Waitrose Shows the Perils of Being Tone-Deaf in the Social Media Age

Waitrose got it seriously wrong last week — first in the way it handled an autistic volunteer, and then in how it responded when the story hit the headlines.

For several years, 28-year-old Tom Boyd, who is autistic and has limited communication skills, volunteered at Waitrose in Cheadle Hulme. He clocked up more than 600 hours of unpaid work, becoming part of the team and taking pride in his role. When his family asked if he might be given a few paid hours, Waitrose said no — and asked him not to return.

Tom Boyd’s mother who shared the story on Facebook

Waitrose’s initial response — that it was “investigating” — may have been technically correct, but it was emotionally tone-deaf. Any professional will notice that this statement starts with their own defence, not with sympathy for Tom Boyd or others in a similar situation.  It sounded legalistic, not human:

“We work hard to be an inclusive employer. As part of this, we partner with a number of charities … and are well experienced in making reasonable adjustments to help people succeed at work. We are sorry to hear of Tom’s story and whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, we are investigating as a priority.”

I am sure the author meant well and was following an internal playbook, but in communications terms, it left a vacuum. Asda stepped in and managed to make a corporate statement sound genuine.

“We know that finding meaningful work can be especially challenging for individuals with learning disabilities or difficulties. … So, when we heard about Tom and his desire to find meaningful work, we knew he’d be a fantastic fit and we are delighted to offer him a role at his local store.”

The contrast couldn’t have been clearer. Waitrose looked heartless; Asda looked sensible and friendly.

To its credit, Waitrose did quite quickly then offer Tom a paid job and expressed regret for its decision. But by then, the damage was done. The story had become one of corporate misjudgement.

The lesson is simple. In the age of instant outrage, brands don’t have hours, let alone days, to “investigate” before showing empathy. The first move probably shouldn’t be to protect the company, but to sound human. A single line such as “We got this wrong — we’re sorry, and we’ll put it right” might well have stopped the backlash in its tracks.

Waitrose didn’t lose this week because it made a mistake. It lost because it failed to own the mistake quickly enough.

Image: Still from video posted on Facebook

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Lindsay Williams

Lindsay Williams is the founder and MD of The Media Coach. She has been an expert media trainer, communication coach and consultant since 1998. Lindsay hosts a range of bespoke communication skills courses which include Media Training, Presentation Training, Crisis Media Training and Message Building. Her particular forte is CEO Communication Coaching. Lindsay is the person to hire when you want C-Suite Communication Training.

Lindsay Williams is based in London but runs training sessions in multiple time zones, including the US, Europe, Africa and Asia, working online or travelling to host small and large scale training events. With 20 years of experience as a communications consultant with corporations and international organisations, Lindsay also runs Personal Impact Training and Pitching Via Zoom courses.

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