My store is not a day-care

[DesignFox]

Today I learned that the responsibility of "baby-sitter" somehow got tacked onto my job description....much to mine and my manager's surprise.

Around 5 today a kid came into the store to look at phones. It isn't unusual for 12 or 13 year olds to wander in for 5 mins and browse, then immediately mom or dad comes in behind them or they leave.

But this girl couldn't have been even 13...

Now, it's not like she was being disruptive, but it was quite awkward having a kid just literally hanging around. I asked her many times where her mother was, and she explained each time that she was shopping and would be done soon. She called her mother on her cell phone numerous times to ask her when she'd pick her up.

Finally, when I noticed it was going on 6:30, I explained to her that it was rather inappropriate that she was hanging out in our store, and that I didn't want to ask her to go out in the parking lot alone, for fear something might happen to her. I went on to say that her mother really needed to pick her up, as myself and my company can't be held liable for her.

FINALLY her mother shows up. They ask a few questions about cell phones and finally go to leave.

I didn't want to seem like a bully and only talk to the child, so I explained to the mother that leaving her daughter behind for an hour and a half really had me concerned. I told her I didn't mean to be rude, but the only reason I didn't ask the girl to leave was because I was afraid to send her out into the parking lot alone. I continued by saying that her daughter was not my responsibility, that my company and I cannot be held liable for her and that in the future, she should not be left unattended in our store.

As an aside-
While the kid was hanging around, the police were coming up and down the strip mall asking if anyone saw some suspicious behavior in the parking lot today. Apparently, someone noticed a child being forced into a vehicle, and the police were not sure if it was just a father with an unruly child, or something else.

I made sure to tell the mother about that, too.

I mean, really? Who leaves their kid alone for an hour and a half like that? And in a cell phone store of all places?

[rose_metal_nz]

kudos for talking this over with the parent.
hopefully this isn't one of those 'public shop = free babysitting' people.
....
...
.. yeah. well, dreams are free, ay... <sighs>

[BowserKoopa1]

According to some customers, you babysitting their kids is what they call "Good customer service". And if you give them any lip, they complain to a manager. You were pretty lucky that the mother didn't say something like "How dare you tell me how to raise my kids!"
Of course, anyone does that to me, I can simply reply, "I wonder what child protective services would think about letting your kids wander around town alone with no adult supervision, especially with all the sickos out there who will kidnap kids." Sometimes makes me wonder where these people's brains are.
Then again, I've dealt with customers for about 13 years, so I'm not too amazed by their stupidity.

[Little Redhead]

I had a situation a few months back where this womans car broke down across the street. She came over to our store with her 5 kids (age 10 and under) and asked if they could sit in the lobby. Being polite I told her long as they were not running around the store they were more than welcome. This woman went to yelling her kids had f***ing home training and knew how to act. Really from the that phrase I highly doubt it. Then we got subjected to the grandma and aunt coming in and cussing us out also. By that time I had enough and was picking up the phone to call the police about unattended young children in our lobby when the mother caught the hint and took her herd elsewhere.

[blas]

That's just terrible, Littleredhead. You were offering her kids a place to sit for a while so the mom could figure out what to do with her car issues, and she had the gall to bitch you out?

[bloodrose]

After the age of 10, my parents trusted us to understand possible dangers and so would frequently leave us alone for an hour or two in the mall. They didn't leave us alone in traffic or anything, but we were given free reign to run around looking for ways to spend our measly allowance with a "meet back at the fountain at 3:00." But they didn't dump us in one location and expect store staff to babysit us. We had also had years of "be nice" training. I don't think it is bad parenting to trust your kids in a well-lit environment especially with crime statistics (and crime against children statistics) dropping...but, leaving them in one shop for an hour or more with no well-lit, traffic-free place to wander around is just downright rude and teaches the children entitlement crap and teaches them to disrespect others. My $0.02, take with grain of salt and all that hoopla.

[taxguykarl]

I mean, really? Who leaves their kid alone for an hour and a half like that? And in a cell phone store of all places?

I narrowly stopped some woman from leaving her kids in our waiting area. They were entertaining themselves by punching each other. Needless to say, I refused to baby sit and did not see her the rest of that evening. If they stayed past closing, I can't think of any alternative to calling the police and child protective services.

[Mr.Customer]

What you should have done is simply call the police and tell them a parent abandoned their child and that they needed to come get the kid, tell them if they don't send someone that you are going to kick the child outside to wait for the parent in the parking lot, as for liability reasons you can't have the kid in the store.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I posted a thread here many moons ago from when I worked at a games store in a strip mall previous to the one I'm at now.

A mother left her son in my store, then had the audacity to ream ME out when her little precious wandered off to another store in the mall. She actually thought it was MY job to keep them in the store.

And in fact just yesterday, these two girls came in with two women. One of the girls wanted a DS game so one of the women paid for it and the girl plugged it in right away since she had her DS with her. The women left, but the girls stayed. About 15 mins later what do I see? The girls, sitting on the floor in one of our less traveled sections, playing on their DSs.

I wanted to say something but manager said just leave them be. The other women didn't show up for another 30 mins or so.