Indoor Play Centre Fail

Yesterday I went to an indoor play centre to the exhaust kids. The kids had a great time but I thought it was a terrible outing. Here are my reasons:

• No food for my girls to eat, no hot chips avail as I promised them for a treat. No simple sandwiches like vegemite, cheese or honey.
• No staff to service the area and could not use my free voucher for tea
• Bad service and scrunched up face when I asked about the chips or adequate food for the girls.
• I did get a complimentary plate of food while they heated up the oil for chips, however it was nothing my kids would eat so back to square one. Although nice it was given to me with a grumpy tone and curled up face.
• After I went to check how they were going on with the oil and the chips after over 20mins the lady had not even put the chips on and I then had to wait 10mins more or so. I know not much but you would think if a customer wanted hot chips, the staff once the oil was hot would take the next step. Put the chips on without having to be asked again to do so.
• I was in a play centre and did not want to have to leave the kids all the time to get food. If the place was managed properly and stocked accordingly this would not have happened. The girls were content. There was no one there other than us, and the exit was being watched by me while I went to check on food so I was covering my bases. Still I think staff should have said, “Don’t worry I will take the food to you, you go and be with the kids” This did not happen.

I usually make the girls lunches but as a treat offered to have hot chips, so thought if I made a lunch it would have gone uneaten. Why make lunch when there is the option for other food. I must say that this is not the first time that this has happened at this indoor play centre. Maybe I should have just made the lunch as their track record is not the best. However, if I had made the lunches the hot chips would have been available and my lunches would have been a waste.

Maybe I am expecting too much? Am I? I don’t think so. As a customer of a kid friendly place that charges $28 to enter for a play, I expect that there is service, food for the kids and also adults; Nothing fancy but enough to tide you over, not to have nothing and no service.

If there is nothing being provided please don’t charge people to use your services. This way there will be no expectations of what is there or not there. I would have organised a packed lunch and there would be no complaints.

Another issue that is a worry is that there was no staff monitoring the play area. Not one staff member popped their head in to see who things were going, if any person needed anything and to check if there could possibly be any injuries from children being a little more creative in their play.

It is a sad state of affairs that it is school holidays and this is what you get at a council facility. I do understand that some kids were still in school when we attended, but some pre-school kids and other schools were already on break. Maybe they don’t care until the weekend? Maybe it is no care attitude until the first week of the holidays? If this is so, it is a bad attitude to have in business.

Have you been in this situation; stuck somewhere after you have paid your money and no food, no service and just bad attitude from the staff. I am going to write to the organisation involved and see what they say. Not happy and think those things can improve. Send in your comments.