Congratulations to Lee Randell who's won an award for turning round an autistic boy's shopping experience.
Lee, who had been at the store since it opened two-and-a-half years ago before moving this week to our Wembley store, invited the 10-year-old boy and his mum into the store after a mix-up led to the boy not feeling comfortable going shopping anymore.
He chatted with the mum and son over a coffee and then gave the youngster a behind-the-scenes tour of the store while his mum shopped. Lee also bought the boy a £20 gift card out of his own pocket.
Lee said: "He really enjoyed looking around the store and we had a good chat. He was really happy by the time he left us – they both were – and his mum said he wanted to work in a shop when he got older.
Lee received an Asda Service Superstar award, recognising our colleagues who go the extra mile to help customers.
He said: "I was really surprised by the award. It was a very nice touch."
The South Ruislip store will be operating an inclusive hour from 7pm to 8pm each Tuesday to improve the shopping experience for people with dementia, autism and those who struggle with loud noises.
During that time the store will turn off the radio, public address system and make it generally noise free.
Lee said: "Shops can very loud, so hopefully this initiative will help people."