WHAT would you do as a parent?????????

Question

My 12 year old son and his brother went into a dollar general store and bought a new wallet, the clerk told my 12 year old he looked like a trouble maker, not thinking anything of it they left the store and we went to another store next door. The store we were at does not have a public restroom(orshelns farm and home) so my son went back to the dollar general to use theirs and buy some candy since he had 15.00 in his pocket. The clerk accused him of stealing and called the cops. They frisked him in front of everyone and found nothing. The cop told the clerk 3 times he had nothing and she still insisted, humuliating him more and more. I filed a complaint with the store and they apologized over and over again, (NOT THE CLERK) The district manager called and offered him a 50.00 gift certificate for his embarressment and humiliation, but this totally humiliated him and upset him to the fullest as he was innocent and did not do anything wrong, the active manager even said he did nothing.

My son has never stole anything in his life, he is very honest. I am not one of those parents that will not see the bad in my children, he is honestly not a thief and would never steal from anyone. He even cleans offices once a week for a reputable company and has done this for 2 years now with no problem. Should he take the payoff or is there something else we can do? This humiliated him in front of a store full of people.

manchestaguy, if he was guilty, he would of had the item on him when the cop frisked him as my son was not confronted with this until he paid for his candy and went out the store. He does not have me wrapped around his finger and why do you think because he is a kid he is guilty? NOT all kids are dishonest and thieves...........

I am not asking if I should sue, I do not care about that, I want to know what the proper channels to go through in order to save someone elses child from the same humiliation.

THANK YOU to all the sincere caring people trying to help on this issue. My son decided to take the fifty dollar certificate and they were so nice about it today when i took him in. They could not believe the big deal yesterday was over my son as they all know us and they had real big apologies.
I did find out she was not fired, she was given the list of the policies and told to study them. She was suppose to be at work today at 1030 and she had not showed up by 1200. I also found out by people that know this clerk she is a meth head so i imagine she figured out she made a fool of herself and maybe quit.
The manager told me that two days ago she did this to someone else also so it was not just my son.I cannot figure out why they did not fire her, but i will work on that one if she still has a job.
THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYONE THAT SEEMED TO REALLY CARE, UNFORTUNATELY I CANNOT PICK YOU ALL AS BEST ANSWER, I WOULD IF I COULD.

Answer 1

Interesting Story.

Possibly one should move on and consider what has happened a learning experience. Hopefully the Clerk is at the least fired.

2. Sue the Store? Does the store really deserve it? Seems from reading you message it was the Clerk... Look what happens if you sue the store. They have to Hire or employ lawyers and spend time defending themselves unless you settle out of court. Either way ALL WILL LOOSE AS THERE STORE PRICES Will be passed along to Everyone. You win a little money and we all as consumers Pay for your Victory.

How About This, By now you surely know the Clerk that caused all the trouble? I take it you live in a smaller sized town where you shopped? How About Posting an Add in the Local Paper Listing The Clerks Name Possibly a Photo Stating what Happened and then turn it into a Positive by Thanking The Police Officer that said Repeatedly that your son was Innocent. Plus Thanking the Store for apologizing and offering you the $ 50 Dollar Certificate.

Everyone knows everyone in these little towns and maybe exposing the clerk you will give him a much worse reaction than what your son got in the store...

Answer 2

There is a possibility of suing on the grounds of "defamation of character," but it's pretty rare and risky (since you'd have to pay the attorney either way). As a mother, I share your rage and pain. Even when your child IS guilty, it hurts to see them accused... But when they AREN'T, it's just infuriating, knowing how embarrassed and uncomfortable your child feels.

My advice would be to take the gift card (but use it at another location, so he isn't subjected to that clerk again). Ask him what action he would like to see taken. I wouldn't be afraid to ask the manager to let the clerk go. She was out of line to continue accusing after the cops verified his innocence. The newspaper ad mentioned in another post is not a horrible idea, either, but if you choose to go that route, be sure to mention the clerk's name and omit yours and your sons. Using HER name will humiliate her, whereas using the store name would only insult the manager, who is currently siding with you and trying to do the right thing.

