Am I over reacting?

carolt

Quite - am shocked that anyone would think that what the supermarket did was 'OK' and that an upturned basket is adquate warning or protection for a dangerous spill.

This didn't happen on someone's kitchen floor - it happened in a busy shop.

If it hadn't been the OP's mum, it would have been another customer who got injured.

Really irresponsible.

SandC

Again - the OP is not looking to sue for compensation, she just wanted them to say sorry at the time and would like to be recompensed for dry cleaning or replacement of clothes.

I really wish that the compensation culture had not come about or we wouldn't even be having this debate.

xx_Jo_xx

I used to work for a supermarket about 10 years ago - but in Head Office, not in a store. I know from my experience with this chain, that staff are not supposed to leave the upturned basket unattended.

They can use an upturned basket to cover the majority of the debris, but this shouldnt be left alone. People walking along, reading their shopping lists, or looking at items on shelves may not see this and it is in fact a hazard. There are protocols for alerting other members of staff to assist with bringing signs and cleaning up.

Its mandatory for all companies to record incidents such as those in "Accident Books" and even going back to the store now, the incident should still be recorded and they should be aware of when and how it happened (especially if it was them who called the ambulance).

I would go to the Local Store, or right to them in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response they give you, you should take it up with Head Office.

I agree with some of the points the others have made about hanging onto clothes which are damaged etc.

HTH

melancholly

i'd say it would be difficult to complain if you didn't see the incident yourself.... maybe suggest your mum writes a letter, but i'd be inclined to concentrate on her getting well rather than on getting an apology tbh - it seems like wasting energy that might have a better use at the moment?

HelenYorkshire

Hope your mum's ok / improving

Firstly - I "got" what you meant straight away

I think any letter ha to come from your mum, as she is the one it affects. I'd definitely write to make sure management are aware of what happened, to make sure this is in the Accident book (a legal requirement) and at the very least they should give sufficient compensation to mend/clean/replace clothes as appropriate.

Now, if her injuries are likely to cause long lasting problems eg will she need surgery? Will she still have pain in a years time? - then I would consider taking it further If not then like you say, an apology would be plenty.

Stryder

I think this thread has been split between very old trains of thought.
1) You are responsible for yourself. You slip on something you should not have walked in it. To complain is wrong as the companies did not hide the danger, or push you in it. Poor managers having to deal with these sorts of complaints from clumsy people, etc etc etc.
2) The store is responsible for people in its store. If you slip on something, it should not have been there. The store was wrong not to highlight the danger and maintain the stores safety. The managers are responsible for this, and so are the staff.

Thankfully opinion 1 has faded away due to British law and the health and safety executive - something people in Britain should be very proud of (many developed countries in Europe do not have anything so complete and robust). I am sorry but people who do not seem to think the store are responsible seem part of the "political correctness gone mad" brigade.

[And I am sure some people not see anything wrong about that, but look into it and virtually the all rules and laws protect people, the environment and business are absolutely right. Why would you want to go to an environment where women are intimidated out the workplace, racial minorities can be belittled, companies can pump toxin in to the environment, disabled people are forced onto the margins simply by being unable to go through a shop door, etc?]

* The ASDA store should maintain the safety of the store
* All possible measures should be applied to ensure the safety when a problem occurs
* Even if the store could not do anything, it should have acted to apologise for the ladies unpleasant experience at the store. It would have made business sense to have taken her details, investigated and written to the lady to explain what happened. If ASDA was not responsible in any way a small token of appreciation for her business would be prudent, for example a free meal in store if it has a cafe, or a voucher, to be collected from a senior store worker who can apologise for the bad experience and wish her well. In the big scheme of things these things cost nothing and gain a lot of respect.

I wonder if peoples opinions would be different had it been a child or blind person who had the accident. And if the measures would not have protected the blind (the basket appears to be another hazard) then the store was at fault for endangering any blind people in the store. [I am not saying that any blind people reading this (using talking internet browsers - they exist) can not avoid obstacles, but obviously it would be harder].

Chelsea Girl - ignore the grumbles and seek help - and let us all know what happens as a result as I am sure we are all now interested.

PS I hope you are from Chelsea and not a Chelsea FC fan or I take it all baack

Stryder

PSS there should be no problem acting on the behalf of your mother, as some people seem to be saying, this should be quite normal

Girlzmum

First of all, I hope your mum is ok and her knee gets better soon. I'd definately write to the company and complain about her falling.

Secondly, I used to work on Friday nights, there was me and one other person in the store, if anything was spilt we could either put a basket over it and go for the yellow sign or we could leave it to go and get the yellow sign. Surely it was better to put a basket there as a visible warning than to leave a spill unattended? Even for this busy store - was the employee to stand and shout for help until someone came? Or to leave the spill unattended while they went to find cleaning equipment and the yellow sign (usually hidden away somewhere) or to get the cleaning staff? When a spill happens people don't usually turn up immediately with the warning signs and cleaning equipment - please use some sense.

GracieP

Girlzmum wrote: »

was the employee to stand and shout for help until someone came?

Yes. That is exactly what supermarket staff are required to do. It's part of their training and is a sackable offense if they do anything else.