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First letter to Sainsbury's detailing what happened:
Sainsbury’s
93 Lewes Road
Brighton
BN2 3QA
Sunday, 06 August 2006
To The Store Manager
On Friday 4th August 2006 around 6pm I entered your store via the escalator. There were no trolleys available and I went to the help desk to tell them as there were other people also waiting for trolleys. After a while three of us enquired again about the trolley situation and asked to speak to someone. A lady with a headset came over and there was an altercation between her and the three of us about trolleys. She was I thought very rude and told the other gentlemen that he should ring the escalator company himself she made this very clear and was quite loud.
We complained about the lady to the help desk again the three of us asked to speak to the manager and another lady came over and heard us all and told us the manager was coming. After a while we said we could not wait any longer and proceeded to shop. The manager and the second lady found me and spoke to me. I told them my name and where I worked and that I had shopped there since the store opened and what happened. I explained that the escalator was not working, over a long period intermittently. This explained the trolley problem. He told me the escalator was 23 years old that they did not want to spend any money on it because they were thinking of getting a new one. It was a political decision. I thanked him for talking to me and proceeded to shop
On Sunday 6th August 2006 at 3pm in the shop where I have worked for 40 years I was accosted by the lady with the headset from Sainsbury’s and a young man. He said quickly he would “reduce me to tears“ this he was to repeat. He told me he was not interested in anything I had to say and was extremely threatening for some time. The lady from Sainsbury’s openly in front of several customers and an off duty policewoman who was shopping and arranging a micro-chipping for her dog stated that I was banned from Sainsbury’s she stated that I would be thrown out by the store manager and Sainsbury security because of video evidence.
My son who has worked at the shop for fifteen years was present and he phoned the police in front of the two of them. He then asked them whilst still on the phone to the police whether of not they would leave the premises which they reluctantly did followed by further verbal abuse. I was shocked and upset and immediately phoned Sainsbury’s and spoke to the store manager who I had previously spoken to me. The store manager asked me for a description of the man which I provided and he recognised.
Add-on
The Sainsbury store concerned is situated on the busiest gyratory system in Sussex in the centre of Brighton with bus stop outside the main entrance. It was built to Sainsbury’s specification about 23 years ago.
The entrance to the store is served by a 23 year old steep travellator which over the last years is invariability broken down for periods of months (i.e. 3 months at the beginning of this year) it is still broken down now. The staff use the travellator to take long lines of trolleys up to the first floor store for customers use. When the travellator is invariability not working they can be seen pushing long lines of trolleys up the steep entrance of the ground floor car park to inside the entrance of the store.
I have been told by Sainsbury’s that both the people concerned work for Sainsbury’s albeit it in different stores.
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I want to take this as far as possible - all advice please
Thats disgraceful - and I think Sainsburys will care. If you can get a copy of the CCTV footage from where you work and give it to the police. I would (if you want to) push this as far as you can, as if you felt that you were in possible physical danger when being threatened then the persons involved could be prosecuted for assualt.
If this was the case make sure you phrase it as that - that you felt you were in physical danger and are now worried about where you can shop etc. The police will try fob you off as they won't want the paperwork, but push it.
Sainsbury's suggest interviews with varies managers and my Dad went. He on the third interview spoke to a solicitor we think - he explained he wanted compensation and the travellator should be fix for disabled people to use. The solicitor suggested he would get him £600 I think he should get more for 15 minutes of abuse infront of his own son. If Stuart hadn't been there I have no doubt my Dad would have been seriously hurt!
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Health & Safety mentioned an industrial tribual - Does anyone know how I could get a telephone number for them?
I'm sorry, but your letter doesn't make it clear what it is you want to achieve. If I was the Sainsbury's person at the receiving end, I would be very confused.
I think, from what I can understand, that you have more than one issue here:
The issue of the escalator. This is something that, IMO, would have to be addressed by Sainsbury's, and they probably won't until they have many many more complaints, and allocated a budget to it. This, I would have thought, is something that should be brought to Head Office's attention.
The staff abuse at your work place. Personally, I would insist with Sainsbury's that these people be identified, and severely disciplined. I would also report the incident to the police asap, to make sure you have a record. After all, you were threatened, and you do not know that these people may not want to carry out those threats, so you need to have a record outside of Sainsbury's.
A written apology, confirming that you have not been banned from Sainsbury's.
Levels of compensation... Tricky... One thing is sure, if he's making an offer of £600, that is just the first step. I would hazard a guess (and it is only a guess) that they're probably expecting a benchmark of 1k or thereabouts. I would answer with a demand of £1 500 and negotiate from there. It was after all verbal abuse "only", and Sainsbury's themselves didn't actually do anything, so their liability is very limited in that respect. The fact that 2 of their employees saw fit to act off their own bat, outside the store itself, (were they in their work uniforms?), means that in real terms, Sainsbury's have no hand in this at all, so I wouldn't push too hard at the compo angle. As I say, I would think 1k sounds about right.
Please let us know how you get on.
Apologies to people who I was in the process of helping, I may be gone some time.
Well they do hold their hands up to everything and my Dad did at the second interview say he suggested £10k. He says they were dressed in dark clothes - not sure if it was Sainsbury's uniforms but it was very lucky that my brother was there. Also it is more to do with Sainsburys as it happened on friday then nothing saturday then they verbally attacked him sunday having a day to think about it. She also said she had the video evidence etc including Sainsburys again and that Sainsbury's security and store manager would be on her side.
My Dad had a phone call today but I haven't had a chance to speak to him yet. I'll update you tomorrow cheers for your help
Update: Much better solicitor spoke to him and he was suppose to be offered £700 but wasn't I imagine their get back to us. My Dad has pushed this a little more and has done all he can ( yes already has a crime reference number but now might ush for assault ).
Sainsbury's have said the staff are 'rotten apples' however the girl stills walks past my shop - just on the way home i imagine doesn't say anything ( she is in her uniform ). I have got a letter explaining they are offering £700.
The Police will be in contact they hopefully will be charging they have yet to get in contact
Do Sainsbury's care:
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