Would you give me the replacement chips?

[Houseofdrums]

Im with a group of mum friends at a food court. We all go off to different kiosks. Order our food. We find an available table.

I order from a Thai cuisine, a noodle dish and some chips for the little one.

I pick up the food, put toddler in highchair, put the chips infront of her. I’m about to take my first serving of noodles and baby kicks the chips all over the floor.

The chips cost £5. One of the mums says that it’s been less than 5 mins and they didn’t touch the chips, I should be able to ask for a replacement.

So I go to the kiosk, politely explain that I was just here and the baby annoyingly dropped all the chips. I show them the picture (we are sitting on the other end of the food court).

They say no. But I plead a little bit - I do have a soft voice so I’m being nice. Then they go on and on about how every mum will be asking for freebies. I should pay for another one. And I should go to another one of their stores who would provide me free chips.

Turns out she was also the manager.

I worked in waitressing many years ago, and honestly, we would have just given a portion of chips. Id be hesitant if it was the whole meal - but a couple of chips for a baby?

Was I being unreasonable?

This makes no sense - why would you expect free chips to replace ones that your baby threw on the floor? It’s not the kiosk’s fault!

Absolute cheeky fuckery!

on what planet should they replace them.

jesus the entitlement never mind asking, begging, pleading.

you bought the food, left with it, its entirely not their fault they ended up on the floor

That's the behavior of a grifter sorry.

You paid for chips. They gave you the chips. That was the end of your dealings with the seller. What you or your baby do with the chips after that is nothing to do with the seller. In order for you to get more chips, which cost money to produce, someone has to stand the loss. Why should it be the seller rather than you?

Imagine you bought a new light-coloured sofa from DFS and five minutes after it was delivered your baby spilt blackcurrant juice all over it and ruined it. Would you expect DFS to send you another one? I know the sofa would be much more expensive, but it’s the principle that’s the point.

There are ways of increasing your chances of getting the outcome you want and going over and outright asking and begging was absolutely not one of them.

If you had gone to staff, asked for a dust pan and brush to clear up and could you order a new lot of chips because unfortunately your toddler lobbed them on the floor - they MIGHT have offered you them for free. They may not have and they're under no obligation to do so. But being nice and NOT demanding things might have got you a lot further.

I have had a tea replaced in a restaurant when I knocked it over but I would have understood if they had still charged me…

course not. you're cheeky to even ask.

Haha this reminds me of when I was a student and working in a shop that as well as other things sold loose sweets by the gram. A lady came in and bought a bag of sweets for her toddler and then left the shop.

She returned a few minutes later and stated that the toddler had dropped them over the pavement so she'd need a replacement but she couldn't seem to understand that she'd have to pay and kept saying "but I've already paid". She did eventually cough up because her toddler was nearly hysterical. And she didn't even use a "soft voice".

Tbh I was thinking the same think.

My kids would have wanted the Thai food.

Bloody hell. Did you clear up the chips off the floor or did you expect them to clean your mess as well as give free chips? Yabvu

YANBU to chance your arm; SWNBU to decline to give you anymore chips.

Honestly I wouldn't have bothered. I've asked in a sit down restaurant and they've given me another portion, but somewhere where they can't see you or what's happened? Who's to say you didn't have three teenage gannets with you who wolfed them all down?!

YABU - it wasn’t their fault - I can’t believe you asked

Oh my god, no way did you ask them to pay for the chips your baby knocked over. It’s a food court, not a restaurant FFS! Why should they lose out for your carelessness? Yes, it is careless to put the whole portion within reach of the child. The amount of times mine did stuff like that I learned v quickly!

In a restaurant yes of course they may treat customers a bit differently but I would refuse if it was my mistake and just buy another regardless.

And the way you describe your negotiation is very cringe.

You put the chips in front of your baby its your own fault.
If you want more buy more.

I want to know what happened next Did you buy more? did you go tell ur Friends very dramatically ?

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY

Did your child go Hungry?

Come back OP and tell us xx

You not coming back op you have done a mumsnet runner.

How do they know that OP didn’t have someone with her and only wanted to pay for one portion? It’s not a restaurant it’s a food stall.

It wouldnt of even crossed my mind to ask !

Yeah! Sad face photos lol

At best I’d have probably gone up and ordered another whilst explaining what happened. If they offered for free bonus but I wouldn’t have asked

Yes I don't understand the logic of why they would give you free chips

Of course you can’t get free chips. Your fault the others got dropped. Lesson learnt - buy new chips and keep them out of reach until child ready to eat and give a couple at a time.

also curious at age of child as you go from toddler to baby. Hoping it’s not a baby eating chips.

Another one post and no return

Wow this is entitled. You spilt some food and now the restraunt has to stump up the cost. It is just life you should have just given your kid ur noodles or bought some more.