BIRDHOUSE - WORST customer care I have EVER experienced ! Post Reply

[juliantenniscoach]

blushing................lots

[Southfields girl]

This woman sounds like she is Barmy. She's made a mountain of a mole hill. The owners explanation was fine and she should accept it.
Whoever said the 'customer is always right' was right but in this instance she wasn't a customer!
The birdhouse is a great little place, don't believe this awful publicity.

[Katskii1]

This is the thread that just keeps on giving. Clearly the original poster plus the moronic sheep who now would never go to BHC due to this post need to a) get a job - what are you doing spending all your hours supping lattes by yourself failing that devote your time to a good cause or maybe have an affair with your gardener

[Mumstwo]

The owners explanation is barmy!! Yes there are lots of schools in the area, and one 2 mins away, lucky you, lots of mums, lots of kids, lots of coffee and treats sold which pays your salary!! I highly doubt the kids come in droves to use their toilet, the place is miniature and unless you are a regular you wouldn't even expect them to have a toilet. This lady said she was a regular, are they calling her a liar? Her daughter had to wee on the street, it not nice whatever way you look at it. Let a 3 year old use the loo.

[kookiegoddess]

This thread is hilariously ridiculous.

I absolutely love the Birdhouse and I make a point of going in there because of its calm, peaceful and relaxed atmosphere. I really like that there are rarely children running around in there because really, it's not suited to having children there - too much is accessible to tiny fingers and the seating etc is not great for little ones (I have 2 of my own). In my head I see it as a cafe for grown ups and I am thrilled that it will continue to be frequented by grown ups.

I feel the owners were perfectly in their rights to say no if the lady in question had not bothered to explain that they were going to stay on for something to eat or drink.

Thanks all for giving me a giggle, will file this under Middle Class Problems...

[WhiteKnight]

This coffee shop has never been child friendly. My friends and I all have similar stories. My 14month old had a menu snatched from her hand as they thought she would bend it. Buggies are definitely not welcome on the weekend either. Sadly as a result we and our families never go there anymore.

[Shamummy]

Why has the birdhouse response been re-posted in a new thread? Are they worried about the sensible feedback which found it to be inadequate?

For the second time I am going to be a poster and not just a reader. In my experience which I described in the earlier thread, the explanation of why no toilet facilities were available to me was lacking and I was treated with contempt and rudeness. I didn't really elaborate on the rudeness in my earlier post, as I just wanted to stick to the facts. The owner's explanation of there being no customer toilet in the first year, and that access to the staff toilet was through the kitchen and potentially hazardous, would have been an ample response to give me at the time in a polite fashion. Instead the rudeness and shoulder shrugging made me feel like a targeted, vulnerable pregnant woman. I'm a reasonable person, and would have understood if they had taken the time to explain to me that it wouldn't be safe to use the staff toilet. I really dont think that is too much to expect when requesting to use the facilities of an eating establishment you have just had brunch at.

The owners would do well to reflect on the fact that they sent customers up the road to the Plough to use their toilet and did so knowing that said customers would not be patronising the Plough. Seems a bit like a double standard to me, considering their toilet policy. They would also do well to acknowledge that the reason they have negative posts on this forum is because their staff did not take the time to engage with paying customers to resolve their issues at the front line.

My final word on the matter, before returning to my reading and non-posting self, is that human decency should override any of the above and a little 3 year old girl should not have to pee on the street

[Discodolly]

Thank you to the Birdhouse for replying on NVN. It doesn't address anything for me.

It doesn't change the manner in which I was spoken to, I wanted to discuss with the manager in a civilised manner but I was just met with rudeness and accusations.

As Mumstwo said.

I also would not have felt compelled to post anything had it not been topped off by the Manager's rudeness the following day which compounded the whole sorry affair.

Yes businesses can put in place certain rules and as they please , but these rules can be enforced in a number of polite ways.

If non-customers making a bee line there purely for the toilet was an issue ,then a sign should be next to the non-prams at weekends one in the window and then everyone knows where they stand.

And to let a 3 year old use the toilet, as a one off, is not asking for much.

HOWEVER, It also costs nothing to be polite and professional...and perhaps bend those rule on the odd occasion for people who say they are customers. Crazy / unhinged / Barmy I know..

A little can go a long way.

I thank everyone for their feedback both constructive and not.

[cheesesandwich]

My last bit of tuppence worth as well.

The original poster has been slated for negatively posting about a local businesss but to her credit actually attempted to complain in person to the manager and NOT on here first. The fact that she was rudely and unreasonably dealt with gives her every right to post what she likes on a local forum.

Her post wouldn't necessarily have stopped me visiting the cafe, but actually the cafe owner response has - not the effect they intended i'm sure.

