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AIBU?

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Original poster

If a child drops their ice cream, should the shop replace it free of charge?

308 replies

LittleRa · 11/07/2021 17:26

I witnessed this today. At the seaside, at a popular Italian ice cream/gelato store, takeaway window. The family in front of me- mum, dad and two kids. They got their ice creams and as they turned, the dad said to the eldest child about 8yo “don’t spill ice cream on your England shirt” Grin She put her tongue out to lick and licked too hard and the whole scoop fell off onto the ground. Cue tears from the girl and the dad huffing and puffing. He came back to the counter and seemed to be expecting it to be replaced for free. The person behind the til said so sorry she dropped it but we don’t do that, the dad was saying but I’ve just bought it, but she’s literally just dropped it and sighing loudly. In the end he did get his wallet out and pay for a new one though.

YANBU- it’s the parents’ responsibility to monitor the child’s ice cream and if the inevitable should happen, they need to pay to replace it.
YABU- the shop should replace it for free.

As an aside, I got my DD’s hers in a tub with a spoon Grin

OP posts:
FoodieToo · 11/07/2021 18:44

Yes of course they should replace it for free if they have any idea about customer service etc. A scoop of ice cream would cost very little .
I would be very surprised to have to pay and I would not return if I did .
We are in Ireland though . Maybe different here ?

Hamandcheeselife · 11/07/2021 18:45

Reminds me of a time my son dropped his cupcake picking it up. Me, the server and him were all a bit at fault, she invited him to get it and napkin underneath from above his height while I paid. It landed on the floor. I was (reluctantly as Lola's) going to buy another but she insisted on a free one.

LargeYorkshirePuddingAndGravy · 11/07/2021 18:46

No they shouldn't replace for free and this is why my kids only every get mr whippy type ice creams Grin

Justgettingbye · 11/07/2021 18:46

@Dutchesss

They should have replaced the scoop, it would cost them next to nothing.
I agree. We seen to have lost human empathy these days
ivykaty44 · 11/07/2021 18:46

if the ice cream was just balanced onto = yes
if the ice-cream was pushed down firmly =no

my mum always pushed mine down and so did I but with cover not an option

AliceMcK · 11/07/2021 18:48

It dosnt sound like the child dropped her ice cream though, it sounds like the shop did not secure the ice cream to the cone correctly if it rolled off on the first lick. I would be pissed off like the dad too. If my child blatantly dropped it or was careless in any way then that would be different and I’d happily pay for another.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I’m sure the rest of us would have got tubs as well if we’d seen a child’s ice cream roll off on the first lick 🙄

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 11/07/2021 18:49

Like PP have said, if they're scooping properly, they should be pushing the ice-cream down hard enough so that it doesn't fall off with just one lick. 8yo's tongues aren't that strong

It isn't about the strength of the tongue, though, it's about using the proper technique. Unless you want them to actually glue it down, flicking any-strength tongue up against the side of the top scoop is obviously going to send it flying, just the same as turning a cup with a drink in it upside-down is going to result in the loss of the drink.

You have to either wait until it's melted out of shape a bit (not generally recommended) or otherwise push down on the top of the top scoop with your tongue and then secure it with your lips whilst licking it. If you're not old enough to know this, or just can't be bothered with the faff of carefully nurturing it (like me), you simply buy a tub instead.

FinallyHere · 11/07/2021 18:52

Well, obviously they should.

It's exactly the same as taking delivery of a new car, and writing it off as soon as you get behind the wheel. Surely the dealership would provide a brand new new, free of charge.

Isn't it?

pinkcircustop · 11/07/2021 18:53

@Dutchesss

They should have replaced the scoop, it would cost them next to nothing.
Why should they?

Food costs in a business from little wastages like that add up very, very fast and can be quite costly.

MyDcAreMarvel · 11/07/2021 18:53

Yes the profit margin are huge, the shop had the money .

supermum87 · 11/07/2021 18:54

As a teen I used to work in an ice-cream shop. I used to be really generous and give the customers huge scoops Wink once an older lady dropped her cone and I did think it was because I had made it too top heavy. I offered to replace it for free. My manager gave me a blocking for doing so, so I said you know what take it out of my wages. I had 42p taken out!! I was paid £2.50 an hour!

