What to do next

9 replies

Kingkongkoala · 31/12/2018 11:01

Okay so about 2 months ago I went to a restaurant with my 6 month old dd and a few friends. I went over to the area where the high chairs are and picked one out for my dd. I strapped her in and heard everything click in to place as it should do. All was fine for about 10 mins, I turned to get my drink and in that split second my dd slides through the high chair face first on to solid flooring below.

Obviously I pick her up and comfort her, she had a cut lip and I think was a bit shocked. On closer inspection I noticed the buckle was cracked and because of the low light in the restaurant and the dark high chair I hadn't spotted it due to being in a rush. Aibu thinking that the restaurant should check the equipment is safe before leaving it somewhere where a member of the public could take it to use?! I just assumed everything was fine when it all clicked in. I did test to see it was okay but obviously dd wriggles and it must have come loose :( . The cracked bit was at the back of the buckle and I just didn't see it. It's an open gap high chair.

Anyway I filled in an accident form with the manager and he said he'd get back to me within 3 days. So I wait 3 days and nothing....I left it another week and contacted the manager, again he said he'l was sorting it. I have heard nothing, I emailed last week and didn't even get a response. How do I take this further? It's a small business so has no HR department

OP posts:

Heratnumber7 · 31/12/2018 11:15

What are you expecting from the manager?

Your DC was ok by the sounds of it, with just minor injuries.

LuluBellaBlue · 31/12/2018 11:24

What are you wanting from the business?

m0therofdragons · 31/12/2018 11:27

You as the parent would be responsible for ensuring dc is safe as it's unreasonable to expect the staff to check its safety between uses, even if they do so once a day. Short of ensuring staff were aware, I'd not expect anything further.

CrabbyPatty · 31/12/2018 11:30

I disagree with PP. I would expect there to be some learning from this for the restaurant and some degree of routine checking of the high chairs (but between users is a bit excessive!). Although it also serves as a reminder to parents not to assume and to check ourselves first. Did you seek medical attention for DD?

Lazypuppy · 31/12/2018 11:32

Not sure what you want to happen.

I'm sure they have thrown/fixed the broken one and have checked the others.

Its your responsibility to check child is strapped in safely and it is all working correctly, same as you give a cursory
check to the chair you're sitting on and it doesn't look like it will collapse under you

Ironingboard · 31/12/2018 11:38

This sounds like it was very frightening to be honest. I can see where the other posters are coming from with you being responsible but in a way the restaurant should be checking the high chairs once a day so things like this don’t happen on a regular basis, what if 3 other children had been in that chair after you and all fell out and one of them actually did get seriously hurt?
In a way you are responsible for this but so should the restaurant, in regards to calling them and emailing, unless you want to try and sue, I’m afraid the manager won’t take it any further and you’ll probably receive a simple apology.

sirmione16 · 31/12/2018 11:42

Ex restaurant manager here.

The restaurant has responsibility to have a risk assessment for high chairs in place generally, which should include checking they're safe and clean to use on a regular basis.

Like pp said, not sure what you expect from them aside from an apology, a reassurance that they're now going to check every other high chair in the building and maybe a free meal voucher or something.

Original poster

Kingkongkoala · 31/12/2018 11:45

I guess i just wanted some acknowledgement that it was dealt with in the appropriate way so it didn't happen to anyone else. If they weren't going to bother contacting me then why say they were going to then not do it? I would have been happy with them saying something like sorry about the other day, we've put xyz in place to ensure it doesn't happen to anyone else. I know it's my responsibility but I was hardly expecting that to happen and it's not like it was blatantly broken, everything clicked in. I just think it's a bit off that they are supplying faulty equipment. If it was a slightly more fragile baby things could have been alot worse.

OP posts:

PawPawNoodle · 31/12/2018 12:55

Well if you checked it and didn't notice an issue, what's to say a staff member didn't do the same? They probably click it all together exactly like you did and assume it was fit for use.

Also how did your child fall out of the bottom face first in the time it took you to turn to grab your drink?

Flip