Retailing 8th Edition by Patrick Dunne,Robert Lusch, James Carver

Exercise 6

The Bandanna
The following letter was sent to a mall recently.

To Whom It May Concern:
Last weekend, I drove four hours from my home in Indianapolis, Indiana, to visit my boyfriend, a grad student at Washington University, St. Louis. It wouldn't have been a noteworthy trip, except that the last time I came to St. Louis I ended up at Barnes-Jewish Hospital for a week with a dangerous infection-I have breast cancer and am undergoing chemotherapy, so my immune system is not what it once was. After that scare I decided to wait until my immune system was up before making the trip again. I had my final infusion last month, the drugs ran their course, and so at long last I packed my weekend bag. My bag probably has a somewhat different style than most women with breast cancer-mine is usually filled with low-rise jeans and baby-tees. Did I mention that I'm 29 I'm 29.
Like most other women with breast cancer, my hair called it quits when the chemotherapy started. So, I'm a hip bald chick. I'll admit that around friends and family I'm pretty comfortable showing scalp, but in public I try to cover up-fewer stares that way. But, I've found that most traditional headscarves and hats cramp my style. I prefer a simple bandanna. Classic.
On the Saturday of my grand return to St. Louis, my boyfriend and I hit the town. We did some shopping, visited the Landing, saw the Arch, and then were going to cap off a great day with a trip to Riverside. I was having a perfect day-the kind of day when I can forget, for a few hours or so, that I am 29 and have cancer. That day, I was just a normal, healthy 29-year-old visiting her boyfriend.
We had been wandering around Riverside Mall for about a half an hour or so when I was approached by a security guard. At first I didn't realize he was speaking to me-my boyfriend and I had been waiting for the show at the Fudgery to begin, not bothering anyone, not creating anything resembling a disturbance. Why would he be speaking to me Once he got my attention, he told me that I would have to take off my bandanna.
And then-whomp!-I remembered. I have cancer. Reality. I took a step towards him and, trying not to draw attention, lifted the bandanna just enough that he could see the few wisps of hair left on my scalp. I then had to say the words I have come to hate: "I have cancer."
I thought that would be enough; that he might apologize and leave me be. But he didn't. He told me that my condition didn't matter-there were no bandannas allowed. Never mind that I have never been asked to remove my chosen headwear before; not anywhere in Indianapolis, not anywhere in Chicago; not anywhere in Louisville. If I wanted to continue wearing it I would have to put on a medical bracelet. He very kindly offered to have a bracelet provided to me for my bandanna-wearing purposes.
So, now I was 29, had cancer, and was being tagged. Don't get me wrong; I can guess why bandannas are prohibited mall attire. I would imagine it would have something to do with gangs and gang violence. Now, St. Louis may have a problem with gang violence of which I am unaware. But I am aware that those of us in the "Breast Cancer Gang" are less inclined to violence than your average gang member. We're a rather peaceful bunch, really. Something about the unending fatigue, the humiliation of losing much of your dignity (not to mention your hair), and the regular vomiting just drives the urge to hurt others right out of you.
Which is why, when I felt the tears in my eyes at the thought of having to put on a stupid medical bracelet to walk through a stupid mall instead of taking out the months of humiliation, loss of dignity, frustration, fear, and plain old anger out on the guard who was just trying to enforce a policy that he didn't institute but was paid to enforce, I left your mall. But I also promised myself that I would never, ever return-and that I would send out this letter voicing how the experience made me feel. An overreaction Maybe. But, the way I see it, I've already had to put up with quite a lot. Arbitrary and ineffective mall rules cross the line. And, I hate to say it, but in my mind St. Louis is no longer the city I thought I knew. I grew up in St. Louis, but now instead of thinking of the old neighborhood and the Arch and the Botanical Gardens and the Cardinals, I'll think of cancer and gangs and insensitivity, all thanks to the policies of a place which calls itself "the number one attraction in St. Louis."
Ironically, October is "Breast Cancer Awareness Month." And believe me, I am aware. I hope that others become aware, too, and that the proud women who follow me in treatment and survival wear whatever they damn well please on their bald heads and go wherever they damn like. I hope Riverside and any other public place which has any policy against any type of headwear rethinks that policy, or at least makes an exception for women who are engaged full-time with a battle for their lives and have other things to worry about. And, I hope that someday, no woman will have to say at any age, to a mall security guard or anyone else, "I have cancer."


Thank you for expressing your thoughts and concerns regarding our code of conduct. We appreciate your comments and regret any hard feelings.
It is important that you know that our primary goal at Riverside Mall is to offer a safe and comfortable shopping environment for all of our visitors. We are committed to treating our shoppers in a fair, consistent, and sensitive manner and are upset that you felt that you were treated unfairly.
Our policy was put in place five years ago to ensure the safety of our more than 6 million shoppers annually, and this is the first time that a reaction of this type has occurred. The policy is quite specific in its language so that it addresses only those types of apparel that are worn to support gang activity. Unfortunately, your head covering fell into that category. The dress code does have an exception for those with medical conditions, such as yourself.
In an effort to accommodate every person and every kind of situation with sensitivity, when those with medical conditions such as cancer are stopped for non-compliance with the dress code, they are asked to wear a small wristband to enable them to continue to shop without being stopped again by the public safety officers. The intention is not to single out any individual, but to avoid any further interruption to your visit.
We regularly review the policies and the code to make sure they are up to date and are appropriate for the current environment.
We thank you again for your comments and we assure you that we will review our policies in the near future with your situation in mind.
1. If you were the marketing director for a retailer and received such a letter, would you have replied the same way as Ms. Barnes
2. Does a retailer's imposition of hard and fast rules cause bad public relations (After all, a breast cancer victim wearing a bandanna could hardly be mistaken for a gang member. The lack of hair, missing eyelashes, and a general pale complexion should have been a clue.)
3. Since the press was copied on Ms. Stiles' letter, should the mall copy them on its reply
Note: While the names of the individuals, date and the mall have been changed, everything else is as it occurred.