A mum-of-two with a rare condition wet herself in a River Island store after staff refused to let her use the toilet.
Bianca Artwell, 30, suffers from Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) - a condition that affects the nervous system and how the brain and body send and receive signals. Her symptoms include weakness/paralysis, tremors, difficulty walking, loss of balance, and incontinence.
While shopping at River Island, Bianca quickly realised that she urgently needed the toilet - due to her condition this is difficult to control. She proceeded to ask staff to use the store's toilet while explaining her condition.
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However, staff refused and she says told her it was against the company's policy. After pleading with staff and the store manager, Bianca was told she should go to a café across the road.
As she rushed out of the store, Bianca was unable to hold on and wet herself. She claims staff ignored the embarrassed mum, instead placing a 'wet floor' sign next to her.
Talking about the incident that happened last week, Bianca said: "On this particular day I felt quite independent with my aids so I asked my friend to watch my daughter while I went into River Island using my crutches so I could swap some shoes I had bought.
“As I approached the till I knew instantly that my bladder retention was about to reverse and I needed to go urgently. I asked the ladies at the till if I could please discreetly use their toilet and explained I wouldn’t make it if I didn’t go immediately.
“They said no and said I needed to go to a coffee shop across the road. I pleaded again explaining I definitely wouldn’t make it there but they refused.
“I tried to at least make it outside but only got maybe a metre and a half away from the tills before my worst fears happened. My bladder let go. Stood in a pool of my own urine I turned to the three staff members on the till and explained I was really sorry but I had had an accident.
“They just stared at me and the manager who was getting ready to leave instructed them to put a wet floor sign down. I stood there frozen in complete horror."
Bianca, who was shopping in Elliott's FIeld Retail Park, Rugby, claims a staff member 'just dropped the wet floor sign next to me and walked away'.
“As other customers arrived, walking past me and my wet floor sign, it finally occurred that this was my problem and the staff weren’t going to help me in any way. No offer of going to a changing room, no offer of tissues, no offer of other clothing or even a ‘are you okay?’.”
After saying none of the staff assisted her, Bianca phoned two of her friends who arrived at the scene to help her out of the store and take her to another shop to buy clean clothes and personal cleaning products. The beauty therapist lodged a formal complaint and demanded River Island to provide staff with better training.
She added: “I've previously worked in retail for years and there are characteristics that are exempt from this such as, elderly, pregnant women, children and those with disabilities. Is it policy to further fail a customer after an accident like this by offering no compassion, no dignity or treating them like a human being?
“I've never in my life been treated in such a cold manner. Left in the doorway of a shop with a sign directing people to look at the freak show, with no covering or support.”
Bianca claims she was offered a new outfit by the retailer but refused to accept. Following the incident, River Island issued an apology.
A spokesman said: “Every one of our customers matters to us and we were sorry to hear of this customer’s experience in one of our stores. Our Head of Customer Care is already in direct communication with this customer and we are reviewing our policies and procedures to ensure that everyone feels welcome and cared for whenever they visit our stores.”
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