I have been a regular Fred Meyer customer for a long time and have been shopping at the West 11th location for 10+ years. I've always had a positive experience until last week, on September 11th, 2024, I was publicly humiliated and harassed by a Fred Meyer employee. The following is an account of what occurred:
I entered the store and began my shopping in the apparel section. I noticed that after ten minutes of being in the store I was being followed by a security guard. I started to feel uncomfortable after being followed by him for another ten or so minutes. I was curious why this older, male security guard was continuing to follow me so I walked up and asked him outright "hi, are you following me"? He responded "Yes". I then asked why and he answered "You're acting strange. I think you're intoxicated". I was taken aback by his answer as a) I don't use drugs or alcohol of any kind and b) wondering what constitutes "acting strange". I wasn't doing anything wrong and that point told him I was just feeling tired (coming off working 40 hours in 4 days) — not that I should have to even justify that. I asked if he was going follow me for the rest of the time in the store and he responded with "Yes, I need to make sure you don't hurt somebody". So now I was being accused of potential violence. I asked a follow up for clarity "Hurt somebody"? He said "Yes, hurt somebody or yourself". I questioned if I should just leave the store immediately but then figured I really was not doing anything wrong and I had groceries I needed to get so I went on my way. This employee followed me for the entire time I was there and continued to do so until I had checked out and left the building.
It was such a humiliating experience — I felt targeted and harassed. I have shared this experience with a few family and friends and they were outraged at this man's behavior. I spend a lot of money at your store but now I feel uncomfortable even walking in the building. I would like to know what is going to be done to rectify the situation. This employee was completely out of line, couldn't even provide any examples or evidence of my strange behavior and incorrectly made assumptions about my state of mind/being.
Desired outcome: Response from management
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Immediately file a formal complaint with Fred Meyer's corporate office, including the detailed account of the incident. Demand an investigation into the employee's behavior and request a direct response outlining how the company plans to address the situation. Mention your long-standing loyalty as a customer and express your discomfort with returning until the issue is resolved. If they don’t respond adequately, consider escalating to local consumer protection agencies or posting about the experience on public platforms to apply more pressure. Stay firm and ask for a clear action plan.