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AIBU?

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Original poster

if you owned a restaurant what would you do ....

245 replies

EezyOozy · 17/02/2022 20:25

Went to gp today, they said I could attend at short notice .... Had to wait for ages with two young kids to actually be seen … got out at 1730 , it's quite a long drive home.... so I decided to take them to pizza place over road. Have been many times before and just pay using my phone. Didn’t have purse with me as was in other bag and left in a hurry.

Had our food , just as I was asking for the bill my phone died. Had a charger in car…which was over the road.

I apologised profusely as it was totally my fault. I alerted the waitress as soon as I realised. She went to get the manager.

Again I apologised profusely and admitted it was my fault. The manager was really really abrupt and a bit of a bully about it, and said I wasn't allowed to leave!

-she wouldn’t let me go and get my charger , saying that I couldn't leave without paying

-She wouldn’t let me use their business phone to call DH and have him pay over the phone (it's also a takeaway so they take payment over the phone)!

-She wouldn’t let me go home to get money…..

-I offered to leave my name and address and all contact details!

They just kept saying “you can’t leave until you’ve paid, you will have to contact someone to bring you some money"

Me: "But my phone has died and you won’t let me get my charger or use your phone”

“Well that’s your problem, but you can’t leave without paying or we will
CALL THE POLICE"

Went on for about 20 mins and my kids were both going mental by this point and I was struggling to contain them . Eventually I said “look I’m just going to have to leave, phone the police if you like. I’ll call up and pay when I get home”

An elderly couple who had overheard the whole thing came over and said they’d just pay our £20 bill as the was ridiculous…
So the couple paid, I said goodbye to them at my car and thanked them grovelingly. I insisted on taking their bank details and mobile number, and within 5 mins I had charged my phone and transferred them the money (and texted them to confirm).

Is it just me or were the restaurant really mean??!!! I would have expected them to let me get my phone charger or call my husband ?

yes it was totally my fault, i apologised profusely I will never rely on just my phone again

I like to think I would have just let the person get their charger?!!

OP posts:
Original poster
EezyOozy · 17/02/2022 20:42

I would have left my house keys and just taken the car key with me. There were so many solutions !

OP posts:
TheLovleyChebbyMcGee · 17/02/2022 20:45

I don't understand how the manager thought you were going to resolve the situation with no phone, how bizarre!!!

Redglitter · 17/02/2022 20:45

The police wouldn't have come. When the restaurant phoned they'd be asked for details and when they outlined it they'd have been told to get your details and let you to either phone your payment in or return to pay.

I'd be complaining. They were completely unreasonable

ENoeuf · 17/02/2022 20:45

Well in that case I’d probably have taken your details and your car reg and chanced you coming back. How silly.

quitefranklyabsurd · 17/02/2022 20:52

[quote hassletassle]@ENoeuf I could have if they were older but they're only 2 and (just) 4 and they were getting quite upset by this point. [/quote]
I think I might have been tempted to hand her the two year old and gone to the car to get your charger.

I don’t half feel for you op. You did everything in your ability to rectify the situation. The manager sounds a delight. I’d be making a bad review on trip adviser and comping to the owner.

HeyItsPickleRick · 17/02/2022 20:55

Yeah that's really strange. I forgot my purse at a petrol station (and didn't have a way to pay on my phone) a couple of years ago and they let me go home and get it. The lovely cashier wouldn't even let me leave my phone as insurance. As you say there were loads of solutions to this without keeping you there causing a scene. It must've been really stressful for your

Comefromaway · 17/02/2022 20:58

I’d have either let you get your charger or let you use my phone.

SleepyJackson · 17/02/2022 21:00

Given there are only 2 types of chargers in common use now, surely they had one around to lend you?

ISpyCobraKai · 17/02/2022 21:01

That's ridiculous.
Even a petrol station let me go and get cash in my car.
(I won't bore you but it was technically their fault)

Original poster
EezyOozy · 17/02/2022 21:01

@HeyItsPickleRick it was , my kids were starting to go ape shit and I felt like utter scum! I feel a bit better now though!

OP posts:
StScholastica · 17/02/2022 21:03

Awful customer service. They should have let you nip out to grab your charger. You were hardly likely to do a runner leaving your DC behind.

GreyGoose1980 · 17/02/2022 21:03

I can’t believe they wouldn’t let you use the business phone to call your DH OP. I can slightly understand why they would be wary of you leaving to get the charger, although surely someone could have quickly gone with you. What did they actually expect you to do. I would write to the owner to complain (and I never normally do that)

IReallyLikeCrows · 17/02/2022 21:05

Utter arseholes.

RaininSummer · 17/02/2022 21:06

Really daft that they wouldn't let you use the phone. What on earth did they think would happen? How nice of the couple to pay.

Mynameisnew · 17/02/2022 21:07

Was this a second language English person - perhaps she wasn't understanding everything you were explaining?

It wasn't your fault. Happens to everyone.

Original poster
EezyOozy · 17/02/2022 21:07

I can’t believe they wouldn’t let you use the business phone to call your DH OP.

I did think maybe it was a Covid thing. But I could have given DH's number and the manager could have called him and me not actually touch the phone ?! Something anyway.

OP posts:
Original poster
EezyOozy · 17/02/2022 21:08

Was this a second language English person - perhaps she wasn't understanding everything you were explaining*

Nope, a totally first language Scottish woman

OP posts:
JemimaTiggywinkle · 17/02/2022 21:10

Are they on trip advisor? I would be leaving a review similar to how you’ve described it here.

Gardeningcreature · 17/02/2022 21:10

So your phone had died so you can't call anyone. They refuse to let you use their phone so you can't call anyone. They refuse to let you use their charger, so you can't phone anyone. Then they say to need to phone someone. Perhaps there is some new form of telepathic communication they were hoping you could tune into, such as by tapping your forehead all your close family and friends would immediately know your dilemma and would instantly know where to come and with the exact cash in hand.

caringcarer · 17/02/2022 21:10

Rediculous not to just let you phone husband on their phone so he could pay over phone with card. They were making a drama over an honest mistake. Leave a bad review calling them put on it.

steppemum · 17/02/2022 21:12

well, you offered them every single solution and then turned all of them down!
they were ridiculous.
I can understand that they were afraid of you doing a runner, but they wouldn't let your dh pay over the phone!

They are ridiculous

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 17/02/2022 21:13

She sounds like a moron

Mojoj · 17/02/2022 21:13

You should just have sat back down and told them to call the Police and when they arrived, asked to borrow a phone...

5foot5 · 17/02/2022 21:15

Ridiculous. How on earth did they expect you to resolve things in the circumstances? I would have been tempted to tell them to go ahead and call the police.

We once went to a petrol station, DH filled up and then realised he had left his wallet at home. I hadn't taken any cash or cards out with me as we were just heading out for a walk. In the end they agreed that DD and I waited in the kiosk while DH nipped home

Thesearmsofmine · 17/02/2022 21:17

I would have let you use the phone to call DH or loaned you a charger. I get them not wanting you to leave to get a charger because people run but not letting you use their phone is ridiculous,