Keeps breaking chairs. What should I do?

diadojikohei

I run a gaming shop. I have mentioned this before, so don't switch off! This is my problem.

I have a regular gamer who is 6' 4'', he is also very overweight, so far he has broken 4 of my chairs. He broke 2 wooden folding chairs, a solid metal padded conference style chair and a solid office swivel chair. These chairs aren't cheap chairs, they are good quality and I've not had one broken before. We have other large gamers and they haven't broken anything.

How do I deal with this without sounding like I am being size-ist?

BeingAwesome247

Is there any way to put a bench in? Like a picnic table type bench?

That's really tough but at the same time, come on. And to be honest....the first time he broke something, you would think that'd be a clue to HIM

corn63

I don't think there's anyway that you can tell him "Dude, stop putting your butt on my chairs and breaking them." without sounding like a size-ist.

Perhaps pull him off to the side and come up with a solution together. I'm sure it's an embarrassing situation for him as well. And I'd just say "Look, I know there's no good way to say this, so please, try not to be offended. But we need to come up with a solution for the broken chairs. What do you think?"

Lauren8239

Nice big bean bag chair.

marinebiologist_girl

I'd probably not bring it up to his face to avoid losing a customer. Maybe try getting a bench put in like the person above says...

Brunner26_2

How big is this guy?

morgansmom02

Get a stool maybe? I don't even know what to tell you!

MaraDiaz

Being sensitive to others' feelings is nice and all, but chairs ain't cheap and you have a business to run and a living to make. I'd search online to see if there is some indestructible chair out there you can order for the guy. Failing that, tell him to bring his own.

Edit: If you have to have that conversation, don't tell him he's too big for the chairs, tell him he's too rough on them.

morgansmom02

Nice big bean bag chair.

Could he even get out of a bean bag chair?

BurtHuttz

It's not a size issue, at all.

"Hi, you've broken four of my chairs. You haven't given me any new chairs. If you'd like to sit down in my establishment, you must bring your own chair or replace the chairs that you have destroyed. You are welcome in my store and are a vibrant part of the community we've built here. I like you personally and as a customer. Please stop breaking my things!"

Where's your store?

SofaKingRad

Place a pillow on the floor.

cbeutler

Living XL has chairs rated to higher weights.

Dub_D

Just make him pay for it every time he breaks it.

Cr01502

This post is too funny.

Don't they have a way to run your computers off the power generated from a treadmill or a bicycle? If so you should replace a couple of your regular computers with those and make him pedal / walk for his gaming. The worst thing that happens is he takes his business somewhere else and you end up with some chairs with a longer lifespan.

magj0y

Did any severely break when he sat on them? I would think after the 1st 2 embarrassing moments he'd stop?

super tiny stools. Doubt he'd sit on it.

Melolicious

The bench idea is good, or a solid stool - won't have back support or anything so he may not be as good a customer as he has been. Tell him you don't have the money to buy new chairs at the moment (or foreseeable future) and tell him you understand completely if he wants to bring a chair in himself, heck, you can even store it for him

jynxxxed

It's not a size issue, at all.

"Hi, you've broken four of my chairs. You haven't given me any new chairs. If you'd like to sit down in my establishment, you must bring your own chair or replace the chairs that you have destroyed. You are welcome in my store and are a vibrant part of the community we've built here. I like you personally and as a customer. Please stop breaking my things!"

Where's your store?

This is perfect.

Bentley2718

If you don't already have one, put up a sign of shop policies, one of these should be customers have to pay for any broken items (i.e. displays, furniture, etc.). If he breaks more furniture, politely point out the policies. A gaming shop I used to go to had a problem with young kids horsing around and breaking stuff, so they implemented something similar, it took care of the problem--this situation is obviously somewhat different, but might work.

m60kaf

Realistically if $ profit earned from big guy < $ for chairs, ban him. It's nothing personal just business

shelleyspots

As a fellow business owner, I can relate. I had a customer break a chair too. It's highly embarrassing and you don't want anyone suing you because they got hurt at your place of business. You have to protect your business, so you'd best reinforce a chair or two for larger customers. When he arrives, kindly offer him his favorite chair. It can be a wooden bench or something sturdy. I know you don't want to lose valuable customers. Business is tough. If you greet him and make it seem like the seat is reserved for him, he'll probably take the hint. Good luck!

Brunner26_2

What does he do when he breaks a chair? Leave? Just get a new one?

vypeters

I bet if you put in a heavy duty bench or something he'd sit on it without you making an issue.

