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muirford

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As many of us do, I have a blog which includes info about events, stuff happening at the Inn, some restaurant reviews - all the normal things. One of the restaurants I've reviewed on the blog doesn't have its own website, so my blog entry turns up in the top five when you google the place. Today I get an email and a comment posted on my blog from someone who had a bad experience there - steak wasn't cooked the way they wanted, manager didn't take care of it in a satisfactory manner. I don't believe this person stayed here, although I can't really be sure if the room wasn't booked under that name. The blog comment was posted anonymously; the email sent to the B&B email address. Comments/suggestions? I won't post the comment on the blog - my review stands as my own review, not anybody else's opinion. I don't know if I should reply to the email at all. The same person has already posted the email/comment verbatim on yelp, so I'm sure it will get on all the regular review sites at some point.
 
I wouldn't bother replying. If you're not posting it, you're not posting it.
=)
Kk.
 
Hi Jeanne!
Sounds like you've got a novel business idea on your hands....an online review site for restaurants with no web pages! Call it www.no-website-restaurant-advisor.com. :)
I wouldn't post the comment either. Let it die on the vine, but do the restauranteur a favor and tell them to get a website.
Hope you are well.
Jay
 
Hi Jeanne!
Sounds like you've got a novel business idea on your hands....an online review site for restaurants with no web pages! Call it www.no-website-restaurant-advisor.com. :)
I wouldn't post the comment either. Let it die on the vine, but do the restauranteur a favor and tell them to get a website.
Hope you are well.
Jay.
Hi Jay,
Trust me, I have been trying to get them to get a website for two years, even a page listing on our town's visitors center. I get tired of being called for their telephone number!
I definitely wasn't going to post the comment, but the poster also sent an email - separate, but verbatim containing the post - to my inn address. It is that email that I considered replying to. Given that this person seems to have found sufficient outlets for their anger (I've seen their post already on yelp and chowhound, and I'm sure the TA one is pending), I'll probably just let it go.
 
So to me it seems the diner wants you to know that what you are recommending did not happen for them. I would ignore it as well and let your review stand. You can sit at the next table and have a bad experience - we did last week, waitress in fight with her boyfriend. Next table over got super service, we got cold food and basically no service at all.
I will for now on, walk in and ask the hostess for the BEST SERVER. So I can understand the diner's issue, you pay big bucks and get something lousy.
If people get sick, like they did at a restaurant I used to recommend, I take them off my review, and don't put anything negative, just don't send anyone there.
Do you feel after his words that the place still stands worthy?
 
So to me it seems the diner wants you to know that what you are recommending did not happen for them. I would ignore it as well and let your review stand. You can sit at the next table and have a bad experience - we did last week, waitress in fight with her boyfriend. Next table over got super service, we got cold food and basically no service at all.
I will for now on, walk in and ask the hostess for the BEST SERVER. So I can understand the diner's issue, you pay big bucks and get something lousy.
If people get sick, like they did at a restaurant I used to recommend, I take them off my review, and don't put anything negative, just don't send anyone there.
Do you feel after his words that the place still stands worthy?.
Yes. Even a good restaurant can have an off night. In this case, the complaint is that the person ordered a well-done steak and then sent it back complaining that it was burnt. The chef wouldn't re-cook it and the manager (chef's wife) took the chef's side not the diner's. Methinks that the diner was a bit of a problem - mentioned having a food allergy and only being able to eat a few items on the menu. Lots of restaurants won't guarantee a steak if you order it well done, although I have never seen that disclaimer on this menu. However, the manager (chef's wife) can get huffy if she's p-o'd and/or stressed - I'm sure that's what happened.
 
