This story first appeared in the Tri-City News on Nov 5, 2024
Lisa Beecroft was so sad and mad with the way some of the staff at her Port Moody bakery have been treated by customers, she took to Facebook to express her frustration.
The response, however, has reaffirmed Beecroft’s belief in the kindness and decency of most people and bolstered her commitment to creating employment opportunities for all.
More than a third of the workers at Beecroft’s Gabi & Jules bakery on Clarke Street, and a second location in North Burnaby, self-identify as having a disability.
Most are on the autism spectrum, but, Beecroft said, some don’t disclose their disability at all; they just know they’ve found an inclusive place to work that makes them feel safe and valued.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, though, Beecroft said some of that sense of safety has been eroded by the rudeness and impatience of some of the shops’ customers.
“It’s a range of things, the tone and the aggression that’s coming across,” Beecroft said. “People are not saying ‘hello,’ they’re not looking people in the eye.”
When a manager recently brought the demoralizing nature of such customer interactions to Beecroft’s attention, she said she was crestfallen and frustrated.
“It’s just not OK,” Beecroft said. “We can’t normalize this is the way it’s going to be.”
Beecroft decided to share her thoughts on the bakery’s Facebook page.
“It honestly breaks my heart to have to post this (long) message,” she wrote.
“In recent months, we have seen an increase in the mistreatment of some of our team members by some of our customers. There’s become frequent occurrences of rudeness, impatience and, in some cases, just blatant hostility towards our team.”
Beecroft said while some may dismiss such interactions as just a part of being in the customer service business, “it absolutely should not be.”
“Everyone deserves to come to work and feel safe, included and valued.”
She added, “We do our utmost to create that environment for our team members and we expect our customers to do the same.”
The response, Beecroft said, has been immediate, overwhelming and “really emotional.”
Words of support and encouragement poured into the post’s replies, many from customers, some from people who work with the neuro-diverse community, others from like-minded employers who are also making the effort to be inclusive.
“What you are doing there is inspiring and should be held up as the example of what good leadership and good businesses do,” said one.
“Thank you for standing up for your staff,” said another. “We should all remember to treat others as we would have them treat us, with kindness.”
For Beecroft, who printed out copies of her post and affixed them to the walls of her bakery’s Port Moody and Burnaby locations as a reminder to customers to check their hostility at the door, the responses from the community also hit close to home.
She and her husband, Patrick, set out on their journey to make Gabi & Jules an inclusive workplace because their eldest daughter, Juliana, has autism. They had to deconstruct every task in the bakery and front shop to determine how someone with unique qualifications might fit into the daily workflow while still making sense for the business’ bottom line.
The effort has paid off, though.
Employees with even the most repetitive tasks, like washing dishes or folding boxes, tend to stick around longer — some have been at the bakery for six or seven years already.
“We’ve attracted people to the business because they want to work here,” Beecroft said. “They feel safe in the space.”
Maintaining that safe feeling is paramount as their employer, she added.
“I feel an obligation because I’m putting them in this situation,” Beecroft said, “The staff just wants to make sure they’re doing a good job.”
MARIO BARTEL 