Lorraine D.

As embarrassing as this is I feel I have to share my experience of one member of staff and management in Matalan Hayes this yesterday evening

I am sorry to say I have an incontinence problem which means I need to get to a toilet urgently when it comes on. I try understandably not to broadcast this in normal circumstances. When I went in the store I was perfectly fine. I had two baby hats I wanted to exchange not in a bag but visibly on show. I paid £7.50 approximately for them in Bracknell as part of a larger purchase. Armed with the receipt I immediately approached a female member of staff who was standing near the door. I had both hats in my hand and I informed her I wanted to exchange them. Not sure why I would have done that if I was a thief. She told me that was fine and to choose the item I wanted and take it to the pay desk.

I went to the baby section and as I was looking it came on. I went to the lady still with the hats on show and asked if I could please use the toilet as I had started to mess myself. She told me they were not allowed to let customers use their toilets. I asked her where I could go and she said she didn't know that there might be a cafe over the road. I decided stupidly to try to manage it and went back to the baby section to try to finish what I was doing and not have to come back. It got far worse. I went back to her with the hats on show and pretty much begged her to use the toilet. The same answer came and she didn't know where the toilet was. I was embarrassed and in a humiliating situation. I went to walk out the door and she asked to see the receipt. She then started to say she hadn't seen me bring two hats in and went off with the receipt by which time I was shouting because I had now fully messed myself. She said she couldn't see the items on the receipt and was holding it up to the light while I had in the indignation of standing like this. I was shouting I have messed myself more than once. Another lady came and said leave it. I told the first lady I would be back to make a complaint. I went across the road to the working men's club and got no answer. I then turned to B&M and I actually thought as I was not buying anything there I wouldn't be allowed to use their toilet if they had one. I asked a man to help me in the store. He took me to the toilet. He was so nice. I had to dispose of my underwear and I smelt. I looked at the receipt and saw the two items at the top of the receipt. I went back into the store and approached the lady and said I wanted to make a complaint and she then turned round and said she was ever so sorry. I told her it was not good enough in the circumstances. I said that if she was that concerned she should have been so when I came in the store, that she could have held on to the hats while I found a toilet. She could have even gone to the toilet with me and stood outside and shown some compassion and humanity, or she could have taken the things to the counter when I entered. I asked for the address of the managing director. Instead I got the manager. I explained to him the situation and he said if I had gone to her when I came in then he would have a word with her. No sorry. He gave me an email address. That was it. I exchanged the items with the receipt. I left feeling absolutely distraught and in a mess.

I have never been treated like a thief, been humiliated in such a way, felt dirty and the lowest of the low like this before. I share this because of how it has made me feel.

What has it come to. Are we more interested in thieves than customers? Are staff not able to apply some commonsense. I was degraded on every level.

Please don't come up with excuses. If other stores can treat people with dignity and respect as customers when you are not even using their store then why can't you?

I want a formal sincere apology at the very very least and a commitment to never let a situation like this ever happen to any other customer. I'm 65 years old.

I have shopped at matalan for years and have spent a fair bit with you. If it was you, would you continue to do so?