Crazy Kritters/Kids...I Think They Were Kids (Kinda Long Again...Man I'm Longwinded)

[M47]

Hello All!

Thanks for being so kind to me on my previous posts; here is my latest interaction with a customer...

Ok, to start off, I took Spring Break (3/8-3/14) off from work! YAY!!!!

So today (3/15) was my first day back from said vacation, and luckily, this was my only sucky customer story for the day.

Now to the story...hehe

These two customers come into my store, they each have two kids, one in a stroller and one walking (total of 4 kids, two walking). Well, the kids in the strollers were being nice and not crying for once, so I was happy. They ladies were nice when I greeted them and I figured it would be a normal visit...boy was I wrong.

The two kids not in a stroller immediately began climbing inside of the racks, we're pretty used to this happening, and I came up to the rack and asked the kids to please step out of the rack before they hurt themselves. One of the mothers was there and looked at me, called a name, and one of the girls came out, the other ran away. YAY! I succeeded in keeping them out of danger! Go ME! ....

Or not...

A few minutes later I see a blur and the two girls are running down the aisle and into another rack of clothes. This time I approach the parents and tell the first one that the girls need to stop climbing inside the racks because its dangerous, the first looks at me and says that only one of them is hers (the other is her neice) and I need to talk to her sister about the other. So I do...and walk away.

YAY! Its over...

Or NOT...

Again, only a few minutes passes and I see them running in the store and hiding in the racks, I walk up and tell both parents at the same time, and in a "stern voice" (something I learned from watching Demolition Man) that they would need to control their kids because they were a danger to themselves and now to others in the store as well; or else (reference to same movie again) I would have to ask them to leave the store.

YAY! I can go back to helping the other 20 customers that just walked in...

OR NOT...

OMG, what is wrong with these children?!?!?! And the parents who are having so much fun shopping that they're not watching their kids.

*side note*
I can understand being a single mom trying to shop, even though I'm a guy, my mom was single and always kept my brother and I next to her at all times, if we started causing trouble she would punish us right there (not beat, but punish).

Back to the story...

They start running, so I walk up to the parents, before I can say anything the second mom says "Ok, I know, we're leaving". I figure there's no need to pursue and think she may be a little embarrassed so I tell her she is more than welcome to purchase the items in her hand before leaving and she proceeds to walk towards the checkout.

ON HER WAY THERE! She looks at her "sister" and says, "Can you believe that motherf******? He's actually making us leave because of these little s**ts.

That's basically where it ended because I didn't feel like getting in an altercation on my first day back over some unruly kids, but I couldn't believe her reaction and calling me a name.

Again, I have had many great responses, so please be nice and play well with one another on replies. If you feel I acted inappropriately and would like to tell me something personally please send me a pvt message; I am always open to constructive criticism.

[friendofjimmyk]

I don't see where you did anything wrong. You were stern but polite even though you had to tell these twatwaffles upteen times to watch their kids.

I bet they were just embarrassed.

My parents only told me once. If my dad was with us, we listened....or else he WOULD beat us (just a fact of my childhood - but you better believe I listened to my parents) If someone walked up to my parents and informed them I was misbehaving...you better believe they would only have to tell my parents once.

[Broomjockey]

Personally, I applaud you. Most people would have (heck, I probably would have) given up on it after the second time telling them to behave and just left the kids to their fate.

[Bosch]

I am with you, and I have kicked out parents due to their children, when a kid I had warned my manager had warned the parent and then the kid knocked over a fully loaded T-stand of clothing. We asked them to leave since there would be no more warnings Mom was pissed off since we refused to help the child instead started cleaing up the merch that was now spread all over the floor.

You kid is crying cause they ran headlong into a metal poll hidden by clothing that we told him about and you about sorry our product is our concern a crying child that happens all the time they don't get their way.

[casey13]

I agree. The kids shouldn't be running around.

[Primer]

Good for you for "kicking" them out! Unsupervised children certainly ARE a danger to others!

[QASlave]

You see your problem lies in the fact that there are too many people out there with kids and too few parents.

[Pagan]

I would have kicked them out, too. But, I find this

ON HER WAY THERE! She looks at her "sister" and says, "Can you believe that motherf******? He's actually making us leave because of these little s**ts.

even more disturbing!

[wagegoth]

ON HER WAY THERE! She looks at her "sister" and says, "Can you believe that motherf******? He's actually making us leave because of these little s**ts.

You know, you can override the biological urge to procreate. There's plenty of birth control available of all kinds, most of it not requiring a prescription. How long do you think until she's divorced, if she isn't already?

[BethB]

Sadly, it's parents like this who give all parents and kids a bad name. As kids, when we went to the store, my mom would "lay down the law" and if we broke it she'd send us back to the car. We didn't like the car so we behaved. With my kids I learned the fine art of negotiation. They behave, they get reward. If not, they get to whine about not getting stuff and I get to not care. They also learned not to go playing off in clothing since I began to play the "goodbye" game when they didn't listen to me. If they didn't stop playing in the clothing racks I would walk off and say goodbye. They didn't like that and I told them to stop playing in the clothes. They are good kids now. At least until they enter teenage years which is about in 1 yr for the older and 3 yrs for the middle. I shudder.

[McGoddess09]

At least until they enter teenage years which is about in 1 yr for the older and 3 yrs for the middle. I shudder.

Awww. It will be ok. From what I read in your post, they will be good teens, just more sarcastic.

I feel for my mom,though. She has me graduating in a little over a month and the other one going into 8th grade. Poor woman.

[Red_Dazes]

...I'm an ass.... I make the announcement over the loud speaker. I've also gotten permission from my SV to have our Security escort untended children or unruly children to the front of the store where my SV will page the parents directly and tell them to keep their kids with them.

So I dont think you did anything wrong. You were alot nicer about it than I would have been.