So to me it seems the diner wants you to know that what you are recommending did not happen for them. I would ignore it as well and let your review stand. You can sit at the next table and have a bad experience - we did last week, waitress in fight with her boyfriend. Next table over got super service, we got cold food and basically no service at all.
I will for now on, walk in and ask the hostess for the BEST SERVER. So I can understand the diner's issue, you pay big bucks and get something lousy.
If people get sick, like they did at a restaurant I used to recommend, I take them off my review, and don't put anything negative, just don't send anyone there.
Do you feel after his words that the place still stands worthy?.
Yes. Even a good restaurant can have an off night. In this case, the complaint is that the person ordered a well-done steak and then sent it back complaining that it was burnt. The chef wouldn't re-cook it and the manager (chef's wife) took the chef's side not the diner's. Methinks that the diner was a bit of a problem - mentioned having a food allergy and only being able to eat a few items on the menu. Lots of restaurants won't guarantee a steak if you order it well done, although I have never seen that disclaimer on this menu. However, the manager (chef's wife) can get huffy if she's p-o'd and/or stressed - I'm sure that's what happened.
.
One day at our favorite restaurant I saw a couple that complained about most of the meal and left unhappy. I could see they were getting good service, so it must have been food they didn't like.
I have had problems a couple of times, but we go often and that happens. I just won't order that food there again.
I wouldn't post it either or take your review down. It is how you feel about the place.
 
I'd let that one die in the inbox and not even bother. That person was looking for every possible outlet to vent.
 
Hi Jeanne!
Sounds like you've got a novel business idea on your hands....an online review site for restaurants with no web pages! Call it www.no-website-restaurant-advisor.com. :)
I wouldn't post the comment either. Let it die on the vine, but do the restauranteur a favor and tell them to get a website.
Hope you are well.
Jay.
Hi Jay,
Trust me, I have been trying to get them to get a website for two years, even a page listing on our town's visitors center. I get tired of being called for their telephone number!
I definitely wasn't going to post the comment, but the poster also sent an email - separate, but verbatim containing the post - to my inn address. It is that email that I considered replying to. Given that this person seems to have found sufficient outlets for their anger (I've seen their post already on yelp and chowhound, and I'm sure the TA one is pending), I'll probably just let it go.
.
muirford said:
Hi Jay,
Trust me, I have been trying to get them to get a website for two years, even a page listing on our town's visitors center. I get tired of being called for their telephone number!
I definitely wasn't going to post the comment, but the poster also sent an email - separate, but verbatim containing the post - to my inn address. It is that email that I considered replying to. Given that this person seems to have found sufficient outlets for their anger (I've seen their post already on yelp and chowhound, and I'm sure the TA one is pending), I'll probably just let it go.
Looks like they want you to either DO something about the situation, remove your good review or just tack their bad review on. Regardless, I don't think you need to reply to any of it if you do not recognize the email address as one of your guests.
 
So to me it seems the diner wants you to know that what you are recommending did not happen for them. I would ignore it as well and let your review stand. You can sit at the next table and have a bad experience - we did last week, waitress in fight with her boyfriend. Next table over got super service, we got cold food and basically no service at all.
I will for now on, walk in and ask the hostess for the BEST SERVER. So I can understand the diner's issue, you pay big bucks and get something lousy.
If people get sick, like they did at a restaurant I used to recommend, I take them off my review, and don't put anything negative, just don't send anyone there.
Do you feel after his words that the place still stands worthy?.
Yes. Even a good restaurant can have an off night. In this case, the complaint is that the person ordered a well-done steak and then sent it back complaining that it was burnt. The chef wouldn't re-cook it and the manager (chef's wife) took the chef's side not the diner's. Methinks that the diner was a bit of a problem - mentioned having a food allergy and only being able to eat a few items on the menu. Lots of restaurants won't guarantee a steak if you order it well done, although I have never seen that disclaimer on this menu. However, the manager (chef's wife) can get huffy if she's p-o'd and/or stressed - I'm sure that's what happened.
.
Sounds like a case where they had either already gone above and beyond and didn't want to go any further or they just didn't care. I always order my steak rare. I got an overdone one at the place we always go and I told the waitress. Not only did I get a new steak, she brought me a to go box 'for the dog' for the overdone steak.
 