Instead they appear defensive and utterly ridiculous. St John's Hill swamped with people desperately seeking the loo on weekdays?! Rubbish - it's a ghost town in that neck of the woods and you'd think they'd welcome people with open arms in an attempt to show off good service. Nope, instead of perhaps admitting a mistake was made on here which would have gone a long way, they just look like they're making petty excuses.

What a shame.

[leapyearbaby]

Jeez, what a thread.

but the main point for me is what kind of place refuses to let a little girl use the loo. that's just mean. i have a boy, and we have NEVER been refused anywhere, popping into a pub, nero, starbucks, any of those places. you just ask politely and job done. and in emergencies it's easier for a little boy, not so for a little girl, for whom it may be hard not to bare her bum or wee on her shoes if out on the street. if you can prevent that situation for mum and child you should. simple as.

the Birdhouse response does seem to suggest that discodolly wasn't recognised. calling her a liar? not nice, not helping self.

i agree she may have handled it a tad better but sometimes you panic in fear of a wet pants situation.

the mumsnet thread is vile, as are most. who are those people? really? they were funny mob over the much publicised 'penis beaker' thread, but in nearly all other cases i've come across they are a judgmental unpleasant bunch. i don't think it was particularly nice to link it on here.

this thread was discussed at the school gates today and it certainly sounds like the birdhouse owner has quite a reputation. i won't repeat what other shocking stuff i've heard about his behaviour on here, but wow, someone's business really seems to be in the wrong area. move outta nappy valley mate!

i am curious about the coffee though, everyone has awful stuff to say about the place but it always ends with but their coffee is really great, almost regretfully. Lol. I may try it out when my little one is at school, you know, in close proximity to a loo, that he is allowed to use!!

[Mumstwo]

A good manager would have apologised to Discodolly, but if he felt his employee was right he should have said nothing to her about the incident or shown his support to her on the matter and everyone would have been happy.

Now it has gone this far, the manager could (should in my opinion!!) apologise to Discodolly on this forum, offer to apologise in person and offer her a free lunch/ coffee or something then he might (might) win some favour back, which personally I think would be worth it's weight in gold (literally) after the chat at the school gates comment and 5000plus views...eek!

They obviously got their location wrong if they don't want prams and kids in their cafe! Wrong wrong wrong.... when I moved to Clapham even the removal men said 'there something in the water around here!!'

I'm firmly in camp Dolly, she was polite to ask to use the toilet in the first instance (I usually sneak in!) and handled it very professionally to go back and speak to the manager.

[Mumstwo]

A good manager would have apologised to Discodolly, but if he felt his employee was right he should have said nothing to her about the incident or shown his support to her on the matter and everyone would have been happy.

Now it has gone this far, the manager could (should in my opinion!!) apologise to Discodolly on this forum, offer to apologise in person and offer her a free lunch/ coffee or something then he might (might) win some favour back, which personally I think would be worth it's weight in gold (literally) after the chat at the school gates comment and 5000plus views...eek!

They obviously got their location wrong if they don't want prams and kids in their cafe! Wrong wrong wrong.... when I moved to Clapham even the removal men said 'there something in the water around here!!'

I'm firmly in camp Dolly, she was polite to ask to use the toilet in the first instance (I usually sneak in!) and handled it very professionally to go back and speak to the manager.

[zorazora]

Disco - good on for posting about it. Maybe go to Starbucks next time!

As someone who also outed (can we say crap or **** Annabel?) service (Tescos) I got totally bombarded by people who text from Terminal 5 when they have nothing better to do. Bully to them. They probably don't even live here. Disco, don't let them get to you. Keep on posting love.

[ellesmum]

Got to admit, I hadn't heard about Birdhouse until I read this thread, but after also hearing stories at the school gates about other "incidents", I'll also be giving it a wide berth. There are some places where I almost expect rudeness from the staff (Wong Kei's in Chinatown has, at times, had the worst customer service, but it's always packed because the food is amazing and well priced!), but a cafe smack bang in the middle of Nappy Valley isn't one of them! Think I'll stick to Barmouth Kitchen where they have it 100% right...!!

[metoo]

Mmmm, this is interesting. I haven't been to the Birdhouse but I may saunter past - many many years ago when my son was small we went to a tiny cafe on St John's Hill with a small garden and the manager was very rude to us because my son was picking up (not throwing) stones and then he dropped flakes from his croissant. He suggested we didn't come back as it wasn't our kind of place - we were the wrong sort of people! I remember being upset and posting on here to get some support and perhaps compare my experience. I wonder if this is the same place? although the response from the owner says they've only been open 2 years???
I think our responses are often visceral when things are directed at our children - we feel things keenly on their behalf. I think NV readers are mature enough to make their own minds up whether to go to this place, or not go. I hate coffee, an avid tea drinker....now there's a new thread!