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A visit to Staples for Sherri Shepherd to buy a notebook with a friend turned into a racial profiling incident, according to the comedian. And the retailer has responded saying it’s looking into it immediately.
The incident occurred at a store in Los Angeles when Shepherd’s pal Kim Tavares needed to use the restroom.
“At @Staples w my girlfriend buying a notebook asked 2use bathroom& was told we need to go to #RiteAid bc toilets were broken – they weren’t,” she tweeted before continuing. “I checked bathroom @Staples & it wasn’t broken – asked cashier why she lied & she said their policy is to not let people use who don’t buy. Told @Staples cashier I was buying & she should’ve stated the policy she then starts screaming ‘I am not going to take this SH*T from you.’ Cashier @Staples just starts screaming profanities at my girlfriend & I and walks off the register – I have NEVER been treated w profanity.”
The former co-host of “The View” added that she was “embarrassed” that the cashier cursed at her and Tavares and questioned whether Staples president J. Alexander Douglas was aware of how employees treat their customers.
“What if I had been with my son?” the ‘Trial and Error” actress added.
Along the way, Staples customer service reps responded to Shepherd’s accusations.
Oh no! That's not good. Did you see someone go into them or how did you gather that they weren't broken? Which store was this? ^LH
— Staples Stores (@StaplesStores) February 1, 2018
We want all customers to feel welcome in our stores and are so sorry this was not your experience. We take this matter very seriously and will be following up with our store team immediately. ^HN
— Staples Stores (@StaplesStores) February 1, 2018
“If this is a reflection of how your employees treat customers lying & screaming obscenities at them, I will never shop at UR store,” she replied.
Shepherd, who detailed the encounter further on an Instagram video, vowed to take her business to Office Depot or Amazon.
“[Tavares] asked the manager why would the cashier say [the toilets were broken] and was told, ‘Well, maybe the bathrooms needed to be cleaned,’ she says in the video. “They didn’t need to be cleaned.”
Shepherd added that they were able to get the bathroom code from another employee and it “worked fine.”
