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From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Christmas

Am I justfied in being peed off or should I just be understanding?

34 replies

BankerMommy2010 · 16/12/2013 15:21

All of last week we promised our 3 year old that if he was good we would take him to see santa at our local house offraser, so yesterday we wrapped up warm and headed out to town...the grotto was advertised as being open until5pm but when we arrived at 3pm we were told it had already closed as there was a 2 hour queue (now granted, I wwouldn't have wanted to wait for that long but when you promise a 3 year old they are going to see santa, you can't go back on your word) we got a "sorry" but that didn't mean anything to our son.... is this worthy of a complaint or am I just bitter as I had to spend the rest of the afternoon explaining to my son why santa wouldn't see him...surely they should advertise that the grotto clpses earlier to allow for queues???

OP posts:

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AnnabelleLee · 17/12/2013 21:08

The grotto was advertised as being open til 5. It was open until 5. You really have no cause for moaning here.

BankerMommy2010 · 17/12/2013 14:55

Anyway...like I said it doesn't really matter does it... I asked ifI was being unreasonable and I got my answer.

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BankerMommy2010 · 17/12/2013 14:52

Unexpected....the grotto was open until 5... I know that! The queue wasnt. Have u not bothered to read the rest of the thread. Sunday wasn't a one off, apparently its been heaving the past 2 weekends...so I think maybe they should do something about their advertising

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Unexpected · 17/12/2013 14:07

For heavens sake, the grotto WAS open until 5 p.m.! The staff are not psychic and couldn't anticipate its popularity on that one afternoon. You said yourself that in previous years you had just walked in so if you didn't anticipate the queue, why did you expect the staff to do so? If they had let you join the queue, you would have been even more upset if you had failed to get in or you would have been complainingly vociferously for the two hours while queueing that the grotto should be better managed!

BankerMommy2010 · 17/12/2013 14:04

Its all part of the madness of Christmas...never mind, I know to avoid next year x

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Lilicat1013 · 17/12/2013 12:11

This happened at the library last year. They advertised Father Christmas would be coming before the lights switch on but didn't mention anything about booking.

On that day it seemed every parent in the town brought their child and the library staff told them to book at the desk. The booked slots went quickly, everyone one else was turned away. It was chaos and there was a lot of angry people.

One parent after being turned away loudly told her child Father Christmas was only seeing the naughty children that day so he could tell them to be good. She was standing next to the queue of the ones who were going in at the time. I thought that was a bit shit of her.

This year Father Christmas comes to the library every Saturday in December and the fact you need to book is clearly advertised. So they learnt from last year and improved it, hopefully the place you did will do the same.

I'm sorry your son was disappointed, that is a shame.

BankerMommy2010 · 17/12/2013 11:31

We told him he had to feed the reindeers. Like I said pointless rant... ive been put in my place, old news now. Still doesn't stop me feeling mad...no matter what anyone says I still see it as the grotto closed at 3... What's the point of advertising it being open til 5...so people can sit and watch the queue??? Supermarkets advertise they are open until 4... they won't stop you going in at 3 will they?

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storminabuttercup · 17/12/2013 11:09

Couldn't you have told DC that Santa was on his was to 'x' and you'd go and meet him there then take DS to a different grotto?

Sometimes you gotta think on your feet!

ZeViteVitchofCwismas · 17/12/2013 11:04

oh lord....

its a cynical ploy to get customers in its not hard to project time each child with have with FC running two hours late means somewhere something has been badly mis managed.. perhaps the person who jollies the kids along?

try NT places and things like that.

lilyaldrin · 17/12/2013 10:58

The grotto was open til 5 though, just the queue closed.

BankerMommy2010 · 17/12/2013 10:56

We are taking him somewhere else this weekend, but wanted to do something with a spare sunday afternoon...

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BankerMommy2010 · 17/12/2013 10:54

I think people are missing my point. .. I totally understand them closing the queue at 3 because the shop closed at 5pm and yes I would have been well and truly pissed off if they'd have allowed me to queue and then told me sorry santa isn't seeing anymore... what has annoyed me is tge fact it is advertised as being open until 5pm.... it isnt... its open until 3 what is the point of advertising something that isnt right??? Yes santa is there until 5 but if your not there for 3 then your not getting in...so technically the grotto is open to customers until 3.

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sopsmum · 17/12/2013 10:33

Why don't you go somewhere nice instead of a shop. Local Christmas fare? National trust normally do good events.

FreyaKItty · 17/12/2013 10:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TreTops · 17/12/2013 10:22

Op it was probably more to do with Sunday trading laws that they had to shut at 5, rather than they wanted to get off early. I presume the shop was open 11-5.

NeverQuiteSure · 17/12/2013 10:18

I would be annoyed and probably use their complaints service to suggest they implement a booking system next year.

lilyaldrin · 17/12/2013 10:17

If they let you join the queue at 3 and then closed at 5, you'd have queued for 2 hours for nothing Surely that would have been worse?

If they close at 5 what's wrong with the employee saying they were finishing at 5?

BankerMommy2010 · 17/12/2013 10:14

Glad its not just me that thought it was a bad service....I was starting to worry that I was turning into a moaning old bag... :) ah well, hes forgotten all about it now...I think the elf rubbed me up the wrong way more than anything, just told me we've closed early so we can get off for 5!!! A 2 hour wait is ridiculous...maybe they should have an army of Santa's in different grottos to keep the queues flowing

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MissLurkalot · 17/12/2013 10:06

That's a shame. I hope you had a nice time somewhere else with your little one?
I would've been gutted too, I think I would be tempted to complain at first, but then I'd just probably let it go and go first thing in the morning next year xx

ZeViteVitchofCwismas · 17/12/2013 09:23

Of course bloody complain! They offered you a service to get you into their shop, you arrived and it was closed!

There shouldn't be a fucking TWO HOURS fucking queue!

The whole thing sounds dreadfuly managed yes let them know you were not happy and maybe next year, they will work on it so no two hour quee and no early closure!

BankerMommy2010 · 17/12/2013 06:17

I guess its just me being unreasonable then. In previous years at this time of year we've walked straight in, so I thought it would be the same. I guess making a complaint was the wrong use of words.... no, I wouldn't have wanted to queue for 2 hours...and probably would have made an excuse to my son that we couldn't wait that long...I guess I would like to have a moan and make them rethink how they run the grotto....pre book slots and advertise that they close earlier...it was a pointless rant and a waste of a thread....ignore me!

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Onesleeptillwembley · 17/12/2013 05:04

What exactly is it you want to complain about? They haven't done anything wrong.even if they warned they'd close the queue early if full, you wouldn't know until you got there.

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moldingsunbeams · 17/12/2013 04:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

raisah · 17/12/2013 04:04

All of the above and at this time of the year you need to arrive near opening time to guarantee seeing Santa & to avoid queueing up for long. Or actually prebooking because heading into town to do anything is just too late & its absolutely madness out there & its there is still a week to go.

polythenespam · 16/12/2013 23:49

the grotto was open until 5. they did you a favour by closing the queue. understand your disappointment but not grounds for a complaint.

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