If this is a chain store I would send a letter to thier corp. headquarters
Info wanted. What would you do?
by Lady Lee 26 Replies latest jw friends
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lola28
Lady Lee, I would complain to anyone that would listen there was no reason for this person to speak to you in the matter in which she did, it was uncalled for, it was rude and it was mean. We all work for someone, I'm sure this person has a boss that you could speak with and maybe he/she can have a nice talk with her. I don't know if you have someone around that could make the trips to the store for you while you get your aide, but maybe thats an option. I am so sorry you had to deal with this, it makes me so angry to know that there are people out there that have the chance to help someone in need and don't, it is just so sad.
lola
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whyizit
I believe I would make a little bit of a fuss. I wouldn't be beligerent and hateful, but I would defintiely go back and if that same woman is there, I would get her name and ask to speak to her boss. I would also imply that perhaps I might need to get a lawyer, because I feel that I am being treated unfairly, due to my disability. "Surely there must be a law........I've never had this trouble anywhere else....."
If you remember the date and time, that would help them to figure out who this woman was.
I was at a craft store a few years ago where an elderly woman with an oxygen tank was having trouble breathing and needed to sit down to catch her breath. The owner refused to let her have a chair and told her she would have to go somewhere else. They couldn't risk her falling out of the chair. The exhausted lady dragged herself outside onto the sidewalk to a bench. I told her I would no longer be doing business with her and would not be referring anyone else to her store. She must have shown her "kind nature" to others as well, because her store was closed within 6 months. Poetic Justice!
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crazyblondeb
Lady Lee-
Like everyone else said- let your voice be heard. Not only notify their corporate, but the newspapers, any senior associations--or anywhere they gather. Does Cananda have our version of the Better Business Bureau? You wouldn't just be standing up for yourself, but also for those others with disabilities. Some of them may not have the guts to stand up for themselves. If you could let us know anyone to contact also, I'm sure we'd all be glad to smother them with our opinions! Also, you might let other stores know what this other store isn't doing. I bet that publicity might help.
I know here in the USA, people who have disabilities and/or are senior citizens quailify for home health aides for running errands, shopping, and light housekeeping.
Let us know what we can do!
love-shelley
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cyd0099
Go up the chain of management, preferably with letters. Make copies, get a certificate of mailing-those don't cost, and when you finally reach the level where someone can / will give you satisfaction there will be evidence of the underlings not responding to your complaints. This is also good to have on hand should you decide to contact the media.
I know what you mean about not getting names. I always think to write down the name after I've hung up. -
unique1
I don't know about Canada, but here you can order your groceries online. You give them a list and they have it ready for you. You may want to look into that. If they can do that AND deliver you would be in business.
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Lady Lee
wow I am stunned.
When I tried to post this I got an error message and thought the post was history. I even checked the active list and it didn't show up and because I didn't want to type it all out again I just went off to one of the closer stores to pick up a few things for the weekend.
So now that I have all your responses I've got some work to do. Ottawa is way above other cities in Canada regarding how they treat people with disabilities. I really struck gold when I chose to move here. So here is what I will do:
- try to get the person's name who was so rude
- get her bosses or management's name
- contact the head office (this is a huge store chain Canadian Superstore/Loblaws)
- contact the Disabled Persons Community Resource
- contact a local grassroots group that advocates for people with disabilities
I will be applying for an assistant to help me with a few chores and the shopping but it might take a bit of time to set up. There is also a community centre that can find a volunteer for the short term.
Ideally I want the store to provide the service. It's not like I take hours to go through the store. I take a list and know exactly what I want.
Of course I could always go to the store and let everyone watch me try to push a grocery cart and haul down the shelves all over the floor and then let them know the store doesn't provide the service
nahhhhhh but my dreams of that sure could be fun
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candidlynuts
keep us updated on how it goes.. good luck
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Scully
Lee
Check your store receipt. Usually it has the name and phone number of the manager of that particular store. I'm surprised that they did an about face like that - it may not be the supervisor's fault, though. She may have thought she was helping you with the first phone call, and then when she checked with the manager, got called on the carpet for it. Being stuck in the middle between making positive customer relationships and upper management narrow-mindedness can be a real pain in the butt.
