HappyCrazyMama Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 ...Groups must have the area cleaned up and vacated promptly by the end of the reserved time. If room is not cleaned and vacated promptly, there will be a $50.00 charge assessed. ... Okay, I can't be the only one hoping that they do still wipe off tables at least after the customers leave. (Even if it looks like the customers did so already.) :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emzhengjiu Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 I can't speak for this place but we definately clean the tables before another reservation. But please keep in mind there's often not much time between reservations. Sanitizing the tables only takes a few minutes. Ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Nance did clean up. They picked up trash and took care of all of their belongings. Did they expect her to get down on her hands and knees to pick up all popcorn off the floor? If you expect someone to sweep and wash the tables you need to make sure that they know to bring cleaning supplies or have them available at the site. :iagree: They need to provide cleaning supplies and equipment AND make it known to the customer what "clean up" means to your business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Completely bizarre. The pics you posted look BETTER than the typical post-meal mess we left hundreds of times when eating out with young children. Much better. (I always tipped well, lol.) You can either just let it go, or, if you want to nail them and enjoy vengeance, leave a lot of scathing reviews all over the internet. I would also call and find out who the OWNER is, and talk to them, and email them your pictures. Most OWNERS would fire an employee in a HEARTBEAT who pulled that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Groups must have the area cleaned up and vacated promptly by the end of the reserved time. If room is not cleaned and vacated promptly, there will be a $50.00 charge assessed. Unless an employee or manager/owner gives explicit cleaning instructions, i.e. a check list, and shows customers where cleaning supplies are kept, this is way too general to assume that sweeping/mopping and table wiping will be understood. I would assume it meant to pick up your trash from the tables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyCrazyMama Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 I can't speak for this place but we definitely clean the tables before another reservation. But please keep in mind there's often not much time between reservations. Sanitizing the tables only takes a few minutes. Ann Well, that's good to know. I never realized complete cleaning (including wiping tables, sweeping, etc.) was expected when you reserve rooms like this. Probably because I've never done it.:tongue_smilie: Of course the employee was very rude and if there was a misunderstanding about the level of cleaning expected it could have been conveyed much more politely. I for one would not of expected to have to wipe tables and sweep from the wording on in their terms and conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 I am always surprised at the comments on this board, and I am really surprised people would call the newspapers because someone was rude. I mean really? That's going to make anyone feel better? I tend to think that if the kids had fun and you didn't want money back anyway, then just leave your comments and let it go. (I suggest travelocity, by the way, as one place to leave comments). And would you really want your name in the newspaper as the people who complained because someone said they were slobs? Because I read your story and feel like I sort of "know" you, I of course think that you aren't a slob and this was just wrong and unfair. But if I read it in the paper and you had complained about this, and I had no personal experience with you, I might think "smoke/fire" and think that either you actually are a slob or that you are a little unhinged to think it's really newsworthy. Agreed on all counts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emzhengjiu Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Is the OP sure no cleaning supplies were available? As I mentioned, she would have been charged a cleaning fee if she had left a room in that condition where I work. I not saying the room was trashed but it wasn't clean either. Leaving negative comments about a company is serious. The employee was rude but the agreement (assuming it's the agreement the OP signed) is clear about leaving the room clean. Ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyCrazyMama Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Is the OP sure no cleaning supplies were available? As I mentioned, she would have been charged a cleaning fee if she had left a room in that condition where I work. I not saying the room was trashed but it wasn't clean either. Leaving negative comments about a company is serious. The employee was rude but the agreement (assuming it's the agreement the OP signed) is clear about leaving the room clean. Ann It was not clear enough, I would not have expected to have to wipe tables and sweep based on their terms and conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Is the OP sure no cleaning supplies were available? As I mentioned, she would have been charged a cleaning fee if she had left a room in that condition where I work. I not saying the room was trashed but it wasn't clean either. Leaving negative comments about a company is serious. The employee was rude but the agreement (assuming it's the agreement the OP signed) is clear about leaving the room clean. Ann Accusing a customer of 'trashing' a place when they did no damage to the place and did make an attempt to clean up is serious too. It leads to negative comments. I've rented rooms in hotels and other venues. In every place where I've rented, there has been a check-list provided and cleaning tools if that were necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzymom Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 If they wanted the floor clean, the contract should have stated "broom clean". I think the OP did a reasonable amount of clean-up under the terms of the contract. And a confrontation in front of your guests? No excuse. If they were so outraged, a manager or owner should have pulled your or d/h aside for a private conversation outlining their expectation. In this economy, any establishment that takes your hard-earned $$ and mistreats you is foolish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amydavis Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I would not read the contract and assume that I was supposed to sweep and wipe tables...absolutely not. I've done children's parties at a variety of locations, and have signed paperwork that stated that I would be cleaned up and out of a room by a certain time. This has always meant that I would have my banners and decor taken down, and all of our items removed from the room (such as the gifts, the serving items, the leftover food, etc). In fact, it was necessary to vacate the room by that time so that an employee would have the full amount of time necessary to sweep up, empty trash bags, and wipe down tables. There is usually a window of 15 minutes or so to do this, before the next family arrives to set up for a party. I cannot imagine that you would be expected to spray down tables, etc. I honestly can't imagine that they would even want that, considering that the next party's expectation for a clean room is far too important to delegate to a customer. Heck, some people could make the room worse, by spilling cleaner, etc. I just can't imagine expecting the harried birthday parents/hosts to clean...inefficient at best. But, if the establishment does want that, they absolutely need to spell it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Thank you so much for the wave of common sense and support because I swear they had me questioning my own sanity and wondering if I was just living under a rock or something when it came to my view of party rental etiquette. I was just stunned by the whole thing, like, is this really happening? I am definitely planning to put bad reviews on every local site I can think of! They are not a franchise and they're not a new establishment and I think they do very good business so I doubt I'll hurt them much, but I'm ticked off and I want people to know. For those of you who suggested the local paper...Is this really newspaper worthy? Would a paper print something like that? Who would I even send it to? Check the paper's webpage. Or better, contact your local news. It would be a great filler story. And you have pictures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Bizarre. I had my son's last party at a venue and the staff kept telling me not to worry about the gift trash, not to worry about the chairs, the cupcakes - nothing! For my birthday party expenses, they expect to do everything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Umm, no, that is ridiculous! I would certainly let everyone I know hear about the dangers of doing business with this establishment, as they are crazy.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Wow, that is CRAZY. Restaurants have to do more cleaning than that! And they don't charge a fee to enter! I would have been very upset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 FTR, I was one that suggested the newspaper. I wasn't suggesting calling them up and expecting them to do a full newstory on it. I suggested writing a letter to the editor. People do it all the time for all sorts of things they want to voice their opinion on including poor customer service they have encountered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehog Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 :confused: :001_huh: Completely ridiculous. That room is cleaner than my house is on a bad day. Those birds want their heads checked. Do they actually want repeat business?? You know, you could really make a ruckuss about that.. got a good, widely read, local paper? :sneaky2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I think that after reading the contract, I would have asked for clarification as to how "clean" I needed to leave the room in order to avoid a cleaning charge. However, rudeness was not called for. Saying something like that in front of the renter's guests was not called for. It would make more sense to take the person aside and politely ask whether they wanted to finish cleaning up or pay the cleaning fee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 That is absolutely NOT a trashed room! I'm so sorry you had to deal with that twit. For all the money you spent she can darn well sweep up a cup or two of popcorn crumbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Unless an employee or manager/owner gives explicit cleaning instructions, i.e. a check list, and shows customers where cleaning supplies are kept, this is way too general to assume that sweeping/mopping and table wiping will be understood. I would assume it meant to pick up your trash from the tables. