Dear Steven (Tesco compliance),
Thank you for your response. While I appreciate that you have taken the time to review my feedback and acknowledge areas for improvement, I am deeply concerned by several aspects of your reply, which feel dismissive and fail to fully address the serious issues I raised.
Firstly, your emphasis on the sunflower lanyard scheme misses the critical point of my complaint. I was not wearing a lanyard, but I presented an official diagnosis card to make staff aware of my autistic condition and CPTSD.
Despite this, staff failed to adjust their approach or provide reasonable accommodations. This raises questions about whether Tesco genuinely values inclusivity or simply uses the lanyard scheme as a superficial gesture.
A diagnosis card is a recognised, official means of communicating hidden disabilities and should have been treated with respect and understanding.
Secondly, your assertion that my actions caused “fear and alarm” among staff unfairly shifts blame onto me without fully acknowledging the context. My distress was a direct result of how Tesco staff handled the situation—failing to provide support, escalating tensions unnecessarily, and ultimately ejecting me from the store in a humiliating manner.
It is disappointing that Tesco has chosen to focus on their staff’s perception of events without addressing how they contributed to the breakdown of the interaction.
I also find your remarks about “recovering from your mental health episode” to be patronising and inappropriate.
My distress was not a random episode but a response to Tesco’s inadequate handling of a vulnerable customer. Such language minimises the seriousness of your staff’s failings and does not reflect an understanding of the impact this incident has had on me.
Lastly, while I appreciate the feedback to your training team, I would like a clearer explanation of what specific measures Tesco plans to take to prevent similar incidents.
How will staff be trained to better recognise official diagnosis cards and respond to customers with hidden disabilities?
A vague promise to “review” training is not enough to reassure me that meaningful changes will be made.
I ask Tesco to take this complaint more seriously by:
1. Providing a formal apology for the distress caused and the mishandling of the situation.
2. Outlining specific changes to your training programme to address the issues raised.
3. Reviewing the effectiveness of the sunflower lanyard scheme and how it is communicated to staff.
I hope to receive a more constructive response that demonstrates Tesco’s commitment to improving its practices and genuinely supporting customers with hidden disabilities.
Yours sincerely,
David Grant
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