So, the other day I was in my car and listening to one of my favorite radio programs. Yes, I have favorite radio programs, don’t judge. The hosts like to rail against the idiocy of bureaucracy in both politics and the private sector…and as usual they had a small story they were using as sort of a “show opener”. Since it was local to me (and they are in L.A.) I thought it was interesting, and worth blogging about, in an effort to aid in the discussion about the availability of restrooms in commercial establishments…
The story goes a little something like this: A mother was with her 5-year-old daughter in Huntington Beach the other night and they stopped at Rocky Mountain Candy Company in the Bella Terra mall. While eating outside, the little girl was stricken by a case of explosive diarrhea and began “crying and screaming” to alert her mother of an impending disaster. The mother grabbed her daughter and ran into the store pleading with the employees to allow her little girl to use the ‘non-public’ restroom–they refused “multiple times” offering her no alternatives and lo-and-behold the child made good on her promise. She was forced to run across the way to a movie theater with both her daughter and herself covered in feces…
The day after the incident, the mother contacted the manager of the store and *this* is frankly where I get mad. The manager not only supported the decision of her employees, she also told the woman to “sue if it makes her happy” and when the mother threatened to use her connections to boycott the store, she laughed and said that she was “sure that would make [her] daughter very proud.”
Now, how obnoxious is that?! Ok, look…I will contend that after I have been pooped on, I am probably not the most pleasant or rational individual. I might even be a little snarky…but in my humble opinion, the onus is on the service provider to do their very best to attempt to provide excellent customer service, otherwise, there are PLENTY of other places that would be happy to have my business. So, while this mother could have been nasty and rude it wouldn’t have taken very much at all for the owner to say, “I am so terribly sorry for your trouble, please allow me to send you a gift certificate as an apology!” I can all but guarantee that this viral news story wouldn’t be an issue…in fact I venture to say it was the attitude *after* the fact that has caused the uproar.
Honestly, it just comes with the territory and ANYONE who has been in customer service knows this. If you don’t want to deal with the public, then don’t try to SELL STUFF to the PUBLIC! And hey, I am not saying anything about the drones they have working for them. If they are just reiterating company policy then so be it…but if you own or manage a store, this is YOUR decision…allow your employees and underlings to have some say-so…and RIGHT a WRONG!
Besides, being quite picky about my food, knowing a child had explosive diarrhea in their establishment…I wouldn’t even consider going there anyways. ICK!
Oh, so here’s the article…now it IS a franchise and I don’t believe in punishing the masses for the wrongs of a few but if you are ever in the Bella Terra mall and get a hankering for chocolate…go get some over-priced candy from the movie theater.
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