To be humiliated and angry at shop owner's attitude?

[msshapelybottom]

I'm probably being over-sensitive but I've been really rattled today.

We went into town to get a couple of things and passed a shop which was selling furniture which had been repainted to give a vintage feel. They look lovely and so I went inside to see what else was for sale. The bits sitting outside the shop were really pretty and not terribly expensive (£30 for a kitchen chair, so not antique!)

I had my 3 kids with me, they are 4, 5 & nearly 7. We had no sooner crossed the threshold of the shop when a woman (I'm assuming she was the owner) said "oh kids, get them on a leash" in a tone you might use if we were covered from head to toe in shit or something....

I turned round and left and she tried to backtrack but there was no way I was going to stay and browse after that, I felt so embarrassed!

I still feel a bit off about it, am I being a bit precious? It's the first time I've experienced open prejudice and it wasn't a nice feeling.

maybe she had valuable stuff there and didnt want it to get broken

but not a very savvy business thing to do if she wants to make a sale

If anyone should have been embarrassed it is her.

Probably it was meant as a joke, but anyone with an ounce of business sense knows which jokes are and which jokes are not acceptable or appropriate to crack with customers. That fell into the Are Not catagory.

What was it she said to try to backtrack?

She lost a potential customer there, I hope she has now realised that!

I think only if the kids are running riot and picking stuff up etc should shopkeepers politely ask their parents to ask the children to stop.

Look, she made a not-very-funny joke, and then tried to backtrack. It's not exactly 'open prejudice', is it?

She was making a not very funny joke that you've taken the wrong way.

Why would she be turning away paying customers?

yeah good point! If she'd have just said that I wouldn't have minded.

I thought calling it prejudice was taking it a bit far as well jeee, but in the strict sense of the word I suppose it could be called that.

Oops cross posted....I admit, prejudice is a strong term, I am being too sensitive, but she assumed my kids would misbehave even before we were all in the shop!

Her tone wasn't in the least bit jokey, it was horrible really.

Yeah, I'm being precious

As I turned to leave she said "no no stay and have a look" but by then the red mist had descended!

ah well, how she said it also makes a difference.

jolly tone of voice and big beaming smile - joke. stupid joke, but joke.

face like thunder, spitting the words out - highly unlikely to be a joke.

either way, she learned a lesson.

She sounds like a tw*t. Not a way to welcome a customer fgs! Her loss.....

not good customer service.

especially as you'd only just set foot in the shop

what was she expecting to achieve??

She was bitchy. In her defence I'd imagine that inadequately children could cause chaos and probably breakages in a small shop. She was still horrible though.

I'll bet she feels pretty stupid for it now anyway, having lost a customer by opening her mouth without thinking!

I can appreciate that the sight of 3 small kids might instill terror in a shop owner, hell, they fill me with terror sometimes...

I'm spitting though, her stuff was really lovely, and affordable, and now I feel I must never go back, you know, for my kids' honour

I think you should go in again, with the children.

see what she does.

YANBU and definitely not over sensitive. I would have turned on my heel too. It irritates me when people assume toddlers are going to be boisterous when most of the ones i know (obv including mine!) can be well behaved.

Yep it was a piss poor business decision on her part. Dont shop or browse there again!

oops OP cross posted with you

RESIST RESIST!!

Or you could do a Julia Roberts circa Pretty Woman - go in with your business suit on and killer heels without the kids = then say 'Remember me? You offended me and my DCs - BIG MISTAKE - and then walk out!

i love a bit of role play!

If you liked the stuff, you could try it again another day - she may have had a nightmare family in earlier in the day which had wound her up.

hehe giggling here at the thought of taking my kids back in....I think first I'd have to coat each child in a thick layer of peanut butter or such to see if the woman's head would blow off this time

I have calmed down now, can even see the funny side and almost feel sorry for her, let's hope that was a blip on her part!

I could go back in disguise, dress like a normal person and not a tired mum!

see my last post msshapely - do it do it - for me if not for your kids!

HAHA summerbird, it's a risky move, knowing me and killer heels, I'd fall over and destroy the most expensive item in her shop

Am loving the idea though!

see? then you can say to her 'so you thought my DCs would destroy your shop - just watch me in my killer heels!'

do it

I am so glad you walked out! That's her told!