Rant! Lack of Baby Changing Tables at TJMaxx.

[nathalee81]

You are correct. I did not leave any fecal matter behind. I didn't even know they sold dog beds until the manager suggest it (we don't have a dog). He said he had something that was just like a changing table and to use that, it was some sort of double decker or bunk bed for dogs????


Also why should parents be running to their cars to change diapers when an easy solution is available? What next I should keep a porta potty in the car for myself???

Oh yeah--and I know it's the dis (where everyone is always prepared and perfect) and I know you are all reading past posts I have made so flame away.......cause I have my big girl pants on!!!!!

Okay, I'm sorry, but even if the manager did suggest it, I still would not have done it. Just because someone tells you it is okay to do, doesn't always make it so.

And, I don't understand why you think everyone should cater to you because you are a parent? I'm about to become a parent myself, and I don't think the world is going to revolve around me and my baby. I expect that I will have to adapt to certain situations (like the situation you just described). I certainly hope that I don't began to think that is okay to defile a piece of merchandise, leave extra work for a minimum wage employee who has absolutely no control over changing tables in the bathroom and then rationalize it in my head that it was all "okay" because I am a parent, gosh darn it!

And, I'm not always prepared and perfect. No way, no how. I just wouldn't do what you did in the situation you described.

Also, one other thing. Has anybody thought about the fact that maybe this dog bed was a return? You may have changed your baby on a bed that a dog may have already used.

 

[pacrosby]

I'm so glad I was a "go with the flow" parent of infants. We traveled A LOT when my girls were babies and the places we changed them were so varied and there were almost never changing places for them in bathrooms. But I always found somewhere discrete to change them...not in the middle of a store on merchandise that I wasn't buying. That is just crazy.

No kidding. I had 4 kids in 5 yrs (one with a major medical condition) and we were always going here, there and everywhere. Just did what I had to, when I had to, where I had to, anyway I could. I must say we had LOTS of interesting adventures in the process

 

[akcire]

If this manager was ever so helpful, providing a plush double decker dog bed to change your precious baby on and made suggestions on how to write your state representative, why did you punish him by leaving the merchandise behind? Or did he suggest that too?

Something smells here. Oh, and speaking of smells, did the manager have you change the baby in the pet aisle to allow the Eau de Fecal to waft across the store to entice other Christmas shoppers to stay and shop? Or did he continue his outstanding customer service by moving the doggie bed into the bathroom for you?

No the manager did not suggest leaving the merchandise. My husband and I decided if the company chose to not provide facilities for babies, there was nothing we were buying that we could not live without.

The manager said that he didn't think his store would ever have a changing table until a law was passed requiring one. That was why we decided to email our state representative when we got home.

No the dog bed never moved off the selling floor. The way the store is set up, the pet area was relatively near the bathrooms. When we went to look for an employee to make certain that no changing tables were available, he was the first person we meet. We talked to him for less than 90 seconds, while he walked us about 15 feet and pointed at the dog bed as a suggested location.

 

[Jennasis]

Okay people, now that evey one has yelled at me.

First I always have a changing pad in my diaper bag, because public changing tables are disgusting. I did not lay her down directly on any merchandise. Nor do I ever lay her down directly on any surfaces without her changing pad. **Also we don't use a stroller except for trips with vast amounts of walking, so that was not an option.

Second, I properly disposed of her diaper in a garbage can. Now the only garbage can available was tiny and outside of the bathroom (can't figure out why in the heck a retailers bathroom didn't have a trash can--but I digress) and next to a water foutain, but I placed it inside of a plastic bag (yes I carry those too). Not sure how/where someone got the idea that I left it behind in an inappropriate place.

Finally, as for changing my daughter on the dog bed. That was the suggestion of the manager. It came out of his mouth easily, so I am certain it is not the first time he suggested that option. Yes folks, this is the idea of customer service from a retailer I have always loved. To not provide the correct facilities, and then offer up their merchandise as the solution.

Commercial changing tables for bathrooms cost less than $100. If a retailer does not want to make a $100 investment in their smallest customer; but wants to continue to sell high margin baby/children's product I think it speaks volumes.

I can not make TJMaxx change their policy, although I did fire off an email to our state reprepentative, but I can voice my opinion with my dollars. So yes I abandon a cartfull of merchandise the week of Christmas, and yes some employee did have to return that merchandise to the floor. That is part of their job. I know, I had jobs like that for years. You should be more concerned about the lost sales tax revenue and overall impact on the economy than an extra cart of merchandise to reshop.

Ultimately here is my point. Retailers provide bathrooms as a courtsey to their customers. If they provide a bathroom, (by law) they then need to provide a wheelchair accessable bathroom. That all sounds right and fair. Why should they also not need to provide a facility for changing a diaper, if they both offer bathrooms for their customers and sell merchandise for children? There are two ways retailers could address this install changing tables or close all bathrooms to the public. As an indepedent business they would have the choice.

Ah there it is! The classic DIS back-peddle with all NEW info to make the OP's poop stink less (pun intended).

Sorry it still stinks. I totally do not buy that a manager told you to change the baby on a doggie bed. It's so outrageous that there's no way it wouldn't have been included in the original post, particularly since you admit that using the bed was a new low...would you not have qualified that with "the manager told me to use the bed, so I did."?

You threw a mommy temper tantrum and took your toys and went home because you were MILDLY inconveninced by the lack of a proper "GROSS" changing table...and while we are on the subject WHY ARE YOU MAKING A BIG DEAL ABOUT THEM NOT HAVING SOMETHING YOU DESCRIBE AS "GROSS"???? If you find them so gross, why would you even be looking for one to start with? Why not use any available surface, like the sink counter, the floor, the backseat of your warmed car etc?