You might want to check with some of the local high schools for a volunteer or two to help with tasks like this. In Ontario, all high school students have a minimum 40-hour requirement of volunteer service in order to receive their diploma and graduate. Maybe if you offer this as a possible solution to the store - to have them sponsor the high school student volunteers to assist disabled people with their shopping - they'll see this as an opportunity to get a feather in their cap with the community, without it costing them anything. At the same time, they get to know a few responsible young people who may want to have a summer job, and the teens get to learn a few skills that might serve them well and get to know a few of the staff, which can help them out if they ever want to apply to work there. Offering a great suggestion like this to a store manager usually gets a better reception than just a letter of complaint, no matter how "right" it is to complain. If it flies, then you can call Max Keeping at CJOH and praise the store for their community spirit and trail-blazing efforts in assisting students and people with disabilities. It's got the potential to be a win-win-win situation.
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Lady Lee
excellent idea Scully
Today I was downtown getting my eyes checked for new glasses. So I didn't get to go in the other direction where the store is. And tomorrow we are supposed to get snow so I suspect I won't be going too far for the next few days.
This is going to be my gripe thread
I am so ticked off with OC Transpo (transit) right now. Most of the time I use the regular buses that have been adapted with ramps and parking spots for wheelchair users. It has been free up until now. The reasoning behind that free for people with wheelchairs or walkers was that if people could use the regular buses for free it would take the load off the special ParaTranspo (buses equipped with a lift and only used for people with disabilities)
Now the advantage of the regular buses is that I don't have to call a day ahead and before 9 am in the morning to reserve. I can make last minute decisions or even the night before and I'm gone to the bus stop when I'm ready to leave. I can come and go as I please - so much more freedom.
With the ParaTranspo - I am forced to use it in the winter when the streets are full of snow especially when I have an appointment that I can't miss. The down side is that it isn't free. Then I have to be ready at least a half hour before they are scheduled to pick me up in case they come early and most of the time they come a half hour late so you have to sit and wait. I know I don't have a busy life but sitting around in hat and boots waiting for the bus to show up is not the way I like to do things. But it serves its purpose and it is door to door service.
Well Paratranspo has decided to start making everyone pay. But there is a catch.
People who are on ODSP (disability) can get a reduced rate ($28.25/month) if they have their doctor sign all the necessary forms. BUT, this reduced rate is NOT for everyone. If you are NOT on disabilty or if you are waiting for disability you are NOT elegible for the reduced rate even if your income is LESS than a person on disability (like me - I get about half what a person on disability gets). So if you don't fit the criteria you will have to pay $71.25 for a bus pass.
To add insult to all of this is that even if you have the reduced rate bus pass or the regular bus pass you still have to pay extra to use the Paratranspo - an extra $2.50 during morning rush-hour and $1.25 the rest of the day and weekends.
Right now I am registered for Paratranspo from Nov - April. The website says I can get the reduced rate while I am a registered user. So it sounds like I can buy the pass at the reduced rate and still have to pay the exact same rate I am paying now for the special bus to pick me up at the door!!!
When my membership expires I will no longer be able to use Paratranspo at all for the summer, spring and fall even if it is pouring rain and I have a medical appointment to get to.
Now if I forget the pass and just use cash it is $3.00 and if I have tickets it is $1.90.
Since I don't use the bus unless I have to because of weather wouldn't it be stupid to buy the pass? On a clean pavement day I can get from where I am to my doctor's office in 30 minutes. If I am dressed warm (including ski pants) why on earth would I want to buy a pass and still have to pay extra if I take Paratranspo?
I'm soooo confused
Oh and I just discovered that if I use the O-Train I have to pay again. No transfers allowed. Good thing I found out today that that is a bus that goes from where I live right out to South Keys. A lot longer and not nearly as comfortable a ride but at least I would only pay once instead of twice for each direction
OK I need to go to bed this is crazy-making - or maybe I'm just too tired to make any sense out of it all