Monday 8 May 2017

Disabledz are your customers too... even if you hadn't realised - a Crufts Special!


So I went to Crufts today, I go every year and I go by myself because its easier, I have a million and one people to catch up with and frankly... I like it.

I am also a manual wheelchair user.

Crufts isn't the easiest place to negotiate in a manual chair, there's carpet that sucks your energy and shreds your shoulders and elbows to push through.

There's ramps that burn your gloves out going down and good luck getting UP them without a push (and no, no I don't want to have to be pushed, it's embarrassing, its demeaning, its upsetting, I am a 37 year old woman, not a toddler in a pram!).

Today the main lifts to from the atrium to the upper 'deck' of the NEC were not working, leaving a long ramp marked 'not suitable for wheelchairs'... yeah. A ramp that isn't for wheelchairs (it's not, this massive set of ramps, there are two, are for passengers from the airport and railstation who may have trolleys and need to push them or drag wee little wheelied suitcases and trunki's and stairs make their life so awkward oh boohoo poor them...... so let's build a ramp suitable for them and *FUCK* the wheelie people again shall we but I digress, my wrath shall be pointed at the NEC at a later date)/

This ones all for stall holders, stand holders and shops who apparently do not want my money!

You know it spends the same as anyone elses, it is not tainted by some sort of lurgy, you cannot CATCH 'disabled' if you take my money.

Today I went to all the grooming companies stands.

Today I had a large sum of birthday money burning a hole in my pocket.

Today I was ignored, stepped around, talked OVER and treated as if I was invisible by the staff at THREE of those companies.

I am not going to name names because genuinely I don't think it will make a single jot of difference to those companies, but it might to everyone else reading.

Please do not assume that because I am a wheelchair user, that I cannot or will not require your  professional grooming equipment.

I may not be a professional groomer, I am a canine professional, the products I buy will not only be used on my own dogs, but will be used to teach client dogs too.

Even if I were simply buying pet grade products for my own dog as a non-industry related private person...

Ignoring me, speaking over me, stepping round me to deal with the person BEHIND me in the queue... that's not acceptable, no matter how little they may be about to spend.

Fuck you, snooty rude dog grooming companies. Fuck you indeed!

Now onto the positive stuff.

Three grooming companies were MARVELLOUS.

Christies Direct, who are a BIG company - Glenn took the time to talk me through the available clipper options, let me hold the clippers (it's important to me how much they weigh and how balanced they are in my hand). He then helped me select two pairs of scissors which I bought.

Mutneys, who are not a huge company but a UK based grooming products suppliers - Louise again, took the time to show me the products that would suit, explain the various pros and cons and from Louise I bought a pair of Andis clippers. (Sorry Glenn!)

Diamond Edge who again, are not a huge multinational brand, not only recognised me from last year out of the thousands of people they must see at trade shows each year, but offered me a fabulous discount and honoured that discount on some cosmetically damaged stock a few months later as I wasn't able to take them up on it at the time, because they still had that item available (clipper combs in a damaged box!).

All the representitives from these companys were looking out for people interested in their stands but less able to access them for whatever reason. All took the time to find out what I needed without leaping to any conclusions or judgements based on appearances.

All got my money.

I'd also like a special mention to the lady on the really lovely scissor stand whose name I have forgotten, who only sold scissors (so it's not included in my general 'grooming products companies' rant here)...

She let me handle and play with various pairs of VERY expensive scissors which helped me determine what I wanted and needed...

Turns out whilst I might WANT £174 scissors... what I actually needed was not quite that spendy so I didn't buy from her but she was lovely (even if she tried to tempt me with her scissory goodness!).

So big up for Mutneys https://www.mutneys.com/, Diamond Edge http://www.diamondedgeltd.com/ and Christies Direct  http://www.christiesdirect.com/