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

[Sw11_123]

I have often passed this coffee shop and thought what a wonderful little place, anyone I know who's been there thinks the food & coffee are great. It certainly doesn't look that child friendly as it is very small and a pram would take up a lot of space.

I don't agree with how they responded to the request but I think it may be a lovely place to escape from my children with a girlfriend.. I shall just limit my fluid intake!!

It's a fairly new local business that undoubtably will make a few mistakes but i would rather this than another estate agents....

[Birdhouseuk]

Hello Nappy Valley Users,
As the owners of Birdhouse we think it is only fair to respond to some of the issues raised here.
We as a small independent business care a great deal about all of our customers and everyone is welcome in our cafe. We however need to be very careful to consider all of our customers needs and safety so we ask customers with children not to allow their children to wander around the cafe unsupervised as it is dangerous for them to do so and out of respect for other customers using the space.
We are only a very small and sometimes we do not have room for prams to be inside the cafe so may request people to leave them at the front of the cafe or outside as there is no other space to leave them without blocking access or becoming a trip hazzard. On weekends due to how busy we have become we are unable to have prams inside the cafe at all and have a sign on our door which lets people know this. We provide a chain for customers to lock their pram outside if need be.
We have been open for 2 years and for the first year we had no toilet for customers to use as access was through the kitchen and due to health and safety restrictions we unfortunately were unable to allow customers to use it. As our business grew and we had the money we installed a customer toilet which became available to use in early Janurary 2013.
As we have many people who are not our customers ask to use our toilet facilities every day we have a policy that if the person needs to use the toilet then they must purchase something from the cafe to do so. There are many schools in the area and so many people with children ask to use our toilet and although it may seem harsh we must apply this restriction to everyone. If a customer is recognised as a regular then there is no question that they are able to use our toilet facitilies.
We most certainly do not hate children as suggested and aim to be a place for all of our customers to enjoy. If anyone ever has an issue we are more than happy to discuss these concerns in a calm and civilised manner in person or via email info@birdhou.se.
Many Thanks
Cameron & Alexei
Birdhouse

[Sw11_123]

Very pleased you have posted. Your explanation makes perfect sense and I look forward to trying you out soon...

I hope the original poster realises that this has now been blown out of proportion and any more 'negative' press can be avoided as having just 'googled' your establishment there are positively glowing reports out there!

[Katskii1]

Well there you go all of you shocked/ OMG/ disgusted people out there - just a small business trying to do its best - please in future think before you post local business need our support not our slander and slur

[supergirl]

Thanks Medway, i will get out more as you suggest because you re right i live a sad miserable life
I wish you one day to build a business and if this you do do it one day, i really hope you ll never have to go through such a hatred thread... It is v hard to build a business, it is even harder in this day and age. (Im sure you ll come back abd say you would have let them use the loo... Well maybe you would change your mind if you have a school 2 min away).

Anyway i am glad Birdhouse had the opportunity to respond, there are always 2 sides of a story!

[Jen66]

Also glad the owners have responded.

I imagine the sort of people who are going to boycott this place are the sort of customers they'd rather not have anyway - so all's well that ends well!

[Casper]

There are always two sides to the story but it is interesting to hear from fellow mums in the area of establishments that are not child friendly so that they can be avoided. I want to go places with my young daughter where I feel welcomed (and there are many many lovely coffee shops that welcome families in the area).

[mummy_dani]

Their policy is totally understandable but the manner in which they talk to customers isn't. If they'd been more polite to the OP (and others by the sounds of it) at the time and especially the manager later, then I'm sure this thread wouldn't have been started. Its all very well for an establishment to respond very nicely on here but why couldn't they have done that to the OP at the time.
I personally wont be trying the place because I have 2 children and don't like to go to places where children aren't welcome unless they sit quietly the whole time as my 2 definitely don't do that! Its also not reasonable to leave a sleeping baby in a pram chained up outside whilst I sip my latte inside!

Saying that, there will be lots of people locally who are grateful for their policy and will no doubt keep them in business.

[CBW7779]

I'd like to make a big shout for Pintus cafe at the Broomwood Rd end of Northcote Road as hugely child-friendly, lovely people and great food and coffee. No quibble loo policy too!! If unfriendly places are worth avoiding, there are some really friendly ones which are worth a visit!! Also the Cafe Nero on Battersea Rise has some v kind staff who have been happy to make us multiple babyccinos!! Lastly I always have a good experience at Gail's - hopefully these will always be three places mums can dive into and feel welcomed!!

[Happymama]

It is hard to build a local small business which is why a little gesture like letting a little girl use the loo would have gone a long way! I don't think the owners post addressed the managers rudeness either and the fact that the OP was obviously a regular client.

As for the post about this area being full of "entitled people", I think that was a silly post. It's not about being entitled, its about being a small(ish) SW11 community and thinking that a local business could be a bit more flexible and perhaps break a rule for a little girl needing the loo! I understand that there are a lot of schools in the area but I doubt they get 100 of children every week coming in to ask to use the loo?

I would also highly recommend the lovely Spanish rely on Webbs Road. Great coffee, great food, and lovely people!

[Jen66]

I see the woman concerned is STILL posting stinking reviews all over the internet. There's one on Tripadvisor now, she joined especially to post it.

She sounds unhinged. I sincerely doubt her side of the story.

What a nutcase.

[juliantenniscoach]

You know what? I'm going to make a point of going for a coffee in The Birdhouse and use the loo. If in doubt, judge things for yourself!

[twice_as_nice]

Ah Julian, as ever the voice of reason

[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.