To go back to the GB News interview, it filled in one of the details I had been wondering about, which was how the actual argument had kicked off. I had wondered whether Vanessa had really been something of a difficult customer regarding the cash/card discussion. I couldn’t really understand why Spain had felt the need to intervene unless she had been quite unpleasant.
However, Vanessa states in that interview that Spain had (unnecessarily) intervened, questioning her about whether she had a phone and pointing out that she could be traced that way. Whatever you think about people who prefer to use cash, there is no need for an employee in a cafe, facing such a customer, to say anything other than “Well I’m afraid we don’t take cash, so if you want to buy something, we’ll need to be paid by card.” Suggesting to a customer that they are being irrational is unprofessional and deliberately escalates a situation that should have been easy to defuse.
And Spain’s comment in the Vice article is quite suggestive, I think, that Spain might have done exactly what Vanessa said, and perhaps doesn’t understand how that situation would be approached by someone with adequate customer care skills.
”She was furious about not being able to pay cash, but it’s quite a common reaction from some older customers in our store, so I was ready with a response. But she just wouldn’t accept it.”
Literally the only acceptable response from an employee would be the one I mentioned above, but it’s clear from the video that Vanessa had actually paid and therefore must have used a card. If she had done so, there would be no further need for any intervention, so Spain’s version doesn’t fit with the facts that we do know from the video evidence.
Spain comes across as a very opinionated individual with poor customer skills and a very short fuse when challenged. And as someone else pointed out, any customer who was ranting and name calling in the way Spain is claiming, wouldn’t be bothering to say “don’t call me transphobic”. They would be continuing to name call and wouldn’t remotely care.
The Vice article makes it clear that Spain has learned nothing from the incident. I guess that should come as no surprise, but it confirms the impression I have that, as women continue to speak out, unless the police start doing their job, women’s rights campaigners are going to be seriously injured or worse. The barely suppressed violence is very clear.