Naming and shaming chapinos cafe at cheqers center Maidstone.

[supportman]

I was out with a client today and we went to mcdonalds in the cheqers center and got our food, there was nowhere to sit so went to look for a bench to sit down, they was all taken as well. We then went past chapinos cafe and my client sat down at one of thier tabels, I said that we were not supposed to sit here but he wouldn't go to anywhere else. It was quiet anyway so started eating there, along comes the manager and said that we can't eat there and said if we didn't move at once then he would call security. I said be my guest and along came security man a few minutes later and asked us to move on.

I explaned the situation and that he was autistic and he didn't know we were not supposed to sit here and would not move until he was ready. I then said that I was happy to buy a coffee there for would be a customer. The manager said no and that we would still have to leave, I then said are you going to physically remove an autistic child for sitting at one of their tables? How would that look for your image? The security man said no he wouldn't and then ordered me to put the food back in the bag and move. I said that he would probably have a tantrum and that would be their fault, security man then said that he would not have a tantrum. (what he knows about autism I don't know)

I then packed everything up and to my suprise my client was happy to move. We then finished off standing up just next to the cafe. I then went into the cheqers management suite to complain, they were quite understanding of the situation but said that ultimatly the cafe had the right to ask us to leave.

I understand that the seating was for his customers but given the situation would it have hurt him to have a little understanding and allow us to sit there for another 5 minutes?

I also intend to go to the local newspaper and see if they would print the story to name and shame him proper. (obviuosly within the data protection act, no names)

you should have spoken to the staff as soon as he sat down and explained the situation pleasantly and politely. I am sure you would hve got a different response from a 'be my guest' response

you can't blame the restaurant for not wanting to set a mcdonalds precedent outside their cafe

if the tables at the cafe were empty, then could it hurt to allow someone to sit there, especially if he was going to buy a drink ?

jobsworth at its worst i think

I live in Maidstone and hate the fact that Chiapinni's (sp) has so many bloody overpriced cafe/restaurants in the town, there are 2 in the Chequers centre plus one in the royal star arcade and they are overpriced adn serve rubbish food (often with serving staff who can barely unerstand you).

My mum likes their coffee (overpriced frothy coffee!) we often pop in one if I meet her in town one occassion I had a soft drink and asked for some tap water to fill up dd1 beaker and was told no I had to buy bottled water .

Also hated the places before the smoking ban came in as all the old grannies/people who smoked converged in there as was the only place you were allowed to smoke in the whole centre but you had to walk past it to get to the lifts so my dd's had a trail of smoke to get through

Don't get me wrong HectorsHouse I explained the situation to the security guard polietly as he was polite with me, however the manager was very abrupt and un-polite with me and I could tell that explaining anything to him would have got me nowhere.

Also I could not approach staff initially as doing so would have left my client unattended and I am responsable for his saftey.

If you offered to buy a coffee I can't see his problem, was he short by any chance?

IMO you should have offered to buy a coffee as soon as the manager came over to speak to you, then the situation may not have escalated and the security guard wouldn't have needed to be involved

Didn't have a chance bouncingball, he came rushing upto the table and started, nearly on the verge of ranting and raving, before he even reached the table, I don't want to talk to anyone who treats me like that and thought maybe the security guard was a bit more pleasant and he was.

The management suite said that he always calls security if there is anyone who sits down which is not his customer. BTW the cafe is not in a proper building and just in the middle of the concourse and if approached from the wrong end it could easily be mistaken from communal seating of the shopping center.

oh that sounds terrible. I'm glad your client wasn't concerned though. (I went for a Burger King with ds1 yesterday and if anyone had tried to move him half way though.... eek). If the manager refused to allow you to buy a coffee having explained the situation he was determined to be unreasonable.

I think its quite exceptional to be that unhelpful though. DS1 constantly does things he's not allowed to, runs behind shop counters, tried to get into staff room, goes down slides at soft play without using a sack, starts headbutting tills if the staff are taking too long (yesterday!), sticks fingers in dolls houses and plays with the figures) (yesterday), crawls on the floor at McDonald's under tables (yes when people are sitting there), runs to the front of queues and hits his head when he can't get in, screams loudly etc etc- all those have happened in the last few months and me shouting 'sorry he's autistic' over my shoulder (as much of an explanation as I can manage when I have him) has always resulted in people being very understanding. Perhaps write a letter complaining to the owners, and asking them to mention disability awareness to their staff.

I think the thing is he was reacting to the McDonalds, not to the person with autism

It was the red haze of "another(?) bloody mcdonald's customer using my cafe"

he approached you at full rant and of course you just told him to get security, but if you had maybe taken the concillitory option and apologised calmy and explained he might have been more rational

but then again he could just be a total twat

I've had quite a few initiallly cross, or 'what the?' reactions that have softened immediately when I've shouted the explanation though. Usually people are OK once told. it is a bit arseholeish to carry on moaning. It makes me unecessarily cross when that does happen because people ar eusually so OK about it iyswim.

Sounds like you got your hands full gess, thinking of you. Unfortunatly I was already dealing with the top man or would go higher with it, he is a sole trader.

I bet he's just a Chiappini son or something. There are loads of outlets. Write to Head Office.