So to me it seems the diner wants you to know that what you are recommending did not happen for them. I would ignore it as well and let your review stand. You can sit at the next table and have a bad experience - we did last week, waitress in fight with her boyfriend. Next table over got super service, we got cold food and basically no service at all.
I will for now on, walk in and ask the hostess for the BEST SERVER. So I can understand the diner's issue, you pay big bucks and get something lousy.
If people get sick, like they did at a restaurant I used to recommend, I take them off my review, and don't put anything negative, just don't send anyone there.
Do you feel after his words that the place still stands worthy?.
Yes. Even a good restaurant can have an off night. In this case, the complaint is that the person ordered a well-done steak and then sent it back complaining that it was burnt. The chef wouldn't re-cook it and the manager (chef's wife) took the chef's side not the diner's. Methinks that the diner was a bit of a problem - mentioned having a food allergy and only being able to eat a few items on the menu. Lots of restaurants won't guarantee a steak if you order it well done, although I have never seen that disclaimer on this menu. However, the manager (chef's wife) can get huffy if she's p-o'd and/or stressed - I'm sure that's what happened.
.
muirford said:
Yes. Even a good restaurant can have an off night. In this case, the complaint is that the person ordered a well-done steak and then sent it back complaining that it was burnt. The chef wouldn't re-cook it and the manager (chef's wife) took the chef's side not the diner's. Methinks that the diner was a bit of a problem - mentioned having a food allergy and only being able to eat a few items on the menu. Lots of restaurants won't guarantee a steak if you order it well done, although I have never seen that disclaimer on this menu. However, the manager (chef's wife) can get huffy if she's p-o'd and/or stressed - I'm sure that's what happened.
Everyone knows you cannot send back WELL DONE steaks.
 
seashanty said:
reviews, reviews, reviews, they are taking over everything
i buy something on amazon or ebay or any merchant online and am likely to get a request to post a review.
my take: this patron is still mad ... they don't want a good review to stand, and want you to remove yours because of their experience. they've already vented enough ... they'll probably continue to post on sites wherever they can if they are vindictive. it's why sometimes a place will give a loud, complaining customer what they want ... to quiet them.
we are all subject to this 'anonymous review board' ... the guest who posts a negative review of our place. warranted? maybe. but, maybe not.
I hope I don't face this customer anytime soon. That sort of behavior annoys me and would annoy me more if they threatened me with 'review retaliation'. I think I can speak for hubs & myself on this one...if someone pulled that stunt here we'd ask them to leave. Reviews be damned. Placating is not my strong suit.
 
reviews, reviews, reviews, they are taking over everything
i buy something on amazon or ebay or any merchant online and am likely to get a request to post a review.
my take: this patron is still mad ... they don't want your good review to stand because of their experience. they've already vented enough ... they'll probably continue to post on sites wherever they can if they are vindictive. it's why sometimes a place will give a loud, complaining customer what they want ... to quiet them. i wouldn't respond unless you want to get into an email exchange with this person. and i wouldn't post someone else's anonymous review unless you want to totally change your own blog to show disclaimers and all that stuff. opinions of the posters do not necessarily reflect my own ... etc.
i've had guests visit a local restaurant ... and have totally different experiences. one will rave, one will complain ... same place, same chef, same wait staff ... possibly different meal and different waitress ...
we are all subject to this 'anonymous review board' ... the guest who posts a negative review of our place. warranted? maybe. but, maybe not.
 
