Today was my little girls 6th Birthday. For years we have always allowed the Birthday child to pick where they would like to eat their Birthday dinner, Usually it's Ryan's or Cracker Barrel since these are their fav places to eat.But for some reason she wanted to go to Chick Fil A. This has been her request to eat there for 2 years now every single Tuesday since the school sends home fliers saying to go eat there and the school will earn money, but we have never gone. When we asked her why there she said she wanted to get a Pink Balloon( my grandson had gotten 1 there a few weeks back and she saw it, plus pink is her all time fav color ) and she wanted to play on the inside playroom.Hoping to change her mind I offered to buy her balloons, but nothing to do she still wanted to go there. Yesterday I called Chick Fil A to make sure we could have the party there and if it was OK to bring in her birthday cake. The manager said SURE NO PROBLEM I asked about the platters they sell and if there was a problem with ordering 3 platters instead of single meals once again was told sure no problem at all just to let them know about 20 Min's before we needed them .I then asked her if there was anyway I could get some pink Balloons and yet again she said no problem to just let them know and they would be happy to get her some. OK, So ordered her birthday cupcake cake.. Fast forward to tonight.Went to pick the cupcake cake up only to find they DIDN'T make the one I had order nor was it in the colors I had requested. To make sure it was really my cake they pulled the name off the tag on the box and sure enough it was mine. I told the lady I was very disappointed and this wasn't what I had order, so she then pulled the order sheet and said Oh My you are right this isn't the cake you wanted. But what could I do other than take it and leave. Disappointment number 1 for her.

Get to Chick Fil A and we all go in. I had my 4 children And my oldest Grandson and my oldest DD was on her way back from dropping my other 2 grandsons to their daddy for the weekend, but she, her hubby and the new baby were coming to met us there. We all go in and the kids headed right to the playground. Me and DH looked over the platter sheet ( never been there so really didn't know what they offered ) and finally picked 3 platters to order, the wrap/sand combo, the strips and a fruit platter nearly 80+ dollars for the platters. I walked up to the counter and told them we are the Birthday Party group and wanted to order the platters plus 2 gallons of tea. Well this manager walks out and says VERY UGLY to me when do you need these ?/ I said in about 20 or 30 Min's when ever they get the made will be fine, Well a 2nd Manager walks over and says you need them when ?? I said in 20 or 30 Min's or when ever they get made not in a hurry. she says you should have called this in. I told her I called yesterday and spoke to a manager and she said no advanced notice was required. Well me thinking there was a problem with having the birthday party there I told her I confirmed it was OK to do this and have the party there, she then turns and looks me right in the eyes and says, Oh you can have the party there But you can't bring a Cake in !!! I told her I was told it would be no problem having the cake there per the other manager saying I could. She said well you cant bring it in, I say what child has a party w/o a cake ?? she said well I need to talk to someone about this. She leaves I went back to our table, a few Min's later she comes back and says, I spoke to the owners Daughter and she said If thats what xx Told her I guess we have no choice we HAVE to let them bring the cake in. This DIDN'T set with us too well, I mean whats up with saying No choice we'll HAVE to let them.?? My husband said No thats OK we are leaving. I told the Lady well please tell the Owners Daughter since she feels she HAS to let us as if this would kill her to let a little girl have a cake after we were willing to spend 100.00 or more to have it there, that I don't HAVE to spend that money with them.When we got back to van my little girl was crying and so upset !! I tried to explain to her she wasn't suppose to take the cake in and if we stayed she wouldn't have her cake. She wasn't happy about that, but after talking to her for about 10 Min's she finally picked a place where they not only allow the cakes, but will come sing happy birthday and bring you a slice of cake from the kitchen. After it was all said and done she had a pretty good Birthday , we ended up coming home to have the cupcakes as this place made her a Extra Special Cake ( We eat there at least 2 times a month and have been going there for last 9 years )

