Painting with a Twist — Attraction in Columbia

My fam and I thought this would be a great way to spend Mother's day weekend. Unfortunately we had a mix up with what was advertised on the website. Family classes are listed with all ages welcomed. So we booked this particular class that was advertised as a family class however was not clear that when you clicked onto the another page for the event it said ages 7 and up. Ok cool...Big misunderstanding. When we arrived with my 2 year old niece we were immediately told no toddlers could be there. Understandable. What I didn't understand is the way a woman named Kathy and some man behind the counter handled the situation. They were very rude and had a very smug, pompous attitude as soon as we walked through the door with my niece. They told us we could not participate and there were no refunds...only that we'd be issued a studio credit. My mom tried to explain what we saw on the site and they refused to listen and consistently denied any mistake on their end. So while our group tried to decide what to do, they aggressively tried to rush us out the way and out the door. There were no apologies or sympathy...just nastiness like they didn't care how inconvenient it was or how their advertisement of this being a family class could be confusing. I understand business and policies but couldn't understand why you would treat first time paying customers so rudely...even if we did misunderstand the family event posting. Trust me, I am making sure we get my money back because there is no way I'd step foot in this place again.

Updated Response to owner: This is what's on your site: Family Day Our family events feature art that is specially designed for all ages and skill levels. Get the whole gang together and spend some "non-screen" time creating family memories in a casual, creative atmosphere. See upcoming Family Day events »

-- When you click to see events, todays event was listed. Like I said it may have been a misunderstanding since there was other info once you clicked on the event...not saying we were wrong for missing that. I understand business/policies. But it was the ATTITUDE that we recieved from KATHY and that man that was VERY unappreciated and the reason for my post!! We went to another painting class at a different place later that day and my niece was welcomed and sat quietly the entire class - like we knew she would. Again...work on your customer service skills...whether we misunderstood or not..there was NO REASON for the ATTITUDE and lack of service skills or apology at the time. We were treated VERY RUDELY. (And for the record, on your site, you should remove that family classes are designed for all ages and skill levels because that's false advertising if you have a policy that toddlers are not allowed at...

I literally NEVER write reviews even when I've experienced something not so great. I choose not to dwell on something if it does not bring me joy...

I say this to say..we came there Friday (Dec. 20th) and have been there several times with different instructors each time....

But this last time I brought my family and was overall disappointed.

The instructor Crystal rushed through the whole thing and was not attentive towards the class.

Over half the class couldn't keep up...she was trying to get us to blow dry our paintings when they weren't even done.

Instead of doing intervals of jumping 2-3 steps ahead then waiting 30 seconds for everyone to catch up, she should really consider doing step by step and making sure everyone is caught up and helped if needed, like the other instructors who teach there do.

I understand this is a painting class and it doesn't have to be perfect and it's just for fun but when you are paying for the experience and the canvas, isn't it justified to want to be happy with your painting?

So I have my own acrylic paint and brushes at home (It's a hobby, but me and my sister wanted to bring my mom and dad for memories) anyway, me and my sister went to my home later that weekend and finished certain areas where we had to throw some paint on it in those areas so it could be decent coming home.

*This review is, I hope in some way seen as constructive criticism...

------Although there was one thing that REALLY got to me...

She actually said, "Okayyy, let's hurry and pack things up and get y'all out of here so y'all can get back to your Friday night." ( It was obvious she meant she had her Friday night to get to)

So one lady said, "Heyyyy, what do you mean!? But THIS is our Friday night!"

The class was over almost 20 minutes before the end of the class. After waiting for everyone to use the restroom and washing the paint off my hands we were driving off in the car 12 minutes til. If you had something to do, why teach a Friday...

I was once a happy customer and had visited this venue several times. However, this experience was different. After surviving two brain surgeries this year related to a cancerous tumor, I had been drawing trees for comfort and inspiration. So, I chose an event that focused on painting trees. Due to difficulties with spatial perception, I wanted to sketch the tree on the canvas, drawing inspiration from a particular tree that gave me hope. However, memory has been challenging for me, so I took out my phone to review my previous drawings.

The gentleman who took our names told me, "You can't do that; you can't paint your own design; you have to follow the instructions." Out of respect, I stopped. An employee, whom I believe was named Kathy, explained that they were not trying to be mean but had to enforce copyright rules, which I understood. I told the gentleman that those were my own drawings, and he replied, "Well, if you're that good, you should paint at home."

At that point, I decided to remain silent and proceed as instructed, not wanting to ruin our date night. I had high hopes for this venue, especially considering my past enjoyment. Shortly after the pandemic, I even brought my nursing team here for team-building activities. I was hoping to engage new nursing graduates and staff from the university where I teach and bring them here for team-building activities...I have decided against those plans.

Unfortunately, last week's event left me feeling humiliated and ashamed. I understand there are procedures to follow, but this could have been handled with more compassion. I will not be coming back, nor will I recommend it to friends or family. On a positive note, I noticed that the other patrons seemed to enjoy their experience. However, my personal experience has left me disenchanted with this business. I hope that by sharing this review, they will treat their customers with more dignity and respect in the future.

Sincerely, -"A once...