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Battle in Buffalo
By: Patrick Maguire
Book Chapter: Confronting without Confrontation
Posted: 08/21/2012
This post is a precursor to a forthcoming post titled, Amateur Hour, Online Restaurant Reviews, that will include suggestions for restaurateurs and reviewers, especially anonymous reviewers. Some of your comments following this post will be quoted in the future piece.
Roy Binbuffalony, a Server Not Servant facebook group member, recently sent me a link to a story by ‘queenseyes’ on BUFFALO RISING, a website covering everything happening in and around Buffalo, NY. The piece, titled, Surprising Buffalo: Mike A’s, highlights a relatively new restaurant by renowned Buffalo restaurateur, Mike Andrzejewski. The piece includes quotes from travel writer, Steve Jermanok:
“Dinner was exceptional, probably one of the best meals I had since dining at the acclaimed Next in Chicago last summer. Mike Andrzejewski is one of the city’s best loved chefs and he finally has a high-end restaurant that matches his talent. One taste of his wagyu beef tartare, spiced with pine nuts, capers, watercress, red onions, olive oil, truffled Dijon mustard, and egg yolk, and you realize this dude’s destined for a James Beard award.”
Roy asked me to read the comment in response to the BUFFALO RISING piece written by a disgruntled, ‘anonymous’ poster, and then the response to the ‘anonymous’ poster by chef/owner Mike Andrzejewski.
Posted by anonymousOOO on August 7, 2012 PM:
A disappointment from one of WNY’s [Western New York] seasoned restaurant owners, & we never even made it to review the food! Our issues started with the lack of a sign for the restaurant/dining room, and some confusion between where to check-in, in relation to the location of the bar. (Note: it is a restaurant bar, not an open late hotel lobby bar.) A cheap curtain between the kitchen and the dining room, was our first red flag, far from five-star. The drink menu was impressive, and the specialty drinks even came with an old fashion single large ice cube, like Vera Pizzeria also does (nice touch). The odor of old and new in the place mixed together, interestingly. We especially liked chandelier lights in the bar area, but they totally missed with carrying the noir lights also into the dining room. (Cheap Home Depot spotlights throughout the entire dining room.) We then made our way into the loud echoing dining room, with beautiful high ceilings, which unfortunately only exacerbated the high noise level. There were nice mosaics throughout, and the unshaded windows provide a nice view of the library. We then had issue with the overzealous waiter trying to give us each 4 pieces of bread (another amateur mistake). Then after an expected deep dive into the menu, there was a lack of any specials menu. Now this is something that isn’t necessarily mandatory, but expected by many (another miss). Then came a whipped cream radish teaser thingy (another fail). We placed our orders and promptly received some overcooked scallops, and romaine wedge salad (didn’t know that a WEDGE came from Romaine- not what we expected) with a nice bottle of mildly priced pinot noir was ordered. Our wine arrived and the waiter then spilled our bottle of red wine all over me!!!, which promptly and effectively ruined any chance of any further review, EPIC FAIL! Given the above we cannot recommend this restaurant. This place has only been open a few weeks, but we expected so much more. [sic]
Response from Chef/Owner Mike Andrzejewski on August 9, 2012 4:43 PM:
RESPONSE to ANONYMOUs000 Hello Christopher Hawkins of HSBC bank aka Anonymous000, Lets tell the readers the whole story here- and Why you are angry , you classless pig. Mr. Hawkins showed up at the Lafayette hotel last weekend claiming he had a reservation under another name. Our hostess who behaved as professionally as possible to accommodated him and tolerate his obviously intoxicated ,agitated and aggressive behavior moved their table twice to satisfy his demands. The server was as tolerant as possible while Mr. Hawkins bantered and stammered, and the table ordered a bottle of wine and the rest of the savory portion of the meal. After eating the appetizers AND finishing the wine Mr. Hawkins purposely knocked over the empty bottle in a childish display of bad acting, blaming it on the waiter startling him. (This was witnessed and verified by other guests around him in the dining room.) Again making a scene he instructed the other guests to retrieve the car from the valet and he would “take care of the check”. when the manager went to print the check Hawkins then sprinted out the door and left without paying his bill, and worse stiffing the server whom he abused through his service. BUT WAIT – Hawkins then went to Seabar , Our other restaurant and demanded tho the Host that she take care of him and that “Mike A” himself sent him there to make up for his experience. Sherri, my wife and owner of Seabar trying to make the best of a bad situation promptly moved things around seated Hawkins , who once again was a complete Obnoxious jackass to the server. and the staff