A cherished sweet-treat tradition in New Canaan is in danger of going away following an incident involving an angry customer Tuesday night.
A 2-scoop sundae at Baskin Robbins.
Buy-one, Get-one free or “BOGO” Tuesdays at Baskin-Robbins have been a popular tradition in town for more than a decade, preserved here even after the national brand moved away from it more than five years ago.
But that may have changed for good after a woman threw a free sundae on the floor behind the counter at the Main Street ice cream and candy shop after berating its workers.
At about 8:15 p.m., the shop’s manager said, a man ordered a banana split sundae and a two-scoop sundae with two hot toppings (hot fudge and peanut butter sauce) and one cold topping (marshmallows), for the BOGO promotion. The entire order cost $9.45—the cost of the banana split plus 85 cents each for the two extra toppings.
Exactly 35 minutes later, video surveillance showed, a woman identifying herself only as the man’s wife cut the line at Baskin Robbins—it wound all the way to the door—saying that her sundae was inedible because it had melted and demanding payment for the entire $9.45 order, the manager said.
When the workers said they could make the sundae again but were not authorized to remit that payment, she began waving her receipt at them and finally threw her sundae on the employees’ floor behind the counter, as well as the bag that the ice cream had come in, the manager said. The entire scene is captured on video and was witnessed by multiple people, the manager said.
On Wednesday morning, she came to Baskin Robbins again and demanded the full reimbursement, as well as the cost of gas for her vehicle because, the woman said, she had to make to extra trips to the shop, according to the manager. Ultimately, the store’s owner, Anna Valente, reimbursed her $6.80—the would-be cost of a two-scoop sundae with three toppings, a dessert which the woman hadn’t paid for since it came as part of the BOGO promotion.
Asked whether she intends to pursue criminal charges, Valente said only that she does not want to subject her workers to angry customers and likely will need to halt BOGO Tuesday as a result.
“This is not a mandatory program that we do,” Valente said. “I do it for New Canaan. This program ended five years ago. I do it because people enjoy it. I’ve never had issues with it. But now when you start throwing sundaes back at my employees, I’m not doing it. These kids work too hard.”
I saw the tape of this woman’s outrageous and rude tirade at BR. She threw the sundae on the floor behind the counter and then proceeded to throw the bag it came in. There were several youths watching it unfold. I don’t know the identity of the woman, but she should be mortified. Baskin Robins has been a mainstay of New Canaan and if this is how the “community” is going to treat them, then I see no reason for them to continue the BOGO. I would post a picture of the woman from the video and thank her for the end of a great tradition if I were Baskin Robbins.
Do you have a link to the video?
The owners of this local shop have always been extremely nice and helpful as well as employing many students from New Canaan.
I have experience many rude and self-centered customer while waiting for services in our Town. I truly think New Canaan has lost it’s New England charm because of these spoiled ,selfish and egotistical idiots . I actually take a deep breath each time I have to pick up a dinner, pizza or any service in our town because of my many UNCOMFORTABLE observations. Possibly time to move on.
Agree with Jenny completely. This woman is obviously misdirecting her anger and should be going to therapist. She obviously needs help.
Woman should be arrested and charged with Breach of Peace!!!!! Completely inappropriate on all levels!!!
What?!! So hard to imagine a reaction like this. How disappointing and shocking on so many levels.
This is so absurd on so many levels, im speechless and i am almost never speechless.
This person should be arrested and charged. How dare she treat employees like that.
I had no idea that Anna had continued the BOGO program 5 years after BR ended it! We are so lucky to have her in our town. Such a shame that one moron can bring down such a fun community event. Employees safety is most important.
What a shame that a grown woman acts like a child. She should be ashamed of herself. Those kids work hard behind that counter and don’t deserve to be treated that way!
Please post the identity of this woman. Everyone should know who she is so they can avoid her. This type of behavior is absolutely unacceptable.
This woman tried to RETURN ice cream 35 minutes after its purchase because it had melted??? And then proceeded to have a meltdown. Not ok, lady. My 8 year old has more sense than this.
She was still mad the next morning?? About ICE CREAM??? BR this is NOT your problem.
Someone please post this woman’s identity. I am going to end her. This is one of the most callous and belligerent acts I have ever heard of. This woman is done. DONE. Someone please post her identity so I can personally teach this woman a lesson
Well, first of all this woman should be banned from BR as should her husband. Secondly she should face charges. And lastly she owes every employee at BR a personal and handwritten apology. Public shaming sounds like a wonderful idea, but is probably crossing the line just ever-so-slightly. Probably. But shame on her 1000 times over. Good for BR for being so amazing, supportive and integral to the NC community. Lets make sure the tip jar overflows.
