Hamleys demo lady left dd 6 in tears.

[Bornfreebutinbiscuits]

Summer hols day out, theatre and hamleys.

Having fun trying all the toys on display and v small budget to buy a toy.

Older dd goes to lady for hand tattoo. I asked younger if she wanted one she was shy and said no. However once older has one she wants one. So she gets in position and very curtly lady says 'no. Its not a freebie for all children it's a demo. I can't do another child' no smiles, no kindness and she looked as hard as nails as dd face crumpled and starts to cry.

Not a big cry! In the past they have always dine both dc, in hamleys and harrods.
And we have actually brought the set into the past but it's the fun and part of the toy shop experience to have something done there!

Not the experience I expected from hamleys of all places. Or was she right!

To those wondering why the OP didn’t just buy the tattoo set - SHE ALREADY OWNS IT! Even if the demonstrator had done a second tattoo, the OP wouldn’t have bought it. The demonstrator could have polished OP’s shoes, given both kids a head massage and enhanced the “Hamley’s Experience” in any number of ways, but still not make a sale.

And the poster who said they browsed around M&S but didn’t buy anything... apart from a sandwich and bag of crisps.

You did buy something.

The OP does sound tight. And cheap. And I very rarely say that. Ten pages of comments here explaining why it is likely to be important to a low-earning person that people buy, not just sample, and she is still creating about the ‘experience’ and her entitlement to free ‘tat’.

@CalishataFolkart
Yes I know she already owns it. I can read. No need to shout.

That’s the whole point though. Op either accepted to buy it again or put a tattoo on her younger dd when they got home.

Such a non event.

OP had NO intention of buying.

Just wanted 2 free hand tattoos.

All our teams play a key role in providing the exceptional customer service and retail theatre experience our customers expect, whether it is personally delivering this in store on a daily basis or ensuring things run smoothly in our support centre, sourcing office or warehouse. Creating positive lasting memories through our interactions with others is what we’re all about.

This is from Hamleys website. Clearly, they regard it as an experience, despite what some posters claim.

I note the sentence about creating positive

memories through staff interracions - from the OP it looks as though this member of staff should have some retraining. It doesn't matter whether they are directly employed by the store , they are the face of the store whilst they are working there and should be expected to meet the same standards as any other employee.
As for the OP being called 'cheap'for taking the children there if she couldn't afford to buy much - in the last, we took our DCs to Hamleys as well as shops like Selfridges at Christmas time purely because travel for children in London is free and you can look at the displays in the windows and in store for free. Our dcs still remember those trips fondly and at a time when we really struggled financially, they were a way of giving our children an experience we could not have otherwise afforded.

notacooldad
But she wasnt going to buy anything anyway.

Except that OP said she spent £26...

CaMePlaitPas
For those pontificating about Hamley's in the past, it's not the same business as it was, overheads need paying, profits need to be made and the customer experience now reflects that.

It's clear from this link that Hamleys is still very much using interactive experiences to promote their store, attract children etc:

www.hamleys.com/explore-whatson-london.irs

@CalishataFolkart

To those wondering why the OP didn’t just buy the tattoo set - SHE ALREADY OWNS IT! Even if the demonstrator had done a second tattoo, the OP wouldn’t have bought it. The demonstrator could have polished OP’s shoes, given both kids a head massage and enhanced the “Hamley’s Experience” in any number of ways, but still not make a sale.

Yes we can all read. Owning one set (of something that gets used up and may need replenishing) is not necessarily a bar to buying a second one especially if there are two children.

If the OP had it and had had one child have an instore demo for free, a second child who could have had one at the same time but turned it down, if you end up in this situation where you get refused as a blatant freebie surfer - the right thing to do is not to lay into the demonstrator but to tell the second child they can have one when they get home.

@herculepoirot

The OP does sound tight. And cheap. And I very rarely say that. Ten pages of comments here explaining why it is likely to be important to a low-earning person that people buy, not just sample, and she is still creating about the ‘experience’ and her entitlement to free ‘tat’.

I agree with you on this. Hamley seems to have been approached as a free entertainment theme park with no intention to buy at all other than a bag of sweets. "Theatre and Hamleys" - as if Hamleys is on a level with the theatre.

To me its bizarre and a bit cruel to take a child to a shop like that where you will be over exciting them and raising expectations if there is no intention to buy anything. Here's what you could have won

It's worse because London is chock full of free museums with lots of both entertaining and educational experiences for children if you don't want to spend money.

@Mummyoflittledragon Then you already know why she didn’t buy it.