seashanty said:
reviews, reviews, reviews, they are taking over everything
i buy something on amazon or ebay or any merchant online and am likely to get a request to post a review.
my take: this patron is still mad ... they don't want a good review to stand, and want you to remove yours because of their experience. they've already vented enough ... they'll probably continue to post on sites wherever they can if they are vindictive. it's why sometimes a place will give a loud, complaining customer what they want ... to quiet them.
we are all subject to this 'anonymous review board' ... the guest who posts a negative review of our place. warranted? maybe. but, maybe not.
I hope I don't face this customer anytime soon. That sort of behavior annoys me and would annoy me more if they threatened me with 'review retaliation'. I think I can speak for hubs & myself on this one...if someone pulled that stunt here we'd ask them to leave. Reviews be damned. Placating is not my strong suit..
Our only negative review is from a threat like that. She called to book 5 or 6 women in my two junior suites. I asked if she told them all that 4 of them would be sharing two king beds. She said she'd get back to me.
Nothing for 5 weeks. So I assumed no. I contacted the person to see if they were still interested in a wine tour. She said she wanted the suites and had forgotten to contact me to confirm the booking. I asked if she had told the women about the sleeping arrangments. She said no, but anywhere else they were trying to book told them they would have to book three rooms. I told her that like the others, I was not comfortable with that many people and suitcases in my two room suite as well.
She said something to the effect that "you will be sorry" and I didn't care and stood my ground. She had never been sent a confirmation and I didn't want to subject myself to people arriving and not being happy cramming them into the space.
I'm pretty lucky she didn't write it well. But I was annoyed that she did it on Yahoo Travel and they don't allow for an innkeeper to respond. It is my only bad review to date.
Riki
 
Just saw this in my OTHER news and had to post it...
Restaurant employs monkeys as waiters
A Japanese restaurant has 'employed' two trained monkeys to help wait on their customers.
The Kayabukiya tavern, just north of Tokyo, employs the two macaques to help out their more traditional human waiters.
The macaques, called Yat-chan and Fuku-chan, are tipped by the customers with boiled soya beans, reports Metro.
Yat-chan, aged twelve, is the more experienced of the two - he takes customers' drinks orders and brings them to their table.
Fuku-chan, who is younger, isn't up to taking orders yet, but hands the customers hot towels.
Kaoru Otsuka, 63, the owner of the tavern, originally kept the monkeys as pets - but then noticed how they began copying his actions in the restaurant, and so set them to work as waiters.
Otsuka is currently hoping to train three baby monkeys as the next generation of waiters.
 
seashanty said:
reviews, reviews, reviews, they are taking over everything
i buy something on amazon or ebay or any merchant online and am likely to get a request to post a review.
my take: this patron is still mad ... they don't want a good review to stand, and want you to remove yours because of their experience. they've already vented enough ... they'll probably continue to post on sites wherever they can if they are vindictive. it's why sometimes a place will give a loud, complaining customer what they want ... to quiet them.
we are all subject to this 'anonymous review board' ... the guest who posts a negative review of our place. warranted? maybe. but, maybe not.
I hope I don't face this customer anytime soon. That sort of behavior annoys me and would annoy me more if they threatened me with 'review retaliation'. I think I can speak for hubs & myself on this one...if someone pulled that stunt here we'd ask them to leave. Reviews be damned. Placating is not my strong suit..
I think Jay, in his collection of TA stories, heard of B&Bs who were threatened with getting bad reviews if they didn't do what the guest wanted - refund a cancellation fee or whatever. One response I've heard is that is extortion or blackmail and some threaten to take legal action based on that. I doubt that anyone ever truly would but threats can go both ways.
 