proceeded to try and provide a good dining experience, all the while Hawkins and his pathetic girlfriend with tears in her eyes berated my restaurants to everyone within earshot. Finally after being called about the situation I arrived at Seabar from the Hotel , just in time to hear how the server should be ashamed and that we owed him money. Immediately I made sure to tell him to get himself and everything else associated with him out of my restaurant, and the spineless tool even admitted he spilled the empty wine which he already had finished and skipped out on a bill. Demanding that he leave immediately he and entourage finally exited. BUT it gets better! After leaving the scumbag gets pulled over by Police , who is aware of the situation and make him call the restaurant and turn over his credit card number to cover our cost. To end the saga , the other couple they were dining with ,so mortified and embarrassed went back to the Lafayette and payed for the wine Mr Hawkins stole, and explained to our management that they wanted no part of such behavior. To them THANK YOU! that was a classy and dignified thing to do and earned a great deal of respect from our staff. Chris Hawkins is really a spineless and crass individual,and stories abound about his horrendous actions and abusive behavior throughout the restaurant industry. Now he is such gutless clown he wont sign is name to false criticism he is slandering all over the internet … I will though- this is the rest of the story. Mike Andrzejewski [sic]
The exact same ‘anonymous’ rant was also posted on UrbanSpoon on August 7, 2012 under the moniker of “anonymous1″(first and only post), and also on Yelp under the handle, “C A.”(first and only post). Yelpers refer to (usually anonymous) reviewers with no photo as “Orange Heads”. The UrbanSpoon and Yelp reviews have since been taken down by the site monitors.
I reached out to “C A.” via Yelp’s messaging option. Here is his response and my exchange with him:
Hi Patrick,
I have considered not responding to your note, but feel if I did not, then an accurate accounting of that evening would not take place… I am the victim here…
I would prefer that you not use my full name.
Patrick Maguire: How long have you known Mike?
Chris: I have been eating at his establishments for over 10 years, and spent thousands over the years. This was the first negative experience I have EVER had. I have never met the man other than saying “hello” to him over the years.
PM: Do you have a grudge against him? If yes,why?
Chris: I certainly do not have any grudge against anyone. I was simply disappointed, and I felt that it was my right to say so. The backlash of saying so has been significant.
PM: Do you have a response to his comments ripping you and your actions in his restaurants?
Chris: I do, he is outright lying in his response.
PM: Have you contacted him and apologized?
Chris: My Atty has advised me to have no further contact with him in any way. I have no intention to apologized as I did nothing wrong, other than leaving to avoid conflict.
PM: Is there anything you’d like to add?
Chris: Sure,.. As a foodie, I have ate[sic] at many an establishment, and posted several reviews. In this case, I have learned a lot as a result of my negative experience that evening and the internet post. That review was sincere and accurate from me. His rebuttal however, was not.
One of the things that I have learned, is that businesses can have negative reviews removed from some websites for a cost per word! Where is the literary integrity there?
When posting a negative review about any business, their proprietors take it as a direct personal attack on their livelihood and will do anything to fight back, including LIE. (My review was not meant to be a personal attack.)
In this case, some examples include, 1.) there was no police involvement that evening. (A quick review of the police blotter from that night can prove that).2.) We were not intoxicated at any time, (we had our first drink when we got to the restaurant.) 3.) Almost every other statement he made was either an outright lie or an exaggeration. Mr. A, personally wasn’t involved in any of the interactions, so any accounting he received was after the fact, except when he asked us to leave, which we quietly did, offering to pay for whatever we ate so far, but was met with “Just go”. 4.) I certainly did not spill anywine on myself!
He made a scene in his own restaurant, not us. (Perhaps he could have approached us outside, or asked us to talk privately- instead he blew up in the middle of his own establishment.)
I have always believed that, If you leave someone alone, they will leave you alone. He obviously is interested in some free press and attention, I however am not.
Which is why I posted anonymously.
At this point, I just want to put this to rest and move on.
A Cease and Desist letter has been sent to Mike Andrejewski from my attorney, to stop using my name or any likeness thereof, directly or indirectly through any 3rd party, in any slanderous way, as my Review was not directed at him personally, rather at our negative experience we had at one of his many restaurants.
