Lidl complaint: The managers staff of Lidl’s Newhaven store show total disregard for the safety of their customers

I find it a matter of the utmost importance that in this time of national medical emergency I bring to your attention the appalling
behaviour and total indifference for the safety of your customers, as shown by the manager and staff of your Newhaven Store.

For the safety of your customers, should it not be the duty of the manager and staff to monitor and replenish, on a regular basis,
the condition and functionality of the Sanitising Station located at the entrance to your stores… Not so in Newhaven.

I should start by saying that for the last 4 years I have been a loyal weekly customer of your Newhaven Store, during which time
I have spent in access £4000.00. However since the beginning of this pandemic, it has been of major concern to me that the
Sanitising Station at the entrance to your Newhaven Store has been so poorly maintained that on 5 occasions I have found it
necessary to bring it to the attention of the staff and manager. On each of these occasions I have found either the hand sanitiser,
paper towel and disinfectant spray, (or all 3) to have been used-up, empty or broken and not replaced. At the very best, when these
essential items are operational, the cleaning station is ‘always’ in an appallingly unkept uncleaned and totally unhygienic condition.

On each occasion when I have brought my concern to the attention of the staff and manger(s), their response has been one of total
flippancy, as if it is of no significant importance. On the first occasion, which took place approximately one year ago, Darren, (who,
presented himself as the store manager) showed no respect for me as a customer or for my genuine concern for the safety of the
other customers, making no immediate attempt to correct the situation. Then when I attempted to impress upon him the importance
of maintaining the sanitising station, he threatened to have me banned from the store.

On subsequent occasions over the last year, when I have again discovered the same negligence regarding the sanitising station,
and after some persistence on my part, the necessary products have been replaced. But on no occasion did any of the staff make
any attempt to clean the dirty and unhygienic condition of the sanitising station’s surface… They just didn’t seem bothered !

However, this unfortunate and ongoing state of affairs came to a very unpleasant head yesterday, (Dec 27th) at approximately 2:00pm.
When arriving at the Newhaven Store to do my weekly shop, I discovered yet again the appealing condition of the sanitising station.
This time the paper towel was sprawled out on the floor, the hand sanitiser was inoperable, either broken or empty, and the surface
was filthy, looking as if it hadn’t been cleaned in days. I mentioned it to 2 staff members and waited by the sanitising station for
approximately 10 minutes for someone to come and fix it, nobody came. I went to the back of the store, to pursue the matter, I was
confronted by 3 people, all of whom presenting themselves to me as “the manager” ! Among them was Darren, (easy to recognise
due to his long beard). I reminded him of my previous complaints about the condition of the sanitising station, and immediately noticed
that he was not wearing a face mask. When I questioned him about this he said he was “exempted”. And when I said that I had previously
seen him wearing a mask, he said that he had only recently been deemed exempt, but refused to tell me the nature of his exemption.
When I pressed the issue of the safety hazards of not maintaining the functionality of the sanitising station, he became hostile and called
for the security guard to escort from the store, informing me that I was now banned from shopping there in the future. Upon this I called
the police and reported the incident. Then accompanied by the security guard I left the store.

I would also like to mention that on occasion I have shopped at both your Brighton and Eastbourne Stores, and by distinct contrast,
I have found them both to be of the highest standard of cleanliness and efficiency, that I am sure you expect from ‘all’ your stores.
Were it not for the fact that Newhaven is the closest location to my home in Seaford, I would be shopping at either of those stores.