But I'm so mad at Chick Fil A !!! This baby had her heart set on going there to have her Birthday and I got the OK to do this, was told SURE NO PROBLEM more than once and to be talked too like that and treated as if we were breaking all the rules from even wanting to have it there was too much !! I can fully understand the no cake policy, but I called to make sure it wasn't a problem, Had the Manager said well it's not our policy to allow a cake then we would have done something different, But to see us walk in with a cake in hand and then say nothing till ordering time is nuts ! Their tone in saying we have no choice and I guess we HAVE too, Hmm no you don't have to do anything just the same as we done HAVE to spend our money there.
I'm just so hurt over this, I thought Chick Fil A was a family geared place especially since they do the family night there, But lesson learned tho, We'll never give them our business .

Sorry I just needed to vent over this. I feel so bad for my little girl.

That is ridiculous! I'm sorry yall had to go thru that. If I were you, I would send a letter to corporate telling them exactly what took place. There was no excuse for that kind of nonsense.

Can you call the Home Office even if it's private owned ? My DD said the something to call home office but I don't think you can call if it's not fully owned by said company right ??... I guess it really doesn't matter at this point to call or not, We were treated rudely and spoken too like criminals for wanting to do something I called to make sure was OK to do before doing it. I hate it for my DD and her being disappointed on her Birthday with Chick Fil A and the cake Wal-Mart messed up, But life must go on and it will, From now on I'm going to make their cakes the way they want it to be and We'll stick to the places we know has NO problem with Birthday cakes being taken in. Sure am glad this wasn't a place I visited a lot as the prices are high and would hate to know I lined the pockets of the owner and them doing this on a Birthday to a child.

If anyone knows if I can call to complain please let me know, Might not do any good but at least they can make sure ALL manager's know their policies on Birthday Parties .

"Chick-fil-A is still privately held and family owned."

Chick-fil-A

click on "Contact Us" then there is a feedback button

also, under "Company Fact Sheet" if you scroll to bottom the corporate addy and phone are listed.

Sorry your little girls B-day was ruined OP. Sounds like my Chick-fil-a is quite the opposite of yours. I don't have any little ones, so I've never had a party there. But, I've always gotten excellent customer service at mine. As a matter of fact, they're one of the friendliest restaurants in my area. Our Ryan's must be quite the opposite too, because I won't eat at mine. They're not very sanitary.

.

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Personally, I would have brought the cake in, after given permission to do so, regardless of the words used and made the most of the party that was your daughter's wish. These things happen....

But that's just me...

cj/

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Chick-fil-A

I'm sorry it turned out that way for your daughter. I know it's disappointing. My 8 year old had her belated birthday party ruined at Chuck E. Cheeses by rude employees and a rude manager.
The Chick Fil A's in my area are wonderful. They always go above and beyond and it's always like the first manager you talked to, "no problem". I was surprised of all places that were rude, it was Chick Fil A.
Again, sorry your dd wasn't able to have her party where she wanted. But I'm glad she was able to have a good birthday evening despite the rocky beginning.

I am sorry this ruined your little girl's birthday party. I would definitely fire off a complaint, documenting every person you spoke with, what actually transpired and how you were treated. Restaurants are competing fiecely for business. In times like these where recession looms over the country, the restaurant should have been bending over backwards for the pleasure to serve your family. I'm sure their customer service isn't like that everywhere, and the corporate hdqtrs should be made aware of what kind of service they are actually giving to customers.

Happy belated wishes to that precious little girl.

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Well all in all it sounds like you made the most of her b-day and seems like she was ok with the last place you guys chose. I'd fire up an email and let them know what happend and go from there. I would have done the same thing and left. NO WAY would i have given them my business if they talked and acted like that to me. Glad things turned out better for your dd.

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Hugs to your DD. I am so sorry. I would write Chick -fil-a and start calling as high up as you can go. Chick -fil-a is usually the one place I feel I can count on to always have great service and great food. They really seem to have higher standards than most places. I am sure if push it you will get at least an appology. Again I am so sorry this happend. It is one thing if it happens to you it is a whole different thing when they dissappoint your child.

