To be a bit annoyed with this softplay centre?

[Herrena]

It's a small posh place out in the middle of nowhere - we went because a friend arranged a group outing.

My reasons for being annoyed are:

1. They don't accept card payments if it's less than £10, which is inconvenient since it's in the middle of nowhere and there are no shops, cashpoints etc. They then try to encourage you to open a tab at the extortionate cafe so your bill will exceed £10 by the time you leave (suppose that could be construed as helpful).

2. When I asked for a glass of tap-water (am 29 weeks pregnant) they said 'We don't tend to provide tap-water' and would only sell me water in a bottle. Now IMO that takes milking your mostly very young audience to a new extreme, considering that you're not allowed to take any food/drink in with you. It's a tiny place so I can't see that they would be stretched to the limit by providing tap-water (I know they're not legally obligated to do so but it would be a nice gesture).

3. When I took DS (11mo) for a nappy change there was no restraining belt on the changing mat - or rather, there was one but the buckle had been cut off. I needed to use the loo myself and had to sit with a hand on him so he didn't fall off the table while I did so (I know I could have gone out and handed him to a friend but what if I'd been there on my own)?

4. More subjectively, the staff gave off a definite 'Everything's too much trouble' vibe (might have just been to me)!

All in all, no way in hell I'm going back there!

In fairness though, the place was spotless and well-equipped. Think I would have preferred slightly grubby yet more accomodating!

They don't accept card payments for less than 10£ probably because that costs them money. Surely you take cash when going to place like this?
Water, well sure they should give it out, but its common not too.
Restraining belts on changing table are stupid and give a false sense of security. They aren't safe. Why leave a baby on a changing table unless you are changing a nappy, in which case you have your hands on them? If you are going to the toilet you just hold them.

I wouldn't want to go to what appears to be a very unfriendly place to take your children TBH. Vote with your feet and find a nicer one if you can.

Most places will take card payments under £10 but they'll charge you £1 because that's what it costs them.

If these places gave out tap water to every thirsty person, they'd have a queue of children right across the place. The cafes tend to subsidise the entire soft play.

I've never needed to use a restraining belt, I think they're a strange idea.

Ooh I bet I know the one! I like it because you can sit and watch your toddler play safely (all equipment pretty small, ie no high things or massive slides like other softplays) whilst feeding your baby in the cafe... Is that it?! Either way, I always set up a tab anyway as we buy lunch there. But I agree they are a bit snooty!

YANBU in everything except the going for a wee business...why didn't you just sit with your DS on your knee? Inconvenient I know...but still not as hard as doing what you did.

I think know where you mean - are you in Hampshire by any chance?

If so, I got the 'it's too much bother' vibe too.

YABU to not think ahead and take cash. YABU to think it matters about the changing mat thing (get your friend to hold the baby while you go to the loo).

YANBU about wanting a glass of water, but I can understand why they don't serve it. You needed a tenner on your tab anyway, so buying a drink was possibly not a bad idea.

yabu

Mind you(yes the one I am thinking of is Hampshire!) they were pretty accommodating with me once

I am impressed with it being spotless though. All soft plays smell of feet (and other horribles) IMO.

Aaaaar, been to.

I am very amused by the fact that two of you have guessed where it is!! It is indeed in Hampshire

So I guess general opinion is that IABU on everything except the water. I would have been happy to pay an extra quid for card payment if they'd offered me the option!

As for the loo... I get that the belts aren't a sure-fire safety feature, but I'd have been reassured by them in this instance. It also grated because of the big sign on the unit saying 'You MUST restrain your baby with the belt'!

I still think it would be hard for a person there alone (+baby) to pee comfortably. DS wriggles so much that the knee isn't really an option (plus pregnant belly in the way) and the floor, while pretty clean, still had that public bathroom floor look so I didn't want to put him down....plus the staff hadn't exactly impressed me with their helpful attitude by that point so I wouldn't want to ask them to hold him for the duration!

Heavens, there were a lot of exclamation marks there. Apologies

I know the one you mean too .
I agree they do have rather a lot of rules there (I went without socks my first time and they made me buy a pair). But it is (or was, when I went) always spotlessly clean, and the food is very nice, toddler friendly and freshly prepared.

It doesn't cost £1 to process a card payment! It costs pennies.

Not just pennies.
Vendors are charged 2-5% minimum for some cards. That is why, for instance, many travel agents make a 3-5% surcharge if you pay by card. And an absolute minimum for small volume traders. So if the trader doesn't accept a lot of payments on the credit cards, it might be like 50p-£1 minimum. 50p on a £2.49 transaction is more than all the potential profit.

If you have found a clean soft play centre then I would gladly deal with the rest of the hassle.