PAUL Richmond — Restaurant in London

Formal Complaint logged Regarding Discriminatory Treatment at Paul Richmond against Guilia (Staff Member)

Dear Customer Service Team/Paul Richmond Management

I am writing to formally raise a serious complaint regarding the treatment I received at your Paul Richmond location. As someone with a disability, I entered the store alone and ordered a croissant to eat in, as I needed to sit down. The staff member who served me—a kind young lady—did not ask whether my order was for takeaway or dine-in and simply handed me a pain au chocolat instead. I took a seat in front of the till without issue.

However, shortly after, a staff member named Giulia abruptly shouted across the store, putting me in an extremely uncomfortable and humiliating position in front of other customers. She loudly asked if I was waiting for a coffee, which I politely declined. Instead of handling the situation discreetly or professionally, she proceeded to raise her voice and order me to leave—as if I were not even human.

Her tone, aggressiveness, and complete lack of respect made me feel deeply ashamed and unwelcome. It was an appalling experience that, unfortunately, echoed historical moments of segregation and discrimination—whether during Apartheid or the treatment of Jewish people in 1948 when individuals were forced to vacate public spaces simply due to their identity. No one should ever be subjected to such treatment in a place of business, especially not in a city that prides itself on inclusivity and respect.

This incident raises serious concerns about Paul’s stance on customer service, inclusivity, and sensitivity towards both disability and diversity. Giulia’s behavior does not reflect the values of respect and hospitality that any reputable brand should uphold. Her arrogance, rudeness, and hostility were unacceptable, and she should not be the face of your establishment.

I expect a formal response regarding this matter and the actions you will take to address such discriminatory behavior. Furthermore, I will be escalating my complaint to relevant consumer rights and disability advocacy organizations to ensure that incidents like this are taken seriously. agains her and Paul as she...

Just purchased 2 cakes and the lady I spoke to before pick up was rude. Martine over charged me by not honouring the full discount. I confirmed over the phone of 20% blue light card nhs app. After paying with 10% discount I checked my receipt and questioned why, to which she replied rudely completely denied her error and claimed it’s only 10%! I corrected her as it states clearly on their website that I was not wrong but she made me feel awful. She was irritated, annoyed and loud so other customers could hear and made me feel embarrassed and intimidated as other customers walked in.

Eventually she said she would next time give me a refund and can not do anything, but I managed to persuade her otherwise and she gave me some doughnuts I don’t really want. She made me feel like she was doing me a massive favour. Martin’s did not say sorry once! However she hesitantly did agree she err’d.

She needs more training on better customer service.

Ruined my lovely...

Richmond branch! After asking if one of the pastries was a stand out Paul pastry, the girl proceeded to tell me what each pastry contained! I chose a pistachio pastry and as she was putting it through the till, she asked if I wished to go for the £5 deal pastry+ coffee. I chose a coffee. She then saw that she could not give me the offer based on that pastry and so I changed my mind and chose a pain au chocolat + cortado. She took pre-ground coffee out of what looked like a recycled plastic container and proceeded to make my drink! I have not bought food + drink in Paul for many years. I immediately noticed the very poor quality of both the pastry + the coffee (which I decided not to drink). The girl had claimed that the recipe was a ‘French’ one. £5 later, and I felt so disappointed with my takeaway. I will not recommend this place to anyone in future, snd in fact, I will do the opposite. It probably explains why the shop was so empty midweek at just...