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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
PolkaSpace · 17/02/2022 21:17

A lot of places would have let you leave a shoe or your phone

Original poster
EezyOozy · 17/02/2022 21:18

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

Haha, I should have. I was starting to get a bit pissed off and say "call the police then!" when my guardian angels intervened.

OP posts:
Downtownmarjoriebrown · 17/02/2022 21:18

Honestly I can't believe you even engaged in the ridiculous conversation for that long! I don't think I'm particularly bolshy but I'd have just got up and gone to the car. They can't keep you hostage.

Wingedharpy · 17/02/2022 21:19

A shoe?!
Really?

Original poster
EezyOozy · 17/02/2022 21:20

@Downtownmarjoriebrown nor can I! I did eventually think "what the fuck am I doing of course I can leave".

OP posts:
PolkaSpace · 17/02/2022 21:20

@Wingedharpy

A shoe?! Really?
Yeah I left many a shoe in my student days
midsomermurderess · 17/02/2022 21:22

They behaved very oddly and one can only assume they have had people do runners on them. Why not be the bigger person and let it go rather than looking to destroy them on SM? You had a kind experience from the strangers who got you out of a hole. Take pleasure from that. You won't be able to change the other stuff.

PolkaSpace · 17/02/2022 21:22

Go to nearest cash point get cash go back gey shoe so you can walk home.

So in this case leave shoe charge phone come back and get shoe. Obviously only works if they are nice shoes.

Staffy1 · 17/02/2022 21:22

They were ridiculous. What did they expect you to do? I hope you leave a review about this.

Original poster
EezyOozy · 17/02/2022 21:22

@midsomermurderess I'm not looking to destroy them on SM!

OP posts:
WomanStanleyWoman · 17/02/2022 21:23

I once went to a café and realised I’d forgotten to get cash before I went in. I felt like a complete idiot, but I explained to the waitress and asked if I could run across the road to the cash point if I left my coat behind, so that they’d know I was coming back. She was fine about it.

As others have said, calling the police would have been a complete waste of time on their part. You hadn’t tried to leave without paying - you’d offered solutions and they’d refused them. In the unlikely event that the police had come out, you could have made clear that you had no intention of doing a runner (backed up by the fact that you’d waited there for them to arrive). If you’d wanted to really piss off the manager, you could have told the police you were refusing to pay the bill because the food was unacceptable - thereby making it a civil rather than criminal matter Grin

NeverChange · 17/02/2022 21:24

Absolutely over the top reaction by the manager and I would complain on the grounds of manager's attitude, unwillingness to accept several reasonable solutions, embarrassment and upsetting and worrying your children.

I know a petrol station where the rule is photo taken, drivers license and/or phone retained and verification online that the person is who they say they are e.g. LinkedIn, log in to mobile account etc.

Yes it's a problem and risk for retailers but there were numerous more professional and acceptable ways of them handling this.

Mumwithapub · 17/02/2022 21:24

Not very good customer service to embarrass you like that, try to get in touch with her boss/line manager. It is unacceptable to basically accuse you of trying to steal when no offers of help were coming forth from the restaurant. I bet one of the staff had a charger that would have been compatible.

AprilShowers82 · 17/02/2022 21:25

They were soooo unreasonable I can’t even believe it. Honestly! I’d have said go ahead, call the police and waited for them to arrive. I would leave scathing reviews on trip adviser, Facebook, Instagram, Google! Name and shame!

midsomermurderess · 17/02/2022 21:25

Ok, but some people seem to be suggesting you go down that road. Look, you had a weird experience, parts of it properly strange, some very kind. Just let it go, but remember the kindness of strangers.

caranations · 17/02/2022 21:26

I'd have told them to crack on and phone the police. Or alternatively, I'd say, if they were going to make one phone call, instead of calling the police and wasting their time, why not call my husband so he can pay over the phone?

Wingedharpy · 17/02/2022 21:27

@PolkaSpace : My life clearly, has been nowhere near as exciting as yours!Wink
I have never heard of this but will file it away, just in case.

Aquamarine1029 · 17/02/2022 21:28

I would write an absolutely scathing review and post it on every platform available. The way they treated you was reprehensible.

PolkaSpace · 17/02/2022 21:30

[quote Wingedharpy]@PolkaSpace : My life clearly, has been nowhere near as exciting as yours!Wink
I have never heard of this but will file it away, just in case.[/quote]
I hope you have need to use it tbh. It's a sign of a great night out.

Happy36 · 17/02/2022 21:30

Surely they just ask you to leave your ID until you come back and pay.

Or let you use their phone.

Alrightqueenie · 17/02/2022 21:32

Why didn't the manager accompany you to the car to get your charger? A very simple solution which would have saved a lot of unnecessary hassle. I'd write a letter of complaint to the management about the duty manager's poor handling of the situation.

WonderfulYou · 17/02/2022 21:32

YANBU I’m so angry on your behalf!!
Thank Goodness the couple were there!!

They should have at least let you use the phone, even if they typed in the number and spoke for you if they were so worried about covid!

I would have 100% walked out if I didn’t have the kids but I don’t know what I would have done if i had them.

I wouldn’t usually say it but I absolutely think you should name and shame them on here so other people don’t go there.
I bet that couple won’t be back either.

Original poster
EezyOozy · 17/02/2022 21:33

I didn't really have any ID as id accidentally left my purse at home. I did have house keys , a dead phone , a quite nice bag with my kids things in.... would have left any of it to get the charger ! The more I reflect on it the more I think the manager was a bit mad, on some kind of strange power trip, or maybe (as I have read on MN previously) "not much of a thinker".

OP posts:
user1471443411 · 17/02/2022 21:34

This was ridiculous behaviour, of course they should have let you use their phone (or let you get your charger, but I can slightly see their point on this). How nice of the elderly couple though!
I'd do a trip advisor review, or yell.com - I don't think it matters that you were initially at fault, you can explain it like you did on here.

Alrightqueenie · 17/02/2022 21:35

Always keep £30 in cash spare and keep a debit/credit card & a charger on you in case of emergencies. I don't like paying via my phone for this very reason because your stuck if phone dies.

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