It’s really horrid to do it for one sister and not the other
It’s a demonstration of a toy they’re trying to sell! It had been already been demonstrated on one member of the family, op clearly showed no intention of buying it; yet came back and asked it to be demonstrated again on another child because the kid had demanded it.
Ridiculous.

@bananas

Clearly, they regard it as an experience, despite what some posters claim

You are cheerfully ignoring the word CUSTOMER in the extract you posted. It's a business. Wanting customers (purchasers) to have a positive experience while in a shop and attract families and children with demonstrations is part of a attracting customers into a business.

That is not the same as a free entertainment centre or an experience destination in its own right. There is not an entrance fee.

@CalishataFolkart
I already responded to that point as did Blackberry.

I don’t think op should have expected either dc to have either dc demonstrated on seeing as she already has the product.

I don't think being 'tight' is such a good thing to say really.

We've been pretty broke in the past and usually source all toys free from free cycle or carboot... Charity shops.

Going to big toy shop is rare.

I feel we spent quite a lot in there actually on this occasion and spent more and spent less in the past.

I think it's a two way street. We ply kids with demos and tats you browse and hopefully buy and come back.

The whole point of hamleys is the interactive experiences otherwise why go there and not a huge boring warehouse of a shop like Smyth toys?

Head there was no to and fro.
Lady asked if one dd wanted it, she was shy, and said no, other dd was asked and said yes by which point other dd had warmed up and said she would like one... At which point she was curtly told no.

Dd face crumple and she was as hard as nails, nothing to soften it or explain kindly at all.
.

Op - Aibu.
Majority responses - Yes
Op - but but but

Hercule, we did buy something just not her wares.

Which is the whole point. We left with something didn't we, just another demo person's tat.

The Science Museum is free, fantastic for kids and often has demonstrations not staffed by minimum wage students on commission.

The problem here is that you are treating a commercial business as a place obligated to give you freebies and complaining about it. You are fair enough to complain about a not very child friendly manner but not the refusal itself which seems to be a big issue for you.

Demo person's 'tat' that was what you still wanted for your kids?

Good point @BabyofMine. If I had been in the queue behind the OP I wonder whether I'd have thought: 'Oh goody. My daughter can take her turn' or would have been put off by woman's snappiness and walked away before she could be rude to my daughter.

I understand people saying it's a retail business and the person was probably a contract worker who operates on commission. I understand retail and service businesses.

From a brand perspectIve, I question a world famous toyshop that promotes itself as a tourist destination and pushes the Hamley's Experience for contracting someone who sounds about as good with children as Krusty the Klown.

From an employment perspective I wonder about the morals of a company and family brand that possibly employs an outside contractor on terms that may not pay.

But I'm still not letting the woman off for making a six-year-old cry. Just finish your shift and say you're not coming back.

banana

Thanks I should have looked at that myself so the idea of a retail 'theatre' experience is what I thought was supposed to be the aim.

With good staff, child interactions.

The lady didn't even look to address us it was all at poor 6 year old dd! She could have said it nicely with a smile.

I'm not sure why you assume only you have been to Hamley's and know it all.

I'll let you in on some info, those doing demonstrations usually have an estimate of how many people they can do. In order to not use a lot of product, it's not the norm at all to have multiple children getting things done for them. Usually, one or two children are either called or volunteer to show anyone around what the product does. You're there for a demonstration, and you were given one of the product.

Now, I'm not too sure if I believe you in regards to this lady, but if she was as rude as you say she was then that is poor. However, I wonder if your judgement is now clouded because your daughter cried, which I imagine she may have done even if the lady simply said no she was not able to do any more.

Nonetheless, your comparisons are wrong. Hamley's is a shop, yes they do demonstrations but they are literally demonstrations to showcase a product. It's not there as an entertainment, it's a sales pitch. Of course for the children it's special as they get to see things they wouldn't in standard stores. Us adults do know better and you are coming across as someone who believes their children were entitled to be entertained by Hamley's.

You are certainly unreasonable for giving those who have not been to Hamley's the wrong idea, and for your expectations. You are not unreasonable to be annoyed IF the lady in question was rude.

It's all unnecessary drama and I'm honestly surprised you've given this further head space. You should have explained to your daughter that not to worry and see what else is on show. As a parent you know children can cry over the most simple things, we just have to handle it as best as possible.

You thought the aim of a toy store was to provide a ‘theatre’ experience for your children?

The woman demonstrated the product on one of your children.
If you liked what you saw you could have bought a pack and tattooed the rest of your family.

It's very much part of the experience.
An experience?
Like a fun fair?

Head that's what banana has copied from the Web page somewhere of the store.

Where does it say in that blurb quoted from the website that staff are there to offer every freebie demanded? Cherry picking.