Much has been said, (or at least implied) about one of our major craft stores, but right now, I’m still seething about our little experience in the other one today. I have to vent, or I might burst!
I was dithering about with wool and bits and bobs, when all of a sudden Niamh decided she had to go to the toilet, now. As kids do. (I swear three year olds have a bladder timer set to go off at the most inconvenient times.)
So we rushed through the checkout process, and asked the ever so friendly and helpful employee if they might have a toilet we could use. No, we don’t, sorry. And no, she didn’t know where the nearest one might be either. Hmmm. I wondered whether all the employees might have to drive home each time nature called.
I thought we might be able to get home in time, but no, that apparently was not to be, so I tried convincing Niamh to have a nappy put on (our cloth nappies are multi-size, so even though Rohan is only 4 months old, they’re so adjustable that they would still fit Niamh at 3). She was almost ok with that, but then broke down in tears once it was on and she faced the thought of actually weeing in a nappy. Don’t blame her, really. So I decided it was worth one last try, and took her back into the store, where I asked (same employee) politely: “I have a fairly distraught little girl here, are you sure we can’t use your staff toilet?”
Whereupon (because there were other customers and another staff member nearby, presumably) she said sweetly “Oh, did you want to use the toilet?”
At which point I wanted to stab her eyes out with the DPNs I just bought.
Other staff member showed us the way. Turns out there were not only three staff toilets, but one (unsigned) for public use. Why would the first girl lie about it in the first place? How incredibly rude of her. Or perhaps just lazy because she didn’t want to show us the way? I am completely bamboozled (coincidentally very similar to the name of the yarn I bought, and now wish I hadn’t!).
Oooh I am right with ya sister…..this “no we dont have a toilet” answer fair gets up my nose!!! AS IF THEY DONT!!!! Its totally inhumane to deny anyone the toilet!! One day they will be busting to pee or have a case of the trots from the indian they have eaten the night before and they will get caught out!! that’ll cure them!
you poor thing! I swear that they employ the dumbest people at that store! Hope your little one doesn’t have lasting memories of this!
That is just awful!
Maybe they would have pointed you in the right direction sooner if you would have had her hold her hand over her mouth like she was going to hurl any second…LOL ๐ I went to a concert a couple of weeks ago, and the potty lines were LONG! A couple of times, there were girls doing the hold-the-hand-over-the-mouth and look sick thing…real or not, they got to the head of the line QUICK!!
Melanie,
I know the exact store, the yarn and the problem you had.
Luckily a mutual friend pointed out the unmarked toilet when we visited it together, and now Michaela wants to go every time I drop in there. I don’t ask, I just use it
Currently it is the lack of tags on the interfacing that is driving me spare.
The yarn is actually lovely – I have knitted up several scarfs in it. Can I guess that you bought the variegated blue/green colourway?
Oh that is just horrible. Why oh why can’t they just employ staff with brains (and maybe some actual customer service skills)? A customer wouldn’t ask about the toilet unless there was a desperate need.
I know exactly how you feel. My youngest who is now 15 used to have that exact same problem everytime we went to any cloth shop. I swear she was allergic to material or the thought of it anyway. In the end I used to make sure that she went before we got to the shop. I cannot understand how huge stores can get away with not supplying basic ammenities. That said I think this shop may be a little friendlier and helpful in country areas.
I *hate* it when things like that happens. With my Crohns I can have unexpected severe and urgent need to use the toilet, often with only a minutes warning. Nowdays I just don’t shop in places without public toilet facilities, it is not worth the humiliation.
I was at Lincraft in Thomastown a few months ago with Heidi and my 2yo nephew, both kids needed to use the toilets. Thankfully i knew where they were – because that is always the first thing I work out when at new stores. But it sure was difficult to get into them as there was heaps of stock stored in front of the toilet doors, blocking access. Grrr
AAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH. (I’m just sympathetically transferring experience of other store pain). I hadn’t believed that store could be as vile. I have now concluded that some pack of bloggers needs to open an online one stop fabric shop. Or something. Anything. So we can all shop with our own loos close at hand.
at least you got the warning, I found my 3 yo between two rows of fabrics after the fact – messy indeed but probably serves that store right for not having toilets near by too…
Oh your poor little girl ๐ I don’t blame her for being upset.
I KEEP experiencing this!! My 3-year-old is part camel, I think…. will hold on for hours. When she tells me it’s urgent she MEANS IT… and still we get the “oh, you’ll have to go across that busy street and up three flights of stairs in that hideous pokies pub”.
I know this is an old post… just doing a spot of bloggy catch-up!