House of Fashion assault - What really happened?

23 January 2023 07:34 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 36 Bookmark

CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA Follow

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Police have launched an investigation into a massive brawl which erupted at the House of Fashion clothing store in Bambalapitiya yesterday between staff members and a customer.

According to the police, the brawl erupted when a customer was unable to move his vehicle out of the parking lot as another vehicle was obstructing it.

The customer had complained to the staff and multiple announcements were made in the store for the obstructing vehicle to be moved.

However after a while, it is alleged that the customer had lost his patience and had abused the manager of the store.

Following this, a brawl broke out between the staff members and the customer and videos circulating on social media showed some staff members mercilessly beating up the customer who also retaliated.

The customer and staff members sustained injuries and were taken to hospital. Further investigations are underway. (JAMILA HUSAIN)

Comments - 36

D Citizen Monday, 23 January 2023 07:54 AM

I am not aware of the true actual incident. However, I stopped going to this store some time ago, because of the attitude of the staff. They behave in a manner that is not customer friendly at all.

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Human Wrongs Watch Monday, 23 January 2023 08:16 AM

Every problem cannot be sovled with an Aragalaya. One against many is a severely unbalanced equation.

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Jerry Monday, 23 January 2023 08:30 AM

This house of fashion store must be investigated, the staff and manager is really unprofessional. I have an incident prior too where they refused to sell an item claiming no stock...if they don't have stock why then display????? After seeing this video I can assume what would have happened to me if I had confronted!!!!

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D.F.S.A. Perera Monday, 23 January 2023 09:28 AM

Whatever the cause we should all boycott shops that assault customers.

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AIA Monday, 23 January 2023 09:28 AM

People are in frustration with the cost of living and the looming tax hammering .

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Dee Monday, 23 January 2023 09:39 AM

In reality the foolish customer should have abused and assaulted the cow who parked obstructing his vehicle. Our people really don't have parking manners. That happens when people who have never seen or been in cars, get to own so called 'luxury' vehicles.

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Chryshan Monday, 23 January 2023 09:42 AM

Customer service by House of Fashion. We saw the clip. Its the staff that started attacking the customer. They were waiting out until customer comes out. Probably influenced by manager who was abused verbally by customer.

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Sunil Monday, 23 January 2023 09:47 AM

I have watched the video clip on social media. Looks as though this shop has taken customer care to an appreciably high level.

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Mahesh Monday, 23 January 2023 09:50 AM

This is very absurd. Under no circumstances, the staff members take law

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Fernando Monday, 23 January 2023 10:08 AM

The staff of this clothing store is unprofessional

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Gaston Monday, 23 January 2023 10:09 AM

The customer should have been slapped by somebody else for parking like that. Unfortunately it had to be the young staff personnel who wanted a different activity for the day

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sriyantha Peiris Monday, 23 January 2023 10:12 AM

Even if the Customer is wrong in this incident, it is very unprofessional to take the law in to their hands and assault the customer. They should have called the Police immediately. In developed countries, Retail staff never confront with customers, they report to Police in an unruly situation.

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Damian Monday, 23 January 2023 10:42 AM

Sad but this is exactly what is wrong with SL. No discipline in society top to bottom. Will never come out of this situation.

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Sad state Monday, 23 January 2023 03:02 PM

Well said. I was in SL about a month ago for nearly fifty days. I saw generally in Colombo how the public/private bus drivers, truck drivers, motorists, three wheelers, two wheelers/cyclists and pedestrians conduct themselves on the road. Scant respect to law and order. Alergic to discipline. Appalling. They are the population of the country. Large majority of them couldn't conduct themself well on the streets. I was wondering when they themselves cannot behave well on the streets how dare can they expect their rulers/politicians to be straight and conduct themselves well. They get what they deserve. The whole country is rotten. Sadly as you rightly mentioned they not only will not come out of this situation but at this rate it's going to be worse. What a beautiful country ruined by it's intellectually bankrupt and indiciplined populace.

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Michael Rayappan Monday, 23 January 2023 11:23 AM

Customers can assault the staff but staff can't assault the customers. Not endorsing the assault but it could be self-defence. Now don't @ me teaching the guidelines of self-defence.

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Observer Monday, 23 January 2023 11:24 AM

Readers are made to believe that the culprit is the motorist who parked his vehicle causing obstruction to another vehicle. However he appears to be out of the scene in the entire episode whereas he should have been questioned initially !