After the written response from Chris, I called him and left a message, and he called me back right away to confirm that the Yelp message was, in fact, written by him. During that conversation, I told him that everyone would have a fair opportunity to respond to the public comments following this post. After speaking with Chris, he sent me another Yelp message requesting that I state that he is not employed by HSBC, and to add that he is a consultant.
I also called Mike Andrzejewski and sent him a couple of emails seeking clarification from his perspective. Here is my email exchange with Mike:
Patrick Maguire: In retrospect, is there anything you wish you handled differently? (It seems like you should have thrown him out of your steakhouse for being a drunk, obnoxious boor.)
Mike Andrzejewski: I think as a restaurant we did everything possible to make the best of the situation. It’s easy in retrospect to second guess, but at the steakhouse we had no idea he would run out on the check, and then show up at Seabar to try and extort a free meal there. I should have answered my phone earlier when they tried to call , but I was in the kitchen and the staff and my wife at Seabar did their best with a bad situation.
PM: Have you heard from Chris since the incident?
Mike A.: [He] messaged me on facebook with an very untrue explanation of his actions.And several delusional accusations. He also called the restaurant , spoke to my wife Sherri, attempted to apologize and ask that I remove references to his employment. I did not post anything regarding him, his employment or anything else about the incident after my initial response. I also instructed our employees to cease posting anything or even discuss the incident any further.
PM: Have you confirmed that the guy in question was him?
Mike A.: Absolutely confirmed it was him.
PM: Has he apologized?
Mike A.: When he called back with his credit card number he initially told our employee to take the number and tell us to fuck ourselves. Afterwards, when he called the restaurant, he asked us to remove employment references ( Which we did not post) and vaguely attempted to apologize. He was told to apologize to the servers and host whom he mistreated.
PM: Does he have an ax to grind with you? Why?
Mike A.: I don’t think he had a problem with me personally. He does now. I think if you read some of the comment threads which there are a lot of , his behavior has been known around Buffalo and he has a reputation of really being an asshole.
PM: Feel free to add anything you’d like me to include.
Mike A.: I want to make it perfectly clear that any references to Hawkins’ employment or personal issues were made by people following the posts he began, and not posted or sanctioned by anyone at our restaurants, just more literary integrity from the masses. “The pen is mightier than the sword. “
Also, I need to say that the only regret I have is not finding out more of the police involvement , I have been unable to verify first-hand exactly what happened with the officer, and was told of this by customers coming back into the restaurant as the events were unfolding. I tried very diligently to follow up and get a first-hand and verifiable witness report, but received no contacts or answers from the people (2 separate Groups) who first told us of this happening. Everything prior, we have undeniable and first-hand accounts.
I think the history of our respective reputations speaks for itself. As does the response to the postings put up, literally hundreds of people chimed in with stories of their own about Hawkins, and myself for that matter. If he was so concerned about only voicing an opinion, he certainly did – posting the identical critique on yelp, buffalo rising, urbanspoon and several other sites. As far as paying for removable reviews? Really? and literary integrity, start by signing your work.
I have never responded to an online review previously in a public fashion like this incident, and have, on a couple occasions, contacted reviewers who posted negatively to address and correct the problems they brought to my attention. This was not the case in Hawkins’ situation. His malicious intent warranted a public response in defense of my staff, restaurant and the way he treated them especially my wife , who runs Seabar. There was a time in my life when I would have handled this differently, much differently.
As far as the claim he spent thousands in my establishments is a stretch , to say the least. Maybe a hundred fifty over the last 4 years. And as far as claiming I’m looking for free publicity? Seriously, I get an almost embarrassing amount of attention from the local press, and certainly do not need to drag this kind of bullshit out in public.
My actions in telling him to leave the restaurant , and not asking him to speak privately were directly in response to him screaming at the waitress for giving him a bill , and stating that she owed him money for his troubles. He so embarrassed himself that a number of customers actually applauded and commented as he finally left the restaurant.
Finally, if Mr hawkins wishes to contact attorneys, he can have them approach the “anonymous” people on facebook , Buffalo rising, The buffalo News and other public forums to cease and desist. Since its ok for anyone to post things as they see them why is he complaining? After all, Isn’t that his point when he put his comments up publicly?
I really love the restaurant and service business, I think it’s a pretty noble profession. It angers and hurts me when people degrade it and degrade the people who work so hard at it.