One incident should not ruin this for everyone.
So where’s the video?
I used to work there back in the 1980’s, such a fun place to work as a kid growing up in New Canaan, the manager Steve was the best, (he taught us to count back change to the customers correctly, I cringe when I go to a Mc D’s today and the kids can’t do that simple task), great memories of working there in the summers… when a person acts like this towards you as a young adult while you are working your part-time job, it gives you some idea of what you are going to have to deal with once you get out “in the real world”, so I hope the workers learned that there are ALL kinds of people out there, just learn to deal with them in a respectful way and move on… now… about HER actions: forget arresting her, forget publicly releasing her name, since she did not realize that an ice cream sunday would melt in 35 minutes she should be made to take a science class at NCHS, the whole class… full semester… AND PASS IT!!!, before she is allowed to shop in a food store again, any food store, imagine if she bought ice cream from Walter Stewarts, then got home and found out it was melted, my gosh what would she do then?
Brilliant idea, Bob!
It’s easy to feel animosity towards this woman but stop and think. She needs help, not censure. We can all get angry, or at least irritated, by naturally occurring events, like rain falling so you have to cancel today’s picnic. Even in cases where someone cuts in line or a stranger on the street steps in front of you and begs for money, the incident is usually forgotten pretty quickly because we realize that it was beyond our control and chewing on it is a waste of time.
However, when a person takes such things personally, believes that these events are part of some grand conspiracy to thwart her, ruin her life, and therefore when something as natural as ice cream melting when it is no longer in a freezing environment happens, well of course IT HAPPENS TO HER, then that person needs counseling. Her life is out of control. Her thinking processes are so distorted by what is known as “Bad Thinking” that she can no longer differentiate between the myths in her mind and true cause and effect.
Get a life lady. Spoiled NC Brat. Only in NC kids only inNC. What does she want from kids working to support their education. This jerk needs to attend ice cream school to learn that when your husband brings ice cream home it melts on the way. Dah!
I wonder if she is a NC resident? Took her a half hour to get home and a half hour to return. When I travel a half hour from downtown NC it leads me to Shippan Pt. in Stamford. Not implying that’s where she was from, just pointing out that 1/2 hour away from d/t NC usually lands you in a different town/city.
No, I’m pretty sure only a New Canaan resident behaves like this. It’s called “entitlement”.
But thanks for trying to throw your embarrassment on to Stamford!
I was there that night and seen what she did. The two for Tuesday should be done with.. The workers there work way to hard to deal with people like that over ICE CREAM ..lady it’s not a bmw it’s ice cream . Maybe if she came in and waited in line and acted like a person they maybe would of done something . And throwing the ice cream at them and the bag I would have her put in jail . It’s a shame to stop the two for Tuesday’s but it needs to be done even though it’s been in NC for a very long time but I seen more then this go on there on this day … I would put the video out so everyone can see this lady so they all can do the same to her as she did to them…. Keep up the good work BR all you men and women work very hard . I’ll be there no matter what even if there is no two for tues anymore she was a jerk for this and what next so I don’t blame them to stop the two for Tuesday .
Maybe Silver Hill can step in and help her. I think they also serve ice cream.
Obviously there is more going on with this woman than melted ice cream. For years there have been a few people like this in New Canaan. Usually, they really don’t fit in. So they are frustrated that they can’t get into the country club or there husband is never home. Some such thing. Probably will not stay long so don’t think about it too much.
People!!!!! What this woman did was wrong, that is indisputable. But with all the talk about mental health in this country, please try to approach this individual w a little compassion, because she is clearly mentally ill. A witch hunt for someone like this is cruel, her life is obviously a misery as it is, why make it worse?
We can all show our support and love for Anna and her business by continuing to patronize BR. As for this woman, she needs help. Not your threats and finger wagging.
Post video…
Do you really think it’s a mental health issue? Sounds more like another self-important, spoiled person who hasn’t quite realized that she’s not the end all /be all; hope the kids working the counter know they did nothing wrong and that karma has a way of catching up.
I don’t believe that anyone wakes up and says “you know, today I think I will be the world’s biggest A$$hole”…. people with this kind of temper have, at the very least, anger issues. I can’t diagnose this woman, but I certainly do not think these are the actions of anyone sane. Especially given the fact she went back the next day and demanded gas money. Clearly she brooded over this for hours and hours, and there is clearly a chip missing.
