LAVAL – Jessica Calce is a daycare worker with a six-month-old son named Jordano.
On Thursday, she was shopping at the Hart store in Laval when she had to take a break to feed her son, so she asked an employee if she could feed the child on the premises.
“I said I’m gonna feed him inside the store and she told me no. I said ‘What do you mean, I can’t feed my son in the store?’ She goes no!”
Calce had a bottle ready to go, but had to go elsewhere to feed her son.
“I wasn’t breastfeeding,” she said, “I shouldn’t even specify to her how I choose to feed my son because whether breastfeeding or bottle, it’s a human right and you’re allowed to do it.”
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Global contacted the head office of Hart to inquire about their policy regarding feeding babies in their stores.
“We don’t have a specific policy on feeding babies, said Stéphane Gibeau, the Store Operations Director at Hart, who maintained that customer service satisfaction is their number one priority “in every one of our stores and all our stores are well aware of it.”
“I think it was a miscommunication between the cashier and the customer” said Gibeau, stating that his company does not discriminate against anyone who feeds babies in their stores.
But Calce doesn’t buy it.
“In 2016, this should not be an issue” she said, “I have a bit of a tougher character, but I can imagine a mother that’s more sensitive, and you’re humiliated in front of other people… it’s not right!”
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So far, no disciplinary action has been taken by the store, they claim it was simply a misunderstanding and stand by their policy that customer satisfaction is priority number one.
“We want our customers to come back to our store, we will certainly, personally touch base with the customer” Gibeau said.
He admits there is more they could have done.
“What should have been done is bring the customer in the back area and give the customer a comfortable place where she can sit.”
Jessica remains an unsatisfied customer, however, and has no intention of going back to the store.
“There are other mothers that go there for things they need, and I don’t want them to be thrown out because they feed their child.”
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