I understand that, she was loud, but with kids they can be loud one minute and quiet the next. When she was seated she ate her dinner, smiled and talked to us
I don't let my DD shout and scream in restaurants, the friend had admittedly got her a little excited, but she calmed down and the thing that got me was that he should have told me or the other adult. And it was only about 1 min or less and then it was over!
Anyway here is the email I've drafted. I admit it, I have PMT
I am a regular in this restaurant with my daughter. However I would like to complain about a member of your staff telling my child to shhhh (be quiet). She was with a family member in the entrance foyer, waiting for the other members of our party to join us, when a member of staff told her to shhh,
I would like to point out that the restaurant was full of children, that my daughter was not being a nuisance to anyone else, that the gentleman in question completely overstepped his authority in telling my daughter off - perhaps he should have spoken to either myself or the adult who was with her at the time, and the fact that he was running an industrial juicer at the time which I would assume was making more noise than my daughter?
Your chain prides itself as being "child friendly", however every time I have been there with my daughter I feel that we are not welcome, that we are too noisy or an inconvenience.
It is a shame because the enjoyment of the meal was ruined by the rude and out of line attitude of your member of staff.
Perhaps he should go and work in a library. (Although even in libraries now you cannot tell people to be quiet, so perhaps a monastery would be better?).
I would like to thank your other members of staff in the xxxxxx branch, who however, are always courteous, friendy and polite.
Whilst I do understand that the noise of children is not always welcomed in some eating establishments, children do make noise, unfortunately they do not come with volume control (if I could work out how to make some kind of volume control, I would patent it, sell it, and retire on my millions) and as parents we do not intentionally want our most beloved little ones to annoy anyone else or distrupt other peoples meals, I feel the response of the man in question was very over the top - considering my daughter, when seated, sat in her chair and was quiet and happy for the rest of her meal.
Perhaps you could convey this to the member of staff in question and I hope for his sake, that when he does have children, they are very, very silent.
Yours faithfully