I run a Holiday Programme for 40 children. I booked my group in for a swim and all day pass on the slides. I had When I made the booking a man on the phone said that he would turn on the slides as soon as we got there. I was planning on arriving at 9-9:30am. I then confirmed booking a week prior and was told that the slides would not be turned on when we arrived and that they would be turned on at 11am. Very annoyed as I had already told the kids we were going early and that they could spend the whole day on the slides if they wanted. We arrived around 10am, I had 7 staff members with me and the kids were happy swimming until the slides opened. There was also another programme there, and quite a few general public and NO LIFE GAURDS. One arrived 10mins later but seemed not interested and would go off to the toilets or not even be watching the pools. Amro the owner then came down to the pools, she started blowing her whistle at kids (in my group), screaming and yelling at them to move back to the shallow end when they were not struggling or have difficulties (I knew they were good swimmers as I know 3/4 of my group really well and I would not let them in the deep pool if I knew they weren’t the best swimmers). She then started blowing her whistle and screamed at two of my staff as they had their feet on the edge of the little kids pool while watching the kids swim. She opened the slide at 11am like she said. She instructed the lifeguard who was “watching” 3 pools to watch the hydro slides with her which then meant that there was no one watching the 3 swimming pools. She asked that one of my staff members be at the top of the slide which I was fine with. She told the kids the rules and let them on. I have around 6 kids who did not want to go on the slides but they wanted to come watch, she yelled at one of my staff members and said that she was trying to get them on the slides for free… All they wanted to do was watch but she would not let them and said that they had to go down to the seated area where they could not see anything. Amro then realized that there was no one watching the three pools and instructed the lifeguard to go back to watching the 3 pools. She they got a pole and started poking kids when they reached the bottom of the slide and into the pool. She was also screaming at them saying they should not be on it because they could not swim (they could – majority of them take swimming lessons) She was being that harsh and yelling that much that she was making the kids cry and not want to go on the slide any more. A boy who was not in my group came down when he was not supposed to and almost hit one of my kids in the pool at the bottom. She started screaming at them and said “are you two stupid, do you not know the rules, i told you them” I tried to tell her that it was not the child in my groups fault but the other and she would not listen and kicked them both off the slides. She then asked two more of my staff to go to the top of the slides and tell the kids when to go down. (Under staffed and using my staff as if they were her own). My self and two other staff members where at the bottom of the slide and people could not get in the gate so she blows her whistle at one of them and says “open the gate” my staff member “ahhh how much are you paying me?” and then Amro says “god your lucky to be here”. Amro also yelled and screamed at man and his son who had come down the slide together they ended up getting off as they were sick of it. Two more life guards then showed up (she said they were late, they should have been on time as both big groups would have booked and they would have known they would need the extra staff) They were all dressed different, some with jeans on (did not have lifeguard on there tops) My group were not having a good time so I went to the office to complain. We had only been there around an hour and a half. Amro left with a district nurse… very professional. Tried to have a civil discussion with the man in the office (I thin Amro’s husband) he go very angry and seemed to think it was not there fault they were understaffed and also that Amro was not doing the things I said. So I told him we were leaving and that I wanted my money back. He then got very grumpy and said that they had used the pools and slides so I said that I wanted half back. He agreed and said that all kids needed to be on the bus and at the front gate before he would give it to me. Very pathetic… I then went and told the kids we were leaving to go to a different swimming pools and they were all soooooo excited. They should not be excited to leave somewhere that is supposed to be all about family and having a good time. While I was getting the kids on the bus Amro comes over and screams “are you that one that complained?” I said what as I was talking to one of the kids. She then says “Did you not go to school” she was very angry and all because what I had complained about was true. They did not have enough life guards, she was being horrible to the kids, screaming and shouting at people and using my staff as if they were her own. Some other things she said: “i’ve never had a complaint in the 17 years i’ve owned the place”, “you just have a terrible group that’s the problem”, “we are not understaffed, no one has ever drowned here except these two maori kids, that was their own fault though they did not listen”. She said this and more in front of my kids and I asked her more than once and she said she did not care. She said “you should you should respect your elders, I am probably the same age as your grandmother” she probably is and my reply was “exactly thats why you shouldn’t be a lifeguard, how are you going to jump in and save some one” there’s no way she could she pretty much blind and deaf. She then said my job was not stressful, me and my staff were watching more kids than hers were!!! I got half my money back which I was happy about but still think I should have got it all back after how we were treated. While I was getting my refund I asked how many lifeguards should be watching the 3 pools (the slides had closed, thought they were open all day) and she said 2 was the minimum, there was only 1 down there, I said to here there you go you only have 1 lifeguard on and she reckons that her being up in the office counts. How are you going to save someone when you are 10ms away up in an office? She said well my staff are on there lunch break (all at the same time, great management and safety) I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TO ANYONE WANTING TO TAKE THEIR FAMILY/CHILDREN THERE!!! It is unsafe the owners a unstable and not right in the head I think. They can not handle any criticism and deny everything. They are soooooooo unprofessional and I am going to make sure everyone I know hears about our experience. They should sell the place because they are doing a terrible job. Place is in bad condition and dirty. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY DRIVING THERE AND PAYING TO GET IN. Amro is a a horrible, physco lady and should not be working with children.