Customer service gone bad?

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-barred-Frankie-Benny-s-sending-90-meals.html

If the tales to be believed a chef at Frankie and Bennies barred a repeat customer who routinely sent food back. Clearly the place wasn't meeting her expectations. Now Frankie and Bennies have apologised. My view is they should have backed their chef and barred her from all their restaurants. Clearly she's a fussy troublemaker that probably costs them more to have as a customer than to lose.

Why not back their chef and staff?
 
ST4 said:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-barred-Frankie-Benny-s-sending-90-meals.html

If the tales to be believed a chef at Frankie and Bennies barred a repeat customer who routinely sent food back. Clearly the place wasn't meeting her expectations. Now Frankie and Bennies have apologised. My view is they should have backed their chef and barred her from all their restaurants. Clearly she's a fussy troublemaker that probably costs them more to have as a customer than to lose.

Why not back their chef and staff?
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You really do have too much time on your hands.:rolleyes:
 
Not so sure i'd bar her but would have certainally said to her after she had complained several times, this is our food, take it or leave it and let her make the decision to bar herself.
 
Gary Coyle said:
Not so sure i'd bar her but would have certainally said to her after she had complained several times, this is our food, take it or leave it and let her make the decision to bar herself.
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The thing is though, as she's proven demonstratably, she'd keep coming back then complaining about the food and creating hassle they owners could do without.

I really don't get their lack of back bone by saying, this customer is a nuisance, we don't want your business, you are barred from all our restaurants.
 
ST4 said:
Maybe. Or just spinelessness. What are they afraid of? Surely restaurants can serve who they want just as those can pick where they eat?

Keeping that as a loyal customer isn't worth it.
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It's about the message you send out to other customers and also to your staff.

In the 1st instance it would make customers believe that, if their food isn't up to standard and they send it back, they could end up getting barred. In the 2nd, it can make your staff believe that barring anyone who does send food back is acceptable.
 
fabs said:
It's about the message you send out to other customers and also to your staff.

In the 1st instance it would make customers believe that, if their food isn't up to standard and they send it back, they could end up getting barred. In the 2nd, it can make your staff believe that barring anyone who does send food back is acceptable.
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It also sends out a message to staff that their decisions don't matter and you accept customers that send back their food 90% of the time they visit. I've eaten in many of their restaurants. Their food is fine. I eat out a lot and never have sent food back ever. I've gone to restaurants that I've not liked and not returned. I'd never be rude enough to send something back unless it was undercooked/risk of food poisoning.

She's a fussy a**ehole and shouldn't be accomodated. Clearly others can eat at Frankie and Bennies and that chefs food without a 9/10 failure rate. She can't as it doesn't meet her expectations, thats fine, she shouldn't eat there and go somewhere else. As she doesn't, she's a pest and the company should back their staff. Its an extreme case, not a one off. I'd have enough faith in my staff not to bar people for sending back the odd thing, but repeat cases of coming back...no, I'd smell a rat
 
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ST4 said:
It also sends out a message to staff that their decisions don't matter and you accept customers that send back their food 90% of the time they visit. I've eaten in many of their restaurants. Their food is fine. I eat out a lot and never have sent food back ever. I've gone to restaurants that I've not liked and not returned. I'd never be rude enough to send something back unless it was undercooked/risk of food poisoning.

She's a fussy a**ehole and shouldn't be accomodated. Clearly others can eat at Frankie and Bennies and that chefs food without a 9/10 failure rate. She can't as it doesn't meet her expectations, thats fine, she shouldn't eat there and go somewhere else. As she doesn't, she's a pest and the company should back their staff. Its an extreme case, not a one off. I'd have enough faith in my staff not to bar people for sending back the odd thing, but repeat cases of coming back...no, I'd smell a rat
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No, it sends out a message to the staff that they are not entitled to make decisions that don't fall within company policy.

Whether you think she's a "fussy a******e" or not, she is a regular customer who spends a fair amount of money with them.
 
The universal rule in the service industry.......

.... The Customer is always right!
 
Frankie and Bennys is one of the worst places I have ever been to, simply rubbish "food", so I haven't been back.
Maybe she is addicted to bad food, but cannot break her addiction, and so feels compelled to go back - one last time - one last time etc?
 
fabs said:
No, it sends out a message to the staff that they are not entitled to make decisions that don't fall within company policy.

Whether you think she's a "fussy a******e" or not, she is a regular customer who spends a fair amount of money with them.
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I don't work there. The impression from the article is a manager could bar a customer, and a chef has the same powers as the manager.

