Two customers left staff at an ice cream parlour in tears after launching a tirade of abuse at them – because the Mr Whippy machine wasn’t on.
The Pokey Hat is now going to install CCTV at its shop in Oban after a spate of incidents with disgruntled tourists.
On this latest occasion, a man and a woman allegedly shouted and swore at workers before the man furiously banged his fist on the counter.
The popular family business makes its own artisan home-made ice cream on the premises – which can lead to big queues at the height of summer.
But owner Rosanne MacKenzie, 48, said the behaviour of some tourists makes her feel as if she’s selling drugs rather than ice cream.
‘Have I now got to employ security staff for an ice cream shop?’
Rosanne runs the shop with husband Alex, 57. Daughters Abbie, 23, and Olivia, 20, also help out.
On Tuesday night, she took to the shop’s Facebook page after her daughters came home from work in tears.
She wrote: “I literally cannot believe I have just had my two daughters home in tears after the abuse they suffered in the shop this evening.
“A woman and man shouting, swearing and punching counter because the whippy machine wasn’t on.
“Have I now got to employ security staff for an ice cream shop?”
Rosanne said some customers need to think about their behaviour before taking out their frustrations on her staff.
The family makes their ice cream from scratch and Rosanne’s husband Alex starts boiling up fresh milk and cream at 7am to make it.
Rosanne said: “We can only make so much, if we sell out, we sell out.
“I want to make the point that Oban is a lovely community-minded town, we all look out for each other and these people are travelling up here and treating people like dirt.”
‘I was dreading going to work the next day’
Tuesday night’s incident began when the two customers were told that the Mr Whippy machine was not in use.
Rosanne said: “It was explained that the whippy machine is not on.
“It’s just easier, with Covid, to avoid touching handles.
“It has to be cleaned after every use and it is easier for us to sell the freshly-made ice cream served with a scoop.”
But that explanation seemed to tip the customers over the edge.
The woman called the situation “disgraceful” before beginning a sweary rant.
Rosanne’s daughter Abbie apologised and suggested the couple try another shop nearby that serves whippy ice cream.
But that enraged the male customer who also began swearing and then punched the counter in frustration.
Rosanne said: “Other customers could see the girls were upset and were trying to console them.
“Abbie was in the back sobbing. The couple went out and started speaking loudly to people in the queue, they wanted to ridicule the girls as much as possible.
“I would like to thank the local customers who witnessed what happened and came in and checked that they were OK.”
Rosanne’s daughter Olivia added: “There was a queue outside and they started telling people not to spend their money in this shop, that we were disgusting, they should go somewhere else.
“I was dreading going to work the next day. It’s stressful enough when it’s busy without people acting like that.”
‘You would think I was selling drugs’
Support is being given to Rosanne’s daughters online following the incident.
But unfortunately, they’ve recently been dealing with a lot more aggressive customers than usual.
Rosanne said: “We are just out of lockdown and trying to stay afloat. It is really sad how some people are behaving and treating staff members with a lack of respect.
It is a difficult enough time for businesses without having to put up with this nonsense.”
Andrew Spence, Bid4Oban chief executive
“How would they like it if their children were being treated like that? You would think I was selling drugs in there.”
The seasonable shop opens at Easter and closes after the October holidays.
Andrew Spence, chief executive for Bid4Oban, the town’s business improvement district, said: “We have had a couple of issues from a number of businesses with customers being impatient and rude.
“We are just not accepting it. We have advised the businesses to contact the police if this is ongoing.
“It is a difficult enough time for businesses without having to put up with this nonsense.”