The Drama Started Before The Show
I am checking tickets at a theatre that’s showing a big musical production. A woman comes in with her three young children and hands me a ticket.
Me: “Thank you, madam, but please note that the performance is for fourteen and up.”
Customer: “Oh, I know! Where can I leave the kids?”
Me: “Pardon me?”
Customer: “The creche! Where’s your creche?”
Me: “You mean, like a daycare?”
Customer: “Obviously!”
Me: “We… we don’t have one, madam.”
Customer: “Are you serious?”
Me: “Uh… yes, madam. [Theatre] doesn’t provide child daycare facilities.”
Customer: “That can’t be right! How do you expect parents to be able to come and see your shows?”
Me: “We expect parents to organise childcare, madam.”
Customer: “Do you have some kind of supervisor I can speak to? I refuse to believe that you don’t have some kind of childcare facilities!”
I call the manager over and relay the information.
Manager: “My associate here is correct, madam. We don’t have any kind of child-minding facilities and never have. Can I ask where you saw that we did?”
Customer: “Well, I didn’t technically, but it’s discrimination against parents that you wouldn’t!”
Manager: “Madam, I’m sorry, but it’s not our job to sort out your childcare, and nowhere is it stated on our published materials that it is.”
Customer: “Well, can my kids just come in and sit on the side or something?”
Manager: “Absolutely not. The show is rated fourteen and up for adult themes — not to mention that it’s also a sold-out showing.”
Customer: “This is discriminatory! I’m going to go online and tell everyone that [Theatre] discriminates against parents!”
Manager: “You are free to do so, madam, but that doesn’t change anything. [Theatre] never has and currently does not have childcare facilities, and honestly, I am surprised you would just assume we did without checking. I would imagine no major theatre in London provides such facilities.”
Customer: *Shrieks but thankfully leaves*
I get that it’s hard being a parent, but the entitlement shocked me!
Question of the Week
Have you ever served a bad customer who got what they deserved?