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I read the contract. Nope, I'd never interpret that to mean I was supposed to hunt down brooms and sponges to wipe off the tables! And if they really are relying on customers to do their in-between party cleanings? Gross, gross, gross. A room can LOOK clean without BEING clean. Staff needs to wipe down tables and so forth, no matter what. Anything else isn't safe. Not to mention gross. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 No. It's slightly messy. It's not trashed. All it would take to put it back to pristine is the usual sweeping and mopping of the floor and wiping of the tables and chairs that one would normally do for hygenic maintenance of the room. :iagree: and I would speak to the owner. If the second woman was the owner, I would let it go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 (edited) No, the room is not trashed. That is a bit over the top. The contract did not specify to what extent one should clean up. Depending on perspective it could have been either "get you and your crap out" or "clean it like your MIL is on the way to inspect." The hostess was rude and the other person ruder. If "clean it like your MIL is on the way to inspect" they should provide tools and cleaning formula. Edited October 17, 2011 by Parrothead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Having hosted children's birthday parties at both McDonald's and in craft stores... NO, the room was NOT trashed. I would be thrilled if all I had to do after a birthday party was clean up that little mess! And yes, the $50 fee should have covered the clean up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 I do still think based on that contract that the clean up expected was what a typical person would consider reasonable and general: don't leave your trash all over the table, plates and napkins everywhere, belongings in the room, leftover food left out and so on. We cleaned all that stuff up. I would not expect it to mean "clean the floor and wipe down the tables"- if they intended for me to do that, I would think that the contract would either be more specific, and/or there would be some sort of checklist provided, and/or our hostess would have made a point of showing me where the cleaning supplies were and asking me to please do x y and z before I left the room. If she had said to me at any point, "Just so you know there's a broom over here, if you could do me a favor and sweep up before you leave the room, I'd appreciate it" or some such, I would have said "Oh, okay, sure." I did not expect I was supposed to take it upon myself to go hunt down cleaning supplies and brooms and mops or who knows what and clean the floor for them. I figured that was part of what I was paying for. If she would have come out to me after the fact and took me aside and said "I'm sorry to interrupt, but just so you know one of our policies is that the guests do sweep up after themselves, I'm sorry if we weren't clear on that, but do you think you could help me a minute with sweeping up" or something like that, I would have said "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know! Of course!" They expected me to know and do something above and beyond what's typical/reasonable (in my opinion, in this situation) and then handled it in an offensive way by totally chastising me and trying to embarrass me or make me feel bad by telling me how I "trashed" the room (what a gross exaggeration!!) and how it was the worst they'd ever seen it... seriously?! I'm still shocked by this. With the amount of money we paid them and the potential for repeat business both from us and our fellow party goers and anyone we might have recommended them to, they were just really, really stupid to treat us the way they did. I just don't understand it. P.S. I was telling my next door neighbor about it tonight and she said she knows that lady and thinks she is (insert word that rhymes with witchy). They were pretty appalled by the story, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma aimee Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Today we had a combination birthday party for my daughter and my son. We had it at a place called Pioneer Evergreen Farms which has fall activities, hayride, tree maze, apple slinging, bouncy house type things, and so on and so forth. It's a good sized place that also sells xmas trees, has a florist shop and gift shop on premises and so on. It's open to the public as part of their "fall festival" but they do parties there simultaneously. It wasn't cheap. We paid $13.50 per kid to do all of the activities and to have a lunch which consisted of hot dogs, chips, popcorn, and drinks, and we brought in our own cake. We paid $3.50 per adult to have the same lunch. On top of all that, we paid $50.00 to have