Sincerely, Mike Andrzejewski
Please add your comments below if you have any additional information to add about Chris’s latest visits to Mike A or Seabar.
#1- What do you think of the ‘anonymous’ comments posted by Chris on BUFFALO RISING, UrbanSpoon and Yelp?
#2- What advice/suggestions do you have for amateur, anonymous posters who hide behind their keyboards when writing restaurant reviews?
#3- How about suggestions for amateur reviewers in general, even those who disclose their real names?
#3- What do you think of Mike A’s response on BUFFALO RISING to the comments by Chris?
#4- What advice/suggestions do you have for restaurateurs when it comes to responding publicly to online reviews?
16 Responses to “Battle in Buffalo”
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Permalink | Posted in Confronting without Confrontation, Customer Hall of Shame | 16 Comments »
I reached out to travel writer, Steve Jermanok, via twitter (@ActiveTravels). His piece on Buffalo is slated to run in The Boston Globe in October. Steve’s travel blog:
http://www.activetravels.com/
Another great post, Patrick. Here are my thoughts in response to your questions.
1 – 3) I think reviewers should make every effort to be fair and accurate while using their real names. This includes giving credit where credit is due, but also being honest about something your favorite restaurant doesn’t quite get right.
4) I didn’t care for the restaurant owner’s response at all. It comes across as defensive and unprofessional. It also made me wonder how he’d respond to MY review. Better to avoid the risk and never dine there.
5) Restaurant owners should do three things to respond to reviews. First, take a deep breath before responding. Bad reviews feel personal, especially if they are untrue, but your first priority should be retaining a positive public imagine (rather than retaliating). Second, respond by simply acknowledging that you want your customers to be satisfied and offer a method for the review to contact you privately so you can address their complaints. This tells the public that you take complaints seriously, but keeps them out of the argument. Finally, look for the grains of truth in the complaints. There may be some real opportunities to improve if you look past all of the negativity.
Bravo, Chef Mike! Thank God these kinds of jerks are rare.
We had a similar experience, regarding an internet posting by a customer without any references to our follow up. It can be frustrating when people sometimes say nothing when they are present, and yet post highly critical comments online. It’s not like we wouldn’t rectify the problem when they are present.
We weren’t aware of the post until a dedicated, loyal customer commented that she had posted a positive review, and was complaining about a negative post about caviar.
We tried to have our business referenced with our reply post, for some reason, it’s not showing our name, and we haven’t had time to determine why it’s not, in spite of the settings indicating otherwise.
For anyone interested: http://local.yahoo.com/info-18228026-la-truffe-sauvage-lake-charles
As an operator, I also think it’s important to be above reproach, and only reply/post of verifiable information. Otherwise, it becomes a cat-fight and a distraction to the operation of the business.
I have to agree with Jeff, especially with regard to points 4 and 5. No matter how obnoxious a patron is, it degrades a restaurant owner/executive chef to stoop to that level. Anyone with the chops to deserve a James Beard award someday, needs to steer clear of the drunken and/or obnoxious ‘entitleds’ and hold his/her head high. You can’t change someone’s opinion of an experience, and you can’t put yourself in their seats at your restaurant. But you can do everything possible to provide the very best cuisine, the very best service, and the very best experience. After that, I think it wise to keep your mouth shut, placate in a reasonable way, and let it pass. Even if you have to choke on it quietly. Reason? Because word of mouth garners most restaurants their best and worst reviews. Why add fuel to a fire when you’re working so hard, and most people are loving what you offer? Why make yourself look bad just to satisfy a need to tell off an asshole? In other words, when you are giving your best, take the high road.
Actually, sites such as Yelp have turned into soapboxes for cowards to pontificate their venom, and I think we in the industry have every right to respond to individuals who haven’t the balls to confront us on a level playing field. Here’s an example…
http://terryeverton.net/?p=1389
Everybody here! Please look at the basic facts.
None of us were there for this restaurant experience.
However, we do know that the customer was a liar, a cheat and a thief. These are the only facts that we have to base any opinions on. Just what businesses tolerate this kind of behavior in the work place? Does it really matter if you are selling food and hospitality ..or shoes and hand bags for that matter? I think that Chef was right on the mark. Bravo!
If you owned a dress shop and a customer ran off with a piece of your inventory, claiming that the sales girl wasn’t quick enough to suit their needs, would it be ok with you? THINK HERE! Restaurants are not public picnic grounds. Show a little respect, and you will be given all of that and more in return, I assure you.