Just saw this in my OTHER news and had to post it...
Restaurant employs monkeys as waiters
A Japanese restaurant has 'employed' two trained monkeys to help wait on their customers.
The Kayabukiya tavern, just north of Tokyo, employs the two macaques to help out their more traditional human waiters.
The macaques, called Yat-chan and Fuku-chan, are tipped by the customers with boiled soya beans, reports Metro.
Yat-chan, aged twelve, is the more experienced of the two - he takes customers' drinks orders and brings them to their table.
Fuku-chan, who is younger, isn't up to taking orders yet, but hands the customers hot towels.
Kaoru Otsuka, 63, the owner of the tavern, originally kept the monkeys as pets - but then noticed how they began copying his actions in the restaurant, and so set them to work as waiters.
Otsuka is currently hoping to train three baby monkeys as the next generation of waiters..
JunieBJones (JBJ) said:
Just saw this in my OTHER news and had to post it...
Restaurant employs monkeys as waiters
A Japanese restaurant has 'employed' two trained monkeys to help wait on their customers.
The Kayabukiya tavern, just north of Tokyo, employs the two macaques to help out their more traditional human waiters.
The macaques, called Yat-chan and Fuku-chan, are tipped by the customers with boiled soya beans, reports Metro.
Yat-chan, aged twelve, is the more experienced of the two - he takes customers' drinks orders and brings them to their table.
Fuku-chan, who is younger, isn't up to taking orders yet, but hands the customers hot towels.
Kaoru Otsuka, 63, the owner of the tavern, originally kept the monkeys as pets - but then noticed how they began copying his actions in the restaurant, and so set them to work as waiters.
Otsuka is currently hoping to train three baby monkeys as the next generation of waiters.
They probably do a better job than some servers I've had.
=)
Kk.
 
So to me it seems the diner wants you to know that what you are recommending did not happen for them. I would ignore it as well and let your review stand. You can sit at the next table and have a bad experience - we did last week, waitress in fight with her boyfriend. Next table over got super service, we got cold food and basically no service at all.
I will for now on, walk in and ask the hostess for the BEST SERVER. So I can understand the diner's issue, you pay big bucks and get something lousy.
If people get sick, like they did at a restaurant I used to recommend, I take them off my review, and don't put anything negative, just don't send anyone there.
Do you feel after his words that the place still stands worthy?.
DH & I went out for dinner one night. The waitress took our order and turned it in. We waited and waited and waited. Finally asked about our food and discovered that after turning in our order - she quit!
 
So to me it seems the diner wants you to know that what you are recommending did not happen for them. I would ignore it as well and let your review stand. You can sit at the next table and have a bad experience - we did last week, waitress in fight with her boyfriend. Next table over got super service, we got cold food and basically no service at all.
I will for now on, walk in and ask the hostess for the BEST SERVER. So I can understand the diner's issue, you pay big bucks and get something lousy.
If people get sick, like they did at a restaurant I used to recommend, I take them off my review, and don't put anything negative, just don't send anyone there.
Do you feel after his words that the place still stands worthy?.
DH & I went out for dinner one night. The waitress took our order and turned it in. We waited and waited and waited. Finally asked about our food and discovered that after turning in our order - she quit!
.
gillumhouse said:
DH & I went out for dinner one night. The waitress took our order and turned it in. We waited and waited and waited. Finally asked about our food and discovered that after turning in our order - she quit!
Don't take it personal.
tounge_smile.gif

 
So to me it seems the diner wants you to know that what you are recommending did not happen for them. I would ignore it as well and let your review stand. You can sit at the next table and have a bad experience - we did last week, waitress in fight with her boyfriend. Next table over got super service, we got cold food and basically no service at all.
I will for now on, walk in and ask the hostess for the BEST SERVER. So I can understand the diner's issue, you pay big bucks and get something lousy.
If people get sick, like they did at a restaurant I used to recommend, I take them off my review, and don't put anything negative, just don't send anyone there.
Do you feel after his words that the place still stands worthy?.
DH & I went out for dinner one night. The waitress took our order and turned it in. We waited and waited and waited. Finally asked about our food and discovered that after turning in our order - she quit!
.
gillumhouse said:
DH & I went out for dinner one night. The waitress took our order and turned it in. We waited and waited and waited. Finally asked about our food and discovered that after turning in our order - she quit!
Don't take it personal.
tounge_smile.gif

.
I didn't know you knew DH!!!
 
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