Is it worth complaining about BHS?

[Hayls]

THis has been bothering me a bit all night and I wondered what your thoughts were to try and put it in perspective a bit...
I went into BHS yesterday to return a pair of light up slippers for dd that didn't flash. I waited in the queue for a bit and there was a woman in front- I couldn't see her very well but she 'looked' Indian and in her 30s but had no probs communicating. She finished paying etc then asked the woman behind the counter if she had any job application forms to which she replied (VERY loudly) 'yes, you can ask customer services but you need to have been in the ocuntry for 6 months to work here.' The woman was obviously embarrassed and turned away then left the shop.

This bothered me but I then asked the same woman about dd's slippers and she told me I could exchange them with her or go to customer services to get a refund. Customer services is upstairs and dd was in her buggy so I asked if there was a lift but she said there wasn't so I would need to use the staff lift but there was only her and one other person on the floor so she doubted anyone could help me. I had to go up the escalator (had no probs with full refund even without receipt!) then carry dd in her buggy back down the stairs. Somebody helped me halfway down - I assume he was staff as he was putting clothes on rails but didn't have a uniform on- and he said 'there is a lift, you know. You just have to ask us to help' Aargh!! I told him I was advised nobody could help but he wasn't interested.

So is this woman a racist, moaning minnie or is she just stressed with January sales shoppers? IS BHS normally this bad?
I know it sounds bit trivial but it has got to me a bit. Is it worth contacting them?

P.S. I didn't get the woman's name

I would make a complaint without hesitating, that is a disgusting way to treat customers, and as for her being stressed with the January sales CHANGE JOBS she has to know how busy it will be and deal with it. There is no excuse for that kind of behaviour either to yourself or the lady in front of you.

I work in a shop and this woman sounds like she should work else where! Retail seems to attract people it shouldn't, probably the lure of staff discount!

TBH I wouldn't report her, just hope you don't meet her again.

I'v said don't report her, I meant don't hesitate to report her

Oh definitely worth a complaining letter pointing out the holes in their staff's "Customer Care" training.

Under new legislation employers have to check that someone is eligible to work in this country. However it has to be done in a non discriminatory manner so whe would have had to say that to all white people who asked as well. (Doubt if she does though)

It's not the shop assistant's job to check whether someone is eligible, though, or leap to any assumptions about a customer's residency status. This woman was being rude. Perfectly within your rights to point this out to the store manager.

I wanted to buy something at BHS and stood at an empty counter for a while waiting for someone to serve me but no-one turned up so I went to the 'customer services' counter where there were 4 staff standing chatting to each other. When I held out the item and cash one of them pointed at a sign that said 'refunds only' or something like that and then finally spoke, telling me to go to another till at the other end of the shop. I slapped the items down and told her to forget it. (of course after I'd stropped out of the shop I was annoyed because I really wanted the things I was trying to buy!)