Dairy Godmother, Alexandria: RUDE and AWFUL

[Anonymous]

My thoughts:

I'm also surprised that your 3 year old was up so late. I know it's the summer, but you were headed towards an 11pm bedtime...that's not really respectful of your little one, is it?

I've been there a ton and everyone's been nice enough.

Being nice while selling custard is not an industry requirement.

It doesn't sound like you "moved on." Do you make a practice of slandering every business that you dislike? Because this surely isn't the first time you've been disappointed by customer service.

[Anonymous]

This thread is so funny!

It is not slander if it is my opinion as I see it and AGAIN (Pete and Repeat) it appears I am not alone.

With regards to "respecting" my child, if you mean by a day of lazy berry picking, late napping, and staying up past bedtime for a picnic under fireworks with her parents on a warm summer night to be a disrespectful thing....well, let's just say I am counting my lucky stars right now.

I said what I needed to.

Take what you like and leave the rest.

I am excited to sing the praises of the wonderful ice cream shop I am sure exists in the area!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so funny!

It is not slander if it is my opinion as I see it and AGAIN (Pete and Repeat) it appears I am not alone.

With regards to "respecting" my child, if you mean by a day of lazy berry picking, late napping, and staying up past bedtime for a picnic under fireworks with her parents on a warm summer night to be a disrespectful thing....well, let's just say I am counting my lucky stars right now.

I said what I needed to.

Take what you like and leave the rest.

I am excited to sing the praises of the wonderful ice cream shop I am sure exists in the area!

Is this Jar Jar Binks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We tried TDG for the first time tonight. We recently relocated the the area from Maine two weeks ago. My husband, myself, and our three year old went in and each tried something different. We arrived at 9:30 p.m. The employees locked the door at 10 p.m. without telling the mass outside or giving any closing time warning. I understand the safety precaution and security concerns with an unlocked door at EOB so I am without issue about that. What I do feel like I should tell you is that at 10:15 our three year old asked if she could use the potty. My husband knocked on the door and asked if he could bring her in very quickly to use the bathroom. The young woman (short brown hair) said very rudely, "Um, we are closed. No, sorry," and locked the door on us and preceded to sweep up in front of my three year old that began to cry because she truly needed to go. The two other couples outside were embarassed by the employee's rude and ridiculous behavior and apologized for her and helped us find a restroom. One even looked at her at said through the glass "Seriously? She's a little girl??" This combined with the briskness we encountered from the counter staff that were borerline rude to everyone in our line and the ridiculousness that she would clean in front of us with obviously nowhere urgent to be to the point where our child could not come in for 5 minutes, we were able to determine that WE WILL NEVER return again. Liz Davis may want to consider a refresher in customer service with her staff that as a whole seemed more interested in bolting out of there (hence the awful attitudes near closing time) and being rude to customers. Take this for what you will. TDG lost very good customers in us and I overheard the other couple ourside saying that there are plenty of other places to go and who needs to give money to a place that behaves so poorly? We completely agree.

I e-mailed the owner our experience and she sent me a luke-warm reply with no apology for the employees behavior.

Do not give this woman your money. She obviously encourages this type of behavior (see previous posts re: their bad attitudes)

They lost good customers in you? I thought it was your first time there...hmmm...I call BS on this story.

[Anonymous]

Meaning repeat customers. I seem to have to explain a lot to this thread and it is boring me.

Is this what this site is for? People to name call (p.s. "Jar Jar Binks?" what does that even mean?) anonymously?

If anyone should call BS it should be on all of the obviously owner driven comments on this experience.

This is lame.

[Anonymous]

hahaha you are ridiculous. Yes, everyone who sees what a nutjob you are must be the owner in disguise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went there once recently and was struck by the rude service, as well as all the signs everywhere: "No Strollers Allowed" "No children on Counter" etc. (NOT that I would ever put my children on a counter, just for the record.) I asked my friend about it all, and she said they're always rude there but that the ice cream is good and that everyone just puts up with the rudeness.

A little boy in front of me lost the ice cream off his cone right after the employee handed it to him, and then she charged his mother for another one. Technically I'm sure she was right, but it seemed a little mean/stingy. Other ice cream shops would just hand him a little more ice cream on the same cone.

Anyway I also thought the shop was sort of dirty. I was not impressed.

The shop is a victim of its own success. They've probably had to put up signs and enforce rules b/c it gets too crowded and there's no room to move (stroller ban). People probably put their kids on the counter all the time and kids drop ice cream many times a day. They'd be giving away a ton of ice cream all the time if they gave a replacement to every kid who dropped theirs.

Every ice cream shop I've been in is sort of dirty... goes with the territory. Have you been in the Ben and Jerry's in Georgetown?

I have been to B&J. And to Thomas Sweet, whose employees have given my little girl a replacement cone - and a hug - when her ice cream tipped off the cone. I've been to the fancy gelato shop a block away where they offer my children free tastes of pastries. Recently in a McDonalds in Maryland, employees replaced my son's happy meal after he dropped it on the floor - I was shocked and thankful because my son was about to start sobbing. And the Starbucks on lower Wisc. Ave. TWICE offered me free coffees when my then-infant knocked them out of my hand. In each case, I expected to pay; in each case I was touched by the thoughtfulness of the staff - so much that I remember it all now.

