Man with guide dog asked to leave Marks and Spence store.

[Catherine]

Dave Kent, a senior executive at guide dogs charity, was shopping at a Marks and Spence store. He was just approaching the checkout when a security guard asked him to leave. He tried to resist, but the guard was insistent. The store plans to apologize, but that hardly makes up for the humiliation Dave Kent suffered.


https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022...encer-shop

How is this still happening? 
How is there anyone out there who does not know that service dogs are allowed everywhere.
I think an apology is a little short of what is needed here. Maybe the store should have to make a donation or sponsor a service dog every time an incident like this happens.

[LPC]

There have been several such incidents in the UK recently. The reasons seem to be:
1. The use of hired security staff from a separate company, rather than directly employed security personnel trained by the store.
2. In the videos of the recent incidents which I have seen, there seems to be prejudice against dogs as "unclean" (as in the view taken by many, but not all, Muslims).

UK law is quite clear on the issue, however. Blind people legally have the right to enter stores with their guide dogs.

[Catherine]

The security firms need to train their staff. I am sure there are videos available in the UK that explain about service dogs and a great many other things.
I sit through one every year on my job even though I have never had a client with guide dog. I have encountered emotional support dogs though.
My employer has to have it on record that I am trained to deal with such things, and many more.

Since the problem seems to be the security guards, the company that supplies them should have to issue the apology when there is an incident.  Perhaps they should be fined every time one of their guards reacts to a guide dog in the wrong way.  When untrained staff start costing the company, it will be cheaper to train them.

Sometimes I am annoyed that I have to sit through the same training year after year, but if that is what it takes to make sure all our staff know how to deal with service animals, then my time is not wasted.

[LPC]

(05-24-2022, 02:55 PM)Catherine Wrote: Since the problem seems to be the security guards, the company that supplies them should have to issue the apology when there is an incident.  Perhaps they should be fined every time one of their guards reacts to a guide dog in the wrong way.  When untrained staff start costing the company, it will be cheaper to train them.

What an excellent idea! As the law stands, I'm not sure that even a fine can be given. It is merely a legal obligation, "without teeth" (sorry for the pun!).

[Catherine]

The business that hired the security guard company could penalize them. They could either replace them with a new security guard company or impose training on them as a requirement for working at their company. They could have something in the contract about incidents with the public. The security guard company could be fined for each incident.

How secure are we when companies use untrained security guards.