I am so sorry to hear that

Honestly, OP, it sounds like this post is more about your disappointment than your daughter's. Maybe you could have just stayed for her sake.


Rebecca

I would have also.

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Man, that does not sound like a very friendly place.
I would have definitely not spent my money there.
I'm glad your daughter still had a nice birthday.

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Well if it would make you happy I can type the disappointment from my 6 year old and post it here for you to read . Of course I was disappointed wouldn't you be disappointed to have one of your children relay their Birthday wish to you and then things NOT to turn out the way it was suppose to when YOU did everything right to assure that child had a wonderful Birthday party. It's not like we can ever go back and have a 2nd 6th Birthday for her.I was disappointed I had to pay 24.00 for a cupcake cake I Knew she wouldn't like and wasn't what she had requested. I was disappointed in Chick Fil A for treating ME the way they did and was made to feel like I was doing something Terrible for having a cake I had called the day before to see if it was OK to have there. Hmm Yeppers I was Disappointed I had to explain to a little girl why we couldn't/ didn't have the things that were promise to her to make her Birthday special to her...

But thats how you see this and this is how I see it, Life goes on !..

I think that most franchise restaurants have to answer to the parent company on some levels but they are operated by the franchisee (is that a word). And I think that is where the differences in locations come into play.

Unfortunately the leader/owner/ manager sets the tone of the business and if they so much as hint to the employees that the guests/customers/clients are a pain in the behind, then the employees will follow that vain.

I know that the Burger Kings in the two small towns closest to me are owned/operated by different franchise holders and couldn't be more different. One is super clean with friendly staff and seems to be very community oriented. They sponser a lot of kids/adult sport leagues, provide free food to search and rescue when they are in the field and so on.
The other location could use a good deep cleaning, the employees can be described as indifferent at best.
I think the OP found the "tone setter" when she said owners daughter. If the owner and their family aren't interested in catering to guests then the staff won't be either.

Personally if they had, even grudgingly, given me permission to bring in the cake, I would have.
And then I would have shown them how big of a POLITE pain in the hinder I can be.
But that is just me.

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Instead of having my child "crying and so upset " at being forced to leave her birthday party, I think I'd have let the owner's daughter's 'have to' remark slide for right then and just carried on with the party as if it didn't bother me. I would have called Chick-Fil-A the next day when my daughter couldn't overhear and dealt with the rudeness by the 'manager' then. She probably wasn't the manager of the store, just the shift manager. Even though Chick-Fil-As are franchises, franchises have accountability to the corporate parent if they want to keep that franchise. Chick-Fil-A won't allow them to treat customers poorly while carrying their name on the door. I'd be upset too if I were treated that way but I think I'd have waited to express myself just because I wouldn't want my 6 year old crying and so unhappy on her birthday.

If having it there was really important to my child, that would've trumped any ill will I had towards some workers who obviously did not have good customer service skills.

Then once I got home I'd have fired off a letter to the owner/manager of the store and sent a copy to company headquarters.

I would let the managment/headquarters know that I wasn't happy at all with my experience. However, in the grand scheme of life I doubt she will even remember the birthday mess. It's all how you approach the situation. Gotta make the best of a bad situation and the children will usually follow the adults lead.

I am sorry this was a bad experience for you and your family. I would definitely contact corporate for Chik fil a. I will echo those earlier posters here who have said that, in my experience with CFA, I have also found them to be very polite, very customer-oriented and with a very clean, family-friendly atmosphere. I believe this is something that CFA is known for and proud of. Corporate would be very unhappy to hear of your experience, I am sure.

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Yes, I had never eaten there but had heard their reputation; good service, good food. We went on the school sponsor night (portion goes to school) and had a great time.

