On January 24, 2012, at approx. 7pm, I entered the checkout line and had just completed my transaction and paid for my items. As I prepared to exit the checkout line pushing my cart in front of me, I paused for a moment to put my wallet/change in my pocket. As I did so, I noticed a mother and daughter (approx. 4-6 yrs old)walking on the path leading out of store, and the daughter was just about to pass in front of my cart. Being raised a gentleman, I accordingly prepared to wait until they had passed by to exit the checkout line. In the span of approximately 5-10 seconds as I waited for them to pass, the clerk operating the adjacent checkout line physically put her hand on the small of my back and began pushing me forward out of the checkout line and towards the child, all without saying a word, so that she could exit her checking area and move around to the bagging area. I instantly pointed towards the girl without turning around and said to the clerk, "There is a small child in front of my cart." She continued to squeeze by me, and in the instant I turned to look at her, she was already going around the other way to the bagging area and quickly muttered "sorry" without looking at me or even turning in my direction. Again, she never said "excuse me" or anything else before initiating physical contact with me. At that point, I said, with a notable hint of sarcasm, "My bad huh?", to which she offered no response.
I walked away feeling as if I (the customer) was an inconvienence to this clerk and her timeline! I went to my car to leave, but quickly realized that I felt like I had been unfairly pushed out. While it was certainly not an act of violence and I was not physically harmed in any way, I did feel physically violated by her action. Further, her action in fact meets the definition of assault. Thus, I went back into the store and asked an employee to direct me to the store manager. To my surprise, the employee pointed to the same individual who has pushed me. I then indicated that I would need contact information for the appropriate district (or otherwise higher-level) manager, as my complaint is with respect to the store manager. They provided me with a local telephone number, and I then left the store.
I went home and called the number that I was provided with, a female answered and I asked for the district manager. She said that the managers had gone home for the day, and that I can call in the following morning when the next manager is scheduled for work. When I asked who I was speaking with, it turned out I was speaking with the manager that had pushed me. She confirmed that the number I was provided with was the store number, and not the district manager's contact. I then asked if there was a male representative for the store with whom I could speak, and she said he would be back from break in 10 min, I then said who would be back and she replied " The night Manager". I then said, "You just told me the next scheduled manager would be in no earlier than in the 6 a. m." She immediately began backpedaling and became overly apologetic. I think she knew at this point whe was in deep water and was worried more about keeping her job than the wellfair of the small girl or the fact that I should be able to leave my line as I see fit... not pushed out.
I later called back to talk to the night manager and explained my store and just got a response "WOW" from him as he told me that he would contact someone in the morning and I said that isn't good enough, give me the number of your district manager and he wouldn't. I then said is it going to take the santa ana police to get me a phone number from you and he responded " do what you think is needed" at that time I called the non-emergence police number and the dispatch said it sound like an assault, I said I wasn't assaulted but I was pushed! The dispatch said do you want an officer present at the store and I said yes.... I didn't file a charge against the clerk but it did take a Uniformed officer of the state to get me the number I needed and asked for that I couldn't get! I and my family of 40 in this area will never go to another Ralph's or affiliates ever again!
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