For wanting to complain about this member of staff in Sainsburys - sorry long

[sillybut]

I went to Sainsburys yesterday with my DD. I wasn't feeling too well so wanted to get in and out as quick as possible and had a short list of things we really needed. About half way round I started feeling awful - I was sick, couldn't feel parts of my body and everything had gone all blurry. DD was really scared but had the sense to run up to a member of staff and say "my mummy's not very well" (she's only 2+7). The woman turned round to her and said "she's just drunk you've got a really stupid mummy have't you" then she came up to me and told me I should leave the store immediately and take my child before she called the police.

By this time I couldn't talk properly, was crying with pain and could hardly walk. I knew by that stage I had a full blown migraine such as I've only had twice in my life before. I was mortified about being sick. Another woman stopped and said she was a nurse and and after that I don't remember much until I foundmyself in an ambulance with a very scared DD and the lovely nurse who'd insisted on cming to teh hospital with me.

I probably looked drunk but should I complain about the woman's reaction? DD keeps saying "mummy was sick and lady was horrid to me" and crying.

I think it is called damage limitation

Manager found out what happened, immediately dispatched flowers and toys to you in the hope it doesn't go any further, but tbh I personally feel it should.

Is that really enough to placate you for what happened, what if that nurse hadn't been there......?

Aren't the staff at Sainsbury's there to help, not criticize and judge?

"try something new today", the delightful member of staff certainly did that .

I do not agree in the senseless litigation that goes on these days but I do think that they need to be blamed and shamed, remember there are no bad employees just bad employers, she is/was employed by JS Sainsbury after all

ButteryflyBessie, I agree with you in that it should go further, toys & flowers aren't enough to make up for that.

But I do disagree your last comment about no bad employees. Sainsburys staff are trained in what to do if a customer is taken ill. That woman should've called a first aider & an ambulance, it was her decision to make a judgement & ignore sillybut and it is entirely her fault, not the company's.

Thank you. I've thought about it overnight and decided that toys and flowers while nice do not solve the problem. It was kind of the manager but as someone said its clearly damage limitation. (DD is very pleased with her new Uppsy Daisy and Iggle Piggle though!)

I'm not of a mood to sue but I do want reassurance that this is being properly dealt with.

the flowers are an acknowledgement of distress-yes BUT they should be seriously addressing the shortcomings of their staff and the abrupt unhelpful manner you were treated. after all they need to learn and refledt and offer some staff training for this. Another member of public it will happen again - and they need to know how to alert a first aider, act respomnsibly

i fainted in M&S when pg and they were fantastic. took me to a first aid room. made sure i was ok, got me a phone call sent me home in a cab. i did write and say thanks

How did the manager get your address if you hadn't handed in your letter of complaint yet?

I think I'd ask if you could meet with the member of staff in question and explain to her how bad she had made you and your daughter feel. And watch her grovel

I work at Sainsburys and the best person to write to is Mr Justin King at the Holborn address. cc your letter to the store manager. The fact that the nurse has complained too will back up your complaint.

Sainsburys are currently putting a lot of effort, time and money into customer service training so will be appalled by this stupid, ignorant persons comments.

Hope you get a decent repsonse and this nasty member of staff is dismissed before she can cause any more upset.

Forget all this write a letter stuff, go back to the store and demand to see the General Manager. Then demand that he gets the member of staff in question for a face to face showdown with General Manager, Member of staff and you. Really let them have it, how you were'nt able to complain at the time due to feeling so ill, you had a young child with you who needed help etc etc. The store manager definitely needs to take action over this. Yes, also contact HQ, go to the local press - the whole 9 yards. The bad publicity, they'll hate that.

Sorry if I'm repeating, but have only read opening posts.

Your DD was amazing.

You shouldn't necessarily assume that the manager is engaging in damage limitation. He/she was probably as appalled as all of us here upon hearing of your treatment. One bad member of staff doesn't mean everyone who works there is equally bad. Personally, I'm quite encouraged that the manager acted immediately to start fixing the wrong. He/she could have just not bothered. Whilst, I'm not in retail, I would be livid if any of my staff behaved half as badly towards one of my customers, especially a child!

Having said that, you should definitely ensure that the disciplinary action that has been promised is followed through. The staff member needs to understand what she did and said was very wrong and take the consequences of that. I would definitely write to Mr King as it needs to be taken to the highest levels in the company.

RobA, I agree. It happened on Friday and he had responded over the weekend, that's a fast response and I think shows he is probably serious about dealing with it. I don't think that going in with all guns blazing is necessarily helpful. If the manager is generally appalled then he will be on your side and doing so could alienate an ally.

Write to the manager, tell him you appreciate the gesture and that you do want a resolution to this issue as not only was the member of staff out of order but she has traumatised your little girl. Leave the ball with him for now, it is early days and so far he has shown that he is willing to deal with it. If he doesn't prove to be on your side then go big with it.

I'm really shocked at all this ...

I've not read all theposts sorry, but this womas should be severely disciplined and a months supply of shopping should be yours

But you should be so proud of your DD.

Hope you are feeling much better now.

Hopefully the extremely rude, wrongly judgemental staff member will be removed from face to face contact with customers and spend the rest of her career with sainsbo's working in the stores and freezer-rooms !

I feel sure she will be made to re-train or leave and every one will know about it as this sort of gossip spreads like wildfire amongst the staff.

She may have to find another job.

I agree with TinkerbellesMum, his letter does say that they will be taking action in line with their disciplinary policy, and reviewing their training. He's also said he will update you, which gives you an opportunity to go back if you don't hear anything, so I don't think its a damage limitation fob off.

Honestly, what was that woman thinking of? And, even if she genuinely thought it, to say that to a littley and you is just crass.

What a dreadful story. I hope you and your dd can put this behind you adn I agree with others saying push it further.

I couple of years ago, I was paying at the checkout with my shoppinbg in Sainsburys and the woman on the checkout took the copy of OK Magazine she had been looking at and started pointing at the pictures of Jordan and her son Harvey on the cover, re-iterating to me the quotes on the fronbt page - something about his disability causing him to be violent and hot out at her at times etc. The checkout lady was incredibly rude saying 'Well, that;s disgusting, I wouldn't put up with the bugger hitting me, she should show him some discipline' etc etc I was horrified at her attitude and said politely that 'I believe he has special needs and so cannot be judged on his behaviour' while trying to pack my shopping as she waited for me topay. The lady behind me had a child in a pushchair that I had not taken much notice off until she started to get very upset and tell the checkout witch that her child had similiar problems and how life was hard enough without people making such judgments etc etc.

I was so incensed at this staff member that I went straight to customer sevices to complain that she had upset the customer behind me, that idle banter while paying for shopping was one thing but to start making such obnoxious and ignorant remarks to myself out of no where had made me feel very uncomfortable and annoyed etc etc. The lady with the SN child who had been behind me came along and just as I was at the desk and made a complaint as wella nd thanked me for 'saying my piece to the checkout woman instead of bowing my head and letting her get away with it.' She was clearly very upset and it is a situation that has stuck with me for years.

Sillybut, is there any outcome on this yet???

Absolutely disgusting!! The stupid woman, she should NOT have spoken to anyone like that let alone your dd, who was obviously terrified. She must be a really nasty piece of work, complain all the way to the top, your dd was a clever little thing, obviously more intelligent that the Sainsburys happy to help you biatch!!

I once had a todo in Sainsburys, with a grumpy little toad, changed how i shopped, go to the competitor across the road now.

Good Luck, and a big cheer to your dd.