OP, is that particular Chik-Fil-A the only location near you? If not, maybe you can find another CFA, have a mommy and me day and take your daughter there as a treat.

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Chick Fil A has excellent customer service. They have been here in Atlanta since I was a teenager. Over the years I have had some issues, but nothing major. I have always contacted their customer service. I can assure you that they will respond to you if you contact them. It is too bad that you had such a bad experience. Contact them and explain what happened!

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I've always found Chick Fil A to be very nice places with nice employees. But you evidently found a stinker. I would contact the manager you talked to originally, headquarters, and customer service as well. Unless you heard the daughter on the phone acting that way, you don't know if that's what she said or if that was the manager's own interpretation of what she said. So I would contact them as well. It's not going to make your daughter any happier but it might prevent this from happening to someone else. And if they send you any freebies maybe you can contact the nice manager and ask when she is on duty and take your daughter their one day for special treat. And if you don't want to do that, I suspect there are many of us here who would take your freebies off your hands.

I would also contact Walmart and complain about the cupcake cake. You shouldn't have had to pay for that.

Sadly yes this is the only one here. We didn't stay to have the Birthday Party for a few reasons, Mainly because is wasn't a comfortable setting to have it in. When the Manager came back to tell me what the Owners Daughter had told her this was her words from that Person.( Owners Daughter.
If Brittany said they could have the cake, Then we have no choice, We'll have to allow it. It was repeated to us in a very ugly tone, Not a tone that says Opss someone messed up and it's not our "Normal" policy to have outside food We'll over look it and please enjoy the Birthday Party. But said in a very hateful tone that let us know right off even tho, the owners daughter said you can stay we rather you didn't. Even my Husband picked up on this as HE was the 1st to say thats Ok we will leave. When I spend money on a 'Special "( insert what ever) I want to feel welcome and that my business was being appreciated, Not that the only reason you are being allowed here is because someone messed up and if we had a choice it wouldn't be this way.
I wasn't for sure how anything else would played out had we stayed, Not everyone was there yet, I wasn't for sure what would have came next. Since this was our first time ever walking in their doors I wasn't for sure if this was the "Normal" attitude of the Owner's family and employees or not.... So no I wasn't willing to stay and then in the middle of having her party something else goes wrong and being asked to leave or talked down too again.

But as I have said earlier, She was disappointed,. We were disappointed things didn't work out for her and the party we had planned, But in the end she had a good Birthday and life goes on. And as stated earlier in my 1st post I needed to vent, It's normal to feel the disappointment when so many things goes wrong on a PLANNED event. But life goes on and it all worked itself out. I know not to go back there and have no plans to return. Next time a Birthday comes around we'll stick to the places we have been too in the past and have it there, instead of a place we have never been too before.

I did send home office a letter this morning over what took place. I don't think I would accept any kind of freebies, Shoot I have coupons for free food that I've have had for 3 years and never used.( when they use to put the calender with the free coupons ) I don't even know if sending the letter will help in retraining the employees and managers .( But maybe it will )But should they send me freebies I'll will post them on the coupon trading board.
The owners Daughter was there in the store in the back.
I did ask tho, If Brittany was a manager ( wanted to make sure she was and it wasn't a regular employee giving me the go ahead ) and was told yes she's a manager. I didn't bother to call Wal-Mart today to honest about it it probably wouldn't have done a bit of good, This Wal-Mart I promise usually doesn't care what takes place in their store ( Very poorly ran when it comes to customer service issues ).I'm good at baking (or at least no one has keeled over from eating it LOL ). I've posted a request on the cooking board for sites to order and learn how to make the theme cakes, So I might get lucky and hey save a ton of money on cakes since we have Birthdays in every single month of the year But Jan between my Children and Grandchildren.
I guess to really sums this up lesson learned, Not to be repeated, Stick to places you know and learn to make your own cakes

I am very curious as to how they respond to your complaint, please let us know.