a private room for 2 1/2 hours which we could sit in to have lunch and cake. We spent hundreds of dollars there, and some of our adult family members and friends dropped some money too on the hayride (we just paid for it for the kids, it was $6.25 per adult), and on the concession stand and so on. So, when we finished eating, we threw out all of the plates, napkins, cups etc. from all of the tables, made sure we left no trash lying around, took all our belongings out, and then sat outside watching the kids do their activities. The hostess came over to our table and said something like: "We have your bill ready for you inside. But I have to tell you, I am very disappointed with how that room was left, that room was trashed. That was the worst I'd ever seen it in all of my years." When I tell you that you could have knocked me over with a feather, I'm not even kidding. I was flabbergasted. She said this because some of the toddlers and younger kids dropped some potato chips and popcorn on the (wooden, not carpeted) floor near their tables and some crumbs on the tables (which were covered with plastic tablecloths). That was the extent of the "trashed" room. I could not believe she said that to us, right in the middle of our children's party, in front of some of our relatives, after how much money we had just dropped there. We told her we were shocked that she said that to us, that we had cleaned up all of our trash, that we knew some of the little ones had dropped chips and popcorn but we assumed they would just sweep it up as part of our $50.00 room fee, that no-one had ever said to us "there's a broom here, can you sweep up before you leave the room," that this was very normal and minor "wear and tear" for a kid's party and that we couldn't believe she would approach us at our party in front of our family and say something like that to us, that it was way out of line... she did not agree. My husband got up and said "I want to see this trashed room" and we walked back in there. She had just barely started sweeping a small pile and decided to stop and come chastise us. My husband got out his cell phone and took pictures of the whole room and said he wanted to talk to the person in charge. She said "That's me." He said he wanted to talk to whoever was over her, and she went and got some other lady. We started explaining our feelings to this lady even though we could see she had a look on her face right off the bat that said "I don't want to hear it," and that lady just stuck up for the first one, agreed that we had "trashed" the room and that she put all her life and money into this place and expects people to respect it and so on. They acted like we put holes in the walls and broke the chairs and had a ketchup fight or something....the floor had to be swept! Big deal!!! Don't you do that between parties anyway? Isn't that part of what you charge $50.00 for use of a room for on top of all other party expenses?! She said, "I'm not giving you any money back." (This was a room FEE, not a deposit, it was not refundable- she just meant she thought we wanted money off our bill because of how we'd been treated). We said we weren't looking for money back. Really, we just expected an apology because we couldn't even believe this was happening. But we weren't going to get one. We said we thought they had terrible customer service and business sense, that we would never go there again, that we would never recommend that place to anyone else, and would let our friends know what our experience there was like. And we walked out. Am I crazy?! Is this really considered disrespecting a room and "trashing" it? Or is this just a normal part of a kid's party for which clean up should be included in the cost of a party package AND a room fee?! everyone, besides the owner, has a boss -- GO UP THE CHAIN ...this is NOT OK. I'd demand that the first female that spoke to you be fired for the incident if i was you -- go up and up the chain till you get some respect and she gets her butt in trouble offically Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I would not read the contract and assume that I was supposed to sweep and wipe tables...absolutely not. I've done children's parties at a variety of locations, and have signed paperwork that stated that I would be cleaned up and out of a room by a certain time. This has always meant that I would have my banners and decor taken down, and all of our items removed from the room (such as the gifts, the serving items, the leftover food, etc). In fact, it was necessary to vacate the room by that time so that an employee would have the full amount of time necessary to sweep up, empty trash bags, and wipe down tables. There is usually a window of 15 minutes or so to do this, before the next family arrives to set up for a party. I cannot imagine that you would be expected to spray down tables, etc. I honestly can't imagine that they would even want that, considering that the next party's expectation for a clean room is far too important to delegate to a customer. Heck, some people could make the room worse, by spilling cleaner, etc. I just can't imagine expecting the harried birthday parents/hosts to clean...inefficient at best. But, if the establishment does want that, they absolutely need to spell it out. :iagree: emzhengjiu, I appreciate that you have a