How a Smart A$$ Remark can get you a bad review!
My experience in the Restaurant Industry has gone back since my first job working as a bartender when I started college. I worked as a waiter, bartender, busboy, and a bar supervisor. However my experience as a consumer goes way back to when my parents would take me to many years visiting restaurants as a kid. Currently I manage the online presence of Archipielago Restaurant in Ponce, PR. While we are not very aggresive online we make sure that once the person is at the restaurant they get the best service possible.
If there was a privilege me and my brother had as kids was eating well and visiting many restaurants throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Our parents where foodies they just did not know it!
As I manage Archipielago Restaurant’s Online Presence I have been blessed with only getting small tweaks and fixes to the restaurant overall (nobody’s perfect).
I am also a huge advocate for Improving Local Customer Service. I see many opportunities to improve our customer service and one of the main reasons I write this blog is to improve overall customer service.
As I was talking to a close friend he mentioned how he had a terrible experience at UMMO a restaurant located in San Juan. He was telling me how the waiter did not have an understanding of the menu. One of the plates consisted of many protein types and the waiter was not able to identify them. We all have run into waiters that don’t understand the menu where it got even worst was when he really did not care to go check what was on my friends plate. The food was ok but what really made the whole experience worst was when my friends partner when into the bathroom and found a non functioning toilet and a terrible mess.
My friend contacted the manager and the manager replied with a Smart Ass Remark
Since I don’t visit the Ladies Restroom their is no way I can know what goes on in there.
I will run you thru with a quick response if that situation would have happened.
- Apologize and quickly get the restroom up to par.
- Make it up to the guests or clients by offering them dessert, coffee, a few cocktails on the house.
- Thanking them for bringing it up the issues.
I thought the manager might have tried some humor to change the mood but looking at there reviews on trip advisor it seems like they really don’t care of fixing their mistakes. A good example was the review explaining how the plate got ants and they got billed for the plate.
One of the first things you should do when visiting a restaurant is visit their bathroom that can give you a good indication on how clean there kitchen is.
My friend Melvin did create a review in trip advisor which for some reason was removed.
If the UMMO manager want to add some humor and correct the solution I invite him to review this article on 14 Wacky To Tacky Restaurant Restrooms
How important is it to you to have a clean restroom at a restaurant?
Did you have a situation at a restaurant? If you communicated it to Management how did they react?
What other advice do you have for the Ummo Management?
Please share your thoughts in the comments area.