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.

So you would take a name, location of a stranger from a one sided unvarified story off a forum and then phone up that persons boss to make a formal complaint against something you never witnessed that could be a lie?

Well thats both morally corrupt and legally dodgy.

Urgh, the cut and paste reply with the address filled in. I'd make sure you raise it with the store as well either in person or by phone.

This!

But still report.

Well done for reporting her, OP. It's not just today's upset, although that's bad enough on it's own; It's this gentleman dreading his next shop there too, every week for ever more if he doesn't have an alternative.

Definitely report her. That poor man

**by this same employee I meant to say, not 'of'.

My point is - any decent employer will not automatically believe a customer over an employee. Certainly where there is no evidence whatsoever and the victim himself shrugged and walked off

A word with the branch manager will probably be more effective and I bet he/she knows who you're talking about too!

And the response indicates they feel the same way

Agree with you OP.

My dad struggles with his sight too and the thought of some cunty person in a shop humiliating him like this is very upsetting.

I'd have lost my shit with her there and then so well done you for not

Report her.
I reported a nasty manager at Asda who shouted at two younger female employees in front of customers. He was sarcastic and nasty to them in front of about ten people.

It doesn't matter if they do or not the point is it should be reported so there is a record of it at the VERY least.

Report the bitch

"He said he didn't want to make a fuss and that she was clearly just looking for an argument."

Funny how she didn't pick an argument with her immediate supervisor or the CEO of Lidl, eh?

WIBU to report her to her employer regardless?

You will be doing other people a service if you DO report her! Nasty little madam. She is a bully and a horrible person, from the sound of her. I would even mention that you will not be back to Lidl until you hear the outcome of your complaint - and, in the meantime, in addition to posting the whole story on MN, you will be telling all local shoppers as well.

I once reported a Lidl manager bullying staff members.
I was horrified by the managers attitude, aggression and general nastiness to check out staff. The cashier noticed my face, and said "oh he's always like that, you noticed it too".

I sent a email to Lidl and was equally horrified by their (lack of) response.

i very much doubt they keep records of this kind of thing. The op doesn’t even know the employees name and they haven’t asked.

Report her. Working in somewhere like Lidl (low price end shop) does not mean that behaviour is acceptable.

She sounds horrible.🙁

Generic reply! I'd reply to that email asking for a detailed break down of exactly what action they've taken, at the store in question, to prevent this happening again.

Well done on reporting her! 👏

It depends. I suspect it's not the first time so if more than one person complains it hopefully will achieve something.

The Disability Discrimination Act( later included in the Equality Act 2010) makes it unlawful to treat someone less favourably on the grounds of their disability which is something "which has a substantial and long term impact on their ability to do normal day to day activities" (such as scan bar codes. It also allows for reasonable adjustments to assist disabled people. What she did was unlawful as wellas nasty

Presumably there will camera footage they can check so there will be evidence. Those areas have loads of security to prevent walk offs.

Sure. No decent employer would put in place consequences for the accused employee in such a situation. However, a decent customer-facing employer should take steps to ensure that customers are treated politely, both in general and when they request assistance. A decent employer upon receiving complaints from customers that employees are not treating customers politely will try to reinforce the policy.

Found your tweet. It's one thing to report it, and I'm glad you have, but I don't think sharing her picture on Twitter is fair. She needs disciplining, not a pile on. She may well lose her job and you've scuppered her chances of getting another. She should be allowed to learn from her mistake.

Oh they do. A time and a description is all they need - a name is not necessary.

You did the right thing OP. You didn't cause a scene and make the older man feel worse, you didn't make your children nervous, you didn't make it about you and your outrage.

Supporting the victim in these types of incidents Is much more helpful. you've also reported it.