Kari
05-10-2004, 08:45 PM
Is there any nice way of saying, 'Hey, we are a Laundromat not a daycare!
We have a problem with horible kids (from ages 1.5 - 14). I have intersepted children as young as 1.5 years of age on thier way to the busy highway. They are constantly playing with the carts, throwing food on the floor (if it is chips, stepping on them to make a bigger miss). If I see them throw things, no matter the age ,I try to get them to pick it up. Most will do it but some even the young ones will tell you to screw off. I have lots of Garbage cans in and around the building but they still throw the trash on the ground. When I catch them they say things like, 'Us kids don't know where the garbage cans are.' I wanted to strangle the little girl (about 8) that tld me that one. We have two wheel chair ramps. Along side each there are steel railings. I can not keep them from playing on them. someone will slip and crack their head open. We own the carwash outside and they are always playing iwth the hoses, which are a few hundred dollars to replace. They climb the trees (we cut the lower branches so they can not swing on them). Our building use to be an old gas station. They like to climb on the utility polls that hold up the canapy (which have wires running in them. We have one group of kids that come in that are so bad that when my husband sees them pull up he calls me jsut so we can make sure we have two people there, one for the customers and one to 'babysit' If the child is old enough to know better my husband pulls them aside and talks to them. That helps. Many of the parents do not speak english. What I am finding is that with the Hispanic family they would preferr that you the owner deal with their child if there is a problem. But if it is an African American child that is acting up and you try ot tell the child not to do what ever they are doing. The parent gets VERY angry and you may loose them as a customer.
I heard of a upscale cafe that had these same type of issues. The posted the "Cafe Rule' on the front of the menus so they are in clear site. It seemed to help.
Have any of you posted "Laundromat Rules' any where through out your store. I am also trying to cover my butt as I do not want to loose everything because some parent can not watch their own child. I have not yet set my self up as a corporation (I do know that that will help) I will be doing that is the future. Also I like Duane's idea of the LED light but because my customer base speaks either english or spanish it may not work as well. Plus I am a very small store.
I would just love to say 'Hey, take your business else where please', but the families that cause the problems are large families and bring in LOTS of business. Plus I am in a twon of 2K so need all the customers I can.
We have a problem with horible kids (from ages 1.5 - 14). I have intersepted children as young as 1.5 years of age on thier way to the busy highway. They are constantly playing with the carts, throwing food on the floor (if it is chips, stepping on them to make a bigger miss). If I see them throw things, no matter the age ,I try to get them to pick it up. Most will do it but some even the young ones will tell you to screw off. I have lots of Garbage cans in and around the building but they still throw the trash on the ground. When I catch them they say things like, 'Us kids don't know where the garbage cans are.' I wanted to strangle the little girl (about 8) that tld me that one. We have two wheel chair ramps. Along side each there are steel railings. I can not keep them from playing on them. someone will slip and crack their head open. We own the carwash outside and they are always playing iwth the hoses, which are a few hundred dollars to replace. They climb the trees (we cut the lower branches so they can not swing on them). Our building use to be an old gas station. They like to climb on the utility polls that hold up the canapy (which have wires running in them. We have one group of kids that come in that are so bad that when my husband sees them pull up he calls me jsut so we can make sure we have two people there, one for the customers and one to 'babysit' If the child is old enough to know better my husband pulls them aside and talks to them. That helps. Many of the parents do not speak english. What I am finding is that with the Hispanic family they would preferr that you the owner deal with their child if there is a problem. But if it is an African American child that is acting up and you try ot tell the child not to do what ever they are doing. The parent gets VERY angry and you may loose them as a customer.
I heard of a upscale cafe that had these same type of issues. The posted the "Cafe Rule' on the front of the menus so they are in clear site. It seemed to help.
Have any of you posted "Laundromat Rules' any where through out your store. I am also trying to cover my butt as I do not want to loose everything because some parent can not watch their own child. I have not yet set my self up as a corporation (I do know that that will help) I will be doing that is the future. Also I like Duane's idea of the LED light but because my customer base speaks either english or spanish it may not work as well. Plus I am a very small store.
I would just love to say 'Hey, take your business else where please', but the families that cause the problems are large families and bring in LOTS of business. Plus I am in a twon of 2K so need all the customers I can.