Regular customer they could do without. She spends money but sends back and gets new meals 90% of the time. They probably operate at a loss and whilst she's there being a pest and being awkward filling a table, they could fill that table with a more normal person that eats what they order without sending it back.

The fact she's gone to the press shows she's pennies short of a pound
 
andy700 said:
Frankie and Bennys is one of the worst places I have ever been to, simply rubbish "food", so I haven't been back.
Maybe she is addicted to bad food, but cannot break her addiction, and so feels compelled to go back - one last time - one last time etc?
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I've found their food ok, bit pricey but eaten in loads and never had to send something back. It's not great, but perfectly edible and pleasant.
 
Its not about backing staff, its about customer service.

Next you'll be saying the hundred quid fine a hotel dishes out to customers who write negative reviews about their stay, whether justified or not, is ok.

Good, bad or ugly, without customers you have no business, and the losses incurred by a few naff ones are worth putting up with to create the correct impression for the other million perfectly reasonable paying visitors.
 
Nowt wrong with Frankie and Bennys either for food or service.
 
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I don't think that barring he would actually create a bad impression. It would create to me a business where I would respect the proprietor. I've lost all respect for them for tolerating this. Service, it's a two way thing. I doubt barring her would lose them any business, other than the nuisance they've banned. People are scared of losing business, the odd one drops off/you need to shake them off, but a place like Frankie and Bennies will be ok if the food is good, prices are ok and the location/service is right. Barring a nuisance changes none of that nor the impression of a place. It's not like she sent it back once or twice, but 9 in 10 times over a repeated basis. To want that as a customer to me smacks of desparation and shows the public you are desparate for anyone to come in...
 
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Mikesphotaes said:
The universal rule in the service industry.......

.... The Customer is always right!
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Until you've worked in that industry then you know the truth that the customer is actually rarely right
 
How many times will a wedding photographer reprint photos, create nice wedding albums at his/her own costs if a customer is not satisfied even if the said photographer and others think the photos are perfect, where would you stop and say enough is enough. I doubt that there is many here on TP that would put up with it constantly.
The woman in the article is obviously crackers that she has been disappointed on previous visits, why does she continue to go there. She goes because her friends decide that is where THEY want to eat, if she doesn't like it then maybe she should tell her buddies to stop going there. Something tells me they would tell her to sod off, maybe she is not taking the hint from them.
 
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She could tell her mates she doesn't rate the food and choose somewhere else to eat, there are many restaurants out there. It must be embarrasing for her friends to witness this spectacle, 9/10 times...jeez. F&B's is fine, nothing special, but fine.
 
I agree with @Gary Coyle that the woman is odd!

fabs said:
It's about the message you send out to other customers and also to your staff.

In the 1st instance it would make customers believe that, if their food isn't up to standard and they send it back, they could end up getting barred. In the 2nd, it can make your staff believe that barring anyone who does send food back is acceptable.
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Surely, Mark, all the company is doing is telling its staff that any one vexatious customer is more important than all of them! That doesn't help loyalty and it doesn't help raise standards. By and large most workers try and do the best they can for their customers. They know where their wages come from. But I also know from experience and anecdote, how much people value management support and hate management betrayal in any dispute!
 
The customer is king.....even if you do have to hock a loogie and blend it in the replacement dish :shifty:
 
Yves Geza said:
I agree with @Gary Coyle that the woman is odd!




Surely, Mark, all the company is doing is telling its staff that any one vexatious customer is more important than all of them! That doesn't help loyalty and it doesn't help raise standards. By and large most workers try and do the best they can for their customers. They know where their wages come from. But I also know from experience and anecdote, how much people value management support and hate management betrayal in any dispute!
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Could have been dealt with much better and without those problems if the chef hadn't made a unilateral decision in the first place.
 
fabs said:
Could have been dealt with much better and without those problems if the chef hadn't made a unilateral decision in the first place.
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Chef made the right decision. Actually they didn't. Copey dunt wasn't barred from all the Frankie and Bennies only from that one. Nor was she ejected with a meat cleaver stuck up her bum, which to be fair is what she deserves!!!!
 
ST4 said:
You get my point. Businesses IMHO need to stand up to nuisance customers more and tell them to become some else's problem. There's enough normal custom out there without having to feed off the bottom pits of customer business.
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Not heard of word of mouth then? Customer A tells potential customer B that she sent food back because it wasn't up to standard, Potential customer thinks "well I'm not going there" and relays the tale to potential customer C, D, etc...
 