And you know WHY changing tables in a public restroom are so "gross"? because parents change their kids dirty diapers on them, making them "gross" JUST like you did to the merchandise you used.

Unbelievable.

 

[akcire]

Okay, I'm sorry, but even if the manager did suggest it, I still would not have done it. Just because someone tells you it is okay to do, doesn't always make it so.

And, I don't understand why you think everyone should cater to you because you are a parent? I'm about to become a parent myself, and I don't think the world is going to revolve around me and my baby. I expect that I will have to adapt to certain situations (like the situation you just described). I certainly hope that I don't began to think that is okay to defile a piece of merchandise, leave extra work for a minimum wage employee who has absolutely no control over changing tables in the bathroom and then rationalize it in my head that it was all "okay" because I am a parent, gosh darn it!

And, I'm not always prepared and perfect. No way, no how. I just wouldn't do what you did in the situation you described.

Also, one other thing. Has anybody thought about the fact that maybe this dog bed was a return? You may have changed your baby on a bed that a dog may have already used.

Congratulations on your new baby.

 

[kellyg403]

No the manager did not suggest leaving the merchandise. My husband and I decided if the company chose to not provide facilities for babies, there was nothing we were buying that we could not live without.

The manager said that he didn't think his store would ever have a changing table until a law was passed requiring one. That was why we decided to email our state representative when we got home.

No the dog bed never moved off the selling floor. The way the store is set up, the pet area was relatively near the bathrooms. When we went to look for an employee to make certain that no changing tables were available, he was the first person we meet. We talked to him for less than 90 seconds, while he walked us about 15 feet and pointed at the dog bed as a suggested location.

They did provide a facility...the bathroom. They just did not provide you with what you decided was the right equipment.

There will definitely be bigger hills to die on...this is very minor in the grand scheme of things. If you are going to write your state rep over needing laws for baby changing stations, you are in for a quite a few bumpy years ahead of you. Really.

I am not a perfect parent, but there will be a lot of times where you will need to learn to 'make do' as a parent. There will be costumes and projects and well, many times where you will learn to make do. Really.

Kelly

 

[pacrosby]

I should have changed her diaper on a bench in a changing area. A place people sit and also place merchandise. That's a better solution??

Do you never lay a changing pad down on your couch and change the baby there or are you always rushing off to the nursery to do it "properly"? You had a changing pad did you not? So what's the big deal?

And before you say, "then what's the big deal of changing the baby on the doggie bed, I used a changing pad?" it's not a matter of whether you 'soiled' the dog bed in the process, it's just not appropriate to use merchandise that is to be sold to someone else for that purpose, period. Would you have laid down a bath towel that was for sale? A blanket? A comforter? A pillow? A bathrobe? Of course not. Honestly, the fact that even after reading everyone's reaction you still can't see how your choice was not a great one is a bit baffling.

And I have to agree that all the sudden new information looks a tad suspicious. And if true, makes you actually look worse for walking out the door and leaving the cart behind vowing never to shop there again. You claim the gentleman was sympathetic and tried to HELP you and THAT is your response? Yikes.

 

[LilyWDW]

They will NEVER make it a law to provide changing tables in the bathroom. In some preexisting construction it would not be possible to add it because of the bathroom's layout. So, learn how to deal with it.

Sorry, but what the OP did was inexcusable and down right disgusting.

 

[MichelleVW]

Do you never lay a changing pad down on your couch and change the baby there or are you always rushing off to the nursery to do it "properly"? You had a changing pad did you not? So what's the big deal?

And before you say, "then what's the big deal of changing the baby on the doggie bed, I used a changing pad?" it's not a matter of whether you 'soiled' the dog bed in the process, it's just not appropriate to use merchandise that is to be sold to someone else for that purpose, period. Honestly, the fact that, even after reading everyone's reaction, you still can't see that is a bit baffling.

I don't think she will ever see it. If not for her post count I would have thought she was a troll with this crazy story.

 

[daughtersrus]

Ultimately here is my point. Retailers provide bathrooms as a courtsey to their customers. If they provide a bathroom, (by law) they then need to provide a wheelchair accessable bathroom. That all sounds right and fair. Why should they also not need to provide a facility for changing a diaper, if they both offer bathrooms for their customers and sell merchandise for children? There are two ways retailers could address this install changing tables or close all bathrooms to the public. As an indepedent business they would have the choice.

Since you're comparing handicap bathroom stalls to changing tables, should they also be required to provide changing table that can hold the weight of a handicapped teen or adult? Their need to have their diaper changed is no different than your young daughter's.

Also why should parents be running to their cars to change diapers when an easy solution is available? What next I should keep a porta potty in the car for myself???
!

I know many moms that carry fold up seats for their children to use when they're potty training. Will you expect the stores to have potty chairs for your DD when she gets older?

No the manager did not suggest leaving the merchandise. My husband and I decided if the company chose to not provide facilities for babies, there was nothing we were buying that we could not live without.

The manager said that he didn't think his store would ever have a changing table until a law was passed requiring one. That was why we decided to email our state representative when we got home.

No the dog bed never moved off the selling floor. The way the store is set up, the pet area was relatively near the bathrooms. When we went to look for an employee to make certain that no changing tables were available, he was the first person we meet. We talked to him for less than 90 seconds, while he walked us about 15 feet and pointed at the dog bed as a suggested location.

So you changed your DD's stinky diaper on the sales floor of a busy store? GROSS!

 

[chicagoshannon]

I hope our state rep decides not to waste is time on your request. We have far bigger issues to deal with in this state.

Unfortunately. Being that we're in IL this will probably be the issue they decide to take up.