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LAYTON — One week after a negative Yelp review, ColdStone employee Justine Elwood said support she's gotten from around the world has been overwhelming.
Elwood loves her job and loves working with people, but one recent experience put a damper in her spirits.
On Dec. 5, she was at work helping a mother and her children by giving them ice cream samples when the woman pulled her children aside.
"She didn't whisper or anything. She was like, 'Yeah, if you have too much ice cream, you're going to look like her,'" Elwood said, a comment which she said, "kinda threw me off guard. It's like, I didn't really know what to say in the moment."
The next day, Elwood checked the store's Yelp account, where she saw a review that she "immediately" recognized as being from the same woman. The review read:
“Unfortunately, I have had a specifically unsatisfying experience the last few times we have come into the store,” the reviewer wrote in a two-star review. “One of the female employees Jessie? Jennifer? J something, is disgustingly obese, and each time we come in, although she does her job, and is very polite, instantly makes my appetite disappear. I understand the need to hire bias free, but when someones [sic] looks interfere with my experience at an establishment [sic] I can’t help but complain. As a mother I don’t like my children thinking they will look that way by eating too much ice cream.
“Overall a good establishment with fast service, and delightful treats. We love Coldstone [sic], just not all the employees.”
Guy Della Lucia, owner of the Cold Stone Creamery shop in Layton, responded to the review and defended his employee.
“I’ll support my employees to the end,” he said. “They’re good kids. They work hard and do a good job for me.”
In the time since the review was posted, there have been dozens of 5 star Yelp reviews showing support for Justine:
“Team Justine in New Jersey! You are a hard worker loved by your coworkers and customers … Stay beautiful Justine!”
“Justine you are an amazingly nice person in the face of arrogance! Your parents raised a bright smart young woman.”
“All the way from Pennsylvania here!! For one thing, I LOVE Coldstone! For another, so proud of you for staying strong Justine, that woman is petty and wrong to teach her children that.”
Elwood said having comments like, “Justine, hold your head up high girl. Cause you are beautiful,” posted on the very same Yelp profile where the original negative comment was made is uplifting.
She has also received comments on her mother’s Facebook post from around the world.
“A beautiful outpouring from the community and the whole country,” Daphne Felley, Justine’s mother said. “It's really neat. We've even had international stories of people telling how they were bullied and it's just amazing."
The kind words gave her a much-needed boost of support and she said she hopes that others will learn from them.
“It's really restored my faith in humanity, really, because there are so many good people out there. We just need to focus more on the good, than the negative."
Contributing: Carter Williams
