Do you think it is worth giving comments (even toned down)? Or should I just ignore and not go back?
Dear [Venue Manager],
I visited [venue] last week to take my two sons aged 3 and 14 months to [Baby Gym Class]. I hope you don?t mind but I thought I?d email you with some feedback. I?ve exchanged emails with you a couple of times, and you seem like a friendly, open person, and I hope it might be helpful to you.
Firstly, I thought the session was quite expensive. I paid £7.50 for the two children for an hour, yet last week for just 50p more, I took them to [Local Big Softplay], where the equipment is much bigger and better and we could stay as long as we wanted (in fact 3-4 hours, including lunch).
Secondly, we didn?t really get an hour?s play, because we had an enforced break for 10 mins in the middle and finished 10 mins early to do a song and dance type routine. This was a shame as my children enjoyed the equipment and would have preferred to keep playing.
During the break, we were offered free tea / coffee / squash / cheap biscuits. The thing is though, I don?t really want my children to have an unhealthy snack mid morning, but because we were all sitting in a circle with other children eating them it was hard to say no without causing a tantrum. Nor did I really feel like a weak Maxwell House in a polystyrene mug which made my teeth itch. Maybe if you just offered to parents to help themselves / their children if they wanted a drink rather than enforcing everyone to sit down together it would be better?
Your staff member was trying his hardest to be helpful, but actually little help was really needed in this session, and he?d have been better to just supervise and let parents get on with it. Also, why was he wearing a microphone headpiece? He looked like he should either be working in a call centre or auditioning to be in ?Steps?. Altogether his fake cheerfulness was irritating.
I chose your Gym session rather than a music class because I?ve always found it difficult to muster the energy to disco dance with complete strangers at 10.25 on a Tuesday morning. So I was cringing internally as the disco lights and ?hokey cokey? music started up. My back ached as I carried the baby and tried to encourage a reluctant 3 year old to dance.
I think your [Venue] is a great addition to [local town] and we really need a place to go, and hope you?ll take this feedback without it causing offence.
Kind regards
NeedaCostume