unique perspective on this, but I think your establishment is the exception, not the rule. Frankly, if I'm spending money at a business establishment for a party, I do not expect to have to do housework there! I would never, ever think I would have to hunt down spray cleaners and sponges and brooms and pans. Nance, I would be outraged too. I would definitely take it as high up the chain as I could go, because that is indeed horrible customer service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 everyone, besides the owner, has a boss -- GO UP THE CHAIN ...this is NOT OK. I'd demand that the first female that spoke to you be fired for the incident if i was you -- go up and up the chain till you get some respect and she gets her butt in trouble offically I thought the elderly person was the owner? Didn't she say that she devoted her life to that place or something like that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 everyone, besides the owner, has a boss -- GO UP THE CHAIN ...this is NOT OK. I'd demand that the first female that spoke to you be fired for the incident if i was you -- go up and up the chain till you get some respect and she gets her butt in trouble offically The way I understand it, the girl who spoke to me is a high up manager. The woman she brought out was supposedly her boss and/or the owner. My next door neighbor who is familiar with the place said that the owner is a younger guy who inherited it from family kind of thing and that the other woman might have been his mother or something. I decided to call and try to talk to him on the phone and started explaining what happened (very politely, I was not loud or rude with him) and before I could finish, he told me he wanted to put me on a conference call with those other two women to talk about it. I said that I didn't want to speak with them and said that I had already spoken with them in person and got nowhere and that they were part of the problem and that I just wanted to talk to him alone and let him know about it. He interrupted and said something like "I can't do this alone, I have to put them on the phone" and when he put me on hold, honestly, I just hung up. Trust me, it would not have gone well if I had to talk to either one of those insufferable women again- I was already really aggravated with them and already knew talking to them would get me nowhere other than madder, and he was refusing to talk to just me alone, so I hung up. I didn't want to deal with it. Maybe I'll send him a letter, regular mail. I don't know. I already know the woman I dealt with today is the one who checks their email every day. But for all I know, she opens his regular mail, too, and would toss it. Or he wouldn't even care. Who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieH Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I read the contract. Nope, I'd never interpret that to mean I was supposed to hunt down brooms and sponges to wipe off the tables! And if they really are relying on customers to do their in-between party cleanings? Gross, gross, gross. A room can LOOK clean without BEING clean. Staff needs to wipe down tables and so forth, no matter what. Anything else isn't safe. Not to mention gross. :iagree::iagree: I can't even believe the board of health would go for that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Maybe I'll send him a letter, regular mail. I don't know. I already know the woman I dealt with today is the one who checks their email every day. But for all I know, she opens his regular mail, too, and would toss it. Or he wouldn't even care. Who knows. Yep. I bet he'll never see the letter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 The only time I hunt down supplies and leave it better than when I found t is when a room or building was free. I would have thought removing trash, etc would have been enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 (edited) Yep. I bet he'll never see the letter. Could you call? (nm, you did call) What about CC-ing the letter to the Health and Safety inspectors, or whatever is the appropriate office? I'd also definitely write an editorial and submit it to your local newspaper. You were treated poorly. Others deserve to know. Edited October 17, 2011 by sunflowers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 So you called and the owner didn't even have the (insert dirty word here) to talk to you without them? That's bad business and we know who is still tied to the apron strings. :confused: What a wuss. :glare: Seriously?! One of the rules of business if you have a complaint get both sides of the story first, without the other party present. Then attempt mediation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 we know who is still tied to the apron strings. No kidding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 So you called and the owner didn't even have the (insert dirty word here) to talk to you without them? That's bad business and we know who is still tied to the apron strings. :confused: What a wuss. :glare: Seriously?! One of the rules of business if you have a complaint get both sides of the story first, without the other party present. Then attempt mediation. One would think!! Well, I am glad you guys have my back anyway lol. You all are some of the most logical people I know and I figured you'd tell it to me straight if I was out of line- or if they were! I'm glad it wasn't me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Nance- It stinks that this all had to happen and affect your memories of the party. :glare: I hope your kids had a blast and were oblivious to the rude comments of the employees. They should have given you a broom if they expected you to sweep. They should have been less rude when talking to you about the issue. The owner should have been willing to talk to you without his mother on the phone. They sound incompetent. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 My dd used to work for a bowling alley and get huge tips for birthday parties. I bet the "manager" was annoyed that you felt you had spent enough money and not slipped her another $20. That is probably the real problem. Not that you left the room in worse shape than anyone else, but that other people probably just hand her some money when she pulls this routine. I don't think she deserved a tip. I think tipping when you pay a large fee to have a party is unreasonable. But there are a lot of young people who feel they need to be tipped lavishly for the smallest things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 (edited) that lady just stuck up for the first one, agreed that we had "trashed" the room that we would never recommend that place to anyone else, and would let our friends know what our experience there was like. And we walked out. Am I crazy?! Is this really considered disrespecting a room and "trashing" it? Or is this just a normal part of a kid's party for which clean up should be included in the cost of a party package AND a room fee?! did either of these biddies ever define "trashed"? did they ever give you a list of what they thought was wrong, anything that needed to be fixed, etc? If the only thing they are screeching about is that it needed to be swept - but they neglected to tell you where to find a broom beforehand - they are way over the top. I'd file a complaint with the BBB, go onto all your local party site reviews sites and leave explicit negative reviews. Bad PR is bad - and get's around far more than good PR. Edited October 17, 2011 by gardenmom5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 (edited) Wow. They are idiots. That's nothing. You should spread the word that they are ridiculous and overcharge for normal cleanup. Makes me wonder whether they even bother to wash the tableclothes or spray them down for the next party? So they reuse cups that look clean? They are making me question their basic sanitary practices as they seem too lazy to provide basic services. How clean were the bathrooms? This has really got me wondering. Edited October 17, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Nance did clean up. They picked up trash and took care of all of their belongings. Did they expect her to get down on her hands and knees to pick up all popcorn off the floor? If you expect someone to sweep and wash the tables you need to make sure that they know to bring cleaning supplies or have them available at the site. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 It was not clear enough, I would not have expected to have to wipe tables and sweep based on their terms and conditions. I agree. When my mother rented a space for my sister's wedding reception, she was given very clear expectations about clean-up. We were told to put tables and chairs back in a particular arrangement, vacuum the floor, and clean and mop the attached kitchen. We were shown where all the cleaning supplies and equipment were kept. If this is what this venue wants after a group has been through, they need to detail it more thoroughly in their contract, go through the contract verbally with the customer and have it initialed/signed, and collect a cleaning deposit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Every place I have hired that required cleanup had a clear checklist of cleaning duties to be done as part of the contract, with cleaning supplies in an obvious pre agreed place. There were also copies of the checklist on the wall of the venue. My friend also owns a kids play play that does parties with food provided from their cafe ,sounds a similar venue. There is no way they would expect visitors to clean it. The venue needs to be in charge of its own cleaning in order to ensure health and safety. If furniture was broken I am sure they would get upset, but normal party mess definitely not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Welll...................here goes. 10 pages of people who agree with you. Here's what I think: I definitely wouldn't say it's trashed......but it's not clean either. I was going to post the contract here, but someone else already did. To me, it's clear that you needed to clean up the room. "Groups must have the area cleaned up and vacated promptly by the end of the reserved time. If room is not cleaned and vacated promptly, there will be a $50.00 charge assessed". I know you picked up the stuff off the tables and threw away the trash....but it's not clean. To me...."cleaned up" would be having the room look the way it was when you got there. It doesn't say....you clean up most of it and we'll finish the rest. I guess I'm a little surprised that no one else seems to think this way. I would completely