As I’ve mentioned to Patrick on Twitter, and others, I know Mr. Hawkins personally. I was a co-worker some years ago for a couple months.
Mike A’s description of Mr. Hawkins’ actions meshes perfectly with my experiences. Mr. Hawkins was, for lack of a better term, a brat. He was difficult to work with, consistently acting like the work he was requested to do was beneath him, and not worth his time. The few times we had lunch together, he treated restaurant staff as servants, and this is at places like Applebee’s and Chili’s. It does not surprise me at all that he would act in the manner that Mike A. described.
Full disclosure : I don’t know Mike A., and I’ve never had the pleasure of eating at any of his establishments. (This is because I’m cheap, and don’t take advantage of many of the fine Buffalo eateries.)
To address the raised points, I think if someone is willing to write something, they should stand by it and identify themselves. First name and an initial is enough. Any review should be written with a modicum of respect as well. ‘ZOMG THIS PLACE SUXXORS!!11!1’ doesn’t do anyone any good.
As far as owner responses, it depends on how it’s handled. Most of the time a good honest discussion is great, and can make the restaurant look that much better since it considers customer feedback to be important. On the flip side, responding to anonymous, raging reviews is usually not a good idea, since most reasonable people would tend to ignore such writing.
I was happy to see Mike A. stand up for himself here.
In my experience in the restaurant business for over 20 years, you can’t please everyone all the time. And when there is ever an issue, I would suggest doing what ever can be done to diffuse the issue, address it as quietly as possible (Not on the internet), and then move on. We have way too many other things that are much more important than dealing with; like vendors and staff, than focusing on each and every disgruntled customer.
For an Executive Chef to put HIS name out there with such a negative response, can only HURT his reputation. Perhaps HE should have posted anonymously, but not named himself. Then to call out things without having all of the facts also is ill advisable. Anonymity is one of the Internets best things, that has changed our society for ever.
Similar shame goes to “Anonymous”. If you are going to comment about anyone or anything publicly, as your first “Foodie Review”, you should stand up and be named. This poster should have taken more time to see several other postings and follow protocol. Better yet, kept his questionable story to himself.
Unbiased objective reviews are welcomed by most, but bantering back-and-forth is unproductive. I hope BOTH parties refrain from ever posting again.
No matter what industry you are in–hospitality or otherwise–there will always be creeps, morons, users, brats and assholes. Behaving with civility, pride, class and decorum may not change them, but it will keep you from sinking into the cesspool of bad behavior.
#1- What do you think of the ‘anonymous’ comments posted by Chris on BUFFALO RISING, UrbanSpoon and Yelp?
It has been my experience that when someone goes to the effort to put multiple anonymous reviews up they are either bitter former employees or they are trying to save face.
#2- What advice/suggestions do you have for amateur, anonymous posters who hide behind their keyboards when writing restaurant reviews?
Don’t.
#3- How about suggestions for amateur reviewers in general, even those who disclose their real names?
Don’t review or post until your entire experience is over. There are people working in the establishment that rely on it for their income. Think how you would feel if you were given negative reviews every time you made a mistake in your work. If you are angry then wait a while until you calm down and approach your review fairly and with integrity. Be honest about the good and the bad. I don’t want to eat where the food, service and prices are bad but I also don’t want to read a ridiculous rant that does no one any good.
#3- What do you think of Mike A’s response on BUFFALO RISING to the comments by Chris?
I think he could have handled it better without the name calling. I believe they are both stretching the facts a little but I know Chris is a liar. His Linkedin profile reads: Sr. Project Manager II, Business Transformation Office- Mortgage at HSBC Bank N.A. (USA) so he does indeed work for HSBC.
#4- What advice/suggestions do you have for restaurateurs when it comes to responding publicly to online reviews?
Keep calm, write the facts succinctly, accurately and courteously. When I read a rude or excessive rant from an owner it makes me wonder how they treat their staff.
#1- What do you think of the ‘anonymous’ comments posted by Chris on BUFFALO RISING, UrbanSpoon and Yelp?
I didn’t really see anything wrong with the review. Using the term “EPIC FAIL” probably wasn’t the most mature thing to do, but it is the internet. It was honest, if not a bit over-opinionated. I think he overreacted to the spilled wine, but I take things like that with a grain of salt because it was the accidental action of an employee, not a reflection of how the restaurant is run.
