Manager/Owner's Questionable Character
More than two weeks ago from today, 10 March 2018, I called up Hans, the Manager/Owner to complain upon discovering that the 123 reward points we had earned from being a customer of the restaurant as of 30 dec 2017 had been deleted/claimed from our account. Yesterday, 09 March, after making a follow-up, Hans left a message on my wife's cellphone stating that he can only return back 70 reward points to the account, 53 reward points less than the amount due, prompting me to talk to him today, but left me totally disappointed and made me doubt his integrity and character.
The circumstances were as follows:
1. As of 30 Dec 2017, we had earned 123 reward points entitling us to redeem a free large tray of pancit malabon and a box of bibingka.
2. On 28 Dec 2017, as we were expecting some visitors for the holidays, 30 December, specifically, we thought of redeeming our reward-points equivalent to the above to add to our prepared menu. However, we were informed to our confusion, to personally go to the restaurant to place the order because they do not entertain phone-in orders which is contrary to our experience. Yet we complied, despite the distance of the restaurant from our residence. We informed them that we will be picking up the food in the afternoon of the 30th.
3. On the morning of December 30, we decided to cancel the order for we realized that we had more than enough food already. My wife and I took turns calling up the restaurant, to no avail until their closing hours at 5PM. Since we did not hear anything from them then, we assumed that they might have been very busy as orders normally peak during the holidays.
4. Last 18 Feb 2018, we decided to drop by the restaurant to redeem our unclaimed reward-points, however, we were informed that the points had been claimed and are no longer in our account. Hence, I called up Hans and expressed our concern.
5. After more than two weeks of waiting, and after making a follow-up, Hans' message on my wife's cellphone was:
a. He cannot do anything about the issue, but he is willing to return 70 points only which is equivalent to a box of bibingka
b. He could not give back the points for the pancit malabon because they had to throw it away.
c. He is only doing this as an act of courtesy to us.
If given an option, I would, without mental reservation, give a negative rating to this establishment due to the unacceptable behavior of its manager. The following highlights his incompetence and dubious integrity:
1. For bluntly saying that he cannot do anything about the issue. As a manager and most importantly, the owner, sound decisions come from him alone, thus he is not answerable to anyone but to himself. Yet, did he make one? In the name of customer satisfaction, even the smallest restaurant around offers to replace the food when a customer is not satisfied. Some do not even accept payment anymore. To think that the subject in question are merely reward points earned for patronizing the establishment!
2. For saying that he threw away the large tray of pancit malabon. It was the day before New Year's Eve and the last day of their operation. On such occasion, food orders are at its peak and customers normally add more/extra to their previous orders upon picking them up. Having been in the business for a while, I am sure he prepares extra for these exigencies yet, there won't always be enough. In fact, we were recipients of these circumstances. Definitely, our large tray was sold as a whole, divided into smaller trays or who knows who brought it home. But to throw away food on New Year's Eve? It is too difficult to believe!
3. For strongly stating that the pancit malabon and bibingka were cooked specifically for us. Having said this, what made him keep the bibingka and throw away the former? Did he store the latter to be sold later? If such is the practice, what kept him from storing the pancit? Mark C., in his last month's review, stated that the food tasted old and stale!
4. When I asked why they not called to remind us that our order was ready similar what all other restaurants practice, he said they did. I challenged him that I can show proof based on my telephone bill that not even a single call did we get from them; he was adamant. Obviously, he was lying!
5. For evading my calls. That he denied that he was not the one at the other end of the line when I called up yesterday, 09 March even though it was obviously him. Today, when he learned that it was I who was calling again, he hung up as confirmed by her staff when I redialed.
Obviously, this review is not about the food. It is all about how a complaint was handled coming mainly from the manager/owner himself. With the circumstances that ensued, how can one trust that the food and service will be managed as expected? By the way, if you happen to be in the premises, take notice of the staff; they do not smile at all. I wonder how are they being treated by the SIR? read more