T P.
Yelp
If you are a person of color and want the florist to chase you down in the store panicked that you're going to steal $20 flowers from them, then this is the store for you! I went in this evening solely to purchase the flowers for my 5 year old daughter. While I wasn't aware I had to purchase them first before shopping (that part I will own), I most certainly and fortunately am not someone who would ever or has ever felt they needed to steal anything. The florist followed me in the store, panicked, to take the flowers from me. I asked him he thought I was stealing them, and he didn't answer. I left the store to get cash and return to have a polite but honest conversation. I gave him the money and asked for the flowers and then I asked him "I need to know, did you think I was going to steal the flowers?" He wouldn't respond. I asked again. Then he said "I don't speak English. I don't understand," Well I told him I know that isn't true because I've been to the store before and have interacted with him. I repeated "Did you think I was going to walk out of the store without paying?" He then said "If you don't want to buy the flowers, you don't have to." I said, "No, I want the flowers but I also want you to honestly tell me did you think I was stealing them. And I know you understand everything I am saying." He refused to answer.
I gave him the money and then I went to speak with the manager while my daughter waited with my friend outside. The manager "kind of "apologized and said he would talk to the guy and that "it was his approach." No, no. If it was strictly a policy matter the guy could easily have said he didn't think I was stealing. No apology and no real action. I live in the neighborhood and have for many, many years. Needless to say I won't be shopping here again. The interaction with the florist was unacceptable, even by New York standards, and while the manager was semi-sympathetic he was largely unfazed and offered a mechanical response. I don't think there is anything they can really do to make this right as they've shown their hand and probably still wrote me off as a thieving brown person -- but I want to at least put this out there. The florist and manager were people of color themselves but that doesn't mean much - plenty of POC working in retail environments are frequent racial profilers. I am deeply disappointed, though. I feel like I have to walk around flashing a bank statement to be treated like a human sometimes...