For our country to be in the current state that is is in, you would think that corporations such as yourself would invest in sensitivity and diversity training amongst your staff.
With that being said I will make this brief as possible - as my complaint at the audacious, hurtful, and disgusting behavior of your staff will not stop with this email. I am utterly appalled and disheartened by my experience tonight.
Located in the store at 800 W North Avenue, and in order of appearance are your staff as follows: BRADLEY, HYE JIN and JUSTIN.
Enter two young black girls, One whom has her hair perhaps wilder than the other, but modestly dressed nonetheless. Not loud, not obnoxious, and not hastily do these two ladies enter and stand to gather themselves - right in immediate eye view of Bradley. For starters, and Bradley if you ever read this - you have NO IDEA who people are just based on the way that they look. And not only should PEOPLE be greeted in general when they walk into your store, they should especially be greeted if all you are doing consistent of fondling with tissue paper and standing near the door. Eye contact and simple acknowledgement should be the basics of your understanding of customer service. To add insult to rudeness, Bradley decided upon considering our countenance that he was displeased with whatever he saw and felt it appropriate to announce - before either of us had even spoken and only taken a STEP in his direction - DIRECT QUOTE: "I'm busy" and "they can help you" this was gestured with a fling of his finger in some non specific direction to his right.) directly followed by a dismissive roll of his eye.
Fast forward to this very poor excuse of a manager - as she later identified herself when I called requesting a superior - Hye Jin. She stands to the left of two young men, with another young man directly next to her - hence they are forming a line of 4 behind the register and a single pamphlet occupies the counter space in front of us.
We stand there for AT LEAST 2 minutes as the two young men to her left make a terrible excuse for eye contact and tight purse their lips together in a clear sign of uncomfortableness. My friend steps forward, finally after realizing no one is going to acknowledge her - and after smiling faintly and not turning directly toward her - Hye Jin asks if she needs to be helped.... as if our previous moments of standing there had not been very obvious and indicative of that fact. My friend, who I can see trembling with frustration and embarrassment at this point - attempts to show her the phone with the online order confirmation to pick up the items her grand mother has sent us there to collect. Mind you, we have driven over an hour to get here. Hye Jin, instead of looking at the phone - decides to say blankly look around the back of the counter and loudly ask her colleagues around her "can you help her, can you help her, can you help her?" Repeatedly and to no avail, she finally turns back to my friend - with Justin snickering - says "okay" and finally takes a looks at the screen. She smiles briefly and states: "oh, that's crate and barrel". and blinks a few times blankly. a few awkward moments of silence.... followed with a "oh, right over there" with a brief point. We turn to leave, with all eyes on us.... and after exiting my friend is visibly shaken. she comes to this location often to pick up package hauls her grandmother makes online, and never has she been treated like that. "I usually have my hair presentable but I've never been treated like that, like never."
We walking over to crate and barrel at this point - and a woman who we assume was also present during the fiasco says "I can't believe.... I just.. wow". And awkwardly walks away.
To be honest I am legitimately shocked that an employee anywhere would feel so bold as to blatantly show disrespect on account of perceived class and race. I am even more shocked, as a multi-cultured woman in this country to have witnessed first hand the disgusting face of racism and bigotry - especially by a brand that occupies space and place in stock by claiming -literally on your homepage - that you are a community with values is helping others and providing modern and "affordable" options to everyone. What a disgrace.
And NO - the company never responded to my initial email outlining the issue.
Disgraceful read more