expect that each rental party would brush off the tables and chairs and sweep the floor. If there were obvious spills, food, or stickey things on the tables...then they should be wiped clean too. I would think that the management would just come in afterwards and spray the tables with sanitizer, wipe, and be done. I would have never assumed that they would clean up my mess. They very well had a closet somewhere with cleaning supplies (at least a broom). If not, since the contract said you also had to bring your own utensils & paper products,...it would have been easy enough to throw a broom and dust pan into the car to bring too. Since the contract you signed earlier said to clean the room, you knew ahead of time that you'd have to clean...and if you didn't know if there would be cleaning supplies available, you should have thought to bring some with you. I don't see how that is totally out of line as some people seem to think. I think you should be grateful you didn't get the extra $50.00 cleaning charge. Sorry that my opinion probably won't be popular with you. I like you Nance!!! :001_smile: Thank you so much for the wave of common sense and support because I swear they had me questioning my own sanity and wondering if I was just living under a rock or something when it came to my view of party rental etiquette. I was just stunned by the whole thing, like, is this really happening? I am definitely planning to put bad reviews on every local site I can think of! They are not a franchise and they're not a new establishment and I think they do very good business so I doubt I'll hurt them much, but I'm ticked off and I want people to know. For those of you who suggested the local paper...Is this really newspaper worthy? Would a paper print something like that? Who would I even send it to? Really?? I just don't think that's right. You signed a contract that said you'd clean the room. To me...it was only half done. You didn't trash the place.....but trashing their business/name isn't right, in my opinion. Sorry Nance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 It is not only that they exaggerated the level of messiness in the room, but they also tried to intimidate their customers. Trashed? Really. I'm quite certain fhat if they approached the OP privately politely, and said something like, "We are sorry, but you left some crumbs on the floor. Would you mind doing a quick sweep? I'll show you were the supplies are." or something like this, the OP would've spent the 5 minutes to clean up, if they had provided her with supplies, and that would have been it. The above still wouldn't be a great customer service, as all they had to do was to spend the said 5 minutes to sweep up and wipe the tables, and it is easily enough done without upsetting a paying customer. Then for the next party, have a cleaning check list ready, and their problem is solved. After reading a post about tipping, I think they probably were trying to intimidate the OP into giving them extra money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 April, That's okay, I respect your opinion on the matter. There is a difference of opinion as to what "cleaned up" means. I think "returned to original condition" is wording that should be used, if not a specific checklist or walkthrough, if they expect things like sweeping floors and wiping tables, and that they should take responsibility for being sure you know where to find the supplies to do what they expect of you if that is the case. I really can't imagine anyone would think to bring cleaning supplies with them to a big venue they are renting for a pretty big price or is supposed to just know to try to hunt down some sort of janitorial closet...if there was a broom in a corner of the room as a "hint" I honestly didn't notice it and/or wasn't asked to use it. They did not lay out what was expected or point out what tools to use. They just said clean up. There was a trash can available to us. So we made sure we left no garbage lying around, that none of our decorations were left there, none of our leftover food was left sitting on their tables, none of our belongings were left behind, every last plate, cup and napkin etc thrown away, and then we went about enjoying the party we'd spent hundreds of dollars on. To me, this seems like the normal/reasonable expectation. I do realize that there are people who have different interpretations and expectations. That is understandable. You are one of them. There were one or two others I think in this thread. The venue is obviously one of them- still, I think that even if people don't agree about what "clean up" means to begin with, surely we can agree that how they handled it was rude and unacceptable. To chastise me like a child and tell me that she was "disappointed," to insult me by telling me I'd left that room "the worst she'd ever seen it," to exaggerate by saying it was "trashed"- to do this right at the table we were sitting with relatives at (my BIL was at the table with us, a bunch of other family members were at the table right next to ours)... who does that?! I am not upset and furious that they apparently expected me to sweep. I don't feel above sweeping or anything, and if it was a misunderstanding, it was a misunderstanding. I'm upset and furious at how they conveyed this to me and the attitude