Appalled by Customer Service at Tesco Lotus over a wheelchair

[arnold40844]

This happened to me a little while ago now and at the time I was so infuriated by it that I started writing a letter to Tesco's global HQ which I never finished but still refuse to shop there unless I really really have to.

8th of August 2013, my son was born by cesarean section at a hospital in central Bangkok. After about 72 hours my wife (Thai) was stitched up and discharged from the hospital with our son. Still quite weak and frail my wife was wheeled out of the hospital by staff and we got in a taxi. On our way home my wife said we need to get some bits from the supermarket, my initial response being "lets just get home and come out later", it had been a tiring few days and I was not up for a "Central Plaza" experience...... Anyway after loosing the brief argument we decided to stop at a shopping mall somewhere near Rama 1 and made our way to a large Tesco's on the 2nd floor, baby in arms and very very slowly. The plan being at this point for me to put the wife in a wheel chair with a basket and get the bits we needed.

Arrived at Tesco's customer services desk, eyeing up the many wheelchairs that were available and politely requested the use of one. The gentleman basically turned around and said "No", claiming that my wife can walk, my wife argued explaining that we just left the hospital after her having an operation drawing his attention towards our 3 day old son and explaining about feeling weak and in pain. He refused very bluntly and made some comments in Thai that I did not understand but the general gist from my wife was, "its not happening"..... At this point I completely lost my cool, I started trying to explain the situation in English, he just shook his head and started addressing someone else. My wife started hobbling towards the baby isle, I got shouty and drew the line saying "we're leaving "NOW", so without any shopping we made our way home.

I am still seething about this and feel very indignant towards Tesco's entire enterprise. For a company with annual revenues in excess of £60 Billion and the catch phrase "every little helps" I feel they should have some sort of moral obligation against this sort of thing...... before you say it, YES I know i am in Thailand.. They are however still using Tesco's brand name and should be held accountable for this sort of thing.

I want an apology from Tesco PLC and having relived the experience whilst writing this story I am determined to get one.

[bkkgooner]

You should have sent the letter, something like this would be in national newspapers back home and if this story got to the global HQ I have no doubt you would receive a full apology and some sort of compensation.

[Seastallion]

What stopped you writing to them? I don't think any Tesco executives reading TVF will take this OP as a formal complaint.

[transam]

Write to Tesco head office UK....................Staff abroad are not from the UK and are in "their" own little world......... ......Go for it.

[uptheos]

You won't get an apology from Tesco on here.

[Morakot]

So all this happened on the 11 August 2013, did it?

[HeijoshinCool]

Hope you got the jerk's name.

If not, go back and get it and include it in the letter.

[arnold40844]

yes Morakot, it was around about then.

Tesco's dont really seem to have a complaints procedure, I did not want to send it to a generic mailing address where there are thousands of people employed just to open letters. i wanted my complaint to go to a relevant person... At the time I just had so much on my hands with the new born, my daughter starting school and sorting out visas i just didn't get around to it.

[arnold40844]

And yes I got the guys name, I typed in in to my phone whilst dishing out all sorts of profanity. It had been a intense few days for reasons I wont go in to but I could not believe what I was hearing and just saw red.

[DLock]

I probably would have taken my frail wife and 3 day old son home and gone back alone to buy what was needed....probably got some wrong things, but that's ok.

...and you should feel controlled, as I would have rearranged some furniture if that happened to me...but that's just me.

[somchaismith]

You won't get an apology from Tesco on here.

I'm suggesting the Op has said anything wrong, but I agree. Watch these companies over here, they're liable to turn around and try to sue you for defamation, if they can prove it.

This happened recently,

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2014/03/12/mcdonalds-thai-says-it-filed-police-complaint-over-cockroach-claim

Edited May 21, 2014 by somchaismith

[sustento]

yes Morakot, it was around about then.

Tesco's dont really seem to have a complaints procedure, I did not want to send it to a generic mailing address where there are thousands of people employed just to open letters. i wanted my complaint to go to a relevant person... At the time I just had so much on my hands with the new born, my daughter starting school and sorting out visas i just didn't get around to it.

There you go. Took 30 seconds to Google. Philip Clarke is the Group Chief Executive.

Tesco

Phil Clarke ([email protected])

Tesco PLC

New Tesco House

Delamare Rd

Cheshunt EN8 9SL

I'm not sure how seriously they're going to take you if you waited 10 months to complain though.

Edited May 21, 2014 by sustento

[arnold40844]

That's exactly what I said when it happened, it would have been front page news in the UK with a picture of us holding our son on the front page. its discrimination and would potentially cost Tesco billion's in revenue if the media made them out to be a discriminating company.

I am going to make some noise about this, all be it a bit late. ,

You should have sent the letter, something like this would be in national newspapers back home and if this story got to the global HQ I have no doubt you would receive a full apology and some sort of compensation.

[arnold40844]

You know this was in part the sort of thing held me back from complaining. I had been in the Kingdom for about 7 weeks, was on a tourist visa and did not want to draw attention to myself.

You won't get an apology from Tesco on here.

I'm suggesting the Op has said anything wrong, but I agree. Watch these companies over here, they're liable to turn around and try to sue you for defamation, if they can prove it.

This happened recently,

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2014/03/12/mcdonalds-thai-says-it-filed-police-complaint-over-cockroach-claim

[arnold40844]

Thanks buddy, as I mentioned before, at the time i didn't want to draw the wrong sort of attention to myself.. A firm like Tesco's has a legal team the size of a small country and would eat me alive.

yes Morakot, it was around about then.