Once I receive a reply back from them I'll let everyone know how it came out. I'm not expecting one for a few days since I sent it off this morning. But when they email me back I'll be sure to let y'all know how it turns out.

Six posts?? Seek councelling! It was a bakery item at wal mart that set you off. Chic fil a in our area is NOT set up for birthday parties.
We got the idea with the first post that you had a problem and were unhappy. The child with the pink balloon is her nephew? She didn't go to his party? Maybe that is the problem and not the pink balloon. I wouldn't contemplate spending $100.00 anywhere for a balloon pink or otherwiseJMHO

I would defiantely complain to Walmart about the cake, they might give you a GC for part of the amount of the cake or $5 off your next cake or something. They messed up cakes I have had done there. I am the Youth director for my church, I had 6 kids graduating one year so had a special luncheon after church with the whole church, got a cake too. only the cake Walmart was SUPPOSED to make was supposed to be white and decorated with the school colors, well it wasn't the school colors. That's not like they put the wrong kind of frosting or the cake was white instead of chocolate, I talked to the manager and they gave me the cake free, as they should have. They have also messed up a cake and put that nasty whipped frosting on it when it was supposed to be buttercream, they gave me $5 off for that. Now when I go to order a cake there I make sure to make them show me exactly what they have written down on the paper they take the orders on, they usually get it right off the papers, it's that they write it down wrong, ever since I look and check what they have written, I always get the correct type cake with the correct type frosing in the correct colors.

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LMAO, I'm the one that's in need of counseling ? While I'm out doing this, might as well run by the ophthalmologist to get a pair of GOOD READING GLASSES, So I don't misread what's been posted and make a comment that doesn't make any sense, But ,ok what ever you say

This whole paragraph is about you. I think you are setting yourself and your daughter up for disappointment when you try to make events like this so "extra special". Maybe on her 7th birthday, you can accept any small setbacks that may come along with grace and just enjoy the day with your daughter.

Rebecca

p.s. It's just *birthday*. You don't have to capitalize it.

I agree with Rebecca....hopefully next year, Mom can be clearer in making arrangements including getting/giving written contracts/instructions if needed, and then absorb any bumps in the road if they come along. Parties, weddings, etc never seem to turn out "perfect", so we need to make the most of what we get!

I think having a birthday party with many invited guests in a fast food restaurant that doesn't offer that sort of thing is probably to be avoided. From what I gather, you weren't really paying any extra money to make it "special"...sounds like ordering platter food to consume on the premises....so I'm not really getting that angle. From your description it sounds like your Wal-mart is to be avoided as well.

The good news is that I'm willing to be most of us don't remember our 6th birthday dinner.

Did you give out goody bags?

cj/

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It's over and done with, Like a lot of members here I came to vent about something I probably should have kept to myself. But no harm, no foul, Lesson(s) learn. Next time just keep it to myself and be done with it.

Next birthday have it at the park , bake my own cakes and don't give places our hard earned money.

I actually miss the days when this was the level of expectation our kids had. It almost seems like we're setting our kids up for unrealistic expectations in life when we start off early paying through the nose for other people to orchestrate an event to celebrate something that used to be simple and family-centered.

I'm all for the two-or-three-friends, homemade cake, pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey kinds of parties we all grew up with and less of this stuff where people rent out half a hotel, hire Mickey Mouse himself, and have acrobats deliver gifts in Tiffany boxes to four year old kids. There was a time when the fun of a game in a backyard with three-legged races and running through the sprinkler was good enough to make kids beg not to have to go home when it was over. Now it seems we have to take them out, spend money on meals, have professionals decorate cakes, etc, to keep our kids from being disappointed, even before they really understand that the real draw of going out is that nobody has to cook (which should be a treat more for Mom than for the kids!)

Exactly! Can you imagine what it's like to try and outdo every year over the last? However, that is exactly what is going on in society today. We need to re-examine our priorities on so many levels.