The most important thing, though, is to explain to your son that people will always make snap judgements about others. Ask him if he's ever judged a new kid or a foreigner. Explain to him that these judgements are painful and that everyone should be given the benefit of the doubt. They say that what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. Perhaps your son will rise out of this a bigger and better person! Good luck!! ♥

Answer 3

The store is trying to make ammends with the gift certificate. Its up to your son whether he wants to take it or not. I think he should. I hope the clerk no longer has a job. She was clearly in the wrong, but I would not wait around for an apology from this insane woman. Honestly, there is nothing else he can do other than get over it. Not so easy for a humiliated pre-teen, but everyone has sided with him at this point and you should point that out to him repeatedly. There is no way to always protect him from the nut jobs out there, so chalk this one up to a difficult learning experience. I don't think he will be scarred for life. He has had the positive reinforcement from you, the police, and the manager.

Answer 4

If you're asking about a lawsuit, I don't understand what your cause of action would be. Are you hoping to be compensated because of your son's embarassment? Or, are you hoping a lawsuit might punish the store by embarassing them in public?

My general sense is that there's not a good lawsuit possible. However, what I encourage you to do is visit television stations and newspapers and try to get the story out to the public that way. It would embarass the store all the more, and it would save you having to find an attorney to file a frivolous lawsuit.

Good luck! Hope this helps.

Answer 5

As a parent, I share your outrage, but I don't really know of anything you can do, short of filing a civil suit against the clerk, but that's expensive and time-consuming.

The chain has tried to compensate your son for his humiliation, and if I were the manager I'd have to consider dismissing the clerk--he or she has a responsibility to see that employees are not 'uncivil' to customers (and what this individual put your son through is about as 'uncivil' as it gets!!!).

You might do well to point out a maxim learned by just about any student of marketing, and that is that one dissatisfied customer tells, on average, seven other people.

Answer 6

Write a long letter to the Company's CEO describing the situation and ask for a meeting with him. Ask him to address the issue. Do not go to court. First try to deal with the problem directly with the Company. But go to the highest level possible - that's a CEO. Dollar General is a big company, they certainly have intelligent and sensitive people among their ranks. Here's some more info on the Company:

CEO: David A. Perdue
Address: 100 Mission Ridge, Goodlettsville, TN 37072
Phone: [phone]
Website: http://www.dollargeneral.com

Answer 7

The store management has taken the appropriate steps to appease you. Unfortunately the employee hasn't. You can make your displeasure known to management and see what happens, tell them you want to know what disiplinary action will be taken with her. If you want take the gift certif., it not tell them you'll never shop their store again, and will tell others about your sons treatment there. Be sure to explain to your son how some people see the worst in others and can treat people badly and it isn't really a reflection on his character.

Answer 8

You should write to the owners of the store and demand
that the shop clerk should make a public apology,and a letter of apology to your son and to you for the embarrassment and upset you have suffered .
If no apology is forthcoming then sue this rude individual.

Answer 9

I have a 12 yr. old son too. He has not had the situation happen to him that you mentioned above, but he has had other "wrong" type things happen. I keep the communication going with him. When he says he doesn't want to talk about it, I wait. We seem to have our best conversations in the car. I will give an example of something that happened to me, or someone I know, and how it got resolved, then he opens up. In this case, explaining the other people have "issues" might be your only option. My best to you!

Answer 10

Just explain to him that some people judge others, when the shouldn't. That its wrong to take one look at someone and jump to judgment about it. This could be turned into a learning experience for him, on how wrong stereotyping is. I would let him take the 50 gift cert. and let him buy whatever he wants with it. It's not going to make the situation completely better, but he is the one that was humiliated for know reason, and the manager is trying to make up for it. Just tell him if he ever wants to talk about it, then you are there to listen, but if he wants to forget about, then let him.