Attitude of people in business getting worse

I think I was most gobsmacked by business attitudes when shopping for my wedding dress. Usually I've found that people's willingness to accommodate me is directly proportional to the amount of money I'm likely to spend, and dresses ain't cheap, so I was quite hopeful.

I phoned every wedding dress shop in a 10 mile radius to ask if they had wheelchair access. One did. A couple of others came out with some bizarre stuff including:
- well, we can get a wheelchair into the front of the store, but not the changing area. Would that be okay? Er, no.
- the only thing upstairs is the sale rail, but that's okay, because you'll only be up there five minutes. (???)
- there is a step, but it's only little. How little? Ummm... oh, it's two steps, about 5 inches each. That is not a little step.
- BOSS?!? I'VE GOT A WHEELCHAIR ON THE PHONE!!! (WTF? It's a clever bit of tech but it doesn't have my phone conversations for me.)

The cake was taken, however, by the shop who:
- claimed to be a listed building and exempt from access legislation.
- but were unwilling to give me their full details so that I could check that with English Heritage, what a surprise.
- suggested I should persuade a bridesmaid to carry my (rather heavy, powered) wheelchair up their steps.
- on being told that wasn't going to happen, got sniffy and told me "well if you're not prepared to make an effort, you won't get a wedding dress, will you?"

Not from them I won't!

(I'm pleased to report that I did manage to find and purchase a stunning dress, now all I have to do is not put on too much weight over Christmas.)

Sorry to hear you had such an awful experience, Mary. I recently had the pleasure of attending the wedding of my friend in a wheelchair. Fortunately, she was accommodated extremely well from start to finish.

Every supplier I am hiring has made their business accessible, but then, that's why I've chosen them.

So on the day, I will be accommodated like never before. As you say, from start to finish. But this will largely be because (to borrow phrasing from Stavros) the cheeky ******* ******* *****s have already been eliminated.

During the planning process, however... ugh. I think it's bugging me more because it's such a huge thing. Like, if I'm trundling along and I want to go for a cup of tea and have to go past ten inaccessible cafes before finding one I can get into, that's not such a big deal - a pain in the backside and a personal insult, yes, but it's not the end of the world. Whereas the wedding has rather more emotional importance.

You've obviously been planning well. I'm sure you will have the Perfect Day!

Stavros - I know your story wasn't funny but your line of
"square facing each other with Hawaii five-o sat next to me"............had me in stitches!

Thank you for brightening my Friday evening

Some horrific stories on here - i cant believe that businesses can afford to throw away custom/customers with some very outdated views.

Simple customer service goes a long way these days.

For me - i recently purchased a sofa from a company - be wrong for me to name them - but if your parents sibling has children what relation are you to that offspring - anyway - had a few problesm with deliver times/dates - got through to all sorts of different people - eventually got through to the MD - oh yea i dont mess about - do you know what he threatend to do - take my sofa off the van & burn it!!!!!!!! - I nearly took him up on his offer but my fiancee convinced me that we wanted that sofa - shall not be going back to that store again - think peoples idea of customer service sometimes are lacking !!!!

Stop it, I know it's wrong, but everytime I hear you tell this story I end up on the floor crying with laughter

The furniture store in question does seem to have a unique customer services outlook

Seriously Garde dont start me off again.

I keep getting visions of some dude in a KKK robe sacrificing your sofa.

That sofa is weighted with the blood of the innocents!