How would you have handled it?

This topic seems to be a hot one, since it was posted months ago and is still getting feedback. So I couldn't help but to get my two cents in. I don't have a "food" business, YET anyway, but I can see this from both sides. I would be highly PO'd about the whole thing myself. We have a party rental biz and when things come back broken, it's usually costly and upsetting. But that's part of the business. I'm constantly telling my husband that he needs to keep his cool and be professional. I, myself, can't stand bratty kids...BUT... I'm not quite sure how I would react if I was confronted by the owner if the underlying tone is "I expect you to pay for this". Hope I don't get stoned for saying that. I don't even have kids, so I'm not really sure how I would have reacted. I just know that things breaking is something that comes along with owning a business. Now had it been something VERY costly, like a window or something major, I would have taken the same steps that you did. But not for 60 bucks.

Wow, what a thread! If I had been a customer and saw that happen, I would have been furious that the mothers didn't even make any attempt to apologize or reprimand their kids. Too many parents today don't want to assign responsibility to their kids as it would force them to reflect on their own shortcomings as good parents. I had a neighbor whose kid was always in trouble with the law, but it was never, ever his fault. Everyone else was to blame except him. His parents always saw him as a good kid with bad luck and people out to get him. He's still dealing with the law. I'd still go back to nvb's place after seeing how he dealt with it.

A parents job is to parent their children. Part of that is to be responsible for their actions. The law is clear on this, which is why law breaking children are treated differently than law breaking adults. If your child hit a baseball into a neighbors window, you would be expected to replace the window. The restaurant owner is there to serve food, not to babysit little Biff and Buffy. Why should he pay for someones misbehaving offspring? I never was allowed to run around in a restaurant by myself and I'm wondering when it became acceptable for this and to go up to strangers and annoy them when they are trying to eat? My wife won't let me do this, but I've wanted to go to the offending non-parenting parents table and sit with them and just generally annoy the heck out of them. 60 bucks takes a lot of food sales to show that as profit.

I was watching a documentary on WalMart a few weeks ago and saw a SHOCKING stat: the average WalMart customer will spend OVER $15,000 at a WalMart during their lifetime.

In business, a lot of cost-benefit is necessary. I.E. what do I gain or lose from a specific business decision (usually measured by profit/loss).

The question you need to ask is will these ladies spend MORE than the cost of the broken item in their LIFETIMES while visiting your restaurant? If so, then let it go (otherwise you might turn them off and lose their business in the future). If not, then it might be wise to ask that they pay for the item (however, you might lose referrals in that case).

The important thing is to think longterm...

Well, there are certainly a lot of valid opinons here. It's difficult to to pinpoint the most appropriate response as this is a situation where objectivity and emotion collide. None of us that respond were there and it is not our store. In a way, we play Monday morning quarterback...should have, would have, could have. However, I too have my armchair opinion. I think it definitely needed to be addressed with the mothers but in a tactful way that leaves them the opportunity to explain, apologize, and /or compensate. If they decide to be upstanding they will do exactly that. If not, you still made your point and maintained the respect for your other guests and your establishment. And, you did not alienate the mothers as customers but perhaps made them feel unconfortable enough that they would mind their children next time they visited. Of course, the question is how one achieves this fine balance. I would suggest the mothers be approached (not confronted) and point out the damage and value of the broken item. Treat them with respect. You can then ask them politely how they think the situation should be handled. It really doesn't matter what the answer is. At worst you may lose unappreciative customers with misbehaved children. At best, they wilfully pay for the oil can and become regulars. The damage that was done cannot be undone. Look for an opportunity to make a bad situation better.

The right thing to do is forget it...Chaulk it up to the cost of doing business. Not unlike those parents that let kids throw food and leave the tables a mess. Some customers are just horrible. Hopefully, most that come in are good.

If you are going to be involved with the public, you need to expect this type of stuff. I sold my restaurant when I realized I could not accept these types of customers.

We had people who would come in and just use the bathroom; never buy anything. It was like going into some stranger's home to take a dump. Here I was paying rent, insurance, workman's comp, electric, etc. I had a man hired just to bus tables, throw out garbage and clean the bathrooms constantly. the department of Health said we had the cleanist restaurant he'd ever seen. BIG DEAL!

I go tso aggrivated I started charging $1 for all "bathroom customers" and I got that dollar! We had signs in the door, but really it created a lot of ill will and got us actually looking for these deadbeats when they strolled into the place...NOT GOOD.

add the cost of the oil can dispenser to the "take out Bill" and present the 2 moms with it in a normal non-chalant way.....hehehe

quote:

Originally posted by Theedge

I'm the second generation, bought a 40 year old business from my dad. All you can do is say nothing and look for a new watchit on ebay.

Yeah, it stinks, but this is about my feeling on it. If they didn't offer to pay for it, which it seems they didn't -- then mark it up to the cost of biz. We had to screw things down in our old place... some people, and their kids, suck.

I just read this whole thread....fascinating episode. As a teacher,we deal with bad parents all the time. Today's generation of parents,more often than not, always defends their children's behavior,even when defense is not justified or called for..the "I protect my kid from harm,no matter what" syndrome. As a result we often deal with the disrespect of youth and the "I can do what ever I want" types....what did those parents teach their kids..you can damage other's property, and it's ok? I have said for years,what is lacking today are two things older generations believed in: Discipline and Respect. Have those two things and everything else will follow!

"My wife thought that would be neat if she filled it with M&Ms and made them available to our guest"

I think the key word here is M&M's

These ladies are not right at all in how they reacted but.... M&M's will attract kids more then adults. An Antique filled with them is a nightmare waiting to happen. I could understand if it was an antique on the wall or had no interaction with the customers.

Again I don't agree with the ladies and they were very dude. I would have just made them aware but not have asked for them to pay for it. I wouldn't want any customers to feel uncompfortable being around the situation and I wouldn't want it to ruin any business. Just my 2 cents.

I wouldnt have given them their food, I would have thrown it out, and told them to leave. Let them go to McDonalds, where they belong. I'm sure that everyone in the restaurant saw what was going on, and probably hated being there with these clowns and their kids. (that's why Im not in a public service job by the way)