I don't know about anyone else but if I go somewhere and get poor service/food then I will complain and unless I know things have changed then I won't go back. Why would you go back to somewhere that gave you cr@p food?
Unless a) its your job. Secret customer/reviewer or b) you are just a trouble maker.
 
fabs said:
Not heard of word of mouth then? Customer A tells potential customer B that she sent food back because it wasn't up to standard, Potential customer thinks "well I'm not going there" and relays the tale to potential customer C, D, etc...
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Yep. I've told a few stories about a bank and insurance company I had a problem with. Funnily enough it was a big problem and you know what. They're still solvent.

One banned dissatisfied moron won't sink an established franchise
 
All sounds a bit odd, I think I would get fed up of having to send food back and find a different restaurant quite frankly. I DO think the management should have supported chef publicly whilst perhaps pacifying her too, it is perfectly doable if they just stopped to think for a while, which would have made both the staff member and the lady more valued, which is always good for business.
 
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ST4 said:
Yep. I've told a few stories about a bank and insurance company I had a problem with. Funnily enough it was a big problem and you know what. They're still solvent.

One banned dissatisfied moron won't sink an established franchise
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You don't have to sink a business to harm it and banking is extremely different to the restaurant industry.
 
Yv said:
All sounds a bit odd, I think I would get fed up of having to send food back and find a different restaurant quite frankly. I DO think the management should have supported chef publicly whilst perhaps pacifying her too, it is perfectly doable if they just stopped to think for a while, which would have made both the staff member and the lady more valued, which is always good for business.
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Pay the lady not to go in?

If the chefs food was poor surely his superiors and other cases of crap food would come to light. He'd be sacked if he/she was crap. The food will be fine. She'll just be awkward. You get them. She'll be a problem they can do without.
 
ST4 said:
Pay the lady not to go in?

If the chefs food was poor surely his superiors and other cases of crap food would come to light. He'd be sacked if he/she was crap. The food will be fine. She'll just be awkward. You get them. She'll be a problem they can do without.
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If she was demanding money back every time I would agree with you, but plainly she isn't, so there are ways to deal with it that keep both happy without scapegoating chef.
 
fabs said:
You don't have to sink a business to harm it and banking is extremely different to the restaurant industry.
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You know. I went to a restaurant a few years back. It was crap. I told a few folk. Guess what, it's solvent and fine.

People are so arrogant that they think their business matters and can make/ break a place. Trust me, it matters not that much. It's the bigger picture that does. One moron you can do without but it's when the trends are for decline or growth is what matters.

If I said I bought some nasty cookies in tesco and had to queue for she's to everyone I know, do you really think it actually matters. No. It doesn't, they'll be fine.
 
Yv said:
If she was demanding money back every time I would agree with you, but plainly she isn't, so there are ways to deal with it that keep both happy without scapegoating chef.
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No, to be fair just replacement dishes.

I think they should have said we are sorry our restaurant doesn't meet your expectations just that of the vast majority of our customers. Clearly you expect more than we can offer you, we thank you for your custom but please do not come to our restaurants. We cannot and will not accommodate your unreasonable over and above expectations. To this effect for the convenience of our staff you're barred from all our restaurants. As you can understand with so many happy customers to serve we need to have our staff engaged helping reasonable, happy loyal customers rather than take their time away to deal with your overbearing requirements.

Business and people just need to accept you cannot please everyone and be pleased by everyone all the time.
 
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Ok..bottom line.
Yes sge sounds like a berk.
BUT she's not asked for money back. She says that when the food is cooked right it's lovely. So all she wants is her food...which she is paying for...to be cooked right.
Also, calling the chef a chef is a stretch. The vast majority of F&B dishes are prepared using a majority of pre prepared packaged items...so I'd say cook at best.
 
i have a brother in law that has this down to a fine art ,along with a voracious appetite ,he will usually order a large mixed grill or the best steak meal on the menu ,and after eating three quarters of it call the waiter/waitress over and complain theres something wrong with it and either get the meal for free or a replacement f.o.c .what i can't work out is he is tiny but eats twice as much as me .

it got to the point that if we went on holiday with them we ensured we booked all inclusive so as it wasn't worth pulling one .
 
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Main story aside, I find it hilarious that she eats there so often yet is a weight watchers leader....Perfect way to set a good example.:wacky:
 
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