nearly a goner’ moment, but not the staff’s fault - I can’t really think whose it would be really, maybe any contractors they had had out to fix it or the owner of the building whoever that is. Write if you want but it won’t ‘do’ anything.

Never said it was staffs fault the roof caved in. Didn't say that either when I contacted my environmental agency as told to do so by my council. If no one ever reports anything like this problems will get worse until it hurts somebody

OP posts:
Irridescantshimmmer · 12/12/2022 19:02

That was close.

A strongly worded email to Peacocks head office is a good idea OP.

The shop assistant meant no harm to you by her reaction they may well have been just as shocked as you but did not show it.

PurpleButterflyWings · 12/12/2022 19:04

mrbreezeet1 · 12/12/2022 18:42

No! YABU!
It's not her fault the roof fell in. Shop somewhere else if you don't like it!

WTAF?! 😂 Is this a serious post?