I think it’s too easy for people to say “self entitlement” “spoiled brat” etc, but perhaps you could argue that those who view themselves as so important are also suffering from mental illness.
I don’t care if you’re bill gates, the pope, or Kim Kardashian….you are no better than any other human, to think so is fairly mental.
Kansas said it best, all we are is dust in the wind
She is one spoiled bitcx and should be ashamed of herself. She must be one of the most miserable people in the world.
I feel compelled to comment. I have worked in customer service for years, for a large clothing company and then a well known toy company, and you would not believe how I was spoken to time and time again, from people all over the country. I believe there is a entitlement epidemic that is completely out of control. People do not accept responsibility for their actions – and always feel like they are owed something. Her reaction – while extreme and saddening, also reminds me of many of situations I ran into (over the phone) when people demanded completely unreasonable things – like unwarranted discounts, and free gifts for compensation. Just sayin…
I’m sure at some point “News 12” should have the video sometime today. I’m waiting to see.
There are starving children in many third world nations that don’t even know what ice cream taste like. Shame on this self centered, spoiled, rotten to the core witch.
She should be banned from BR. She is VERY sick to maintain that level of anger for that length of time is a sickness. That being said she should still be accountable for her actions. I am still in shock that this was over melted ice cream.
Donald Trump will likely defend her actions!
Should be banned from the store for life.
What does Donald Trump have anything to do with this article?
Some of these comments are almost as awful. “Reveal her identity so I can personally teach her a lesson!” “I will end her!” “She should be arrested!”
Wow, people. Yes, she was absolutely awful to the clerk. Yes, that was horrible, immature, entitled misbehavior, and yes, no one should ever treat a store clerk like that, ESPECIALLY, 35 minutes after she got her damned ice cream (thirty five minutes, wow). But really? Arrested? Personally teach her a lesson? Wow. Wow. Is this the twilight zone? Think about what you’re actually saying here. You’d have somebody arrested for throwing ice cream on the floor and some other weirdo up there is clearly threatening violence. Great.
I bought a sundae in Sacremento after a hot yoga class. It was too cold. I had an anxiety attack and was refunded the ENTIRE balance. Bless that clerk’s heart.
Life is hard when food surprises you.
And the photo is where? She can only be helped if she is identified, hello!
Waste of some goooood ice cream!
Is this an April Fool’s joke? This is too absurd to be real.
The lynch mob and amateur psychologists are really out on this one. You want identify her her? Shame her? Maybe stone her in the pop up park? The lady threw an ice cream on the floor, she didn’t murder a baby. Of course she was out of line but this town-wide outrage could probably be better directed onto meaningful issues rather than group vengeance for the “sundae slinger.”
I hope this is an early April Fools joke
However, if it is real, I don’t understand why the actions of one person, however distasteful, should ruing BOGO Tuesday for the community.
Anna has kindly made this a part of the community life in New Canaan, and I don’t see one persons actions should bring it to an end.
Perhaps this is simply the first time something like this has been reported and Anna and her employees have been subject to this in the past. I hope not.
One can only assume that as the owner of the store, Anna has found the BOGO offer to be a net positive for business, either in attracting in people who wouldn’t otherwise come in, or in increasing engagement with the community. If so, then I hope she keeps doing it. If not, then she probably should have ended it a long time ago.
Either way the decision to do BOGO should be a business one, and not a reaction to one unfortunate incident.
I was a “scoop girl” at an ice cream shop for my first job – about 40 years ago. While most customers were great, there were some that behaved like the woman in the article. I learned how to treat people, how to assess people based on their behavior and I’ve carried those lessons through my career and life.
I bought pizza once and the next day after putting it in he fridge i found out it was cold
Imagine my anger! I went to the pizza place demanding a full refund plus cost of gas plus pain and suffering
When i see pizza now i get chills tunnel vision and allergies to anything italian
I cant even start the engine on my ferrari i bought with my hedge fund bonus it is horrible
Worst part is the memories i have from Luigi chasing me down elm street with a stick after i threw a tantrum at his store
I feel the pain melted ice cream woman…where is this world heading…
I think the store should replace BOGO with throw-your-ice-cream-at-your-server night. $20 donated to charity for every throw. The servers could wear waterproof ponchos. Like a dunk-tank.