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SC Monday, 23 January 2023 11:34 AM

I am from the hospitality industry, so I wholeheartedly condemn this sort of behavior of staff members. That being said, I have also come across customers who behave like animals, treating staff / people who serve them as if they are their domestic workers at home. We really don't know what transpired between the customer and Manager, and I will say it again, you cannot go on assaulting your customers.

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Tissa Fernando Monday, 23 January 2023 11:38 AM

House of Fashion: If you don't buy something apen guti thamai!

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Buddhike Monday, 23 January 2023 11:48 AM

the people who don't have business in their blood cant do business, imagine the same thing happens at NOLIMIT, FASHION BUG, they would have taken the customer service to next level unharming any.

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Patriot Monday, 23 January 2023 11:59 AM

customer should have called 199 to get the vehicle removed and towed away instead of creating brawls , abusing etc.

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ram Tuesday, 24 January 2023 07:04 AM

you want to call 119 never get any response from police and only to wait the instructor remove himself. it happened to me on galle road near crescent and police station. it's waste to call police in Sri Lanka.

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Gb Monday, 23 January 2023 12:34 PM

I been to House of fashion, most of the staff were friendly and helpful, can't tell exactly what happened but can imagine, customers probably at fault, they wouldn't do that for nothing

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Gb Monday, 23 January 2023 12:44 PM

Customer tries to attack 2 women and a child, probly thinks its their vehicle, some people think they can behave like animals, customer definitely started it

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Aussie Lankan Monday, 23 January 2023 01:06 PM

Very sad incident. Those staff may not know that this will adversely affect their jobs too. What should have done is, HoF staff should have called police. Anyway all of these staff need better customer training. Who had introduced violence to this beautiful island?

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Come on, get real Monday, 23 January 2023 03:46 PM

Call police? The staff are those who acted viciously, throwing objects. Holding objects with intention to assault. If you are in Australia, you'd know very well who'd introduced the violence.

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Retired Hurt Monday, 23 January 2023 03:53 PM

House Fashion management will never pay for professional services. Whether it is public relations or security services they always think they can handle it. They always try not to pay their suppliers and therefore never get the best professional advice. Profit is only for themselves not their suppliers.

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Citizen Monday, 23 January 2023 03:58 PM

Jameela, do you really believe the customer retaliated? And it's. Joke to claim the brutes who assaulted the helpless customer who had only his wife to defend him were injured Did you not notice one of the brutes using a pole to assault the unarmed man? I really don't understand you evaluation of the entire event.

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Anonymous Monday, 23 January 2023 04:14 PM

I love Jamila Husain!

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Dihan Dole Monday, 23 January 2023 04:16 PM

The manager should have called the police instead after repeated paging. This way the cops would have called the registered owner and this mishap could be sorted. Owners of HOF should sack the manager (which I doubt and must be connected to family) Don’t forget that video have gone viral and tourist will also think twice

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REEZ Monday, 23 January 2023 04:30 PM

Very simple should have towed the obstructing vehicle away. House of fashion should have done it.

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Raayon Monday, 23 January 2023 05:36 PM

This is highly disturbing. Staffs should have called the police and they cannot attack paying customers. Also hose of fashion have terrible customer services and staffa are not trained to serve.

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Moh Sleiman Tuesday, 24 January 2023 06:36 AM

SRI LANKA IS ROTTEN,very very UNFORTUNATE to call myself a SRI LANKAN.

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K.L Pathirana Tuesday, 24 January 2023 07:59 AM

House of Fashions where our customer care is followed by medicare.

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K.L Pathirana Tuesday, 24 January 2023 08:04 AM

Why didn't the staff beat up the customer who parked their car incorrectly blocking off other vehicles ? This man is the real victim of an inconsiderate fool who had no parking discipline.

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Shem R Fasy Tuesday, 24 January 2023 08:31 AM

Just read all reviews. In a business customer is king is a basic rule. If not the company will lose in the long run. I have being there once and I taught I will never ever go there again and inform my friends and family and we stopped patronizing this self proclaimed top fashion retailer in the Island. Such a sad state of affairs.

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Someswarapillai Pathanthan Wednesday, 25 January 2023 12:03 PM

When you park the vehicle, you can't obstruct other vehicle. In private parking areas, the security also can't supervise all the time. I think the first culprit is the wrong parking fellow. House of fashion workers did their part. But you can't get anger and damage the public property.

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