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.

Agree.

Please report - being blind/partially sighted is a protected characteristic/disability.

Good.

And any decent employer will ensure that even if there is no evidence, they make their expected standards of behaviour absolutely bloody clear. It is this sort of attitude that makes people walk away - you get tired of the fight at times, because being elderly and/or having a disability is such a pain for everyone else. We are just in the way, in some people's books. Until decent people stop watching abusive behaviour and become active bystanders, society will always be ruled by bullies and their ilk. It doesn't matter whether it's a group of bloked catcalling a woman, a rude worker having a go at an elderly person, or someone who thinks racist language is amusing. We all have a responsibility for the way others act - if we are not part of the solution, then we are part of the problem.

I once complained about a whsmith employee who was similarly vile to someone at an airport shop, he explained that he had dyslexia and English was his second language so he was struggling with the self serve till, she was so nasty and belittling. I called her out on it and she turned on me and tried to get the rest of the queue to agree with her, it was awful, I was shaking afterwards as I couldn't believe the nastiness of some people. Complained via their website and they said they would look into it but not sure if they ever did.

Just seen you’ve reported it, well done.

Although I think the reply from Lidl is lame. You could also email RNIB and tell them - they advocate for VI people.

Vile woman, that poor bloke. Glad you stepped in and offered to help, I really can't stand it when people are like this, especially to an elderly person. We all get old, maybe she'll be old and struggling to see herself one day, hopefully she meets her match!

Totally do it. She must behave like that to vulnerable people all the time.

I struggle to hold my tongue in situations like that and I'd likely have told her to stop being an abusive bitch and gone straight to the manager.

The thought of someone speaking to my Father or Grandfather like this makes my blood boil. I would email head office and I would ring head office. I would tweet Lidl and say you witnessed a rude / abusive member of staff be frankly vile to a vulnerable member of society. I would not let this go. I hope you got her name so you can accurately tell them who it is.

That poor man. I would absolutely report her, vile woman.
I’ve had cataract surgery and have near perfect vision now but before surgery I was one point off being legally blind, I had eye tests and couldn’t see the bloody chart never mind read anything off it. everything was a deep brown sepia haze, imagine those old daguerreotype photos..I could see to input my pin on card machines, couldn’t drive, had to stop caring for my grandchild because I couldn’t see her if she ran off ahead of me, husband had to tell me when to cross the road, tell me where my food was on my plate. After surgery it took a week to be able to see clearly , instead of a brown sepia haze it was like looking through a steamy shower door ( a lot of water is used in cataract surgery) and then it took time for my brain to adjust this new world of colour and brightness once the water had cleared.

Terrible generic reply from Lidl. I'm betting that is the last you hear from them.

Well that reads totally like an AI response

My husband is partially sighted no sight in one eye and glaucoma in the other which affects his sight badly. It is not always easy when you are out shopping we have had a few shop assistants that have been unpleasant as while I have been paying he is packing the bag and is a little slow or doesn't see it all. On Monday because of a problem with a cash machine we had to go into a branch of our bank we had never been to before to sort out the matter I was talking to the young chap in the reception part he was getting me to sign my name and as joint account I said do you want my husband to sign as well explained he was partially sighted but if you show him where to sign he can he said I can see he has a problem with his eyesight would he like to sit down whilst we sort it out. I then had to see the teller to get money out she was just as nice and only required my signature. I have contacted the branch to say how good the service was.

I’d 100 report her.

Report her. I did this at the Premier Inn when I saw a disabled woman being bullied by a staff member and they were brilliant and took it all very seriously. Ablism is a common bigotry and she needs sorting or sacking.

Hopefully the response from the CEO's admin will be less generic.

I know when I've issues with Evri and have emailed the CEO I've got a much better response from his team than I ever have from filling in the complaints form.

Well done for reporting OP. How awful!

I’m glad you reported her OP! How horrible!

Well done op. My grandfather and nan would both really struggle with self service checkouts. I'd be fuming if she spoke to them that way.

Yep, I was thinking why didn’t she step in and calmly call out her behaviour 🤷🏼‍♀️

@Greenfinc Report report report!
I feel quite tearful about this, what a wicked woman and I truly hope she never develops an eye issue herself.
But maybe if she did, she’d have more humanity.
I’m appalled at her cruel and disrespectful comments.
Please take this further.

People don’t though. I was subjected to a racist hate incident in a post office with an entire queue of people and post office employees present. No one said anything. I think a lot of people have that freeze instinct.

Poor bloke.

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