"The Bag Lady & The Bratty Kids"

[katiegoo]

This was a classic sucky customer of ours.
We called her "bag lady" cuz she came in with 4 heaping full shopping bags which were getting in everybodys way. Anyways, she had these 3 boys, ages approx. 3-7. All 3 of them were OUT OF CONTROL!!!! The oldest 2 are mean, fight with eachother, talk back to the parents etc. The 3 year old is cute but hes a terror and gets into everything. They brought him with his superman pajamas on and no shoes! So they took like 20 mins to order, asking about everything on the menu. Then her and her husband spent 5 mins argueing over vanilla shakes. She claimed plain ice cream is already vanilla flavored. He claimed you have to add vanilla flavoring to make it vanilla. We kept telling them that we dont add vanilla, its already vanilla but they kept fighting anyways. Meanwhile, the kids are running rampid thru the store, throwing condiments around etc. The one boy had these loud cowboy boots on that were making thunderous loud noises as he ran around. When the parents ask the older boys what they want, they scream their order in snotty voices. Finally they are done ordering and they sit down. The parents read the newspaper while the kids do whatever they please. The parents dont pay any attention to what they are doing. Then the 2 older ones decide it would be fun to throw spitballs at me and my co-worker. So they would pop their heads over the little booth divider thing and spit them at us and then giggle and duck down. The parents kept on reading the paper... this kind thing continues... half hour.... hour. An hour goes by and the parents are still reading the paper. Meanwhile the kids are getting more and more bored and getting rowdier and rowdier. Then I notice the little one went into the entry way and started playing with the tacks on the bulletin board. I went and told the manager about it and he went out and told the parents they better not let the baby play with tacks. The dad had a blank look on his face and casually said "dont do that nathan" and then walked away. He kept on doing it. Another half hour goes by... they are getting louder and louder. Its almost closing time and I cant clean anything out in their area because they are STILL there. They FINALLY left after 2 hours and of course, left a terrible mess!!!
Another time they came in (minus the father) and basically did the same thing. Only the mother went into the bathroom (which is in the gas station side that is connected to us) at 10 mins to closing with the little one and didnt come out for LITERALLY 45 minutes!!! I was standing around with nothing left to do but lock the doors & turn off the lights but I couldnt because the older boys were still there waiting and of course they were BORED OUT OF THEIR MINDS!! Going crazy, running around, making a mess. I was so pissed!!! Why does it take 45 minutes to change a diaper? My god!

[MiloMorai]

What the hell is wrong with your manager that HE and to some extent you, allow this kind of behavior in your workplace?? They are a lawsuit waiting to happen, either with them getting hurt or another customer. BAN THEM!!

[katiegoo]

What the hell is wrong with your manager that HE and to some extent you, allow this kind of behavior in your workplace?? They are a lawsuit waiting to happen, either with them getting hurt or another customer. BAN THEM!!

Easier said than done. You cant tell customers how to discipline their kids and you cant just kick paying customers out of your store. We got the kid out of the entryway where the tacks were but the other stuff, what can you do about it? Nothing.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I disagree...if the kids are running around and throwing spitballs at the employees, you can damn sure say something to the parents. Keep them in line or leave. You have every right to ask them to leave, if you ask me.

*maybe you can't tell them how to discipline their kids, but you can tell them to discipline their kids...in other words, keep them under control or take them home.

[bainsidhe]

I disagree...if the kids are running around and throwing spitballs at the employees, you can damn sure say something to the parents. Keep them in line or leave. You have every right to ask them to leave, if you ask me.

*maybe you can't tell them how to discipline their kids, but you can tell them to discipline their kids...in other words, keep them under control or take them home.

I agree. And if mommy actually is gone for 45 minutes in the bathroom, perhaps the next time she is more than 10 minutes gone you make an "anonymous" 911 call about some abandoned children. I say that, but it should really be a last resort. Telling customers to control and discipline their kids should come first. Stress that their behavior is
1) Dangerous - getting in the way of servers carrying large, heavy, steaming platters, not to mention getting in the way of server Bobby Jo who is 6'6" and has an idiot stick with a rabid dislike for annoying little brats
2) Bothering other patrons - screaming and chasing each does not make for a comfortable dining experience for diners other than the ignoraemous parents
3) Not appropriate behavior. Would you allow adults to throw spit wads at servers? No. Why should it be allowed for children? In no uncertain terms, explain that spit wads are not only disgusting, rude and offensive, but will NOT be tolerated. (If it continues, shouldn't that constitute assault? In which case a nice little call to the cops)

Saying is always easier than doing. But at the least someone should put their foot down with these parents. As with other SCs, they will think you are rude and a horrible person, but not doing so means you (and/or your manager) chooses to put up with such abuse. And no one deserves that.

[Gurndigarn]

Easier said than done. You cant tell customers how to discipline their kids

Uh, yeah, you can. It's usually best if you let a manager do it, but the basic idea is "Sir/ma'am, your kids are disturbing other customers/causing a hazardous situation/destroying our displays/etc. I'm going to have to ask you to keep better watch on them."

This usually prompts a tirade about how you can't tell him/her what to do, delivered with all the energy and intelligence level of a third-grader being disciplined. At which point you have a number of options. The one you shouldn't take is arguing with the customer, since other customers may not be able to decide which of you is the idiot. Reiterating your position, or threatening expulsion if civilized behavior does not return to the premises, however, are decent choices.

and you cant just kick paying customers out of your store.

If you're a manager, yes, you can. It's usually not a good idea. But only usually. There are exceptions, and kids being in hazardous positions, seriously annoying other customers without parents making at least reasonable efforts to stem the harassment, or damage to merchandise or property are good reason to boot someone. Just make sure you document what and why you're doing anything of the sort.

[Velfarre2001]

Don't know where you are located, but in quite a few places hitting someone with bodily fluids or things covered therein like spit is illegal. See if you can get them for that.

[Jacen]

Easier said than done. You cant tell customers how to discipline their kids and you cant just kick paying customers out of your store. We got the kid out of the entryway where the tacks were but the other stuff, what can you do about it? Nothing.

Let's put it an easy way If one of those kids hurt me, I'd be pissed. And after I chew out the parents, I'll complain to store managment. Why? It's a store, not a circus. 'Nuff said.

[Kyree]

What if those kids had something that could be transmitted through saliva? Very unsanitary, very hazardeous to your health. Walk up to them and tell them that they're making other customers uncomfortable, etc.

[ditchdj]

Interesting that crap like this gets tolerated and then the customers take matters into their own hands and a brawl ensues......

http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=6509802

[Victory Sabre]

I work with Katiegoo, and if these people are the ones I think they are, they didn't actually pay for the food. These people used radio station gift certificates, which are sold for radio ads, and the store doesn't actually receive any money for.

Also these people have tried to use expired ones, and have been turned down for doing so.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Easier said than done. You cant tell customers how to discipline their kids and you cant just kick paying customers out of your store. We got the kid out of the entryway where the tacks were but the other stuff, what can you do about it? Nothing.

I assume you are a private business, and private businesses and can refuse service to anybody for any reason, as long as it isn't a discriminatory one. You just have a manager handle things like that.

Sounds like your managers and higher-ups have been whipped into the "every customer is worth retaining, no matter how little they spend and how much trouble they cause" mindset if this is what they say about it.

[Geek King]

If I may add also, spit wads being shot at you is technically assault with a bodily fluid. Mention that to the manager along with the words "Health Hazard" and "Hostile Workplace" and he may find the spine for a ban. If bigger bosses ask, just make sure he says it just like that: They were assaulting employees with bodily fluids. Big Bosses likely won't ask twice.