A beautiful Tweet just made my day (or night, being the “late night girl” that I am).
I have been writing about my Pret ordeal now openly since May 2018.
1.5 years.
In those 1.5 years the majority of people are silent.
Some comment, some follow, some block, some get angry. But most are silent. And when some speak out with “empathy”, the most common thing I read is, “Well, this is in most corporations, isn’t it…”
Yeah, that’s a good cop-out! That’s what people say in all systemic situations. That’s what they said before the #metoo movement started to kick butt! It’s just men, that’s what they do. Let’s put our heads into the sand. Let’s look away. Let’s accept and let’s obey, because it’s just the way it is.
In a nutshell this acceptance and attitude is plain complacency and cowardliness. It is easier to stroke and fill our tummies with cheap free bribes and tuck ourselves away, getting slow cooked like frogs. Beautiful. Dead before we realize!
I appreciate the ones who comment and support, and I value and love when people engage, even in anger, because it means they care!
But the majority is silent. The silent onlooker and bystander who turn their heads are the worst. Give me anger, cuss me out, call me names! I’ll put a .com behind it! There have been even recruited Tweets lately on the smiley customer service to counter my writings, you will understand once you know my “campaign”. Pret again imitating what I’ve been doing with all the staff reviews (below slideshow).
I’ve had people who in their honesty, taken off-guard said something like, “Why are you doing this to me?”, when I pointed out the bullying reality behind the smiley Pret facade. The person was shocked and disappointed at Pret, but angry with me for destroying their illusions.
Another Tweeter literally said after I posted the staff complaints and reviews, “I wish I wouldn’t have mentioned Pret”.
And I emphasize with them, because Pret does put on a great show, a beautiful mask, a brilliant picture! The slogans are in place, the smiles are engraved in people’s minds, and the freebies are the cheapest bribe people settle with. I was fooled myself as a staff member by a friendly CEO who liked to be approachable. But I didn’t realize that his approach was the same as the approach of the Ronald McDonald clown that lured little kids and their mums into the business. Catchink!
My story with Pret is in the audio player at the bottom of this post.
Yes, companies have a responsibility and they will have to answer for the stuff they put on others. It may take a while, but the buck will stop at the right person eventually. And the ones who got away, leave a legacy behind.
But without the people who support these profit-driven companies, customers who close their eyes, because their belly is more important than the suffering they are confronted with, without these customers these companies wouldn’t be able to flourish on the suffering of humans and animals. Let’s close our eyes and blame the foreigners and the big companies and plastic and them over there. I ain’t my fault! Why are you doing this to me?! I wish I wouldn’t have mentioned Pret!
No. People are to blame. Everyone of us who puts a penny into this.
For a good view behind the Pret smiles, please scroll down to the screenshots on this post >>> Caught in the Act at Pret A Manger.
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Slideshow can be paused
The above slideshow is just a selection, the list goes on in → Pret Staff Complaints
I worked at Pret A Manger and survived systemic workplace bullying during bereavement that involved HR, the top leadership, HQ and even the now “retired” former CEO Clive Schlee. I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather starve and speak out to help others. For an overview of important blog entries of my experience with Pret, please visit “My Ordeal with Pret A Manger”. The little arrow to the right next to each heading will lead directly to the post.
I tell my story for the first time verbally in below audio player interview on a podcast by The Adam Paradox, and wrote two articles in the Scottish Left Review: 1. “Late Night Girl’s” Story with Pret and 2. Pushing Back Against Pret.
Thank you for reading/listening.
Interview:
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Bullied during bereavement in Pret A Manger 