John W.
Yelp
Until today, I would have given an easy 5 stars. I am a frequent customer at Surdyk's and enjoy visiting, often with friends. For numerous years my household has shopped at your store and told more people to shop there as well. We've spent a large amount of money at your store.
However, on March 7, 2020, after witnessing employees forcefully move a woman who was handcuffed to a back room against her will, while other employees laughed it off and continued business as usual, my previously positive perspective of the company has turned to serious concern and disapproval of the way people, in addition to the woman, were treated by staff. The employees allege the woman stole something, but then gave it back. Multiple people recorded video of the incident and event more observed nearby. The woman struggled to be released and vocally repeated cries requesting go be released, but the employee, Jim, continued to forcefully restrain her handcuffed body. He also claimed the woman assaulted an employee, saying his forceful restraint of the woman was justified. When police arrived, store employees also informed onlookers that they were trespassing and demanded they leave the store, which they did. The police escorted out the woman, talked with her outside, and released her because they said it was not a bookable offense. Officers did not say whether Minnesota law permits business employees to physically restrain someone using handcuffs.
If the woman committed a crime, she should be held responsible, no question. But whether or not the woman attempted to steal a product, this company policy of physically restraining a person, using handcuffs, is unproportionally forceful and inappropriate, especially considering the market value of products and the potential harm inherent in any forceful interaction between people in a psychologically charged situation. The employees who physically restrained the woman, including Jim, were unapologetic and disrespectful toward customers who asked about what happened and about company policy. Along with more than ten customers in that moment, I left the store after abandoning the products I had planned to purchase.
We find this practice of physically aggressive interaction and interpersonal disregard of customers to be unacceptable, irresponsible, unsafe, and unprofessional. I will not do business with Surdyk's until your company, Jim and the other employee specifically, publicly apologize for physically aggressive behavior toward people and you change the company policy to what one police officer on the scene said he recommends to businesses: don't touch anyone, and call the police and let them handle it. Until you apologize and change your policy, you've lost my business.