Snide remark from a famous shop staff ref Autism

Loz01

Its a bit bad to say it out loud in front of customers - when Im at work Im aware that Im representing the shop, you cant shout your mouth off everywhere, not very professional!

Errata

Don't jump to conclusions, the member of staff may have a great understanding of Autism and jumped to conclusions themselves.

Alikay

If it was a store beginning with L on Regent Street one of their staff in the Christmas shop was unbelievably rude to DD and I a couple of weeks ago. I emailed to complain and they didn't even acknowledge the email...so maybe they have now adopted this ..ummm.. quirky customer service style in order to differentiate them from the likes of Selfridges, J Lewis and Harrods?

If it's one of those others you visited perhaps they're all as bad

kezlou

I personally would because the comment was completely inappropriate, ignorant and very upsetting for yourselves and your daughter.My youngest has suspected autism (aspergers) and luckily for me the usual shop i go to is fantastic and know exactly what he's like. He's only five and can be a nightmare when out but he gets very upset when people make comments about him. He screamed before when a fire alarm went of, the poor thing was so scared, a staff started calling him naughty, adhd (im not writing the words) etc The staff was put straight on a warning by his manager for they comments.

If the comment was racist the staff would have sacked so why should it be different regarding autism .
Not only that the comment made helps spread ignorance amongst the public and allows people who may suffer from autism recieve bad press and be treated differently than other people.

Janepig

Loz01 wrote: »

Its a bit bad to say it out loud in front of customers - when Im at work Im aware that Im representing the shop, you cant shout your mouth off everywhere, not very professional!

I would agree with you - personally I wouldn't be so worried about what they said, just the fact that they were unprofessional enough to make personal comments about customers in front of other customers. I'm sure they say worse in the staff room and in private and although rude SA's are a bugbear of mine, they get enough abuse thrown their way too so I've no problem with a "gallows" sense of humour if it gets them through the day - we have similar in my line of work. But there's a time and a place.

Jxx

gill_81uk

I think reporting is a bit OTT - you should have dealt with it there and then as someone said above by politely pointing out that that although some autistic children maybe behave like that certainly not all do, just as plenty of children who are not autistic act up sometimes.

Staff members are only humand - who has never made a throwaway remark that they regret afterwards. it sounds like they were patient with the little boy and potentially know someone with autism who behaves like that.

3_cheeky_princesses

kezlou wrote: »

I personally would because the comment was completely inappropriate, ignorant and very upsetting for yourselves and your daughter.My youngest has suspected autism (aspergers) and luckily for me the usual shop i go to is fantastic and know exactly what he's like. He's only five and can be a nightmare when out but he gets very upset when people make comments about him. He screamed before when a fire alarm went of, the poor thing was so scared, a staff started calling him naughty, adhd (im not writing the words) etc The staff was put straight on a warning by his manager for they comments.

If the comment was racist the staff would have sacked so why should it be different regarding autism .
Not only that the comment made helps spread ignorance amongst the public and allows people who may suffer from autism recieve bad press and be treated differently than other people.

Thank you. Someone who has a Aspie child knows how i feel and how insensitive it was for me and my little girl.

Janepig wrote: »

I would agree with you - personally I wouldn't be so worried about what they said, just the fact that they were unprofessional enough to make personal comments about customers in front of other customers. I'm sure they say worse in the staff room and in private and although rude SA's are a bugbear of mine, they get enough abuse thrown their way too so I've no problem with a "gallows" sense of humour if it gets them through the day - we have similar in my line of work. But there's a time and a place.

Jxx

I agree i know SA's get a lot of stick and abuse from the public which they shouldnt but i do also feel you shouldnt be so rude about a customers child or a disability in front of other customer if at all.

gill_81uk wrote: »

I think reporting is a bit OTT - you should have dealt with it there and then as someone said above by politely pointing out that that although some autistic children maybe behave like that certainly not all do, just as plenty of children who are not autistic act up sometimes.

Staff members are only humand - who has never made a throwaway remark that they regret afterwards. it sounds like they were patient with the little boy and potentially know someone with autism who behaves like that.

There was no way i was going to deal with it just as i was taking my children into Santas grotto and making more of a deal of it in front of my 6 yr old autistic child. I understand Autistic children well and like any other child they are all different and all act differently so appreciate the SA may well have knowledge or know someone with Autism BUT i dont feel they should of commented on a customers child in front of other customers. In the staff room maybe or at home but not in front of public. This is a famous Store begining with H in London and i just feel their staff should be conducting theirselves a bit better to be honest

Ruby_Moon

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

Sorry, I think I muddied the waters. I was just pointing out that discrimination law is developing at an alarming rate and new pitfalls are opening up for employers every day.

In my view the store needs to be told because the remark that a badly behaved child must be autistic was a derogatory and sweeping remark, based on a poor understanding of how children on the autism spectrum normally behave. It is the context of the remark which is potentially discriminatory. It is true that the mother of the child to whom the remark was directed didn't hear, or if she did, wasn't offended. But clearly another customer was offended by the remark.

If the store was my client, I would say yes, bring it to the store's attention. NOT because OP has any claim against the store - but because the next time a member of staff makes an offensive and/or discriminatory remark about a customer, the outcome might be different.

Err how do you know all this just from hearsay?
The staff member was kicked and he turned to his coworker and said "I'm ok, he didn't hurt me. He is Autistic anyway"
He might have known who he was but were not on friendly enough terms to chat, so he commented about the kick after they went.
It could have been more of an 'explanation' comment rather than a derogatory comment.
You can't know from the OP how it was said even if the OP thought it was said rudely because everyone takes things differently. What offends one person, another may laugh at.

Ruby_Moon

3_cheeky_princesses wrote: »

Thank you. Someone who has a Aspie child knows how i feel and how insensitive it was for me and my little girl.

OP really, you are being really oversensitive.
Firstly, the comment wasn't made to you or about you or anyone to do with you.
Secondly, the more you make incidents like this into 'upsetting and insensitive' dramas then you risk your daughter picking up bad vibes. It isn't going to help anyone at all.
The best thing you could have do is to completely ignore it. If there is nothing to fuss about your daughter would not give it a second thought.

3_cheeky_princesses

Ruby_Moon wrote: »

Err how do you know all this just from hearsay?
The staff member was kicked and he turned to his coworker and said "I'm ok, he didn't hurt me. He is Autistic anyway"
He might have known who he was but were not on friendly enough terms to chat, so he commented about the kick after they went.
It could have been more of an 'explanation' comment rather than a derogatory comment.
You can't know from the OP how it was said even if the OP thought it was said rudely because everyone takes things differently. What offends one person, another may laugh at.

No it wasnt the one who was kicked who made the "Autistic" remark it was the other Sales Assistant. The one who was kicked actually didnt even reply to the SA who made the remark. Neither knew the child as they asked his name and where he came from etc etc the sort of banter they do when your standing in the queue.