#2- What advice/suggestions do you have for amateur, anonymous posters who hide behind their keyboards when writing restaurant reviews?
Don’t do it. Any time I see a review by an anonymous submitter, I automatically toss that person’s opinion out. If you are too scared to leave an identifier, then you have absolutely no credibility.
#3- How about suggestions for amateur reviewers in general, even those who disclose their real names?
Probably the most important thing is to not judge a restaurant’s quality of service if you have only been to it once. If the food is bad, say so. But do not judge a restaurant based on the waitstaff. The owner can only correct actions taken by waitstaff after they happen and have been made aware of the situation. If your experience was ruined by a single waiter, let the manager or owner know, try the restaurant again, and request to be served by someone else. If the restaurant has consistently bad service over a period of 5-6 visits, then include it in a review. I don’t want to know about how horrible the service was the one and only time you ever went to the restaurant. I want to know how good the food was. When you get a bad server, it means YOU got a bad server. Not that all the servers are bad.
#3- What do you think of Mike A’s response on BUFFALO RISING to the comments by Chris?
Not nearly as professional as it should have been. As a business man, he should have known to handle the situation with a bit more tact. Name calling is a big no-no if you want to be taken at all seriously. The readers have no idea what the truth is, and have no way to figure it out. Unless you can verify the accusations you make, its best to leave them out of the reply.
#4- What advice/suggestions do you have for restaurateurs when it comes to responding publicly to online reviews?
See #3. In addition, try contacting the administrators of the website. See if they are willing to take the post down if you can provide evidence contrary to what was written.
I don’t understand why there are not more limitations on some of these review sites. While it is good to know what businesses give you the best service for your money, many times the reviews that get posted are from people who have only been a customer once and have no basis for making an accusation of a business having bad customer service policies (which is exactly what someone is doing when they give a business a bad rating for one incident of less than expected service). Honestly, I tend to not to pay much attention to the content in a review that starts with “I thought I would give them a try” or “We were looking for x on our vacation” other than their thoughts on the quality of the food.
I wouldn’t write a negative review on Yelp without contacting the business first. Let them have their say, but if they don’t bother, then fair game. I’ve written a couple semi-bad yelp reviews before, but I made sure I listed all of the positives of my experience and described the negatives in the most judicious of terms- in these cases I’m giving potential diners a head’s up on what to expect or avoid. I’m not trying to make people cry or lose their jobs.
Recently one of the restaurants I work at got a Yelp review that referring to the “rude overweight hostess.” It’s never acceptable to take cheap shots like that. I felt terrible for the host in question.
In the above scenario, I think the business owner’s response was way over the top. With the run-on paragraph, laced with caps locks and insults, he comes across as being unhinged. All he needed to do in this case was simply list the facts, as they spoke for themselves; anyone with half a brain could have figured out this dude was a douchebag without it being said so explicitly. I understand how tough it was for the business owner to be calm in this case, but it is still always better to take the high road.
Patrick – your blog post and the ensuing comments inspired my own post on the right way to respond to online complaints. Here’s the link: http://bit.ly/NUsqIP
#1- What do you think of the ‘anonymous’ comments posted by Chris on BUFFALO RISING, UrbanSpoon and Yelp?
I have had the pleasure of running a few establishments in and around Boston and I can honestly say that I do know know if online reviewers (of the non professional sort) actually know what they can do to us. I am a firm beliver that if I have a bad experience at a restaurant I simply will not return. If I felt the need to go to management I would do it privately.
Notice the change that Chris has when his employment is brought up and how he does not want his employer mentioned? Well, when you post a review online you could be affecting someone’s employment.
If we could write reviews about every cashier at Best Buy, or rate ever experience with a Banker, would people think about their actions?
I am not sure. I believe that every business should listen to its customers and their needs and requests while also sticking true to their values and identity.
Customers that think it is fun to harass staff simply because they can should be banned from establishments. If you do not protect your staff then who will work for you?
A lot of the hospitality industry is more than just a job for us, it is a way of life. We do not look at it as “just a job” so when we are trying very hard and get a nasty online review, it hurts. Mentally, profesionally, and personally. I have always done my best to respond to complaints immediately, and the worst is when the guest does not respond at all.
Great post Patrick!
Chris’ Latest Review:
http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=NYjvxSQmlrI-EHusHFmPzg