Tesco's dont really seem to have a complaints procedure, I did not want to send it to a generic mailing address where there are thousands of people employed just to open letters. i wanted my complaint to go to a relevant person... At the time I just had so much on my hands with the new born, my daughter starting school and sorting out visas i just didn't get around to it.

There you go. Took 30 seconds to Google. Philip Clarke is the Group Chief Executive.

Tesco
Phil Clarke ([email protected])
Tesco PLC
New Tesco House
Delamare Rd
Cheshunt EN8 9SL

I'm not sure how seriously they're going to take you if you waited 10 months to complain though.

[IAMSOBAD]

Ask Big C to use you in an advertising campaign for helping its shoppers who need extra care.

Then rub it into the face of Tesco. Get all the mileage you can. There's a story the media would love.

[arnold40844]

Haha. I just sent a very long winded email to the person as mentioned in this post, will let you know what he comes back with if anything.

Like I said all I want is acknowledgement and an apology.

Ask Big C to use you in an advertising campaign for helping its shoppers who need extra care.
Then rub it into the face of Tesco. Get all the mileage you can. There's a story the media would love.

[CharlieH]

Just curious, by why didnt you ask there and then to see the Manager or duty Manger? Or did I miss something ?

Bypass the offending monkey and go straight to the organ grinder ?

Edited May 21, 2014 by CharlieH

[marko kok prong]

Better you send the letter to the Daily nail mail in uk,you can be sure they will blow it up big time.

[NanLaew]

What is it with all these recent posts from punters relating events that happened ages ago and 'still seething'?

[speedtripler]

Better you send the letter to the Daily nail mail in uk,you can be sure they will blow it up big time.

i would leave thailand first ........defamation laws can and will be enforced

just because you got bad service doesnt mean you can ruin their business

if it cost them 100 million in lost revenue.......a judge could decide you owe them that 100 million

[evadgib]

Haha. I just sent a very long winded email to the person as mentioned in this post, will let you know what he comes back with if anything.

Like I said all I want is acknowledgement and an apology.

Ask Big C to use you in an advertising campaign for helping its shoppers who need extra care.

Then rub it into the face of Tesco. Get all the mileage you can. There's a story the media would love.

Did you include a photo of the "disabled" & "parent and baby" parking bays that were full to the gunwales with motorcys?

[arnold40844]

That's exactly what I was trying to do and would always do in that situation, the guy spoke no English and my wife just walked off saying "he says no". I had a heated exchange with the guy, lost my rag and at that point said we are leaving. I was so worked up at this point and I tend to do stupid things that I regret when im that angry.

Just curious, by why didnt you ask there and then to see the Manager or duty Manger? Or did I miss something ?
Bypass the offending monkey and go straight to the organ grinder ?

[sustento]

Haha. I just sent a very long winded email to the person as mentioned in this post, will let you know what he comes back with if anything.

If you want something to be done 'very long winded emails' are the last thing you should be sending. A short succinct email stating the facts and what remedy you require is what you should have sent. Three pages of outrage won't get you anywhere.

[NanLaew]

... I was so worked up at this point and I tend to do stupid things that I regret when im that angry....

I've seen you before.

[arnold40844]

Anyway after reliving the event i'm really kicking myself for not following through with an official complaint to Tesco PLC. But like many have pointed out a farang on a tourist visa trying to sue a Thai company for being rude, sounds like the start of a bad joke.

I told many people about it at the time, I can prove that I was at the hospital on that day and also have ATM banking records of being in the shopping center, i'm sure there is some sort of CCTV even going back that far, maybe it is worth putting some sort of case together.

[sustento]

Anyway after reliving the event i'm really kicking myself for not following through with an official complaint to Tesco PLC. But like many have pointed out a farang on a tourist visa trying to sue a Thai company for being rude, sounds like the start of a bad joke.

I told many people about it at the time, I can prove that I was at the hospital on that day and also have ATM banking records of being in the shopping center, i'm sure there is some sort of CCTV even going back that far, maybe it is worth putting some sort of case together.

You seriously think they'll still have 10 month old CCTV files available? What are you going to sue them for? Being rude?

[arnold40844]

No. For making my wife suffer because they felt she was not disabled enough to have a wheelchair.

Anyway after reliving the event i'm really kicking myself for not following through with an official complaint to Tesco PLC. But like many have pointed out a farang on a tourist visa trying to sue a Thai company for being rude, sounds like the start of a bad joke.

I told many people about it at the time, I can prove that I was at the hospital on that day and also have ATM banking records of being in the shopping center, i'm sure there is some sort of CCTV even going back that far, maybe it is worth putting some sort of case together.

You seriously think they'll still have 10 month old CCTV files available? What are you going to sue them for? Being rude?

[arnold40844]

No. For making my wife suffer because they felt she was not disabled enough to have a wheelchair.

Anyway after reliving the event i'm really kicking myself for not following through with an official complaint to Tesco PLC. But like many have pointed out a farang on a tourist visa trying to sue a Thai company for being rude, sounds like the start of a bad joke.

I told many people about it at the time, I can prove that I was at the hospital on that day and also have ATM banking records of being in the shopping center, i'm sure there is some sort of CCTV even going back that far, maybe it is worth putting some sort of case together.

You seriously think they'll still have 10 month old CCTV files available? What are you going to sue them for? Being rude?

[trainman34014]

Believe me when i say that Tesco in the UK get hundreds of complaints from Thailand about service and many other factors. I have personally sent two letters and i have had two replies but they usually take some time to reply. To a large extent their hands are tied in England as the Thai bit, 'Lotus', runs the show here and mostly everything is done 'the Thai way'. The English side are usually very apologetic but are often left frustrated by 'the Thai way' of doing things.

I hope the OP's wife and child are now in good health and all is well.