Denied a basic human right????

[EricKei]

She only thinks it is "the law" ...

Nah, she thinks it's "the law" because "the law" states that the customer is always right!

[dalesys]

Yup. Sez rhat hyar: Constipational Rights: You have the right to be FOS.

[AnaKhouri]

When I worked at the video rental place, it was right next to a bagel shop. You could carry out bagels and sandwiches, but they also had a couple tables and chairs for people to sit and eat (and sold drinks and such to make it a complete meal).

They didn't have a public restroom, and were forever telling people who asked them to come to our store to use ours. They did this long after we closed down the public restrooms due to theft issues. Yeah, lots of angry people threatening to pee on the floor... I always told them to go right ahead and do it while I called the cops. Funny enough no one ever went through with it.

I think maybe they didn't count as a restaurant because they were very small and maybe technically a carryout place, but I think if you add tables and invite people to sit and eat then you should have to have a restroom too.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

We don't have a public restroom at the Games store. Fortunately there are a couple of places nearby that do.

Thing is, I don't keep people from using it because I don't want them to. I do it because of Liability issues. We keep stock in our back room. To get to the bathroom, you have to go through the back room.

I would be willing to do it in an emergency IF there were at least two people working and one of us could escort the person to the back to use the washroom but if I am by myself in the store than no can do. You can bitch at me all you want but I won't budge. I would get fired for doing that.

[PawnPrincess Ardra]

We don't have a public restroom at the Games store. Fortunately there are a couple of places nearby that do.

Thing is, I don't keep people from using it because I don't want them to. I do it because of Liability issues. We keep stock in our back room. To get to the bathroom, you have to go through the back room.

I would be willing to do it in an emergency IF there were at least two people working and one of us could escort the person to the back to use the washroom but if I am by myself in the store than no can do. You can bitch at me all you want but I won't budge. I would get fired for doing that.

THIS. We have people's loan collateral in the back, among other things! I mean really.. try next door where they have AT LEAST 3 people working at a time. And don't think for a minute I will lose my job over your want to use the restroom here.

[rose_metal_nz]

Going by what you said in your OP, may I suggest the following if there's a "next time" ? -

Customer: "Can I use your restroom?"
You: "Sorry, that's where we keep the firearms"
ETA: "and bear traps"

[PepperElf]

I run a small pawn shop

This is also why you don't want a public restroom.

You can't have cameras in the loo cos of privacy laws ... so thieves would take advantage of that fact to steal shit

[Zoom]

About 10 years ago, I remember this one guy who came to my basement to buy some of my old comic books.

Before he came over, he called to see that I still had anything left (I had sold a lot of them at a garage sale). So far, so good. Dollar signs in my eyes. (There's probably an eyedrop for that, and it costs $500.)

Before he hung up, however, he said this:

"Just so we are clear on the matter. When I come over, whether or not I buy anything from you, I will need to use the bathroom. I will require this basic necessity because I have a medical condition that I don't want to go into here."

Since I almost never use the basement bathroom, I told him it was all right.

Whatever he did in there, the place had an unusual smell (no, it wasn't that, or even that... I just can't place it) and it made me stay away from it for a week before I felt able to even approach it to clean it.

He and his accomplice ripped me off a couple of times later on, but that's another story.

[rose_metal_nz]

Whatever he did in there, the place had an unusual smell (no, it wasn't that, or even that... I just can't place it) and it made me stay away from it for a week before I felt able to even approach it to clean it.

Drugs. My very strong spidey-sense says drugs. There's more reasons to "use" the toilet than #1 & #2

[Kereminde]

Simple answer: "No." Don't get into "I'm sorry but..." . . . just say "No." If they demand a reason, I will provide a list of ones which have worked for me.

"It's out of order."
"That's where the manager's office is."
"It's for employees only."
"That's where I keep the dead bodies."
"The toilet gnomes are very territorial."
"I'm not even allowed to use it."

[downforit2008]

First of all, not EVERY business has to be required by law to require a "washroom." Customers should have gone to one before they chose to go somewhere, it's just basic common sense. Second of all, even if you had a washroom for public use, this woman would be back anyway and bitching at you for having the wrong brand of toilet paper.

When will these people finally be satisfied?

[PawnPrincess Ardra]

Going by what you said in your OP, may I suggest the following if there's a "next time" ? -

Customer: "Can I use your restroom?"
You: "Sorry, that's where we keep the firearms"
ETA: "and bear traps"

THANK YOU! so using this next time. I will let you all know how it goes

[EricKei]

Thing is, I don't keep people from using it because I don't want them to. I do it because of Liability issues. We keep stock in our back room. To get to the bathroom, you have to go through the back room.

In the smaller GameStore locations where I worked from time to time (read: in malls), the back area was so tiny that we stored the game systems/other expensive stuff in the bathroom, too. Keep in mind that the bathroom was already tiny and cramped, and especially during holiday times like BF, this meant that even WE couldn't get far enough into the bathroom to use it >_<

At my main store, in particular, the back room was positively anemic; the entire thing was the size of maybe three computer desks stuck together in a shallow-angled "U" shape. For years, EVERY inch of wall surface in THE BACK ROOM *thundercrash* was covered in slotwall, all of which was covered in pegs holding backstock. Any floor space was taken up by bookshelves full of used games with nowhere else to go -- this was before they began gutting games and storing the discs up front.

[Zenova]

We used to let customers use our toilets (technically in a staff only area), until one time our old manager found a load of clothing labels and packets in the toilets after a customer used them, then he said no more customers using the toilets.
When we got a new manager he let them use toilets again.
To get to the toilet they pass a lobby with our lockers and clock-in system, then the office is to the right, kitchen to the left, toilets straight ahead.
One day, last October my phone went missing from my locker. (my fault, i didnt lock the locker)
Checked find my iPhone on mobileme, and it was at a house about half a mile away, so I got my friends phone, loaded up mobileme on it and we went driving out to that house. A woman I recognized from being a regular customer opened the door, I asked had she found an iPhone and she said no.
I asked if she was sure she didnt see one because according to this *shows screen of my friends phone with the map on it* my phone was right here, and I'm about to make it make a loud noise.
She then "remembered" that her daughter found a phone and went to get it. It was my iPhone.
Since then I have been very strict about no customers in the toilets. I've had people wave medical cards in my face, people saying kids are gonna pee themselves, IM PREGNANT!!11one!! etc, but they all get told there's public toilets across the road.
Haven't got in any trouble for it, even tho I've been threatened with so many complaints.

Haven't seen that customer in a long time either.

[Aethian]

there is a pizza place here that doesn't have public restrooms. Of course they also expect to have a fast turn over of people too.