My name is Sarah Bryant and I am a 26-year-old person who stutters. I called your store last week. I was stuttering while talking and the other person seemed very impatient. She put me on hold twice to answer another phone. While I was talking, she asked, "Do you want to place an order?" Immediately she said, "Just say yes or no." Once I finished asking my question, she said, in a very patronizing manner, "Honey, get someone else to call back for you." Then she hung up on me. I was almost in disbelief that she would hang up on a customer just because that person stutters. I hung up the phone in amazement that someone could be so ignorant.

I consider that exceptionally rude and unacceptable behavior for anyone, and especially for someone in customer service. She made me feel like what I had to say wasn't worth anything because I was stuttering. Because of the incredibly rude way in which I was treated, I am at the point where I do not want to do any business with your store, and to tell my friends and family about the incredibly poor treatment I received from your employee. Surely you would not want that to occur.

I should not have to give you instructions regarding customer service, but your employee seemed so ignorant that I have to do so. A person who stutters may need a little extra time to say what he or she wants. We are just like everyone else. We just talk differently. A person who stutters is doing his or her best to communicate. All that it requires from the other person is to be a patient listener. Listen to what we are saying instead of how we are saying it. We prefer finishing our own sentences, so please do not try to finish them for us. Maintaining natural eye contact is very important. Everyone wants to feel like they are being listened to when talking to someone. And remember, our money is as green as anyone else's.

And by the way, next week is National Stuttering Awareness Week. You might want at least one of your employees to look into that.

I would be very interested in knowing how you will address this situation. Please feel free to call me at **** or e-mail me at ****.

Sincerely,
Sarah Bryant