I'm still glad I gave her the scoop for free and I made sure when I worked there I ate as much free ice cream/flakes as I could Grin

Notavegan · 11/07/2021 18:55

I worked in an ice cream shop. The owner used to be really tight and monitor how much ice cream was in a scoop. Because it was only level filled there was not enough for the ice cream to be stable. This kid didn't drop it, it fell off. I would have replaced for free.

Noterook · 11/07/2021 18:55

No. I used to work at a garden centre though and a little boy dropped his, he wasn't messing around or being silly it seemed like a genuine accident- the adult with him said its okay you can have mine, so I did give them a freebie.

MoiraNotRuby · 11/07/2021 18:56

Customers are wierd. I worked in a shop where a customer dropped their lemon curd in the car park, it smashed, they came inside and asked for a new one 'because if I had dropped it before I paid for it you wouldn't have charged me'. Yeah... sorry.... no.

nancywhitehead · 11/07/2021 18:56

Why on earth would you expect them to? That seems very entitled to me. They're not a charity and if she dropped it then the parents have to buy her another. If they do replace it for free that's really nice of them, but you wouldn't expect it.

FlumpyPoodle · 11/07/2021 18:57

@DrDreReturns

Well I guess I am a softie as I replaced an ice cream for free in similar circumstances when I had a job selling it. I'd served a man and a swan came up behind him and swiped the ice cream from the cone! I took pity on him. That only happened once, if it happened all the time it would eat into the shops profits and they wouldn't allow it.
you're not going to argue with a swan if they've taken a fancy to your ice-cream. Beautiful scary beasts.
Kakey1294129 · 11/07/2021 18:57

I think if I worked in an ice cream parlour and witnessed this I probably would give a free one, especially if it was a small child (younger than 8) - saying that imagine how much it would cost the business if it happened all the time 😂 BUT if my own child dropped an ice cream I wouldn't expect a free one at all.

Years ago I worked in a cafe/ice cream place. A guy asked for a magnum so he had one. He opened it up and it had the tiniest crack in the chocolate, he demanded another and that had a crack to and another (I wasn't serving so not me dealing with it). I think he was just taking the pee. The magnums were fine. He just wanted numerous magnums for free!

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 11/07/2021 18:57

They should have replaced the scoop, it would cost them next to nothing.

Proper quality gelato-style ice cream is not cheap in the first place, though of things - it's not like the whippy stuff that's mainly air with a tiny bit of sugar.

Also, at the risk of sounding boring and stuffy, we should be making sensible choices that don't routinely assume that there will most probably be wastage (and mess) the first time, before food is simply expected to be replaced at the expense of the seller.

Idbemonica1 · 11/07/2021 18:58

Reminds me of when a customer purchased a gift mug, he was back 5 mins later rattling his carrier bag which contained the shattered remains! I got outside and dropped it he said! And?...

Emusareweird · 11/07/2021 18:59

Yep, if the server just plopped it on top and didn't secure it they should replace foc. Same thing happened to my ds once he just went to lick it and it fell off, had to pay again and I was hard up at the time.
No way would I charge again if I was serving, a scoop of ice cream cost a tiny fraction of what they charge.

AuntMargo · 11/07/2021 19:00

Yes they should have replaced it as it it fell of with one lick it wasn't put onto the cone well enough.

warmfluffytowels · 11/07/2021 19:00

It isn't about the strength of the tongue, though, it's about using the proper technique. Unless you want them to actually glue it down, flicking any-strength tongue up against the side of the top scoop is obviously going to send it flying

If the bottom scoop is pushed down far enough into the cone, and the top scoop is pushed down properly, then there wouldn't an obvious side to the top scoop to flick against.

I cannot believe I am debating ice-cream physics here Grin

MerryMarigold · 11/07/2021 19:04

Only if the ice cream came with a guarantee should it be replaced!

UmamiMammy · 11/07/2021 19:05

I have asked for a shop to replace icecream.............they handed me the two cones and all the ice cream fell off as I left the shop!!! I do expect the ice cream to be at least pushed a bit into the cone!

listsandbudgets · 11/07/2021 19:05

If the cone breaks almost immediately then I think it should be replaced by the shop.

Otherwise its not down to them though many might a s gesture of good will .