As I said above, it was not my child whose cone fell apart, so this is not personal. I was just pointing out that the shop didn't appear all that friendly towards children - all those signs are a little odd and off-putting.

I'm glad I have really nice businesses in my neighborhood - most of them love locals coming in with their kids and truly welcome them. My friend who lives in DelRay said she has to get in her car to drive to another decent ice cream parlor - so she puts up with the rudeness. Just saying.

Oh, also, don't try to order sprinkles at Dairy Godmother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

It doesn't matter if the employee or the OP was right or wrong. OP had a bad experience at the store and the owner should have done whatever she could to make it right. That's what it all boils down to. Letting someone in to use the bathroom, after closing, is something you have to use common sense about. I wouldn't say they definitely should or shouldn't have, but they could've been nice about it either way. And as far as charging for a dropped scoop, that is ridiculous. The rule in my store is, if they drop it in the store, then, of course, we replace it. They haven't even left yet! Other stores can do it differently, but you only end up alienating the people that are paying the bills.
Good luck finding a place you like OP! There are certainly a ton to choose from.

[Anonymous]

I went to the Dairy Godmother after wanting to try it for a while (live in the District and don't get out there often), I was less than enthused, too. I miss Kopp's Frozen Custard in Milwaukee and I REALLY miss their Sprecher root beer & custard shake. When I saw that Dairy Godmother had Sprecher root beer I was overjoyed that I would get a shake. All it takes is a hefty splash of the rootbeer in with the milk and custard. The girl behind the counter refused to make it for me. I told her I would pay extra, I would pay $20, it's not difficult and I have been dreaming of those shakes for years, make my dreams come true, etc. No dice

Then the guy at the register told me it sounded great and she should have made it because it wouldn't be a problem! Ugh.

I know I was being a bit of a PITA (I was a good-natured ass) but if I was behind the counter I would have just blended a root beer float to make some crazy Midwestern lady happy. It was good frozen custard, not great, and I won't go back until they put Sprecher root beer flavored shakes on the menu.

[Anonymous]

If you're bored of explaining yourself then I have an easy solution--- stop responding! Let this thread die!

Did you really think that everyone would agree that your one experience was enough to create a dc metro area wide boycott?

Get over it. Move on. Really.

[Anonymous]

Btw:'the jar jar binks thing was in reference to another post on dcum--

[Anonymous]

OP,
Have you ever worked retail? Do you know if they'd let in your little girl, other customers could have asked to use the bathroom and they would have had to say yes? Sorry but closed is closed. I think you are blowing this way out of proportion. And there may be insurance reasons for not allowing customers in after the store's locked. Really you are only thinking about yourself and not the PEOPLE who work in this establishment. They are people. Your sense of entitlement is striking!

[Anonymous]

I don't think this seems entitled. I can't say I have been impressed with TDG myself and agree with the bad attitude review of the staff.

But there are lots of other places to choose from.

[Anonymous]

So what type of response did you expect from the owner?

Free ice cream? A pass to use the bathroom anytime they are closed?

I think the best she can do is apologize for the situation, explain that's their policy and thank you for providing feedback.

There really isn't much more she could do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We tried TDG for the first time tonight. We recently relocated the the area from Maine two weeks ago. My husband, myself, and our three year old went in and each tried something different. We arrived at 9:30 p.m. The employees locked the door at 10 p.m. without telling the mass outside or giving any closing time warning. I understand the safety precaution and security concerns with an unlocked door at EOB so I am without issue about that. What I do feel like I should tell you is that at 10:15 our three year old asked if she could use the potty. My husband knocked on the door and asked if he could bring her in very quickly to use the bathroom. The young woman (short brown hair) said very rudely, "Um, we are closed. No, sorry," and locked the door on us and preceded to sweep up in front of my three year old that began to cry because she truly needed to go. The two other couples outside were embarassed by the employee's rude and ridiculous behavior and apologized for her and helped us find a restroom. One even looked at her at said through the glass "Seriously? She's a little girl??" This combined with the briskness we encountered from the counter staff that were borerline rude to everyone in our line and the ridiculousness that she would clean in front of us with obviously nowhere urgent to be to the point where our child could not come in for 5 minutes, we were able to determine that WE WILL NEVER return again. Liz Davis may want to consider a refresher in customer service with her staff that as a whole seemed more interested in bolting out of there (hence the awful attitudes near closing time) and being rude to customers. Take this for what you will. TDG lost very good customers in us and I overheard the other couple ourside saying that there are plenty of other places to go and who needs to give money to a place that behaves so poorly? We completely agree.

I e-mailed the owner our experience and she sent me a luke-warm reply with no apology for the employees behavior.

Do not give this woman your money. She obviously encourages this type of behavior (see previous posts re: their bad attitudes)

If you tried TDG for the first time tonight around 9:30 PM and you stayed until after 10PM, why does it show you posted at 9:27PM?