Blatant and aggressive discrimination and violation of a disabled person seeking CBD info over the phone -- Two staff members tonight repeatedly refused to accommodate a disabled person via phone when calling to politely ask about specific CBD products they carried, for the expressed purpose of purchasing tonight. Both staff members hung up on the person when asked to please inform and/or list the CBD products they had. The first staff member did not provide info on one item, saying they did not have any products; only to later change their story and say it was too many after being asked to verify. They said it was too many and hung up the phone. Confused, the person called back. The staff then repeatedly and aggressively refused this request after the person called back. Even when the disabled person said they did not understand why they were being denied info and treated unfairly. In response, the second staff member said the person would have to come into the store or go elsewhere and quickly became very aggressive, yelling at the customer before eventually hanging up on them right as the customer was trying to explain why they needed help over the phone. When the disabled person stated it wasn't possible to come in (because they intended to have someone else pick up the items) and needed info first via phone, both staff members refused and the second staff member who answered the phone was yelling over customer so loudly before hanging up that they likely couldn't hear much after "can you please help me with a reasonable accommodation, I am disabled and need information over the phone". That second staff member refused at least one formal request for reasonable accommodation to verbalize CBD product info and the first staff refused at least two of the informal requests that preceded the formal one(s).
These refusals to provide info and help the customer happened abruptly, repeatedly, violently and aggressively; after both staff were informed it would be too difficult for the person to go into the store and after the person requested a simple and reasonable accommodation for info via phone.
Unacceptable, unethical, illegal and inhumane. This store was used by the disabled person in the past and they were somewhat helpful then. Maybe only because they did not see or know about the disability at that time! Or maybe because they are just thugs with no respect for other human beings.
The only reason the disabled person called this store was because it's Sunday night and their usual store for pharmaceutical CBD are closed, and the help they were going to get needed somewhere familiar and closeby. So much for helping someone who truly didn't ask for anything except info about a business' products for sale. Disability or not, providing info to potential customers is a key part of good and fair business.
There is 100% no excuse for this type of behavior, smoke shop or not. There are reasons why there are laws to protect disabled people and why there are laws requiring reasonable accommodation. This refusal to grant what surmounts to a very minor request that isn't anywhere near out of the ordinary or unusual (even for non-disabled customers), and the aggression that took place surrounding the refusal, will be reported to proper authorities.
Beyond that, no one should be treated in such a discriminatory, violent and/or aggressive manner; disability or not. Everyone deserves respect and to maintain their own peace of mind without having that violated by anyone else, but especially not by a business or its employees and especially not when a potential customer is asking for basic info that is part of the job and part of running a business.
There is truly no valid excuse for what happened. There are only rectifying actions. These actions need to be made fully and promptly, if at all. The owner is welcome to contact us about this matter after the two staff members involved are fired for illegal discrimination and gross misconduct.
Sunday 19 Aug 2018. read more