Follow up response to Disabled discrimination. Wickes.

I sent Wickes a stinging email and over a week went by without a reply. So I sent them another stating the next email I send will be to the press. So then they soon got back to me after that little persuasion. Hopefully now this won’t happen again at least at Wickes. So here is the full response from Wickes. Please give your honest opinion to this email I have received.


Good afternoon Mr Thomas

Your email to David Wood has been passed to me to contact you on his behalf.

I am so extremely sorry to learn of your experience last Monday at our Caerphilly store when Mrs Thomas quite understandably required use of the toilet facilities.

Whilst the toilets are currently closed to the general public due to the ongoing requirement for ensuring they are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after every use, we do have very clear guidance in place for those circumstances where members of the public are in distress or have a medical reason for needing to use a toilet without delay.

Clearly in your experience this guidance was now followed and I am extremely sorry for the distress this caused to you both on Monday.

I have spoken personally to the Store Manager Ian Hendra who has taken steps to ensure his team are fully aware of the guidance in place and more so the need for discretion and empathy when use of the toilets is requested.

Ian has taken immediate action to brief his team at the Caerphilly store to ensure this type of incident does not happen again for your wife or any other customer who requests to use the toilets.

I hope this does reassure you that we are extremely sorry and have taken this complaint seriously.

Best regards

Karen

Nukes, I think that is a very good response, but I will quantify it by saying that it is okay to talk the talk but they do need to walk the walk, If they have carried out what they said they have done, then that is a step in the right direction, but I wonder if head office informed all their branches, personally I think they have not, but who knows. Their reply sounds ok but it is a shame that they have not at least sent your wife a bunch of flowers with a hand written apology, for all the stress caused to her and yourself

Nukes, I think that is a very good response, but I will quantify it by saying that it is okay to talk the talk but they do need to walk the walk, If they have carried out what they said they have done, then that is a step in the right direction, but I wonder if head office informed all their branches, personally I think they have not, but who knows. Their reply sounds ok but it is a shame that they have not at least sent your wife a bunch of flowers with a hand written apology, for all the stress caused to her and yourself

Yeah I might see if a letter has been sent to all there stores to remind them of their responsibility to disabled customers. I’m happy with the action taken but I don’t personally think they have considered this just shut the toilets.
But now they wouldn’t want this to happen again.

So pleased you decided to go public with their apology. Well done.

It is good to see that you have at least had a reply. An apology for their lack of empathy and a promise to improve their processes is an acceptable outcome, though as has been said, a gesture of good will towards your wife would also have been appropriate.

Many years ago I worked in hospitality for a well know restaurant chain, and if we had a complaint the house policy was for the general manager to visit the customer at home if possible (as in the customer was OK with it) with a bunch of flowers of it was a female or family complaint, listen to what went wrong and the offer the customer to return as their guest all expenses paid for a table of up to 8.

The general manager would be on shift that night and would personally take charge of serving their table.

100% of the time, those complaining customers would become very loyal customers.

Different times. Don't think you could do a house visit in 2020, but by God I wish life was still like that today.

This is a lightweight response and I,d be disappointed but not surprised if Mr. Hendre didn't also personally get in touch.

Hope your Mrs is doing OK

Well done, Nukes!

A little late and a little tame; but a response and a contrite one at that

Hopefully, said Mr Hendra will be in touch and the appraise member of staff has been spoken to in a manner that befits his ignorance and rudeness, i.e. bluntly!

As I said before, I don't like the store and this has just hardened my resolve not to use it

Stay safe and look after your lady, mate!

Cheers chaps for the comments. Yeah and Mrs Nuclearblue is doing ok. Luckily she is a tough old bird but when she goes out she needs to know where the toilets are etc. Yes it was a tame reply but at least they understood that you needed o be discreet with the disabled and treat them all with respect.
I said to her we should go round these stores and check there response when you produce yr card. She said what are you secret Squirrel?

Well done, Nukes!

A little late and a little tame; but a response and a contrite one at that

Hopefully, said Mr Hendra will be in touch and the appraise member of staff has been spoken to in a manner that befits his ignorance and rudeness, i.e. bluntly!

As I said before, I don't like the store and this has just hardened my resolve not to use it

Stay safe and look after your lady, mate!

Agreed, a bit contrite,but at least they say,action has/will be taken,to ensure nobody has to go through what your wife did nukes,and as a user of a wheelchair at times,I for one thank you.last thing I will day,is I worked as a cleaning manager in a superstore in spy try, and in defence of the cleaner,they work like dogs,and to a very strict time frame, but should in no way make you feel as if you are an inconvenience,I would imagine since covid things are stricter still for the cleaners (who earn minimum wage still!) But still not an excuse to be rude,and I can guarantee you,if one of my in store janitors had acted in that way,a VERY sharp word would have been had!! But will say also,and it varied from store to store,certain managers would be arse hole's quoting "the toilets are not a legal requirement of the store" and if they decided to not have them open they could! As they are only there out of courtesy of the store and not a legal requirement! ! This I do not lie about,it was always my teams responsibility to get top marks for keeping the toilets In perfect condition for the public,but none of my staff,nor myself ever got included in the bonus that was handed out for achieving a score above 97%,suddenly,they were the "stores" once again.anyway,I digress, well done nukes,for sticking at it best of luck to you and yours mate.

Could have done much more but a reply nonetheless. Well done for standing up for your missus mate