I don't patron many retail establishments frequently because of my mobility problems and a busy family life. After I became disabled, I have noticed that most clerks, cashiers and retail associates have a tendency to be rude while struggling with their ability to emulate the same common decency shown to people who outwardly do not look or sound as if they struggle with a disability of some kind. So when going out, I know that I'm going to experience some kind of rude presumptions made my an hourly employee paid to provide service to the customers or members of whichever establishment, that at some point they proactively pursued employment with; after of course they know the employers expectations and receiving an adequate amount of training. I'm pretty sure no where in any self respecting, profitable company, with a business plan to remain in business for a their forseable future, is there ever a company or management expectation that their staffs actions should demean, degrade or offend the population patrons whose sales keep the life blood of a small business thriving. After a few decades of running retail sales locations myself, I completely understand sometimes even with the best of intentions those undesirable lemon employees still make their way in even the most carefully screened, recruited positions, and even with quality training it is up to the individual chosen to represent the business or store during their shift, to act with honesty, integrity, compasión and transparent motives.
When I get to the point I'm hurting so badly and I suck it up, make the expensive, time consuming and physically painful trip into town and I walk into a dispensary with my cane, I have to appear as a giant green "go sign" of buying signals for products to relieve pain. I am not a cannabis connesuer and most of my knowledge on the subject comes from listening to my elders talk about "the good ol days" So I end up asking the people in my support system for product suggestions from time to time. And that's exactly why I ended up walking into Floyd's today...... My pain level has been through the roof lately from a series of really bad falls. A friend recommended a product I had never heard of to help. To make my life a smidge easier, I may have pleaded for her to accompany me this afternoon, on the fly, mid stream of other plans because my pain level had become unbearable. We walked in, we were immediately "greeted," with out really any kind of greeting, or welcome. It was pretty much a response that summed up "what are you buying"
and then she immediately asked for our photo identifications. I had mine handy, my 40 year old friend however did not. She immediately told my friend she can't serve my friend. (Completely not a problem, in fact she had hesitated even going in because of just that, but I asked her to come help me explain what I was looking for)
Unfortunately the crass young lady with the tackwas too busy trying to ensure her every word was dripping with distain and condescending tone and smart ass commentary; that she not only refused to serve me as well; stating I was obviously "buying" for my friend who definitely made it obvious she was trying to just name a product for me and walk out the door. As we were leaving (as asked, with zero objections) my friend feeling terrible that I couldn't purchase some form of relief, tried saying one more thing to the clerk while in the doorway, the clerk proceeded to taunt my friend, only aggravating the situation and making me feel like I got kicked out of the store as a result of a vindictive power trip. I wasn't even given the opportunity to speak and explain what I was really looking for, quality wise, I was looking for since she has originally told me what I was looking for was out of stock. Now I do understand the need to respect company policies and guidelines, and acknowledge my friend and myself were in the wrong for her not having her license handy. But every snide, abrasive comment, that the clerk felt the need to keep verbally littering the air with was not only completely unnecessary but unprofessional. What started out today as an opportunity to build Floyd's clientele, because of the actions of the crass woman who went out of her way to further diminish, my already jaded retail experience; I will now never step foot inside Floyd's. I didn't catch a name of who we had the "pleasure" of interacting with today because her customer service skills were so lacking that she didn't even attempt to do a name exchange prior to feeling she had earned the right to earn our sales as we first walked in. Had she been one of my employees, I would have fired her on the spot for finding joy in treating her customers with such disdain. Fortunately Cannabis dispensaries are like coffee shops, prevalent in appearance; I'm looking forward to being treated more respectfully elsewhere, even if that means being treated like less than someone else read more
