The venue told me off twice now on front of guests AIBU?

Bloody ridiculous to not have maximum capacity information and very unprofessional to chastise you publicly, especially since it was their error.

Loving the posters contorting themselves into pretzels to make you the bad guy.

Me too 👍

Regardless of what was said on the phone or what happened about numbers, you do not give a customer a dressing down in front of others. If she wished to discuss it she could have taken you on one side.

My favorite riposte for situations like this is📧

"I dont appreciate being spoken to like that. Didnt your parents teach you any social skills?"

or

"Clearly you were out of the room when they were teaching customer service skills"

Delivered in my best "teacher" voice.

It wouldn't matter to me how much I had-previously- loved it there- this would prevent me ever going back again.

Fire safety is a big consideration and much as you're a reasonable helpful person...insurance and public liability insurance would be compromised. Total loss of building value God forbid if anything happened. Anyway you said yourself you invited more . Let it go over your head and now you know xx staff were a bit squished and felt uncomfortable ...but that won't be the case in future. Take a big box of chocs with note saying my bad. Give it to whoever you think best. Smile x

Fire safety is a big consideration and much as you're a reasonable helpful person...insurance and public liability insurance would be compromised. Total loss of building value God forbid if anything happened. Anyway you said yourself you invited more . Let it go over your head and now you know xx staff were a bit squished and felt uncomfortable ...but that won't be the case in future. Take a big box of chocs with note saying my bad. Give it to whoever you think best. Smile x

And don't offer to pay the staff. These are eventualities they need to budget for when setting their prices, or if they expect extra payment from the customer they need to include this in their contract.

It sounds to me like the sort of party venue that the owners didn’t expect to be booked for a fifth birthday party and therefore did not anticipate a party for thirteen children would result in twenty six people or more in their room.

I took my dc to plenty of craft activities when they were young but I didn’t start having craft parties until they were seven or eight because it was clear that prior to that they would have needed adult intervention. Which is fine but then it become more an activity for a child with their adult than the children doing something together.

Doesn't sound like a good party venue tbh. I would write an honest review about this place. They need to inform customers what their maximum capacity is in advance if they are not able to accommodate a class size party. A children's party could mean about 30 children and an adult each if they are hosting parties for under 8s. But I also can't understand why you had to introduce yourself to the older woman - you don't need to try and make them your friends or establish a relationship with them, esp after the horrible customer service you ĥad at your child's party. Just pay you fee, let your child enjoy the venue and leave. And never host a party there again!

What do I do from here? Offer to pay the staff?

You don’t do anything.

Definitely don’t pay the staff.

The older owner sounds batshit and unprofessional. Dont give them anymore of your custom.

• not giving you correct information on max number. Bad but move on.
• chastising you at the party. Not great but move on
• revisiting this in a public space and referring to you as ‘party lady’. That would be my tipping point! unreasonable, rude, outrageous. That was the correct point to mail.

I wouldn’t go back again tbh

It’s on them and they’re being unprofessional don’t give another thought to it but perhaps don’t book another party there. Ultimately they shouldn’t be going over their maximum numbers for parties as that is unsafe but they should be communicating that clearly. It is not the fault of the party booker and it is obviously a party for 4-5 year olds will include parents.

Ive used a venue that has maximum numbers of children and combined adults. They are very clear that their maximum includes adults, kids, babies etc and for fire safety can’t go over. It just means I’ve been clear about not being able to accommodate siblings as standard and slightly under invited to ensure each kid could have a parent. They can’t say minimum numbers then freak out about you having too many people.

They should have had a maximum number, and/or told you from the start that no adults were allowed. If they can't enforce their fire regs they are not operating safely. Totally out of order to have a go at you when they have taken the booking and the money.

Well this is it.

I think what's happened here is that you've missed what they've been politely trying to tell you, thus the initial conversation about fire regulations and too many people being repeated the next day. You've then gone ahead and invited more people and were then surprised to find staff concerned about their insurance and safety regulations being violated when they are responsible ultimately. I think you're lucky they didn't turn people away at the door. I'm not surprised the other owner is has addressed it with you. I'm guessing there's been a simple miscommunication here where you've said x parents and kids are coming they've said that's too many parents will need to drop off and you've said that will be difficult for them and they have said yes we know do il you want to continue with the booking and you've said yes. I don't think you've been clear on what they've been trying to tell you and they should have been more direct and had clearer information included at point of booking.

I'm really annoyed for you. That's terrible treatment. Hopefully you get a rational and reflective email back and can put it all to bed.

If you don't, I be tempted to write a completely factual review. 'We have been lots and with general entry my child loves x,y and z. As a result we booked a party where it states min numbers, we made them aware x date and x date and then this happened...'

Entirely their fault OP.
So, if you book a party for 13 4 to 5 year olds, that is the space to play, food portions, snacks, drinks... for that number. But, of course, the parents and siblings, in many cases, will be there. It is beyond stupid to want 13 young children to be dropped off just like this. Nobody in their healthy mind would do that. Which means at least one parent. But in real life, many will have other children or babies with them. It would not be undoable if there is enough space downstairs for the parents and siblings to sit, have a snack, play... but my first choice would be to stay by my 4 year old.
If they were 7 or 8, then no problem.
At 4 they do not know yet about their allergies, they can get upset at any time, get hurt and do not know what to do.
The venue should not book 13 children in if they do not have the space and common sense to go with it.
Then, they should all be in the same page, because their rules should be crystal clear, between then and 8n the booking policy given to customers.

I would not ho back, because this has highlighted that they are not on the basic of safety.

But as she's running a business she needs to communicate that clearly and have some basic terms and conditions which her customers sign and agree to. In this case it seems the customer was not made aware in advance that there was maximum capacity. I agree the consequences could have been dreadful but that is why fire and other aspects of risk assessment needs to be in writing.

What else did the flyer say? 10children min & max?!

At the end of the day they need to make the maximum number of people clear as well as the minimum. Waiting until the people arrive and then freaking out is not acceptable. They also all need to agree what is and isn't ok, it all sounds a bit haphazard.

I'd stop going. I wouldn't want to give them my business

I always think a little less of people who use read receipts. I never agree to give them .

But otherwise yes this sounds like a business owner who needs to work on her communication skills and customer care

RTFT - the OP has already stated some of the kids were siblings therefore one parent attended to supervise both their own kids. The venue never actually asked the OP to confirm the actual numbers, but should have understood there would potentially be 13 adults with the 13 kids.

Btw it sounds like the daughter meant “I understand as a parent that parents want to stay but you can’t let them” and you thought she meant “I understand as a parent that parents want to stay and that’s fine”.

This is completely the fault of the venue. You explained the situation and you were told it was fine - twice. You shouldn’t have to twist yourself in knots wondering if it’s still ok after you’ve been told it is. You also shouldn’t have had to listen to all the in’s and out’s of how it affected their staff, their stress and extra pay. Absolutely completely and utterly unprofessional. Please don’t offer them any money.