I have only been to 3, maybe 4 CFA fast food restaurants, and none had the space for a party/gathering of any sort. It is hard for me to imagine having a birthday party in any of those I've been to. Sometimes the parent has to be the parent and the child should be the child.

dl

I would have called the day of the party and reaffirmed what I had talked to the person at Chick-Fil-A the day before, told them what time you were coming so they would have known THAT day. At eating places like this, you have different managers on different days and no one knows what the other one has said to someone.

To a child, a cake is a cake. If they gave you the wrong one, I would take the cake they gave me, put a candle in it and let it go till later. Then I would write Wal-Mart headquarters and tell them about the cake situation. They'll probably give you your money back.

As for getting to the restaurant, I would have ordered my platters (after calling that day), I wouldn't have mentioned the cake to the manager, served the cake and handled it appropriately had a manager come to my table later (which they probably wouldn't have) and let my little girl and her friends have a good time. It doesn't take much to please a child. She was looking forward to the play equipment and having her birthday.

I definitely wouldn't have left -- a 6 year old doesn't understand things like we do. And to have her crying in the car on her birthday is a shame because the parents were upset at the restaurant.

Maybe next year you can plan things a little better, pick up the cake earlier in the day to be sure it's the right one and once you've decided on a place, stay there and don't cave to management if you've made the correct arrangements.

That really bites!

I don't think you came here looking for advice about what you SHOULD have done based on someone else's opinions, but I think you were just wanting to vent about this terrible experience for a bithday party your child had.

I am so sorry this happened. I can sympathize! Hopefully number 7 will be better.

We have a great CFA in our town, with wonderful customer service too. I was in there a few days ago actually, and while waiting on my food to be finished, I grabbed one of their "Have your birthday party here!" pamphlets (we eat there several times a month, and I had never seen the pamphlet before but it was arranged in a box where all of the condiments are kept upfront). Yep, I read it with my own eyes so I do know it exists! It was on corporate 'paper', etc., too (done professionally from the headquarters). I was very surprised also because my 7 year old has also asked me for the past few years if she could have a b'day party at CFA (she LOVES cows and the restaurant too). I had always told her, no, as CFA doesn't do b'days. Well, I was wrong. They do at mine anyway. I never really thought the play area would be big enough either, but I guess if you had a smaller party or younger kids it would be ok.

I have to confirm what the OP was told as it all was actually written on this pamphlet: You do not need to contact them in advance, but if you would like anything 'special' (they mentioned something about balloons but I don't remember what exactly was said) then please let them know ahead of time so they can make it special, etc. It said you CAN bring in your own cake. It also said that the b'day child will receive a special gift (I assume it would be a stuffed cow but who knows). All this for 'free', just buy your food from CFA (it was professionally worded of course). I don't remember if it said anything about platters though. Also stated that you do not have to pay anything extra for the party (like you do at McDonald's or Chuck E. Cheese--of course it didn't mention these names). I can go back and get one of these flyers and scan it if anyone wants I guess, as I was also included in the group that didn't think CFA did b'day parties until a few days ago.

I would say that maybe the manager you talked to had worked at a different CFA previously that DID parties or something and I'm guessing that not all of the restaurants do parties then since the majority on here says theirs does not? How were you to know, I mean, the employee is totally at fault as he/she is certainly supposed to know the ropes (policies) and even more so if it was the manager for goodness sake. Still, no way they should have treated you like that. I will bet also that the 'owner' will be mortified that his/her employee told you what he/she said 'straight from the horses mouth' kinda way, when he/she was called, kwim? Give the corporate office a call for sure. I want to add that maybe the party thing at our store is a 'trial' for them--our CFA has been in the paper a few times recently as being a 'trial' store for employees to be outside with headsets during lunch/rush hours speeding up the ordering process through the drive thru, Please do let us know what they tell you, now I'm really curious! You can certainly chalk this one up to a learning experience I suppose and I'm glad that your daughter's 'party' turned out ok after all.