[Blindtlk] A Horrible Experience at Kmart

[Judy Jones]

While you are making the complaint, I would also somehow slip in there the top-notch customer service you did receive from the employee who helped you, so you don't come across as just another complainer.  Maybe you could also end your complaint with a solution on how things could be handled next time, and leave it on a positive note.

Judy

-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Charlotte via blindtlk
Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2015 10:11 PM
To: Heather Field; Blind Talk Mailing List
Cc: Charlotte
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] A Horrible Experience at Kmart

Hello. Thanks so much for your advice. I will definitely write a letter and send it. I do have the names of the 2 people I spoke to and the dates and times. My county case worker has already contacted our newspaper but I do not know if it will get anywhere. I will put this letter together as soon as I can. Again, thank you very much for your advice.


On 7/15/2015 10:58 PM, Heather Field via blindtlk wrote:
> Hello Charlotte,
> Sorry to hear you were treated so appallingly.
> If you really want to follow this incident through to a satisfactory 
> resolution, I suggest that you document your complaint in writing and 
> send it, priority mail, to corporate complaints department. This way 
> you will be able to keep track of dates. It is important to get the 
> names of those to whom you spoke on the phone when you called 
> corporate complaints. When you write to them and you require a receipt 
> from the postal service that proves the letter was delivered, and it 
> lists when and to whom, you can build your case, showing how they 
> continue to ignore you and to do nothing about the unacceptable 
> behaviour of their store manager. If they do, in fact, ignore several 
> letters, then you can decide whether you would like to make a 
> complaint to one of the government entities. Or, you might decide to 
> take your story and complaint, and your carefully kept evidence, to 
> your local newspaper or television news producers, to warn everyone in 
> your local community about how K-mart allows some of its store 
> managers to treat shoppers with special needs.
> I hope you do decide to put your complaint in writing and follow it 
> up. It may take some time and effort but this is the only way we 
> achieve change, by individuals insisting on incremental changes.
> Warmly,
> Heather
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Charlotte via blindtlk
> Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2015 10:02 PM
> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> Cc: Charlotte
> Subject: [Blindtlk] A Horrible Experience at Kmart
>
> A few days ago my best friend and I were talking about the good deals 
> she got while at Kmart with another friend of hers. They had sales on 
> swimsuits, clothing, shoes, etc. and I was looking to purchase some of 
> these same articles. She said she'd like to go back as well so we 
> planned a trip for Friday, July 3, to go to Kmart on paratransit to 
> get the items we wanted. I told her I'd call ahead the next day and 
> let them know we were coming and that we would be there quite a while 
> as we were two blind women, one in a wheelchair, looking for clothing 
> and accessories. The next day I called to let them know. I spoke to 
> the manager on duty. He assured me it was no problem. I didn't feel 
> very satisfied with his brush-off quick response and told my husband 
> about it. He then called again and spoke to a customer service lead. 
> This time he, too, was assured that it would be no problem. He gave 
> the times we'd be there and she said she'd get it taken care of and 
> leave a note at the service desk so they could get someone in ladies' 
> clothing or a similar department to help us. We again told her the 
> length of time we were looking at and that there would be two of us. 
> We arrived at Kmart Friday and I went to the service desk. I again 
> said I had called ahead and spoken to two people and told them we were 
> coming and that my friend and I would need help shopping. Not only 
> were my two previous calls ignored, but we were given a male cashier 
> who knew nothing about clothing. He, as an employee and a person, was 
> fantastic. But I did not feel the most comfortable shopping for intimate apparel with a male not related to me.
> We proceeded to begin shopping and purchased some shoes, swimsuit, and 
> were looking at pants. We had been shopping for about 2 hours. My 
> friend and I were in the women's fitting room trying on clothing. All 
> of a sudden there is a loud bang on the door. In a raised, scathing 
> tone, the general manager of the store inquires how much longer we 
> intend on tying his employee up. I again explained that we had called 
> twice in advance and that I had indeed spoken to a manager on duty. I 
> explained this in a calm tone, only letting a bit of my growing 
> frustration show. Dan, the store manager, then proceeds to publicly, 
> loudly berate me in front of the other customers and employees and 
> tell me how unappreciative and ungrateful I am. He said I had tied up 
> an employee for 3 or 4 hours. We had begun shopping at 11 and it was 
> just after 1 when the incident occurred. He said that from now on they 
> are putting a 30 minute maximum on any assistance because of my 
> extreme attitude. I tried to reason with him as did my friend and say 
> we were not being extreme. We'd tried to do the responsible thing and 
> if we'd come separate they'd have had two employees tied up. It really 
> hurt my feelings and upset me very much to be publicly humiliated and 
> berated in front of the other customers and employees, and while I was 
> trying on clothes in the women's fitting room. I came out of the room 
> in tears. The gentleman helping us was appalled. He profusely 
> apologized for his manager's rude behavior and said if he were us he'd 
> just put everything back and walk out. I said I'd love to do that but 
> with my transportation limitations, that wasn't an option for me. We did get checked out and went to wait for our ride.
> When I got home, I immediately called the corporate complaint 
> department. The gentleman who took my call was also appalled by the 
> classless behavior of the manager. I am still waiting to hear the 
> resolution of this complaint. I will never set foot back in that store 
> again unless that manager is no longer working there or at any store. 
> He is rude, unprofessional, and according to the employee helping us, 
> he treats his employees the same way. I've been verbally abused before 
> and that was exactly what this experience reminded me of. My friend 
> said he was accusing us of having an extreme attitude, when he was 
> actually the one acting extreme. I would not recommend any person with 
> a disability to go to Kmart. You will be treated as less than human 
> and given the complete brush-off. If you go to the store on Lake St. 
> Dan will impose a
> 30 minute maximum on your shopping time. This is not legal by ADA 
> standards. He feels that we are taking advantage of a system and so I 
> feel that he doesn't want us there or our business. Let Dan, the Kmart 
> manager know what you think of what you just read. I have an update to 
> this story. It is now July 15, and I still have not heard any word 
> from corporate of any kind. I called twice and both times was told 
> someone would get back in touch with me promptly. This has not happened.
> Apparently Sears and Kmart do not care about whether or not their 
> customers are treated in a dignified manner.
> Charlotte
>
>

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