they took about it. Like I said earlier in this thread, if she had just pulled me aside and politely and discretely told me something like "Hi sorry to interrupt your party, you probably didn't realize this but we do require guests to sweep up the floor before they leave the party room, would you mind taking a minute to do so" or something like that...it would have had me apologizing and jumping up to do it immediately (although I would be thinking 'well why didn't you point out the broom and tell me this before?' probably :P) The bottom line for me is that she didn't treat me well and tried to make me look and feel bad and it was very uncomfortable, and you just don't do that to somebody who has just paid you hundreds of dollars to use your facility and could potentially give or bring you lots of other business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairyMom Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 The problem is "cleaned up" to one person might be very different to another. It wasn't specified in the contract. I agree a room isn't clean if there are crumbs on the floor; however, all the birthday parties I've had for my children, we clean up the trash and throw things away, but have never been asked to sweep or wipe the tables. I would have no problem doing that *if* it were clearly stated. To treat someone that poorly with such a general expectation of "clean" is very poor customer service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 You are totally sane, that room is NOT trashed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 April, That's okay, I respect your opinion on the matter. There is a difference of opinion as to what "cleaned up" means. I think "returned to original condition" is wording that should be used, if not a specific checklist or walkthrough, if they expect things like sweeping floors and wiping tables, and that they should take responsibility for being sure you know where to find the supplies to do what they expect of you if that is the case. I really can't imagine anyone would think to bring cleaning supplies with them to a big venue they are renting for a pretty big price or is supposed to just know to try to hunt down some sort of janitorial closet...if there was a broom in a corner of the room as a "hint" I honestly didn't notice it and/or wasn't asked to use it. They did not lay out what was expected or point out what tools to use. They just said clean up. There was a trash can available to us. So we made sure we left no garbage lying around, that none of our decorations were left there, none of our leftover food was left sitting on their tables, none of our belongings were left behind, every last plate, cup and napkin etc thrown away, and then we went about enjoying the party we'd spent hundreds of dollars on. To me, this seems like the normal/reasonable expectation. I do realize that there are people who have different interpretations and expectations. That is understandable. You are one of them. There were one or two others I think in this thread. The venue is obviously one of them- still, I think that even if people don't agree about what "clean up" means to begin with, surely we can agree that how they handled it was rude and unacceptable. To chastise me like a child and tell me that she was "disappointed," to insult me by telling me I'd left that room "the worst she'd ever seen it," to exaggerate by saying it was "trashed"- to do this right at the table we were sitting with relatives at (my BIL was at the table with us, a bunch of other family members were at the table right next to ours)... who does that?! I am not upset and furious that they apparently expected me to sweep. I don't feel above sweeping or anything, and if it was a misunderstanding, it was a misunderstanding. I'm upset and furious at how they conveyed this to me and the attitude they took about it. Like I said earlier in this thread, if she had just pulled me aside and politely and discretely told me something like "Hi sorry to interrupt your party, you probably didn't realize this but we do require guests to sweep up the floor before they leave the party room, would you mind taking a minute to do so" or something like that...it would have had me apologizing and jumping up to do it immediately (although I would be thinking 'well why didn't you point out the broom and tell me this before?' probably :P) The bottom line for me is that she didn't treat me well and tried to make me look and feel bad and it was very uncomfortable, and you just don't do that to somebody who has just paid you hundreds of dollars to use your facility and could potentially give or bring you lots of other business. :iagree: They didn't handle it well. Perhaps a suggestion is in order for them to change the wording in their contract and specify what "cleaned up" means. And....Nance, just so you know....what I typed is coming from a person who likes to tidy up a table at a restaurant before leaving.....stack the dirty dishes, put all the dirty napkins and silverware on top, etc. But, I was a waitress for years and I know what it's like. So....this is probably just me (I'm sure I have OCD :001_smile: )....I would leave the room like it was when I arrived or even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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