I broke a couple of chairs in my day and was MORTIFIED. I always tried to sit in the sturdiest place available.

magj0y

Realistically if $ profit earned from big guy < $ for chairs, ban him. It's nothing personal just business

can I ask why people would be sitting in a game shop?

skinnybitchbarbie27

I know exaclty what he is probably doing too, Leaning back too far in the chair in which it can't hold the weight. (I broke a chair like that once x_x ) but this is a very sensitive subject. As a business owner/manager I would personally replace the nice chairs with the cheap plastic ones from like wal-mart but this doesn't help your dilemma and may hurt business. I do not think it is inappropriate to pull him aside and just ask him about the chairs and if there is anything YOU can do to make him more comfortable. In this economy you do not want to play the "blame him" game and tell him to bring in his own chair. I know it sucks but as a business owner (and even though it is not your fault) you need to be sensitive or not only can it lead to legal action if he feels descriminated against but bad word of mouth spreads like wildfire. In my business I actually manage a facility (which my family also owns one) that is a gym for women and when we have an issue we bring it up to the member in the sense of what can I do , as the business, to make it better. It is bringing up the problem without pointing fingers and losing customers. Someone like this could easily tell his friends and before you know it you have lost business over something really stupid as a fat guy getting offended.

I know this is hard but you need to be sensitive in a way not only for the guy, but for you. The last thing you want is bad word of mouth and reviews taking your business down. The other thing is you don't need to make it a weight issue due to descrimination sensitivities. As a business owner for 5 years I really recommend asking him what you can do to make it a better situation and you never know, he may break down and let you know how f-ing terrible he feels about it.

skinnybitchbarbie27

You can't just do that. Lawsuit for SURE. You can't ban someone for having ill effects from his weight, it would be strickly due to a weight issue and that would be a lawyer's easiest case ever.

neverstray

I'd come at this from a liability point of view. If he breaks a chair, it falls apart, and he hurts himself, he can sue you. You need to face him and have a talk. He can't bring his own chair because that's a liability issue too. He's still on your property in your store and could sue your *kitten* off. Id be careful here. I would look for a specific chair for him that is rated for heavy people, and let him know that that's his chair, if it's worth it to you. If not, tell him he can't come to your store because he is costing you more money than it is worth, and it's a uge laibility.

You need to really address this issue. It could really get bad. i don't want to see you in the papers losing your bsuiness and maybe having to protect yourself from a million dlooar lawsuit. i can already see it. the judge is like, "How many times did this happen? and you didn't really do anything about it, so the 5th time, the chair break in such a way that a piece of the chair stabs his *kitten*, and he falls on his back and now is in traction, and you thought it was ok to just do nothing? Judgement is for the Plantiff for $5,000,000 in punitive damages plus all medical costs."
Dude, seriously. this is a big deal.

wareagle8706

Realistically if $ profit earned from big guy < $ for chairs, ban him. It's nothing personal just business

can I ask why people would be sitting in a game shop?

Cause they're playing the games....

likearadiowave

Stop letting him sit on chairs.

Bring in a really strong bench.

Rasputin

My suggestion is talk to him, in private. Keep a non-frustrated/judgemental tone of voice. Tell him it is a difficult thing for you to bring up, but you have to do it. Explain the situation that you have tried to resolve the issue of his breaking chairs, by your purchase of chairs that were made of quality construction. However, this has not resolved the issue. Also, so far, the business cost of buying chairs is something that you need to resolve, as you cannot afford to continue doing so. Ask him for feedback; perhaps he has some suitable suggestions. If he does not respond well, try to stay calm, but explain to him that need to resolve the issue and may have to consider more serious actions, e.g. banning him. You do have that right, since it is private property. Hopefully, it won't come to that; he may be able to give concrete suggestions: he will contribute 50% of the cost of a new chair that he knows will work, etc.

RumpusP

Not a game shop, a gaming shop. People don't go their too just (or not at all) buy a game. Depending on the type of gaming shop, there are tables for people to play multi-person games together at or computers to play games on. People go there to play games in the store.

Litlbeast

I don't think there's anyway that you can tell him "Dude, stop putting your butt on my chairs and breaking them." without sounding like a size-ist.

Perhaps pull him off to the side and come up with a solution together. I'm sure it's an embarrassing situation for him as well. And I'd just say "Look, I know there's no good way to say this, so please, try not to be offended. But we need to come up with a solution for the broken chairs. What do you think?"

I really think this is the way to go. It's tactful, yet you're not being a doormat. Stuff costs money...

Also, being a gamer myself, I hate to say it but some of our distinguished population are either a) totally socially clueless b)uncaring about social responsibilities or c) both. The d00d may be like 'hey free chairs' because you're not saying anything, and he may play the fat card if you talk to him, but he damaged property in your shop. Sayin'.