A new mum was left horrified while shopping online after a store employee sent a crude message to her.
Paige Gavenlock contacted Little Rompers’ baby shop on about buying a pram on Sunday, when an employee called her a ‘dumb c***’, a screenshot of the exchange revealed.
The Darwin mum asked: ‘Hi guys, have you got the Uppababy vistav2 in carbon in stock?’
The employee replied, saying:’ Unfortunately, the V2 is sold with the bassinet, and the colour you mention is exclusive to Baby Bunting.You dumb c***.’
Ms Gavenlock told Daily Mail Australia she was in ‘complete shock’ and when she saw the message assumed it was from a fake Facebook account for the store.
‘Then when It became clear that it was, Mantap168, in fact, a message from staff that work in the store I was absolutely mortified, still in shock and very disgusted,’ the young mum said.
When she complained to the shop, she was told the female employee was a ‘bit of a rough diamond’, and she typed the message without meaning to send it, ‘as a joke’.
The Little Rompers store (pictured) say they have ‘the Northern Territory’s largest range of everything for parents and baby
Ms Gavenlock was asking about whether a pram was in stock when she got the crude remark her screenshot revealed (pictured)
The Little Rompers store, which is based in Darwin, said it regretted the incident and that the employee is no longer working there.
‘This message was sent by one of our staff and shows neither the language or the level of respect I expect from her,’ their email response said.
‘Unfortunately, she is a bit of a rough diamond and typed that in not meaning to send it, as a joke.’
‘Like all of us, she has been under stress, but I repeat, there is no excuse for this behaviour … I can assure you she is mortified, to the point of wanting to resign.’
Ms Gavenlock took to social media mums’ support group, Darwin Mums & Kids and later blasting the store for its ‘poor excuse for an apology’.
‘I believe more should have been done about the situation,’ the Darwin mum said.
‘There is no excuse for anyone to be spoken to like that.’
‘I don’t believe this person should be working in customer service, especially in such a vulnerable store where mothers, fathers and grandparents are going to seek help and advice.’
The mum’s screenshot revealed the offending employee reaching out to her after the blunder through voice calls and texts.
‘I don’t know what to say,’ they wrote.’I know it is unacceptable. I’m ashamed of myself. I’ve probably lost my job if it helps.’
The mum’s screenshot revealed the offending employee reaching out to her after the blunder through voice calls and texts (pictured)
The store (pictured, the interior) said in a social media apology the online blunder was a ‘one-off event that does not reflect the culture of the staff or the business’
Yet Ms Gavenlock remained unmoved calling it a ‘gaslight attempt of an apology’.
‘Although it doesn’t make me feel good that someone has lost their job, I believe it was the right decision,’ Ms Gavenlock said.
The Darwin mum was asking if the Uppababy vista V2 pram (similar to the one pictured, left) came without the bassinet (pictured, right)
The social media exchanges over the complaint revealed that Ms Gavenlock was not the only customer who got a terse response from an employee of the store.
‘Went in to buy a pram and she didn’t want to help and when I had questions it was like how dare you ask questions — Not like it’s your job or anything,’ one shopper said.
Another stuck up for the embattled business hoping the bad publicity would not bring it down.
‘I’m sure it’s a one off from an employee,’ one commenter said.’Little Rompers is a great shop and we should be supporting local stores when we can.’
‘Don’t let one experience ruin a local business that Darwin needs.’
Little Rompers took Facebook on Monday apologising for the ‘recent social media behaviour of an employee’ and said the worker was no longer with the business (pictured)
One social media commenter on the Darwin mums’ support group page said they were certain the oversight from the employee at Little Rombers (pictured) was a ‘one off’.’Little Rompers is a great shop and we should be supporting local stores when we can’, they said