I witnessed a retail employee being absolutely vile to an elderly man today

[Greenfinc]

This afternoon in a small branch of Lidl at the self service checkouts. Nobody was on the actual tills so no option to use them instead.

An elderly man needed some help scanning his shopping and was explaining to the employee overseeing the checkouts that he was partially sighted and was struggling to find the bar codes.

The employee was absolutely horrible to him saying being partially sighted doesn't mean he can't see and that there's a difference between being partially sighted and blind. Her attitude was vile.

She begrudgingly scanned his remaining items, as though he'd asked her to pay for them herself, and as he was collecting his change from the machine she sarcastically said "oh you managed to see that well enough did you"

I asked him if he needed any help and if he was ok and he explained that he'd had two surgeries on his eyes and couldn't see very well, and that he was only able to get about to the shop on his own as he knew and was used to it but struggled with the bar codes.

I told him I'd heard everything that woman had said to him and that I'm going to contact the head office about her and report exactly what I'd heard. He said he didn't want to make a fuss and that she was clearly just looking for an argument.

WIBU to report her to her employer regardless? I feel really sad about it and don't think somebody like that should be in a customer facing role working with members of the public. Horrible bully.

well done for reporting, would hate my mum or dad to be treated like that. Disgusting.

Report the twat. Poor man.

Yeah report her.
She's an obnoxious and intolerant cow, she should be dismissed for that.

Lidl need to drop her like a lead balloon.

You absolutely have a responsibility to that vulnerable man to report her on his behalf. Well done for standing up to this

Report her. It's tough enough being old without people like that making it worse for you. I'd contact the store manager and the central offices.

I've now sent a report via the lidl website, tweeted them and emailed the CEO directly. I did make a point of mentioning in the email to the CEO that I have already made contact via twitter, I know companies don't like bad press. Hopefully they will do something about it, even if it's just to save face on their end.

I can't align myself with the mindset of people like her at all. I just couldn't treat somebody like that. You have to have a rotten heart to be so cruel.

Report her. Also ask for feedback, too often they don't do anything about these sort of people.

100% report her. A nasty person like that should not be in a customer facing role

Well done 💐. The old fellow is probably frightened to make a fuss in case it rebounds on him.

He knows the way to that shop and may have to use it indefinitely.

I know retail is hard and poorly rewarded , having done it. But yeah , she is in the wrong job. Plenty of positions where she won't have to deal with people.

Well that was quick, I've had an email reply from Lidl customer services already. See attached

Yes...definitely report the nasty little bitch. You sound lovely 😍

I would've pulled her up
I would've called her out
I would've bollocked her
I would've blasted her...

Such urban warriors. So hard to believe

I hope they do take the complaint seriously. What a vile woman!

That is a standard template response. I hope they will take action but I think I would follow up in a few days' time.

Such a generic reply… but then again not sure what reply to expect.

Why do you need to make allowances for lidl staff? Am I missing something?

This is so sad. Poor gentleman deserves so much better.

Please report to head office, with a description of the staff member.

I would have given her a dressing down there and then!

Well done op. What a horrible woman.

But what can they do?

I mean the victim in this scenario didn’t want to pursue it.

So it’s someone who overheard treatment of someone that they didn’t like but the person who endured it shrugged and walked away.

I could honestly cry reading this. What a horrible, horrible person.That could be someone's dad or grandad and it would kill me if this had happened to mine without me knowing and no one said anything. Please please report it 🙏

This.

It doesn’t matter if he wants to pursue it or not. Employees cannot talk to staff like that and if she were mine she would be appropriately disciplined.

Report her I know a few people who are partially sighted they need more help with every day tasks the older they get. They're eyesight is worse indoors than out in natural daylight.

They can ensure the staff member is given some training on customer care and disabilities. If a bystander (independent witness) was appalled enough to report it, then I think most people would conclude it must have been quite bad.

I am horrified reading your first post, OP. Glad you reported the incident. Poor man. Given how much effort it must take him to keep going, he’s obviously a very determined person.

That doesn't mean it shouldn't be reported! 🤦‍♀️ If nothing else if someone else reports terrible treatment of this same employee at least there is a reported history! And just because the victim of the bullying doesn't want to pursue it doesn't mean the company won't, and I doubt they'd be happy knowing they have an employee making their business look bad so they might want to give her a warning that this sort of behaviour towards customers is unacceptable.